The wait is over! Severance Season 2 premiered on January 17, 2025, on Apple TV+, picking up right where it left off. After Season 1 took the world by storm, winning two Primetime Emmys and earning rave reviews, the bar was set high for Severance Season 2.
Early reactions to the first two episodes are already suggesting that this season might just surpass the brilliance of its predecessor. Following a flawless return to Lumon Industries in the season opener, here’s a closer look at what we’ve seen so far—and why we’re all in for an even bigger, more mind-bending ride this time around.
A Brief Recap of Season 1
**Spoiler Alert for Severance Season 1 and 2**
For those new to the series, Severance centers on employees at Lumon Industries who have undergone a procedure called “severance,” which surgically divides their memories between work and personal lives. This daring experiment in work-life balance is called into question as Mark Scout (Adam Scott) finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that forces him to confront the true nature of his work and himself.
In the season one finale, the Macrodata Refinement team at Lumon—Mark (Adam Scott), Helly (Britt Lower), Dylan (Zach Cherry), and Irving (John Turturro)—devise a plan to free their innies into the real world using an overtime contingency. Dylan hacks into Lumon’s system and disables a key setting for severed employees, allowing innie Mark, Helly, and Irving to briefly wake up in the real world:
Mark: Mark learns the truth about his wife, Gemma, being alive. His innie doesn’t remember the full extent of his life outside of work.
Helly R: Helly finds out her outie was actually Helena Eagen, the daughter of Lumon’s CEO. Awakening mid-speech at a Lumon Gala, innie Helly realized where she was and began to convey the horrors that innies face while working for the company.
Dylan: Dylan’s brief moment of waking up in the real world is significant not just for the shock of the experience, but because he finds out he has a daughter.
Irving: Irving discovers that Bert is actually married in the real world. This revelation is a crushing blow to Irving, who has developed strong romantic feelings for Bert at work.
Severance Season 2, Episode 1: Hello, Ms. Cobel
We open on an elevator as Mark S. wakes up back on the Severed Floor, still flustered from his last memories. He is greeted by Mr. Milchick, who informs him that five months have passed, and that he and his coworkers are now celebrities—faces of Innie reform. Of course, savvy viewers will rightly question whether any of it is true, or just another web of lies.
Mark’s coworkers are different now: it’s Mark W., Gwendolyn Y., and Dario R and of course, Miss Huang, who is a child (because of when she was born). But there are many lingering questions. Are they truly severed employees from other departments, or are they spies planted by Lumon?
Throughout the episode, Mark battles Mr. Milchick at every turn, determined to bring his old coworkers back. His persistence ultimately leads to the successful return of Helly, Dylan, and Irving. At the end of the episode, they choose to stay and help Mark unravel the mysteries of Lumon and his wife, Gemma.
What we love about this episode is that it’s told entirely from the innie perspective, creating a tight, immersive experience that seamlessly sets the stage for episode 2, where the same timeline unfolds in the outie world.
Severance Season 2, Episode 2: Goodbye, Ms. Selvig
This episode picks up after the season 1 finale, shifting focus to the outies. Helena Eagan, the true identity of “Helly R,” offers Cobel a senior role at Lumon to lead the Severance Advisory Council. With Milchick now in Cobel’s old position, it’s clear Helena wants him to stay and push Cobel to the side. However, Cobel insists on managing the Severed Floor again but agrees to consider the promotion before making a decision.
After being confronted by her father, Helena films a half-hearted video apology for Helly R’s outburst at the gala. She claims she was drunk and that her comments about Lumon torturing its staff were a joke. Meanwhile, Milchick fires Irving and Dylan, with Dylan especially devastated by the news, struggling to find work after revealing he’s severed. This highlights the widespread disdain for the procedure and the challenges severed employees face outside Lumon.
Mark grapples with the unsettling realization that his innie interacted with his family, while Milchick tries to manipulate him back to Lumon, claiming Cobel is the cause of his distress. Meanwhile, Milchick offers financial incentives and emotional manipulation, even referencing Mark’s late wife, to persuade him to return, as Lumon is desperate to get him back for the crucial Cold Harbor project.
Mark returns to Lumon after Milchick’s offers, reuniting the old team despite their confusion over being fired and rehired. Meanwhile, Helena’s return as Helly R and the silent elevator add an unsettling hint of Lumon’s continued manipulation.
In the final scene of the episode, Mark confronts Cobel, pressing her about her knowledge of his wife, Gemma. She responds with an unnerving silence, and the long, tense pause between them amplifies suspicion. Mark becomes more resolved than ever to uncover the truth.
Severance Mysteries That We Can’t Quite Shake
As episodes 1 and 2 of Severance leave us with more questions than answers, here are a few lingering mysteries we can’t shake:
- Is Helly back, or is it Helena? We suspect Helena has been in control the whole time, especially after that moment in episode 1 when she didn’t immediately return Mark’s hug.
- Has it really been 5 months since the team left Lumon? Or is this just another of Milchick’s cover-ups?
- Who is Miss Huang? Some fans speculate she could be Mark and Gemma’s daughter, adding another layer to the Lumon lore.
Severance Season 2 Release Schedule
The first two episodes of Severance Season 2 premiered on January 17th and January 24th, with the rest of the episodes to follow every Friday on Apple TV+:
- Episode 3: Friday, Jan. 31
- Episode 4: Friday, Feb. 7
- Episode 5: Friday, Feb. 14
- Episode 6: Friday, Feb. 21
- Episode 7: Friday, Feb. 28
- Episode 8: Friday, March 7
- Episode 9: Friday, March 14
- Episode 10: Friday, March 21
Final Thoughts
Severance Season 2 offers a compelling mix of psychological drama and sci-fi, delving into identity, memory, and corporate control. Don’t miss out on this season—tune in to Apple TV+ to lose yourself in the world of Lumon.
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