All You Need to Know About the Sci-Fi Thriller’s Return to Office (Sept 2024)

The first season of Severance premiered back in January 2022, and while multi-year gaps have become common in the streaming world, fans are growing impatient for the return. The long wait can be partly attributed to the show’s high budget, reportedly around $20 million per episode, suggesting an expansive season up ahead. Multiple cliffhangers left fans eager for more, and even some artists have been quizzing director Ben Stiller about the upcoming season on Twitter/X.

The good news is Apple TV+ offers a wealth of other stellar series to watch in the meantime. Better news is that the Innies Who Became Outies will return with their weekly story drops on a set date. One thing’s for sure: we’re going to meet many new Lumon Industries employees.

The Lumon workforce is expanding. New cast members include Gwendoline Christie, Alia Shawkat, Bob Balaban, Merrit Wever, Robby Benson, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Stefano Carannante, and John Noble. As for retiring cast members, Adam Scott returns, joined by Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Dichen Lachman, Jen Tullock, Christopher Walken, Tramell Tillman, and Michael Chernus. However, unless Yul Vasquez appears as a clone or in flashbacks, we might not see him in the second season.

If it’s any consolation for those waiting eagerly for more Severance, Adam Scott shares your anticipation. He suggests the wait will be worth it as the second season scripts are “great,” and he “couldn’t wait to get there, and get the cameras rolling and film it.” Scott also praised Ben Stiller’s casting choices for the second season, mentioning the exciting additions of actors like Bob Balaban, Alia Shawkat, and Gwendoline Christie. A new young actor, Sarah Bach, is also joining for season 2.

The second season is expected to pick up where the first one left off. Fans are curious whether Innie Mark (Adam Scott), Helly (Britt Lower), and Irving (John Turturro) will remember their Outie worlds. Helly ended last season by revealing to a gala crowd that Innie life isn’t the work-paradise it’s portrayed to be. Mark discovered his “dead” wife (Dichen Lachman) was alive and working inside Lumon as a wellness counselor. Ms. Casey’s fate, although ominous, remains to be fully disclosed. Meanwhile, Irving realized his Outie was doing research on Lumon, and Dylan (Zach Cherry) struggled to fend off Milchick (Tramell Tillman) from ending the Innies’ Outie adventure.

The romance between Innies Mark and Helly adds another layer of complexity. Adam Scott described it as “a confusing cocktail of feeling,” and Ben Stiller provided more context, especially given Mark’s struggle with his wife’s apparent death. Stiller explained: “There is this growing connection between Mark and Helly, and then outside, Mark is trying to get over his wife’s death. Then we’ll see that his wife is still alive. This presents an interesting conflict, as we’ll root for both Innie Mark and Outie Mark to find happiness. This juxtaposition will be explored further in the second season.”

Regarding Yul Vasquez’s character, who was Mark’s “best friend,” we’ve yet to hear any hints from Apple TV+ or Stiller on whether Petey’s wisdom will influence the second season.

Nearly three years after the first season, Severance will return on January 17, 2025.

A teaser has been released, featuring Gwendoline Christie’s ominous character telling Mark, Dylan, and Helly that they “should have left.” Next, we see Mark carrying balloons created by Lumon Industries that resemble his paperweight before he begins glitching and going on the run.