Warning: This article is for true followers of Kier only. If you haven’t watched the season 2 premiere of “Severance,” beware of spoilers.
Well, we finally know what happens after that fateful “Severance” cliffhanger left us all quite literally on the edge of our seats almost three full years ago … and the answer is, apparently, nothing? The premiere episode of season 2 (which I reviewed here for /Film) picks up pretty much exactly where we left off, with our favorite innie Mark S. (Adam Scott) awakening right back on Lumon Industries’ Severed Floor mere seconds — in his perspective, at least — after exclaiming that his outtie’s (presumed) dead wife was actually alive. For those in need of a refresher of what went down last time around, Mark led a rebellion against their corporate overlords that resulted in Helly R. (Brit Lower) blowing the whistle in front of several Lumon dignitaries and Irving B. (John Turturro) urgently seeking out his brief romantic flame Burt (Christopher Walken).
When the smoke cleared and Mark returned to work, however, he was confronted by the shocker that his old team at Macrodata Refinement (MDR) had been replaced entirely with a whole new trio of strange cohorts. This, presumably, would’ve created a new status quo throughout at least the first few episodes of the season. Not so! In the first big rug-pull of the season (with many more to come), the awfully busy premiere episode turns the tables on Mark S. and viewers alike right away … and, in so doing, sets the tone for a sophomore season that’s certain to leave fans guessing every step of the way.
Meet the new MDR, same as the old MDR
Oh, how easily any of us can be replaced as the wheels of capitalism just keep grinding on. “Severance” season 2 is back and hasn’t missed a single beat in its scathing satire of workplace norms, the latest of which is best represented by the three newest characters introduced — and just as quickly disposed of — in this first hour of season 2. Right when it seemed like we’d have to get used to a Bizarro version of MDR led by guest stars Bob Balaban, Alia Shawkat, and Stefano Carannante, Mark’s desperate, rule-breaking appeal to the Board does the trick. Halfway through the premiere, the first big twist is that our beloved group of innies are reunited once again and ready to be an even bigger thorn in Lumon’s side.
The trailers for season 2 went out of their way to highlight the new MDR team, lending credence to the assumption that series creator Dan Erickson and his writing team might let them stick around for a little while. Well, you know what they say about those who assume. After getting caught trying to sabotage poor Mark W. (even Mark S. didn’t seem to be trying terribly hard, as Tramell Tillman’s Mr. Milchick points out, neglecting to even hide his own handwriting in the incriminating note that he attempted to plant), Mark S. decides to make his complaints known to the very top of Lumon’s decision-makers. His reckless infiltration of Mr. Milchick’s office pays off, incredibly enough, as even the Board seems to recognize that giving in to the innie’s demands will be the easiest way to get him back at his desk and refining all that macrodata.
Sometimes, workers can pull off a minor victory against the bosses — though maybe our innies could finally figure out how to unionize by season 3 and make things a little easier on themselves, eh?
How this big twist factors into the rest of Severance season 2
So where does all this leave our promising new recruits to MDR? While on their way to the new and improved Break Room to watch a Lumon-approved animated video unlike anything we’ve seen from this show before (including a sneaky voice cameo that you’ll probably recognize), the always-sardonic Dylan G. (Zach Cherry) urges Mark not to feel bad about “ending their lives.” Dylan shows zero remorse for these workers who were put in the position of taking his and his friends’ jobs, but their uncertain fate is as amusing as it is quietly unsettling. Our favorite innies could’ve easily ended up “murdered” in exactly the same way, ceasing to exist like sweet ol’ Burt did last season when he was forced to retire.
Again, to be fair, “Severance” plays things coy. The premiere doesn’t tip its hand one way or the other over whether any (or all) of this trio of new characters will pop up again later in the season. But, if nothing else, this subversion of expectations feels like a massive, glaring neon sign that our protagonists need to watch their backs even more in the episodes to come.
For now, the premiere leaves us in a tantalizing place — and, yes, it just so happens to be exactly where our innies were last season. But don’t let appearances fool you. Mark S., Helly R., Irving B., and Dylan G. might have all their old jobs back, but they reside in very different emotional headspaces than they ever were before. Despite wrestling over whether to take Lumon’s offer to quit voluntarily, Irving B. decides to stay and help out his friends. Dylan, having found out that his outie has a wife and kids, remains more motivated than ever. And as for Helly R. and Mark S., our newest power couple, it feels like a sure bet that those two will get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the missing Ms. Casey/Gemma (Dichen Lachman).
New episodes of “Severance” stream on Apple TV+ every Friday. Solana Token Creator
