Severance Season 2 Review: The Best Mystery On TV Returns Strong

Two years and nine months is a long time to wait for anything — especially for the follow-up of one of the most anticipated and beloved sci-fi dramas on TV that ended its first season on a high with a blistering finale. I still feel my adrenaline spike whenever I recall that tight final episode of Apple TV+'s "Severance" Season 1. Rest assured, every minute of the wait was well worth it for the return of "Severance," which continues to be the boldest, smartest, and weirdest "what-the-hell-is-going-on" program on television since Damon Lindelof's "The Leftovers."

That said, the nearly three-year break has inevitably faded our recollection of some crucial plot points and minor details, so I can't emphasize enough to refresh the experience of the debut season before diving into these 10 brand-new episodes (of which 6 were provided for review). Season 2 picks up five months after where we left off, immediately bringing us down from that cliffhanger-high with some cold, matter-of-fact, yet nevertheless intriguing answers. As Mark (Adam Scott, remaining fantastic) returns to Lumon in a fast-paced and ingeniously directed opening sequence — courtesy of director Ben Stiller indulging every creative atom in his body — he finds a different dynamic alongside a few unknown faces down at the basement in his department.

His team is gone, along with his previous boss Ms. Cobel (Patricia Arquette), and the answers he demands are now coming from his new yet familiar superior, Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman). From his explanation, we learn that he runs the severed floor now — as the replacement of Cobel, who was fired because she developed an "erotic fixation" on both Mark's innie and outie — and that the rest of the Macro Data Refinement (MDR) group allegedly refused to return after the mutiny fiasco. Unsurprisingly, Mark wants more than these empty corporate statements and concocts a plan to force Lumon to bring back his friends and colleagues Helly (Britt Lower), Dylan (Zach Cherry), and Irving (Mark Turturro), sooner rather than later. Before long, they all descend in that eerie elevator to discuss what they'd found in the real world above.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the latest season is that the team (and us viewers) is forced to get accustomed to new reforms and the measured rhythm of how Lumon continues to operate. The pacing of the show is quickly reset to what we first encountered in the debut season, but now with the added information fragments that our four have learned about the ominous tech company they work for. Episodes 1 and 2 are basically reminders of how strange and deliberate "Severance" has been from the get-go, meticulously building to a crescendo replete with mysteries and first-class character drama.

Season 2 may not have as many twists and "aha" moments as its predecessor (so far, at least), but the personal stakes are clearly higher for everyone involved. And boy, they're utilized to the max. It remains refreshing to watch a show willing to swing for the fences without holding the viewer's hand every step of the way. The tempo with which new events unfold might be a little more leisurely than many of us mystery addicts would prefer, but that actually gives the characters enough time to process what just happened to them, to observe their own reactions and feelings, and to weigh the limited options they have against Lumon's Board.

Creator Dan Erickson and his writers want us to think and connect the dots between seemingly insignificant and pivotal details ourselves because they know how much more rewarding that is, as opposed to clear and definite answers. And fear not, there's an abundance of references to every nook and cranny of this fictional universe that we've just begun to discover and understand.

With an early twist that I won't spoil, the writers manage to build on and add another layer to the innie-outie-employer dynamic by creating a sense of distrust between the central characters. It's not always entirely evident when Lumon is misleading the four (and, by large, us), forging suspense from uncertainty that at times culminates in masterfully delivered climaxes that become emotional show-stoppers. Let's just say there's an incident midway through that makes a shocking statement about the depths "Severance" is willing to go to. And to prelude that moment, Dan Erickson and his writers deliberately place some red herrings and "fake twists" early on for us to spot just so they can later reveal something much bigger we won't see coming.

Besides the core characters, Season 2 also introduces a few fresh faces with superbly picked guest stars who seamlessly slide into the fabric of the show, deepening both its emotional palette and black-as-night humor. Yes, despite its generally somber and grim atmosphere, "Severance" continues to be as bonkers and hilarious as we've come to expect; it's still dark and mean and scathing in the best way possible.

Ultimately, the show persists as a sharp and cutting commentary on workplace culture, freedom, and control — as well as a thought-provoking and intimate meditation about fractured relationships, grief, and human connection. Due to its excellent combination of a character-driven narrative, absorbing mystery, and aesthetic beauty (cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagné continues to deliver monumental vistas that take your breath away), "Severance" is still the full package, period. At a time when safe tropes and exhausted formulas seem to saturate streaming and television further and further, a gem like this can't be celebrated and praised enough. To risk repeating myself, there's just nothing like this on the small screen right now. So savor every moment while it lasts — and if we can believe director-slash-executive producer Ben Stiller's words, it will ... at least for another season.

"Severance" Season 2 premieres on Apple TV+ on January 17.