More than four years after the premiere of the first season, it’s almost time to return to Lumon once more, as Severance Season 2 is set to debut on Apple TV+ in less than two weeks, on January 17. The first season garnered extremely positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, earning a 97% rating from the former and an 88% score from the latter on Rotten Tomatoes, setting itself up with a tough act to follow. Now that Severance Season 2 is right around the corner, does it live up to the hype as a worthy next chapter to its predecessor?
While those who are unfamiliar with Severance may put the show in a similar category to Succession, lining it up alongside other business procedurals and dramas, Severance is so much more. The show belongs much more in the genre of a psychological thriller, using elements of sci-fi to drive its story forward. Season 1 ends on one of the great cliffhangers in television history. Now, nearly five years later, the show has delivered an astounding follow-up that swings for the fences with a more ambitious story and knocks it out of the park.
‘Severance’ Season 2 Picks Up Right After Season 1 … Kind Of
Severance Season 1 ends with the Lumon Four, Mark Scout (Adam Scott) Dylan George (Zach Cherry), Helly Riggs (Britt Lower), and Irving Bailiff (John Turturro) activating their severed selves outside the office to alert people to the horrors going on beneath. It’s quickly revealed that it’s been five months since the stunning events of the Season 1 finale, and while they remain in grave danger, they also find that their stunt has made them superstars on the outside. The show doesn’t tug as much at the threads directly connected to the Season 1 finale but instead opts to tangle with the knots that were formed because of it.
Where Season 2 really steps up its game in a way that’s impossible to see coming is with the horror elements. Season 1 toes the line pretty carefully, but mostly opts more towards thriller than horror. While Season 2 partially follows the same model, it also delivers some moments that will have you watching between your fingers, curled up in a ball. The show has always been at its best when it’s subverting expectations, and Severance Season 2 delivers horrifying thrills like you’ve never seen, some in the form of more nuanced concepts and others thrown right in your face.
Tramell Tillman Leads Another Round of Strong Performances in ‘Severance’ Season 2
Adam Scott, Christopher Walken, John Turturro, and Patricia Arquette all received acting nominations from the Academy for their work in Severance Season 1, and while it wouldn’t be surprising to see Scott and Turturro, in particular, get more love from the Emmys, it’s Tramell Tillman as Mr. Milchick and Britt Lower as Helly Riggs who deserve the lion’s share of love this time around.
Tillman delivers an epic but layered performance; Milchick has always been portrayed as a Lumon lapdog, and while this hasn’t changed in Season 2, there are clear desires for a better — or entirely different — life that he keeps close to the surface but never fully exposes. His work of constantly trying to wrangle the Lumon crew while also fighting demons himself plays incredibly well, especially across from Lower, who shines while portraying both Lumon employee Helly Riggs and the founder’s daughter Helena Eagen with force and passion.
Adam Scott delivers yet another brilliant performance as Mark Scout in Severance Season 2; it’s not exceedingly different from his work in the first season, but it’s hard to argue that something so close to perfect should be changed at all. Comedy icon Ben Stiller was nominated for an Emmy for directing the series, and his work in Season 2 proves he hasn’t skipped a beat. Neither has writer-creator Dan Erickson, who has no trouble delivering yet another season that pulls you in and doesn’t let go.
‘Severance’ Season 2 Is Poised To Be a Major Hit for Apple TV+
Severance Season 1 was extremely popular upon its release in 2022, but the show has also picked up many more fans along the way who are eager to tune into Season 2. The wait for those who watched Season 1 upon release has certainly been brutal, but take comfort in knowing that the wait is worth it; Severance Season 2 is every bit as good as the first season that made the show such a hit.
Severance Season 2 begins streaming on Apple TV+ on January 17. Follow Agents of Fandom socials for all the latest entertainment news and reviews.
'Severance' Season 2 Review
'Severance' Season 2 ReviewThe Good
- The star-studded cast puts together another round of outstanding performances.
- The mystery is even further developed with more curveballs to keep you guessing.
- The added horror elements keep you on your toes and make you not want to stop watching.
The Bad
- The show sometimes loses track of a less linear overall plot.
- It can be tough to follow now that the story is so much more ambitious.
