Happy Hump Day aka Wednesday (for those in the Northern Hemisphere)! As we’re getting over the middle day of the traditional workweek, I thought I’d post a review of a show that’s set in the workplace.

AppleTV’s Severance (Season 1)

I blogged about this series back in 2022 when it first came out but for whatever reason, I didn’t get around to it until last month. I was intrigued by the stellar reviews and their unique marketing stint at the Grand Central Station for season 2, so I figure it’s as good a time as any to start watching.

The premise of Severance is quite disturbing. Mark (Adam Scott) manages a group of office employees at Lumon Corporation, where their memories are surgically divided (severed) between their jobs and personal lives. An “innie” is the version of a Lumon worker that exists while they’re on the clock, and an “outie” is who they are outside of work. It starts with a strange scene of a woman waking up on a conference room table, and she doesn’t know who she is or where she is. The show chronicles the workers’ journey to discover the real truth about their jobs.

I’ve been working from home since the pandemic but I still remember going to a corporate office day in and day out, where my colleagues and I sit in cubicles for 8 hours/day. I’ve always thought it’s ironic how corporate leaders keep preaching about work-life balance, yet such a concept proves elusive. Perhaps that’s why shows such as The Office and Parks & Recreation are popular—they offer us relatable escapist entertainment. But Severance cranks up the satire even more, turning the whole work-life balance idea on its head with dark humor and eerie mystery.

Created by Dan Erickson, what’s notable is that Ben Stiller directed most of the episodes. Stiller is no stranger to directing, from rom-com Reality Bites to comedies like Zoolander 1 + 2, and Tropic Thunder, but this is the first series he directed that I’ve seen. To say the show is a slow burn is a massive understatement. It’s almost like the creators are really testing the viewers’ patience with the slow pacing. I have to admit my husband and I almost gave up after the second episode. I’m glad we stuck with it, however, as it does get more intriguing, especially as Mark & team start to venture out of their department.

The cast is great overall, from the leads to the small supporting actors. I’m not very familiar with Adam Scott’s work but he’s excellent here as Mark, essentially the face of the series. He’s able to balance the absurd humor and deep vulnerability with amusingly deadpan expression. The biggest breakout star of the show is definitely Britt Lower, she’s casually mesmerizing as Helly, you just can’t take your eyes off her. I find her character arc the most fascinating of them all, while Zach Cherry and John Turturro who make up the Macrodata Refinement department have a few memorable moments.

Patricia Arquette is spot on as an intimidating boss from hell, who always barks orders at her minions, including Tramell Tillman (with his killer dance moves) as Mr. Milchick. Mark’s life outside of work is the most explored in season 1, with Jen Tullock as his caring sister Devon and her author husband Ricken (Michael Chernus) as the key players. There’s also Christopher Walken who is always amusing to watch and his character is totally not what I expected.

One thing is for sure, this show is thought-provoking and really gets under your skin. The ‘What’s For Dinner’ episode in particular is just bizarre. If the waffle party is the ‘reward’ for being a top performer, I’d opt for being a slacker of the division! It’s hard to shake after watching certain episodes and definitely makes you think about your own work situation. The way things unravel can be both riveting and frustrating. Some of the mysteries’ biggest reveals did make me gasp though, especially one involving Mark’s past. Severance is one of the most unsettling series I’ve seen in a while, the windowless office makes you feel claustrophobic and the outside world filmed in New York feels equally dreary. It goes to show that you don’t need blood and gore to make a chilling story.

If you’re into slow-burn mysteries, you’ll likely enjoy this show, though I feel like there are a lot of filler moments. They could have wrapped the whole series up in just 7 episodes. The finale wraps up with a huge, unexpected cliffhanger, but it presents even more questions than answers. Some are saying this is the best show on Apple TV, but I beg to differ as I think Slow Horses takes the crown simply because of the concise narrative of each episode and the pacing is much more dynamic. At any rate, I’m still looking forward to S2 of Severance but I hope the pacing gets better!

Have you watched SEVERANCE? I’d love to hear what you think!

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