by Seph Fischer ‘25

Films and television series are frequently described with the phrase, “great concept, terrible execution,” when the good ideas behind them don’t quite come to life on the screen. This being the case, the 2022 Apple TV series Severance could best be described with the phrase “great concept, great execution.” The series stars Adam Scott as Mark, an employee of Lumon, whose consciousness has been “severed” between his work life and his home life. To Mark, alongside his co-workers, the second they enter the elevator for work in the morning, they’re walking out again in the afternoon, with his inner self being woken up during the time in between. As the series progresses, though, employees like Mark and his friends discover Lumon might not be what it seems.

The cast, including celebrities such as Christopher Walken, give outstanding and believable performances, truly selling their characters. With an engaging premise, good writing, and thoughtful, unique filmmaking, the series might just be the best thing on TV today. It’s no wonder, then, that Severance has maintained its high quality into its second season, while continuously upping the stakes for Lumon’s employees. The show’s first season leaves off with Mark making the discovery that his wife in the outside world, who had supposedly died years ago, was still alive and well in the severed, work world. In the second season, Severance dives head-first into the implications of this troubling revelation. Mark begins the dangerous process of reintegration—merging both the severed and “normal” self into one, and the looming question of what the “work” the severed employees are doing on the basement floor of Lumon finally begins to be answered.

Severance is, at its core, an incredibly competent series. It remains consistent in creating expertly captured scenes, and the way in which the mystery of Lumon unravels is unpredictable and well written. The set and design work on the show is an underappreciated aspect, with a clear aesthetic vision being presented by the show. One of the most compelling critiques that could be made of Severance, however, is that the competence of the writers, set designers, cinematographers, and other artists who worked on the show actually outpaces the vision of the show’s producers and directors, such as Ben Stiller. While the show’s concept is certainly innovative and interesting, what the showrunners do with this interesting concept is nothing groundbreaking or particularly thematically powerful. Worldbuilding in the series is limited, leaving many of the characters’ lives feeling hollow and therefore making their character itself less compelling, and some episodes go on for extended periods without any particularly engaging shots to “hook” the viewer. Still, as Severance was recently renewed by Apple TV+ for a third season, there’s time to expand upon these minor issues.

Grade: B