Apple TV+ thriller Severance is confirmed for another season — but there’s not much information about Severance season 2, save for the fact that production is reportedly in the works. Created by Dan Erickson and produced by Ben Stiller, Severance season 1 ends on a dramatic cliffhanger, but it’s currently unknown how long the wait will be until it’s resolved. Severance season 1 gradually revealed its dystopian science fiction world, in which the cult-like Lumon Corporation uses a technology called Severance to separate an employee’s memories and personalities into two: an innie for the workplace, and an outie for the outside world, with both having no access to the other’s experiences.
Severance was a breakout success for Apple TV, and season one has received very positive reviews and built up buzz over its weekly release schedule, thanks in no small part to the intriguing and mysterious premise spawning a number of Severance fan theories. Severance season 1 saw the four severed innies of the Macro-Data Refinement department grow more curious and resentful of the system they are a part of, and the story continues from there. Here are all the confirmed details regarding Severance season 2.
Severance Season 2: Latest News
Recent Severance season 2 updates have been somewhat troubling given reports of some significant behind-the-scenes drama. However, one person who doesn’t appear worried about the show’s future is actor Zach Cherry who offered an optimistic perspective on what fans can expect from the new season. Rather than comment on the reports of personality clashes between the showrunners, Dan Erickson and Mark Friedman, Cherry simply revealed that he read the first script of Severance season 2, saying “My reaction was the same as my reaction was to the first script in season 1, which is, ‘This is good!‘” Though a diplomatic update, it suggests the show’s quality is not suffering.
However, Cherry’s earlier optimism may have been premature. In early May 2023 it was announced the Hollywood screenwriters of the WGA (the Writers Guild of America) would be going on strike, effective immediately. This meant that writing and script development on dozens of shows and movies was halted. While the first casualties were late-night talk shows and weekly soaps, studios working on scripted TV shows soon reported production shutdowns. Severance season 2 is one such show, and news broke on 05/08/23 from the Severance writer’s room that production on the second season had indeed halted due to the strike.
Severance Season 2 Release Date
Unfortunately, Apple has yet to assign even just a release window for Severance season 2. However, if production began in October 2022, then it’s possible that Severance season 2 could see the light of day by late 2023 or early 2024. The growing anticipation for the show definitely means there’s an impetus for Apple to deliver the second season as early as possible, however. The reports of behind-the-scenes delays due to drama between Severance showrunners Dan Erickson and Mark Friedman were addressed by Ben Stiller who assured fans the second season is on schedule.
However, the Writers Guild of America strike has since thrown those assurances in doubt. Currently, it’s unknown how the strike will play out, with there being no clear end in sight while the WGA and studio representatives try to reach an agreement for fair working conditions. It could be that the strike only delays production on Severance season 2 for a few days or weeks, or it could push things back so far the show is delayed for literally years. This isn’t just the case with Severance season 2 though, and the wide-reaching ramifications of the 2023 WGA writers strike can’t be overstated.
Prior to this, Apple reported in October 2022 that Severance season 2 was in full swing. Series lead Adam Scott — who plays Mark — revealed in a February 2023 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that they even use codes in emails to prevent leaks. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight (via IndieWire) about Severance season 2, the Emmy-winning Patricia Arquette — who plays the zealous Harmony — revealed only that viewers of the show should “be scared, very scared,” and that “You’ll get it when you get it… And you won’t get upset.”
Severance Season 2 Cast
Thus far, there have been no signs of any changes to the cast of Severance. This means that Adam Scott (Mark), Patricia Arquette (Harmony), Helly (Britt Lower), John Turturro (Irving), Zach Cherry (Dylan), Tramell Tillman (Milchick), Christopher Walken (Burt), Dichen Lachmann (Ms. Casey/Gemma), Jen Tullock (Devon), and Michael Chernus (Ricken) are all returning for Severance season 2. Given how Severance season 1 ended and the show’s growing popularity, it won’t be surprising if the cast grows to introduce new characters.
Severance Season 2 Story
The final episode of Severance season 1 sees the innies gain control of themselves outside the office using the Overtime Contingency built into their Lumon Severance Chips. Their actions in the world will be hard to undo, including Mark telling his sister Devon about the abuse going on at Lumon, Helly — who’s apparently an Eagan — publicly denouncing Severance at a Lumon gala, and Irving trying to meet up with Burt. Cobel promised Helly punishment for her actions, and Severance season 2 is likely to see Lumon trying to respond to MDR’s rebellion without compromising their outies.
There are also a number of mysteries surrounding Lumon that Severance season 2 could shed more light on. These include what happened to Mark’s wife Gemma, who reappeared in the Lumon workspace as Ms. Casey, why Lumon has a room of baby goats in Severance, and the company’s larger ambitions with the Severance Chips, hinted at in Helly’s conversation with her father. Severance season 2 could also explore more of its outies’ lives, including the bizarre clues regarding Irving’s outside life. Moreover, in Severance creator Dan Erickson’s Reddit AMA on April 2022, while fielding viewer questions, Erickson implied that Helena Eagan would be the villain of Severance season 2, and that there might be levels to the Severance procedure.
Severance Season 2 Teaser Trailer
True to the show’s spirit, Severance season 2 was cryptically teased in a September 2022 Apple presentation for the iPhone 14. The teaser shows Helly alighting a train in a subway, even briefly disappearing from the frame after the camera glitches — as the train door’s warning beeps play the Severance theme music. This is huge because not much else has been revealed about Helly Eagan’s life as an outie.
On the other hand, this could be a glimpse at Helly as an innie in Severance season 2 — under one of the various protocols that the Severance Chip can be switched to, for a yet-unknown purpose outside the Lumon basement. In any case, Helly’s importance in Severance is a point that’s been repeatedly made by Dan Erickson in the past, and given this quick, weird teaser from Apple, Helly will have an even larger role in Severance season 2.
