I won’t be spoiling anything in this article because of the fact that Severance is a show you really just have to watch to fully understand.
Severance is a series that is streaming exclusively on Apple TV+. It was created by Dan Erikson and primarily directed by Ben Stiller. It stars Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Dichen Lachman, John Turturro, Tramell Tillman and Patricia Arquette.
The show received fourteen nominations during the 74th annual Emmy Awards, and it won for the Main Title Theme and Musical Score. I feel that these honors were well-deserved, as the soundtrack especially fits the eerie feeling that surrounds the mysterious company called Lumon Industries.
The show’s premise is based on an idea that Erikson had when he was planning on writing a pilot for a series, but he didn’t quite know what to write about. He was plotting ideas during his breaks, while interning for another show. He thought to himself, “I wish I could just clock out of my mind for eight hours a day.” Then he considered what a dystopian concept this was, and many viewers have compared this show to the British series Black Mirror, due to its dark themes.
Severance is about people who are “severed”, meaning that they’ve undergone a procedure that splits their brains into two separate consciousnesses, called “innies” and “outies”. This separation occurs when employees enter and leave Lumon’s basement floor. The main character named Mark (played by Scott) has undergone this procedure, and neither he nor his fellow employees know the purpose of the work they’re doing.
The people who work in Mark’s division sort encrypted data on computers. Mark explains that the work they are doing “is mysterious and important.” Zach Cherry’s character Dylan proposes the question, “What if you’re down there murdering people for eight hours a day?” The story follows Mark and his coworkers as they try to figure out what exactly it is that Lumon is hiding.
This series also asks an important philosophical question: Who are you without your memories? The show’s “innies” still have their common sense and knowledge of language, but they still long for the outside world. They still have their individuality and sense of self, despite only being conscious for a few months.
Overall, this series is captivating and invigorating, as each episode, including the season finale, will leave you needing more. While binge-watching the series, you’ll only have to wait a few seconds to go from the thrilling end of the Season One finale to the start of Season Two. Millions of fans had to spend the past few months watching these episodes, patiently waiting to see what will happen next to Mark and his friends.
Even though Severance is in its second season, there are still many questions to be answered. The season finale is just another giant cliffhanger, leaving us wondering what will come next.
One particular actor that I would like to spotlight is Tramell Tillman, who plays conflicted Lumon manager Seth Milcheck. You’ve likely never heard of Tillman prior to his role in this series, but he delivers a stunning performance, having to rapidly switch from one demeanor to another.
Some of the cinematography in Severance is just amazing. Specifically, there is this one sequence at the start of Season 2, in which Mark is running through a series of hallways, and the camera is sweeping around him from multiple different angles.
In short, Severance is an amazing show that proposes many questions about the possibilities of work-life balance in the future. I give it our highest rating, because there is really nothing else like it streaming today.
