‘Severance’ Season 2 spoiler-free review: Bringing back quality in the era of streaming

With season 2, Severance sets the bar astronomically high in the age of streaming giants going at each other with their “second-screen friendly” content. For, it brings to the table many forgot—quality.

There is no way to review Severance without a few spoilers here and there. Yet, I made a promise in the headline, and I intend to deliver it—keeping it as spoiler-free as possible. Going into season 2, I hope that you have already watched the excellent first season that put Apple TV+ on the international map, as far as psychological drama is concerned. Till then, it was a streaming service lifted up by a few hits like Silo and the breakout Ted Lasso comedy.

But Severance is a beast of cinema. Storytelling aside, it gives you a lot of food for thought. It follows Adam Scott as Mark, who works at this mysterious corporation called Lumon. The catch: He works on what is called the “severed” floor, where all employees are severed psychologically—a special chip in their brain shifts them to a new personality that wakes up only at work. The employees’ outer conscience (”outie” ) is not aware of what their inside self (”innie”) does at Lumon.

At first, we wonder what makes someone choose such a profession. For Mark, it was escaping the grief after the accidental death of his wife, Gemma.

The series features an excellent cast of Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Dichen Lachman, Tramell Tillman, and Jen Tullock, joining major names like Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken.

This season elevated the show to much more than a trend. Season 2 Episode 7, ‘Chikhai Bardo’, was a work of art. It followed three separate yet connected storylines. One, Mark’s outie in a limbo-like state after a certain procedure, and going into a dream-like state. Two, in Mark’s dream state, we see how Mark and Gemma met and how their relationship evolved over the years. Three, we get a glimpse of what happens to Gemma, raising quite a few questions—shaking the very core of the story it has been building. Okay, I’ve given out too much information already.

Adam Scott, Jen Tullock, and Dichen Lachman are excellent in this episode that redefines storytelling, with apt, tight, tone changes, and an engaging pace that hits the right balance. Despite it standing out, the reason why this episode might never get its due separately is only because the rest of the nine episodes are just as good—binding the season together in a feat of excellently woven narrative.

Overall, Season 2 builds on top of the mammoth first season of Severance. There are shots that are unreal that they feel like CGI, yet they are all practical effects.

More than anything, Severance Season 2 is an exercise in extending the limits of filmmaking through a planned deployment of techniques and tight production quality.

Season 2 starts off slow, and it is deliberate. You may think the fast-paced Season 1 is to blame, sitting through the first few minutes. But you would be as far from the truth as possible.

Season 2 is a well-oiled machine. It paces at the right moments and ties it all together in the final couple of episodes, creating a true TV masterpiece.

Ben Stiller’s second coming as an executive producer of the show and its primary director is a delight to watch. Adam Scott moves so far away from his Parks and Recreation persona that it feels that every crew and cast member of Severance is out there to reinvent the wheel in some way or the other.

After each episode this season, I took a good 15 to 20 minutes to recover from what was a train of thought spurred by the happenings in that episode. It was not your usual “Oh, I wonder what happens to them” or “Now, what will happen next in the story?”. It was more of a reflection of what life is, and how society works. It was about exploring human connections and trying to understand one more facet of how human brains work.

Severance makes you think, and its wonderful production adds more value to cinema as a whole. The set design is impeccable, the costumes ever so effortlessly impactful, and the storyline a massive hit. There is a reason why it has got the fame it deserves. Severance is not your everyday series. It is quite the commitment. But I assure you, you will enjoy the journey, for it brings back quality in storytelling—a lost art in the age of streaming platforms.

SEVERANCE Season 2

Rating: 5 out of 5 | ★★★★★

Where to watch: Apple TV+

Cast: Adam Scott, Jen Tullock, Britt Lower, Dichen Lachman, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Christopher Walken

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