Crank up the defiant jazz and praise Kier – because the Apple TV Plus hit series Severance is coming back for a second season.
Imagining a world where your work life and home life are completely separate, with both “selves” having no memory of the other’s actions, Severance has become a critical smash since it arrived on the streaming service, earning rave reviews and fan plaudits as its stylish, complicated story has unfolded.
Created by Dan Erickson and with many episodes directed by Hollywood star Ben Stiller, the series stars Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Patricia Arquette and Tramell Tillman, all of whom are expected to return for the second season.
“It’s really exciting to see the response from people who are loving the show – and the level of fan engagement,” Stiller said in a statement. “It has been a long road bringing Severance to television. I first read Dan’s pilot over five years ago.
“It has always been a multi-season story and I’m really happy we get to continue it. I’m grateful to our partners at Apple TV Plus who have been behind it the whole way. Praise Kier!”
Severance season 2 release date speculation
We can likely expect Severance season 2 to be released at the earliest of 2023.
However, it has yet to be confirmed when Severance season 2 will stream on Apple TV Plus.
Given that there’s no word yet on filming, it seems likely that fans will have to wait at least a year, perhaps longer, to see where the story goes next.
Severance season 2 cast speculation
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/02/Severance-MDR-team-28425a5.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
We can expect the following cast members to return for Severance season 2.
- Adam Scott as Mark Scout
- Britt Lower as Helly
- Zach Cherry as Dylan
- John Turturro as Irving
- Patricia Arquette as Harmony Cobel
- Tramell Tillman as Seth Milchick
- Christopher Walken as Burt
- Dichen Lachman as Ms Casey
- Jen Tullock as Devon
- Michael Chernus as Ricken Hale
As noted, it’s expected that regulars Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, John Turturro, Patricia Arquette, Tramell Tillman, Christopher Walken, Dichen Lachman, Jen Tullock and Michael Chernus will return.
Given that some other guest characters died during the course of season 1, it’s less clear whether they’ll continue to be involved in the story (for example, Yul Vazquez’s “Petey” continued to appear in flashbacks and archive footage).
Severance season 2 trailer
Season 2 of #Severance Thrilled we’ve been renewed. “Say Gratitude!” @AppleTV pic.twitter.com/8kJKUw4ogs
— Tramell Tillman (@TramellTillman) April 6, 2022
A quick teaser trailer for season 2 was released by Apple following the renewal announcement, which you can watch above.
Severance season 2 plot
Severance’s first season ends on quite the cliffhanger, so fans will be thanking Kier himself that a second season is coming to pick up where things left off. Watch out if you’re not up to date – spoilers are coming.
After a series of following the severed “Outie” life of Mark Scout and the separate “Innie” life of Mark S, the final episode combines the two plotlines, with “Innie” Mark waking up inside his body outside of the Lumon building for the first time.
And he’s not alone – thanks to Dylan’s (Zach Cherry) operation of the Overtime protocol, his MDR co-workers Helly and Irving both awaken in their “outie” bodies too. Irving (John Turturro) discovers the unsettling paintings he’s been painting of an ominous corridor in the Lumon building, then tracks down his beloved Burt (Christopher Walken) only to discover he has a partner on the outside. Still, he’s ready to confront outie Burt as the credits roll.
Similarly, Helly (Britt Lower) discovers some hard truths. It turns out her “Outie” is none other than Helena Egan, part of Lumon’s senior staff who undertook to be “severed” as a PR exercise. Onstage at a fancy gala she exposes the truth of the severed employees’ miserable existence.
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/02/Severance-Adam-Scott-Jen-Tullock-3a38cae.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
Meanwhile, Mark (Adam Scott) tells his sister the truth, only to discover even more lies. Seeing a photo of “his” wife he realises something the audience (and the bigwigs at Egon) have known for a while – she’s still alive and working at Lumon as the mysterious wellness rep Ms Casey (Dichen Lachman). Mark S desperately tries to communicate this in the seconds before his “Outie” returns to control, shouting “She’s alive!” as Dylan is tackled in the Egon control room.
Altogether, there’s a lot of plot threads to pick up in a second season. Will Helly and Mark’s revelations cause a public backlash against Severance? Did Irving reach Burt? And how will the severed MDR employees be punished when they return to Lumon for their next shift?
We also still don’t know what exactly MDR are working on at Lumon, how Mark’s wife survived, why Ms Cobell (Patricia Arquette) was testing her and Mark’s interactions, or whatever the hell was going on with the baby goats. In short, there’s an awful lot still to get through, so thank goodness we’re getting more episodes to unravel it all. Waffle parties all round!
Severance season 1 is streaming now on Apple TV Plus. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.
The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now – subscribe now to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.