Cue the music and warm up the waffle maker: Severance is finally coming back. Apple TV+'s workplace thriller, created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller, premiered in February 2022 and quickly took over the Internet as viewers were sucked into the world of Lumon Industries. Season 1 ended with a major cliffhanger as the "severed" floor's Innies (their work selves, who have no memory outside of the office) uncovered a major secret about their Outies (or their outside selves) and their connection to the higher-ups at Lumon.
The sophomore season has faced several delays, leaving the show's passionate fan base (Sevvies? Sev Heads?) clamoring for new clues from the mystery box that is Lumon. The hype has built and built, and now that season 2 has a premiere date, it's set to become the winter's must-watch TV series. Ahead of the second season of Severance, here's everything we know about the upcoming installment.
From left: Mark Scout (Adam Scott), Dylan George (Zach Cherry), Irving Bailiff (John Turturro), and Helly R. (Britt Lower), in Severance.
When does 'Severance' season 2 premiere?
Severance season 2 premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 17, 2025. The streamer announced the show's highly-anticipated return in July 2024, giving fans tons of time to rewatch and theorize.
As with other Apple TV+ shows like Ted Lasso and Shrinking, Severance will run weekly after an initial multi-episode drop.
How many episodes are in 'Severance' season 2?
The second season of Severance will have 10 episodes total, with the series adding one more after the nine-episode premiere season. Season 2 begins with a two-episode premiere on January 17, followed by one episode a week every Friday until the finale on March 21.
Mark (Adam Scott) and Telly (Britt Lower) stand in front of the "severed" floor's elevator in 'Severance.'
Who is in the 'Severance' season 2 cast?
All of the core cast members of Severance are set to return for season 2. After the season 1 finale's bombshell cliffhanger, Mark (Adam Scott) Helly (Britt Lower), Dylan (Zach Cherry), and Irving (John Turturro) will continue working on the severed floor, under the watchful eye of their supervisor Seth Milchick (Tramell Tillman). Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) and Burt Goodman (Christopher Walken) are among the group's higher-ups, keeping the many secrets of Lumon, who will be back, as well.
From left: Milchick (Tramell Tillman), Dylan (Zach Cherry), Irving (John Turturro), Helly (Britt Lower), and Mark (Adam Scott) in Severance.
Meanwhile, Outie Mark's sister Devon (Jen Tullock), her husband Ricken (Michael Chernus), and Ms. Casey, who was (spoiler alert!) revealed to be his wife in the shocking finale, (Dichen Lachman) will also remain as regular characters.
According to Variety, season 2 will bring several new cast members in undisclosed roles, including Game of Thrones alum Gwendoline Christie, Search Party's Alia Shawkat, Unbelievable's Merritt Wever, and veteran actor Bob Balaban. Other new additions include Robby Benson, Stefano Carannante, John Noble, and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson.
Is there a trailer for 'Severance' season 2?
Yes! On December 7, 2024, Apple TV+ dropped the official trailer for Severance season 2. Once Mark finds himself caught in Lumon's labyrinth again, he faces off with Mr. Milchick. Though the supervisor remains frustrated by the innie's defiant behavior, he turns his and his coworkers' rebellion into a positive for the company. "What you all did was one of the most painful moments in the history of this company," Milchick tells Mark. "But the four of you have become known as ‘The Face of Severance Reform.’” Clearly, though, Lumon is not really interested in having a company-wide reckoning.
Later in the trailer, Mark reunites with Helly, Dylan, and Irving to discuss what they saw outside Lumon. When he reveals that Ms. Casey is actually his wife Gemma, it appears as though they're going to set out on a mission to get her out of there. They might even try to get answers from Ms. Cobel, whom Mark runs into and demands information from. "Do you know something about Gemma?" he asks, to which she responds, "No, Mark. There will be no honeymoon for you."
There's also a new child supervisor named Miss Wong, lots more bizarre work on the computer and rooms of goats, and foreboding dialogue. It’s safe to say we’re ready to clock back in.
There's also a teaser available that Apple TV+ first shared on October 23. The clip features a stressed-out Mark running through the offices of Lumon, seemingly getting nowhere, while audio of Helly’s bombshell speech from the season 1 finale plays. He eventually ends up in an office space, but rather than being his typical cubicle and coworkers, he comes across three new faces at their desks, including Alia Shawkat, Bob Balaban, and Stefano Carannante. “Who are you people?” he asks concerned, before Milchick appears to greet him. “Welcome back, Marcus. Been a minute,” he says with an eerie smile and balloons in tow.
The streamer also dropped a cryptic date announcement video when it announced the premiere date. The clip begins with each of the severed floor employees entering the elevator at Lumon, with a voiceover of Helly's severance pledge. After several quick glimpses of future scenes (including Mark running and what looks like Helly in an air duct), Gwendoline Christie's character makes her debut. The angry-looking woman's words to the group are chilling: "You should have left."
What will 'Severance' season 2 be about?
Spoilers for the Severance season 1 finale ahead. The official season 2 logline from Apple TV+ reads: "Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe."
Little additional information has been revealed about season 2, but we can speculate over what "consequences" they'll face, given the major revelations from the season 1 finale. In the episode, when the Innies make their way to find help in the outside world, Helly discovers that her Outie is Helena Eagan, daughter of Lumon CEO Jame Eagan. Helly also reveals to a party full of Lumon shareholders that the company is torturing its severed employees, despite the recently-fired Ms. Cobel's attempt to stop her.
Mark's Innie also discovers that Miss Casey is actually Outie Mark's supposedly deceased wife named Gemma, and publicly spills the news at Devon and Ricken’s book party. And while Innie Dylan's back at Lumon's control room trying to keep the mental gate open, his efforts are stopped when he's tackled to the ground by Milchick.
Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) sits at her desk with Milchick (Tramell Tillman) behind her in Severance.
Back in April 2022, stars Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette and Tramell Tillman spoke with Variety about some of the big questions of the show, including why Helena chose to sever herself, why Lumon faked Gemma's death, why Outie Irving is researching Lumon, and whether Innie Mark and Innie Helly will explore their connection.
Meanwhile, series creator Dan Erickson spoke with Esquire about his plans for "some expansion of the world" in the upcoming season.
"There’s an overall plan for the show," he told the outlet. "I have an end point in mind, and I intentionally didn’t plan it season by season, because I wanted it to be flexible enough that we could get there in two seasons or six seasons. I want to allow us to be surprised by where the show goes. There’s a sense of what Lumon is trying to do and the role that our main characters are going to play in that, and where it all will culminate. It’s really exciting to think about taking the next step on that trip."
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