Severance Season 2 Review: TV's Trippiest Mind-Bender Is Back And Better Than Ever

I resisted the urge to succumb to hyperbole throughout much of the brilliant debut season of "Severance," in spite of myself. After all, there's no denying the tendency among many in our circles to lob superlatives like "masterpiece" or "best of the year" to the point of meaninglessness. It's easy to happen when we're caught up in the moment, swept away by the hype of a new series and all too eager to toss our hot takes into the ether before anyone else does. Sometimes, those declarations stand the test of time. Other times, uh, they very much don't. Like any good office drone, though, I played by the rules and refused to rock the boat too much the first time around regardless of what my eyes told me ... but I'm not going to make that same mistake again. This time, I'm finally trusting my instincts — something that "Severance" season 2 does as well.

With "Severance" season 2, creator, writer, and executive producer Dan Erickson and his writing team could've fallen prey to the dreaded sophomore slump, struggling to live up to (and exceed) expectations after one of the finest season finales in years. Instead, they achieved the exact opposite by staying true to themselves and the wry, darkly humorous ethos that got them this far in the first place. Now, the Apple TV+ original series returns after a lengthy break as if it never missed a beat — darker, more ambitious, and as confounding as ever.

Following in similar footsteps as sci-fi predecessors like "Lost," "The Leftovers," and "Mr. Robot," "Severance" has officially drawn a line in the sand during its second year. Where many fans might've felt like they finally had a handle on what kind of show this was and where the plot seems to be headed, this next batch of episodes proves that there's no greater sin that treating art like a puzzle to be solved. There are still plenty of mysteries to unravel and clues to obsess over and rabbit holes to tumble down, don't get me wrong. But for viewers who manage to avoid missing the forest for the trees, this bolder and more confident season has a knack for never taking the easy way out. Not to pull out my crystal ball like visionary Lumon founder Kier Eagan and his progeny of godlike CEOs but, when it's all said and done, season 2 could ultimately go down as the one that best defines what "Severance" has always been about.

Whatever you assumed might happen next after our quartet of "innies" launched a miniature revolution at the end of "Severance" season 1 and appeared on the verge of multiple character-redefining moments, leave those preconceptions at the elevator door. It's much too soon to crown this next installment as "divisive," but it certainly bears the hallmarks of a season that may require a few mental adjustments in the early going. Right from the premiere's opening moments (and before I'm accused of spoilers, Apple dropped the first eight minutes of the episode for subscribers to watch over two weeks ago), season 2 dramatically and purposefully puts viewers back on their heels. The writers switch up everything from the visual language to the frantic pacing we'd all grown used to throughout the previous nine episodes, and the results are nothing short of exhilarating.

Three years is an unusually long wait between seasons, and the writers took full advantage of the layoff by playing with our expectations every step of the way. When last we saw Mark S. (Adam Scott), Helly R. (Britt Lower), Dylan G. (Zach Cherry), and Irving B. (John Turturro), the severed employees had mounted their most brazen act of rebellion yet. Like "Lost" and its game-changing hatch in the middle of the jungle before it, "Severance" cleared the deck and found its own point of no return with Helly blowing the whistle in front of all of Lumon and Mark announcing that his outie's long-dead wife Gemma (known as Ms. Casey to the innies, played by Dichen Lachman) was actually alive. Well, not so fast. Season 2's first order of business, incredibly enough, is to revert back to the old status quo ... with a twist, as seen by the hilarious additions of Bob Balaban, Alia Shawkat, and Stefano Carannante (among other notable guest appearances). If season 1 was about the working class taking back control of their own lives, then season 2 concerns itself with all the ways those in power will use anything — even what's become known as "The Macrodat Uprising" — to continue furthering their own agendas. If anything, time has only made this series' critique of capitalism and all its abuses even sharper.

Mileage, of course, could vary. Some will inevitably call the first pair of episodes "slow," both of which take a bifurcated approach that's simply too clever to describe in detail here. (See, spoiler-phobes, don't say I didn't do nothing for ya!) Others may cry foul at the idea of "filler," an accusation that will almost assuredly be leveled at perhaps the best hour of either season so far. But make no mistake: this is all evidence of a production fully in the process of evolving and maturing before our very eyes.

While a series as idiosyncratic as this is undoubtedly best experienced rather than described (in case anyone was wondering why this review, based on the first six episodes made available to critics to screen, is a little light on specifics), season 2 truly outshines itself through its expanded sense of scope and scale. A whopping 14 Emmy nominations and overwhelming critical acclaim will buy any show a long leash, but "Severance" wastes no time showing off its bigger budget and ability to take even bigger swings. It's tough to beat a season that already packed in unforgettable imagery like baby goats hidden in the deepest recesses of an office building, a waffle party culminating in an erotic dance by performers behind creepy masks, or the sinister torture chamber known as the Break Room. Believe it or not, this season raises the bar even higher without ever losing sight of what made the show so special to begin with.

Much of the credit has to go to Dan Erickson and the creative team, of course, led by returning director and executive producer Ben Stiller. Between himself and directors Sam Donovan, Uta Briesewitz, and more, the series has never looked crisper or more inventive, featuring crash zooms and handheld shots that lend a much more chaotic feel to the proceedings. The color palette, lighting, and production design (shout out to director of photography Jessica Lee Gagné, production designer Jeremy Hindle and, frankly, the entire art department) remain as vivid and vibrant as you remember, adding entire layers of subtext for those paying close attention to detail. And as the overall narrative direction of season 2 finally comes into focus around the third episode or so, fans will be delighted by just how many new and returning characters get the spotlight all to themselves — not just our four main protagonists, but villainous figures like Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) and even Tramell Tillman's mild-mannered, scene-stealing Mr. Milchick. (The introductions of Sarah Bock as Miss Huang and Gwendoline Christie as a Lumon employee rank as clear-cut highlights.)

All of this to say that, for those concerned about the long wait, "Severance" hasn't lost a single step since its debut in early 2022. Acerbic, witty, and compelling to the extreme, it immediately announces itself as the series to beat in 2025. Presuming the writers stick the landing, any fears of overpraising this phenomenon will feel downright silly. The smartest show on television right now has earned the benefit of the doubt, allowing us to simply enjoy this twisting, mind-bending ride.

/Film Rating: 8 out of 10

"Severance" season 2 premieres on Apple TV+ Friday, January 17, 2025.