Imagine walking into your office and instantly forgetting everything about your personal life. Then, at the end of the day, you step outside and have no memory of what you just spent hours doing. That’s the unsettling premise of Severance, the psychological thriller that took the streaming world by storm in 2022. And, after nearly three years of anticipation, Season 2 kicked off in January, with one episode dropping weekly — and it’s already proving to be one of Apple TV+’s biggest hits.
The critically acclaimed series has quickly climbed the streaming charts, ranking fourth among original shows in late January with a staggering 557 million minutes of viewing. Though slightly down from its initial weeks, this marks the best performance for an Apple TV+ show since Ted Lasso Season 3.
What’s the show all about? (Spoilers ahead)
Created by Dan Erickson, Severance plunges viewers into the eerie corporate halls of Lumon Industries, where employees willingly undergo a radical procedure: their work and personal identities are completely “severed”. By implanting a chip in their brains, their “innie” selves exist only at work, while their “outie” selves remain blissfully unaware of what happens inside Lumon. This thriller unpacks themes of free will, corporate control and identity in a way few shows have dared to explore.
Season 1 left fans reeling after Mark (Adam Scott) and his fellow “innies” managed to momentarily override their severance chips, experiencing the outside world for the first time. In a shocking twist, Mark discovered that his wife, presumed dead, was actually alive and working at Lumon. Now, Season 2 picks up right where the tension left off, promising deeper conspiracies, heightened stakes and a thrilling unraveling of the mysterious corporation’s secrets.
With its bold storytelling, stunning cinematography and chilling performances, Severance is shaping up to be Apple TV+’s next flagship series. As the new season unfolds, one thing is certain: the lines between work and reality have never been blurrier.