Apple TV+ Renews Severance For Season 2

Praise Kier Eagan after all, because Apple TV+ has announced today that the must-watch workplace existential nightmare "Severance" has been renewed for a second season. The announcement comes just a few days shy of the epic season 1 finale, and after finally learning about what a "Waffle Party" is during the penultimate episode, there was a good chance fans of the show were going to wage a psychological war of their own if the first season marked the end of arguably the best new show in years. The highly-addictive science-fiction thriller from creator and writer Dan Erickson and director and executive producer Ben Stiller has been universally praised from the beginning and despite the pandemic forcing most of our water cooler conversations to the virtual sphere, "Severance" quickly became one of the most talked-about shows of 2022.

"It's really exciting to see the response from people who are loving the show — and the level of fan engagement," Stiller said in a statement. "It has been a long road bringing 'Severance' to television." Stiller read Erickson's pilot over five years ago, but the series following a team of office workers who have had their memories surgically severed and divided between their work lives and personal lives is the perfect examination of the current state of corporate culture amid the so-called Great Resignation. "Thanks to creator Dan Erickson, the brilliant Ben Stiller, and an incomparable cast and crew, 'Severance' has imagined an existence that's equal parts riveting and enthralling as viewers around the globe can't get enough of these rich characters," said Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+. "We're excited to go deeper into this wholly unique world and unpack more layers of Lumon in season two."

Watching an episode of "Severance" is an exercise in tension, but the performances and absolutely bananas storylines are so compelling that it's impossible not to get sucked into the dystopian world. The comparisons to "Black Mirror" are inevitable, but because the show has been given an entire series to breathe and explore, coming back to its addictive bleakness becomes compulsory. There are so many questions left to be answered, and thankfully, Apple TV+ is giving us more time.

The renewal news will come as a huge relief ahead of Friday's finale episode, "The We We Are," especially after episode 8 "What's For Dinner?" ended on one of the most intense cliffhangers ever seen in a series debut's first season. The show boasts a ridiculously talented cast including Academy and Emmy Award winner Patricia Arquette, who stars alongside Adam Scott, Emmy Award winner John Turturro, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Dichen Lachman, Jen Tullock, Tramell Tillman, Michael Chernus, and Academy Award winner Christopher Walken. 

No word yet on when we can expect to see season 2, but unlike our severed friends, we at least have the gift of knowing.