Spoilers for Severance season 1 ahead.
It’s fitting that, in this era of return-to-office fatigue, mass resignations, “quiet quitting,” and declining professional ambition, a show about the oddities and horrors of work life would captivate us most.
Apple TV+’s Severance took the world by storm after premiering in February, garnering critical acclaim, a growing fandom, and 14 Emmy nominations. But the sci fi workplace drama from creator/writer Dan Erickson and director/executive producer Ben Stiller wowed us not only for its cultural relevance, but also for its compelling premise and A-list cast. Starring Adam Scott, John Turturro, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken, and more, the drama follows a group of employees at a company called Lumon who’ve undergone a procedure called severance, which separates their work memories (their “Innie” life) from their personal memories (their “Outie” life). For those of us seeking a healthy work-life balance, that actually doesn’t sound so bad, but as the events of Severance unfold, they prove otherwise.
In addition to becoming one of the best new shows of the year, Severance has also put a spotlight on breakout performers Tramell Tillman, Britt Lower, and Zach Cherry. Luckily, fans will get to see more of them, and the rest of the cast, now that Severance has been renewed for a second season. Here’s what we know so far.
When will Severance season 2 come out?
It’s still too early to say. Apple TV+ renewed the series in April and then announced on Oct. 31 that filming is officially underway. Whenever season 2 arrives, it will be comprised of ten episodes, series creator Dan Erickson confirmed to Variety.
Who will be in the cast?
We’re expecting to see more of Adam Scott (Mark Scout), Patricia Arquette (Harmony Cobel/Mrs. Selvig), John Turturro (Irving), Britt Lower (Helly R/Helena), Zach Cherry (Dylan), Dichen Lachman (Ms. Casey/Gemma), Jen Tullock (Devon), Michael Chernus (Ricken), Tramell Tillman (Milchik), and Christopher Walken (Burt Goodman) in season 2.
Eight new castmembers will also join this season: Bob Balaban, Gwendoline Christie, Alia Shawkat, Merritt Wever, John Noble, Robby Benson, Stefano Carannante, and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. Further details about their roles are still unknown.
Is there a trailer?
Not yet, but Apple included a Severance easter egg during the Apple Event on Sept. 7, which could either be an early glimpse at season 2 or just an innocent cameo. The short clip features Helly (or is it Helena?) dressed for work, getting on the subway. (Catch it at the tail-end of this stream.)
She also made appeared in the background of the AirPods presentation. Whatever it means, the seconds-long tease is enough to get fans theorizing until a real trailer arrives.
On Oct. 31, Apple TV+ announced that production on season 2 has officially begun. The news came with a behind-the-scenes photo of Adam Scott as Mark.
“We are thrilled and delighted to be back on set for the exciting second chapter of ‘Severance,’” Stiller said in a statement. “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!”
Behind the scenes of Severance season 2.
What will season 2 be about?
Season 1’s cliffhanger ending sets up a lot of questions to be, hopefully, answered in season 2. The finale finds Innie Mark, Helly, and Irving waking up in their Outie selves after hours, discovering what their real lives are like beyond the office. The trio make some mind-blowing discoveries before they’re eventually caught.
First, there’s the big bombshell reveal: Mark learns his wife is alive—specifically, Innie Mark realizes that Outie Mark’s supposedly deceased wife Gemma is actually Ms. Casey, the woman who runs the wellness sessions in the Lumon office. Will Innie Mark get to tell Ms. Casey? Would she even believe him if she’s severed too? Where is Outie Gemma? And will Outie Mark find out what really happened to her? The revelation also arrives while a romance is blossoming between Innie Mark and Helly R. That potential love triangle will be covered in season 2. Stiller explained to Variety that “we’re starting to root for [Innie Mark] and Helly, but now we also want to root for Outie Mark to find his wife. That’s an interesting juxtaposition and conflict we’ll explore in the second season.”
Speaking of Helly, she has a mess of her own to deal with. In the finale, she discovers that her Outie is Helena Egan, daughter of the Lumon Industries CEO, which explains why her Innie is stuck in her job. At a gala for Lumon luminaries, Helly tells the crowd, as her Innie self, that severed workers are miserable and imprisoned before she’s rushed offstage.
“What was really important for me, playing Helly, was to convey what she values most is her freedom and autonomy,” Lower told ELLE.com. “And when those are taken away, she goes to great lengths to fight back against a system that she feels is unethical. So that brings up for me, the next big question is like, When is it a good idea to break the rules in order to preserve one’s sanity and humanity?”
On the topic of breaking rules, what will happen to Dylan? He’s the one in the control room holding down the necessary switches so his colleagues could wake up in their Outie lives. But at the end of the finale, Milchik finds him and tries to get him to let go by dropping another bombshell reveal: Outie Dylan three kids, not just one. Dylan holds still, though, and in the end, Milchik tackles him, setting the switches loose and putting his Innie and Outie friends back in their place. In Lumon’s weird and torturous gamut of punishments, what would consequences be for a violation this serious? What will they do to Dylan, and will he ever see his kids again?
“Once you know that you’re a father, it literally just shifts your whole value system and sense of what’s important,” Erickson told Deadline. “So now, we get to hopefully see how that kind of shift plays out for all the characters, and for management, too.”
And finally, Will Irving and Burt reunite? After the two became sweet office lovers on the severed floor, Burt retires (though Irving suspects management had something to do with it). When he wakes up in his Outie life, Innie Irving discovers his home is full of paintings of the dark hallway leading to the elevator to the testing floor? Is that connected to the black goo he keeps seeing at work? Erickson tells Deadline “we’re going to come to understand more about what outie Irving is doing and how this process worked.”
Irving also learns that his Outie has been investigating Lumon employees too, and uses his research to find where the Outie Burt lives. Sadly, Irving finds him living with another partner, but he bangs on the door desperate to see him again—right before Dylan lets go of the switches.
While we await the official synopsis and plot details, Stiller teased to Decider, “There are definitely some really fun, weird things in Season 2.”
Where can I watch season 1 of Severance?
All nine episodes of Severance are streaming on Apple TV+.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.