Severance Season 2 Cast, Showrunners, Possible Plotlines And More Details
When "Severance" premiered in February 2022, the Apple TV+ series was praised as "one of the most impressive new shows of the last couple years" (via RogerEbert.com). "Severance" takes its cues from the likes of Franz Kafka and the paranoid films of the '70s to create a series that's part workplace drama and part sci-fi thriller.
The series follows a mysterious biotech company called Lumon Industries, which employs the "severance" program, a medical procedure that disconnects an employee's home and work life, essentially creating two different people. This radical exploration of "work-life balance" specifically looks at members of the Macrodata Refinement division, who spend the day — or their entire lives, as they see it — engaging in the scut work of sorting numbers into digital folders.
Season 1 ended on an all-time cliffhanger, but praise Kier, the Apple TV+ series is coming back for a second season. Here's everything we know so far about the acclaimed series' upcoming sophomore season.
When will Severance Season 2 be released?
As of this writing, there's no premiere date for Season 2 of "Severance." So when will we return to the green halls of Lumen? Well, in October 2022, Apple TV+ announced that the show had begun filming. However, things hit a major snag in May 2023 due to the Writers Guild of America strike. But now that the WGA strike — along with the actors' strike — is finally over, we've got some good news about all future Music/Dance Experiences.
In January 2024, Apple TV+ took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and posted a black-and-white photo of Adam Scott's character, Mark, running through Lumen headquarters. "Severance" director Ben Stiller retweeted that image and captioned it, "Back to work." Just a few months later, costumer Carol Deelay took to Instagram with another update, revealing that the second season had wrapped shooting. In other words, we'll soon return to work at Lumen, so get your maracas ready.
What is the plot of Severance Season 2?
Series creator Dan Erickson and executive producer Ben Stiller have been tightlipped about the plot of "Severance" Season 2. Season 1 ends with a white-knuckle cliffhanger as the innies infiltrate the world of their outie counterparts. Their various discoveries — that Mark's late wife is somehow his coworker, that Irving's love interest is married, and that Helly is part of the Lumon family dynasty — will no doubt figure largely into Season 2.
Speaking with Esquire, Erickson offered some specifics as to the direction of Season 2, all while leaving plenty of unanswered "Severance" questions. "There's definitely going to be some expansion of the world," he said. "Within Lumon, we're going to see more of the building, and we'll see more of the outside world too." If there's one thing for certain, it's that "Severance" will finally address those office goats. Said Stiller (via Variety), "There's no way the goats are there for no reason."
Who is starring in Severance Season 2?
Never fear, the cast of "Severance" Season 1 is coming back. According to Variety, we can expect to see Adam Scott as Mark, Britt Lower as Helly, John Turturro as Irving, and Zach Cerry as Dylan. We'll also get to see Patricia Arquette as Lumon boss Harmony Cobel, Seth Milchick as the scary Tramell Tillman, Dicen Lachman as the mysterious Ms. Casey, Christopher Walken as the affable Burt Goodman, Michael Chernus as psychologist Ricken, and Jen Tullock as Mark's sister, Devon.
However, they'll be accompanied by an absolutely killer line-up of new actors. Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth from "Game of Thrones") and Alia Shawkat (Maeby from "Arrested Development" and Dory Sief from "Search Party") have joined the cast, along with Bob Balaban ("The French Dispatch," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"), Merrit Weaver ("Unbelievable," "The Walking Dead"), and Robby Benson (the voice of the Beast in "Beauty and the Beast").
Additionally, they'll be accompanied by newcomer Stefano Carannante, John Noble (Denethor from the "Lord of the Rings" franchise), and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Bing Patridge from "NOS4A2").
Who is directing Severance Season 2?
As fans of "Severance" know, Ben Stiller isn't just a hilarious comedian. As it turns out, this guy can craft one heck of a thriller, as proven by his directing work on "Severance" Season 1 (along with Aoife McArdle). And an October 2022 report from Variety confirms that he will indeed be back for the second season. "We are thrilled and delighted to be back on the set for the exciting second chapter of 'Severance,'" Stiller said. "Though we don't know how long we've been gone or who we are outside, we are told people enjoy the show and we couldn't be happier. Praise Kier!" Stiller also serves as an executive producer on the series via his Red Hour Films banner.
And yes, if you're wondering, Stiller had plenty of directing experience under his belt before working on "Severance." The actor has helmed movies such as "Tropic Thunder," "Zoolander," and "Reality Bites," along with the dramatic miniseries "Escape at Dannemora."
Who is writing Severance Season 2?
While Ben Stiller serves as executive producer and the primary director for the series, "Severance" is the brainchild of Dan Erickson. Interestingly, other than working on Spike's "Lip Sync Battle Preshow," Erickson doesn't have any credits besides "Severance." However, after sending the script Ben Stiller's way, Erickson suddenly found his career taking off as "Severance" became one of the best shows of 2022.
As the creator/writer, Erickson has spent 10 years developing the series and has already mapped out its conclusion. However, he has noted that he's not committed to a specific length of time or number of seasons. "I have an end point in mind, and I intentionally didn't plan it season by season," he told Esquire. "Because I wanted it to be flexible enough that we could get there in two seasons or six seasons. I want to allow us to be surprised by where the show goes." We have a feeling we'll also be surprised by Season 2 and the dark, wild directions that Erickson will take the series.
However, he isn't the only one calling shots on the show. Because he's more or less a newbie, Erickson has been paired up with industry vet Mark Friedman ("Wayward Pines," "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb"). Interestingly, there have been rumors that Erickson and Friedman don't get along, and reportedly, Beau Willimon ("Andor," "House of Cards") was brought aboard to assist on creating the story for both Season 2 and 3. Some close to the show have denied the reports of in-fighting, although Erickson, Friedman, and Willimon are all now involved with the series.
Where to watch Severance Season 1
"Severance" became one of the most critically acclaimed, most talked-about shows of 2022, even earning 14 Emmy nominations and snagging two wins. To say that critics and fans are excited for Season 2 is a bit of an understatement. However, before the second season hits Apple TV+, it probably would be a good idea to go back and check out Season 1 again (or watch it for the first time if you're new to the series). After all, "Severance" has a ton of strange lore to unravel — from the history of the Eagan family to how the practice of severance actually works to the mind-bending weirdness of a Waffle Party. Plus, it's juggling multiple characters, all of whom have wonderfully thought-out storylines. So a rewatch will definitely be in order before Season 2 airs, and that means you can check out "Severance" on Apple TV+.