How the Team Behind Severance Made the Second Season Worth the Wait

As a longtime fan of intricate, thought-provoking narratives, I must say that “Severance” has easily become one of my favorite shows to grace our screens in recent years. Having spent countless hours immersed in the world of mystery series, I’ve seen the pitfalls that many fall into – promising captivating mysteries only to deliver lackluster answers. However, “Severance” has managed to avoid this trap with remarkable finesse.

Ben Stiller expresses his dislike for puzzle box television series. He confesses, “I didn’t manage to finish watching Lost, I must admit.” He often feels annoyed because he isn’t particularly skilled at solving mysteries. Despite this, it might seem unusual that he serves as the director, executive producer, and primary creative mind behind the most talked-about series in the genre in recent years, “Severance”, which returns for its second season on Apple TV+ after a prolonged break starting January 17th.

However, Stiller and Adam Scott, both producer and actor, saw promise in the unusual script penned by Dan Erickson: In this unique scenario, workers choose to undergo a procedure known as ‘severance’, which splits their consciousness into work and personal lives. Every morning at Lumon Industries, a secretive biotech firm, an elevator ride triggers the awakening of the work-self or “innie”. At 5 p.m., the “innie” logs off, and the “outie”, with no recollection of the job, resurfaces. This idea struck Erickson during his monotonous employment at a factory manufacturing doors. Scott finds it hard to believe that such a concept hasn’t been explored before, calling it an irresistible hook.

It was Stiller’s brilliant concept to conclude Season 1 with one of the most gripping cliffhangers in contemporary television. The inner characters orchestrate a daring prison break, during which Mark, the main character portrayed by Scott, uncovers that the wife his outer self thought was deceased is alive and imprisoned within Lumon. At the same time, inner Mark’s love interest Helly (played by Britt Lower) finds out that her outer counterpart, Helena, is the CEO’s daughter of Lumon’s cult-like organization; she underwent severance to generate backing for the contentious process.

Review: Severance Is the Rare ‘Galaxy-Brain’ Show Smart Enough to Blow Your Mind

In his initial Season 1 draft, Erickson delved into the aftermath of these disclosures. However, Stiller found intrigue in lingering on the brink of the twisted love situation involving Mark, who was torn between two parts of himself, attracted to two women. “I thought, by ending it that way, they’d be more inclined to greenlight a second season,” Stiller chuckles, explaining his thoughts. True to form, Apple swiftly followed suit. Although the streaming platform doesn’t disclose viewership figures, this show has undeniably sparked plenty of conversations. The series garnered 14 Emmy nominations and took home two awards.

However, Stiller did not intend to leave viewers in suspense for three whole years. The success of the show brought about a significant amount of pressure. “There was a brief moment of overwhelmed panic,” Erickson admits. “You’re grateful for people’s interest, and you want to live up to their expectations.” Delays in filming were caused by writers’ and actors’ strikes. Reports suggest that the budget soared to an impressive $200 million, making it one of the costliest TV productions. While the unexpected twist in Season 1 managed to captivate viewers enough to warrant such a high price tag, the second season must not only refresh their memories about events from years ago but also resolve the mystery – a challenge that few ‘puzzle box’ shows have successfully met.

In Season 2, there’s a scene where Mark’s character has to fasten his shirt for the first time. During the initial take, Scott struggled with this task. According to Scott, Ben asked, “What are you doing?” To which Scott replied, “I’ve never put on a shirt before.” Interestingly, Mark always arrives at work with his shirt already buttoned and zipped. Stiller made Scott repeat the action several times as if he were a toddler. Scott found it somewhat awkward. He explained, “It felt a bit cheesy.” Eventually, they decided that Mark’s character had somehow learned how to dress himself in the past.

The creative minds behind the series “Severance” are consistently shaping and adapting the guidelines of its futuristic setting. The concept of ‘severance’ presents numerous chilling implications. In Season 1, one character undergoes severance to avoid feeling the pain of childbirth, thereby limiting her inner self’s knowledge to just giving birth and handing over her baby. This plot device brings to mind “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and highlights the disparity between those who can afford to bypass hardships and those who cannot. As Season 2 progresses, a situation resembling class conflict emerges between innies and outies.

In contrast to Stiller, who is not as fond of the TV show “Lost”, Erickson openly enjoys it and often shared his enthusiasm with Scott on set. He confessed to regularly browsing Reddit discussions about their series “Severance”. “I find such a comforting sense scrolling through those posts,” he admitted. However, he occasionally stumbled upon theories that seemed superior to what he had envisioned for the show. These theories would cause him some concern, leading him to distance himself somewhat from them in order to avoid unnecessary distractions.

Beau Willimon, the brains behind “House of Cards,” was brought on board prior to any potential strikes, to finesse the plot for Season 2 and subsequent seasons. As Erickson recalls, they were running a bit behind schedule, but didn’t want to cut corners. Willimon demonstrated his storytelling prowess not just on “House of Cards,” but also on the “Star Wars” spinoff series “Andor.” According to Erickson, Willimon writes with a drive that never feels forced, and he helped simplify many aspects, ensuring everyone reached the end together.

In the initial season, Scott was the sole character whose inner life was significantly depicted, while we were introduced to numerous other characters portrayed by John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Zach Cherry, and others. These characters have, in various ways, sought to break free from their lives; the narrative gradually transforms into a cautionary tale about the perils of partitioning pain. With the show now delving further into outer character narratives, the actors find themselves required to perform, in essence, dual roles.

Scott explains that there are minor yet noticeable distinctions between them. He doesn’t want it to seem like one character limps while the other doesn’t. He mentions that innie Mark carries himself better than Outie Mark and seems more optimistic, both emotionally and physically. Additionally, they have a slightly different tone of voice. Scott is hesitant to discuss these differences because they sound overly dramatic or actor-like. However, he emphasizes that even the subtlest variations can influence how he approaches a scene.

That contrast between innie and outie is most stark for Lower. As Helly, she’s a rabble-rousing innie eager to start a revolution in the underground offices. As Helena, she’s the daughter of a CEO who does not view innies as real people. To prepare, Lower would listen to different music for the two roles: Helly listens to Patti Smith, Helena to sweeping orchestrals. Lower pulls out a notebook and shows me drawings she would make each morning before filming: Helly’s pictures are abstract and wild, often using mashed-up crayons, the expression of an inner child. Helena’s are traditional, neat watercolor landscapes. “The outie is more nurture, and the innie is nature. The outie is ego and the innie is id,” she says. “But they share a subconscious, and they share trauma.”

As a passionate cinephile, I’d put it this way: “In one storyline, these very qualities could elevate a character to the status of a liberator, while in another tale, they might transform them into an oppressor.

According to what’s hinted in the trailer, characters in this new season are shown spending more time outside the confined spaces of Lumon and even treading through thick snow at one point. The expansive scenery is breathtaking yet only slightly less ominous than the oppressively clean office that dominates most of Season 1.

What first drew Stiller to the series were its cinematic aspects. As soon as he read the script, he could picture Lumon’s intricate white corridors and the peculiar destinations behind certain doors – places like a field bathed in fluorescent light where goats are tended by semi-wild herders. His aim was to create something equally desolate for the external world. As Erickson explained, “One thing Ben said was we need to give the impression that you’re always within Lumon even when you’re not.” To achieve this, the entire series is set during the coldest time of year.

In various guises, Lumon is portrayed as the main antagonist. This can be seen through its legendary figure depicted in eerie murals, the Egan family who passionately discuss capitalism with devotion, and Mark’s supervisor, Mr. Milchick, played by rising star Tramell Tillman. His peculiar dance moves from an ominous office party, which became viral, also serve as one of its manifestations.

Tillman’s life took an unexpected turn with the success of ‘Severance’. Following the show’s premiere, he experienced a surge in popularity and was surrounded by enthusiastic fans at San Diego Comic-Con parties for autographs during the following summer. I was there as well, and the ‘Severance’ panel was one of the busiest events over the weekend. Despite not being as influential as established franchises like ‘Lord of the Rings’ or Marvel, it was comparable to the fame of artists like Beyoncé or Taylor Swift at Comic-Con, according to Tillman’s humorous comparison.

This season, Tillman’s character finds it difficult to control the “innies” (presumably an inside group or aspect of himself). As time goes on, his exterior starts showing signs of strain, yet the show is deliberate in unveiling secrets about Milchick and others. “We’ve wrapped Season 2, and I’m still pondering over my character’s development,” Tillman shares. “That’s what keeps it engaging.

As a passionate cinephile, I’ve often found myself disappointed when mystery series present fascinating questions but deliver underwhelming answers, as has been the case with shows like Lost, Westworld, and Mr. Robot. Entering the realm of Lumon with a touch of skepticism was thus inevitable. However, by the fourth episode, a stunning, attention-grabbing spectacle that left me both visually and narratively awestruck, I realized this series had managed to outdo its past tricks.

By the finale of the series, the show provides much more than mere hints about Lumon’s activities, as Erickson points out, “It’s unfair to keep viewers dangling with unanswered questions.” However, it’s crucial to remember that the intricate plot twists may not hold as much significance as the connections between the characters. It’s a common pitfall for mystery series to overwhelm audiences with excessive plot points. In the end, the appeal of a show lies in the authenticity of character development and relationships, rather than resolving mysteries like “What is the smoke monster?”, “The secret at Westworld’s maze,” or “Who is Mr. Robot?” that might not meet lofty expectations. It’s the depth of the love stories and honest transformation of characters that keep a series compelling.

In Severance, an intriguing ensemble of characters is portrayed who willingly split their lives in two as a means to flee from profound suffering. In its second season, we uncover the origins of this agony. This revelation, rather than any clever plot twist, transforms it from a satisfactory enigma into a truly captivating narrative.

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2024-12-18 20:06