Severance Season 2 Review — Was It Worth the Wait?

Fans have been waiting nearly three years with bated breath for the return of sci-fi workplace satire Severance, whose second season was (somewhat ironically) delayed by labor disputes in Hollywood. However, despite this large gap, the show has lost barely any steam, offering a thoroughly gripping season of television.

Severance Season 2 Review

After one of the most insane cliffhangers ever, season 2 of Severance follows the employees of the mysterious Macrodata Refinement department at the fictional Lumon Industries as they — and their “Outie” selves — continue to uncover a strange conspiracy. After dipping a toe into the outside world last season, season 2 dives right in, mostly managing to juggle these two sides effectively. 

The biggest difference that fans will notice in this season of Severance is a darker, less overtly comedic tone. For better or worse, Erickson and the show’s writers have leaned more into the show’s Kaufman-esque psychological thriller elements. The show is at its best when it leans into its most absurd tendencies, and despite this shift in tone, season 2 offers more than a few of these moments that are incredibly memorable.

Adam Scott in “Severance,” premiering January 17, 2025 on Apple TV+.

Since this season is not as confined as the last, it also means that the directors are able to do even more with the world and scale. Stiller and co. do an excellent job of immersing us in this world and manage to create several breathtaking sequences. There is one sequence in the season finale that is electric, with some of the best editing, sound design, and cinematography you will see on the small screen this year.

However, it does feel as if this season was unnecessarily stretched out to fulfill a ten-episode order. The first season was a rather odd nine episodes, so it’s not like they really needed to hit a magic number. Yet, this season has no less than two bottle episodes that add backstory and context to the world but would have been more effective had they been integrated throughout the season. As is, they drag the momentum of the mystery and other character arcs to a halt.

One of the most surprising things about the progression of Severance’s story is that the central mystery, involving Mark (Adam Scott) and Helly (Britt Lower), is probably the least compelling aspect of this season. The character elements of this storyline receive less of a focus than the twists and turns, which creates an unfortunate distance. That being said, you can definitely see that this approach is for the purpose of building up to something bigger, and it’s easy to forgive as a result.

Season 2 of Severance also makes up for this added distance from the main characters with its supporting characters. Dylan (Zach Cherry) gets more development this season and becomes a surprising emotional crux for the season. Irving (John Turturro) and Burt’s (Christopher Walken) storyline remains compelling as well, although it does feel like it’s detached from the rest of what’s going on.

Tramell Tillman in “Severance,” premiering January 17, 2025 on Apple TV+.

The true shining star of season 2 of Severance, though, is Tramell Tillman, who is immensely lovable in his role. He was a fan-favorite character for his quirkiness in the first season, but this batch of episodes allows him the opportunity to double down on these aspects of his character while also adding unexpected layers of emotional depth. As a result, Tillman manages to outshine one of the most star-studded ensembles on the air right now.

Is season 2 of Severance worth watching?

With its second season, Severance swings bigger and affirms its place as one of the best shows on streaming right now. Although it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the first season’s ingenuity, the show goes in exciting new directions that will delight fans and leave them eager for more.

Season 2 of Severance premieres on January 17 with new episodes streaming subsequent Fridays. All ten episodes screened for review.

Written by Sean Boelman

Articles Published: 281

Sean is a film critic, filmmaker, and life-long cinephile. For as long as he can remember, he has always loved film, but he credits the film Pan's Labyrinth as having started his love of film as art. Sean enjoys watching many types of films, although some personal favorite genres include music documentaries, heist movies, and experimental horror.