The hit Apple TV+ show, Severance, aired its final episode of season two last week. The new season, while still delivering on some of the promise that first season showed, suffered at times from uneven pacing and plot threads that felt thin and without satisfying payoff. The end result is much more of a mixed bag than the almost perfect first season, but still is one of the most unique and interesting shows on television.
Severance follows the employees on a specific and unique floor of the mysterious Lumon Industries. These employees have all undergone an experimental procedure known as ’severance,’ which separates their mind into work and personal. The employee, while at work, doesn’t remember their life outside of the severed floor. At home, they don’t remember anything that happens at work. The show is centered mostly around Mark Scout, played by Adam Scott, who begins working at Lumon after the death of his wife.
Season one‘s narrative is kicked off with the introduction of a new employee on the floor, Helly R. played by Britt Lower, and a former severed co-worker of Mark’s contacting him in the outside world. These events lead us through the growing mysteries of the world of Lumon. Themes of the show revolve around identity, asking if the ‘innies’ are entirely new people, or just a small, cordoned-off part of the ‘outie.’
After season one was universally critically acclaimed, the show had a three year gap between the second season and the end of the first. This was, at least in part, due to the writers strike that took place in 2023. There was rumor of the original scripts for season two being essentially thrown out because the creators weren’t happy with them, starting from scratch again. Anticipation for the sophomore installment was high going into the new season.
(There will be spoilers from Season One from here on.)
Season two initially deals with the fallout of the severed employees enacting the “overtime contingency” and waking up their innies in the outside world. It is revealed that Helly is actually Helena Egan, part of the Egan family that owns and runs Lumon. Irving, played by John Turturro, is seemingly former military and has paintings that depict a mysterious elevator somewhere within Lumon all over his apartment.
Most importantly, Mark discovers that his outie’s wife, Gemma, who was previously thought to be dead, is actually alive and works at Lumon, severed, as Ms. Casey the wellness counselor. Mark reveals this to his sister right before being switched back to his outie.
The opening two episodes of the new season are compelling, though they suffer from what the season as a whole suffers from: poor pacing. The first episode deals with the repercussions on the severed floor, while episode two focuses only on the consequences outside of Lumon.
The overarching narrative of the season is outie Mark attempting to figure out if Gemma is truly alive and held within Lumon, and if she is, how to get her out. Meanwhile, the narrative on the severed floor is primarily focused on the relationship between Helly and innie Mark. Feelings between the two of them were developed over the course of the first season, and become a major story factor in the new episodes.
As alluded to before, the new season’s biggest issue is one of pacing. The middle few episodes are largely lackluster and do not push forward the larger plot. In addition, episodes seven and eight stop the main plot to focus on the backstories of two separate characters. Episode seven, likely the strongest of the season, shows the relationship history between Mark and Gemma. Beautifully shot and brilliantly performed, it was a clear stand out. The following episode on the other hand, focusing on Patricia Arquette’s Ms. Cobel, didn’t feel like enough story to be its own standalone episode.
The larger problem with these episodes, is when the narrative detours from the forward moving story for two episodes back to back, it can feel as if nothing has really happened. The whole season felt start and stop. The overall impression is they had probably six or seven episodes worth of story, and they stretched it out over 10 episodes.
The other negative would be the introduction of a sexual relationship between Helly and Innie Mark. While not overly graphic, it unfortunately fell into the typical Hollywood trap of equating sexual attraction to love. The intent was to show that Innie Mark truly loves Helly, which makes a decision he faces near the end of the season more difficult. In reality, they’ve known each other only a few months and have had sex, so the emotional weight is not there the way the creators, I think, are intending. The connection they are trying to build could have been done without the introduction of a sexual component.
On the positive side, the major plot and world revelations we get are compelling and thought-provoking. More insights are given into Lumon and its mission, and the emotional heart of the show centered around Outie Mark and Gemma is touching and moving. Technically, the show is as impressive as ever. Under the direction of Ben Stiller, the performances, set design, and cinematography are all top notch and some of the best work on television right now. The finale and episode seven focusing on Gemma were both incredibly well done and satisfying.
The ending of the season leaves some questions still unanswered, though not necessarily unsatisfactorily. Enough has been revealed to be engaging still. It is also uncertain how compelling a following season can be, given the direction it seems to be moving in. The largest point of debate regarding the finale will likely be about the decision made right before the credits roll. Some could view the decision as frustrating because it isn’t a good one, but I would argue that we are supposed to feel frustrated by it.
If this was a series finale, I would also feel unsatisfied with the decision made. However, more episodes are coming, so it is likely we’re going to see the consequences of that decision. There is still plenty of opportunity for the show to end in a truly satisfying way. As a side note, I would also say, not every ending needs to be a purely happy one to be compelling and satisfying.
On the whole, the show is still worth watching. The middle episodes are a bit of a slog, and in hindsight, there are subplots that feel as if they just fizzle out by the end of the season. The ideas and stories of the season are still really strong, it’s the execution of these elements that is lacking. While season two still serves as a compelling follow up to the stellar first season, it is much more of a mixed viewing experience. I would still recommend, though would advise a viewer to watch out for the two sexual scenes this season.
Season rating: 7.5/10
