When I first started watching Severance, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The only thing I knew about the show was that it was produced by Ben Stiller and had a flat office aesthetic. I might’ve recognised the lead actor as Ben from Parks and Recreation, but beyond that, it was a fresh experience for me. Was this a dark comedy about mundane office life? Was this some intricate sci-fi nail-biter with mystery boxes galore? Or was this a more introspective look at the relationships of dysfunctional people? Well, Severance is all of the above and a lot more. In fact, it’s mind-blowing TV that you absolutely need to watch.
I won’t be discussing spoilers in any great detail but hopefully I’ll be able to entice you to watch what I now consider some of the best TV currently airing. The story of Severance takes place in a fictional, snowy town called Kier. Here, a biotech corporation called Lumon has created a complex medical procedure called severance that essentially splits your brain into two. In the case of protagonist Mark Scout, he undergoes severance to split himself between his work life (our “innie Mark”) and personal life outside of work (our “outie Mark”).
With the ding of an elevator, both Marks have no recollection or memories of each other’s lives. They’re effectively two people; one that exists in his 8-hour work day at Lumon who has no idea about the outside world, while the other is the outside Mark who has no idea about the events that happen inside his work.
There’s a strong emotional reason for why Mark takes on this mind-altering procedure in the first place, but we won’t get into those details. Innie Mark works in a windowless underground Lumon branch called MDR (or Micro-data Refinement) alongside co-workers Dylan, Irving and newcomer Helly who have all undergone severance for reasons that only become clear as the story goes on. However, there’s a lot more to this mystery than we think. For instance, what is Lumon? What does MDR actually do? What is the true purpose behind severance? Why are there random dancing scenes in this show?
From episode one, Severance immediately hooks you with its insane premise and doesn’t let go. It’s a slice of original storytelling wrapped in layers upon layers of mystery, intrigue and lingering questions that burn in your mind. I wouldn’t necessarily call it sci-fi, thriller, drama or action, though it does have all of those elements. It’s bizarre, weird and constantly fills you with a sense of unease as you try to wrap your head around the odd occurrences in the office.
Beyond the mysteries that draw you in, Severance also features a stacked cast of talented actors that all bring their A-game. Adam Scott’s performance as Mark (which should’ve won an Emmy by now, just saying) is the emotional anchor of the story, but the show does an outstanding job of making its side characters just as, if not more compelling than the protagonist. Even side characters like Ms. Cobel, the stern manager of the “severance floor” where MDR is located, and her assistant Mr. Milchick are both given so much depth and complexity. Of course, all of this is backed by incredible acting that we rarely see on television to this degree, where wide ranges of emotions need to be conveyed through gritted teeth and straight faces – usually all in one scene.
It’s also one of the best-looking TV shows I think I’ve ever seen. The cinematography is aggressively bright and almost claustrophobic while inside Lumon, despite its labyrinthine, glossy white hallways and open spaces of emptiness, meant to completely immerse viewers in the strong visual cues between the work place and the outside world, where things are a little more normal but feel no less off-kilter and strange. It’s honestly high movie-level quality, especially all the episodes directed by Ben Stiller which are among the best in the series (Stiller is also overdue for an Emmy).
Severance lives and dies on its mystery but thankfully, it hasn’t repeated all the same mistakes that another similar show, Lost, made all those years ago. The writers find ingenious ways to loop plot points back on each other and most details aren’t lost on them. For every question answered, we’re hit with twenty more questions and most of them are answered fairly quickly without keeping you on the wire for too long. Most importantly, they’re all satisfying answers.
Where Severance greatly differs from Lost is the more finely-tuned writing: it’s smart, precise, deliberate and thoughtful. Every twist lands with a resounding boom that shakes up the entire story, changes the perspective of its characters, and evolves their dynamics without smothering the plot.
The two finales that conclude each of Severance’s two seasons so far are, in the words of a wise meme without sounding corny, absolute cinema. Season 1’s finale in particular had me on the edge of my seat for 40 minutes straight (I’m pretty sure I forgot to breathe at some points), while season 2’s finale nearly brought me to tears. They’re easily the strongest episodes of the series, but greatness is sprinkled throughout all 19 episodes.
There are some grievances that I have with the show but these nitpicks are so few and far between, it would just be a disservice to its strongest qualities which are truly in a league of their own. Perhaps in a more spoiler-centric article, I’ll go into those details but for now, don’t worry about them. We’re only two seasons into Severance and I’ve never been more impressed with a show in such a short time span, maybe since Succession which I also recently watched (and loved). There’s a reason it has become a bit of a global sensation on TV.
Severance is now streaming on Apple TV+.
