After three years of waiting, season 2 of Severance is finally beginning to reveal itself, with the first two episodes, put online this January 17, 2025, on Apple TV+. But does the charm still work? Here is our opinion guaranteed without spoilers on the first 6 episodes of season 2 of Severancewhich Numerama was able to see in preview.
Few series can boast of having a universe so beautiful, so singular, instantly recognizable, in a fraction of a second. From its first moments, absolutely exceptional, season 2 of Severance thus proves to us that the bright and disturbing corridors of Lumon Industries are still as welcoming, after three years of absence.
Apple TV+’s flagship series is making its big return this Friday, January 17, 2025, with the release of the first two episodes online. What if you were afraid of having lost your way in the enigmatic world of Severancedon’t panic. You’ll enter Season 2 through the most familiar place of all: an elevator, of course.
Don’t expect answers to your questions
Mysteries, mysteries, and more mysteries: this is how we could summarize the first 6 episodes of this season 2, which were made available to the French press. However, the fast-paced introduction, in the form of a race against the clock, with James Bond-style music in the background, promised us a lively pace and action at every corner of the corridor.
Unfortunately, this sensational introduction, with camera movements measured to perfection, is a small rarity in this new season. If you were hoping, like us, that Severance finally offers you some elements of answers to the questions raised three years ago, you risk being disappointed.
However, we must recognize that the science fiction series has an inexhaustible capacity to renew our interest, through a few sleight of hand. We dive once again behind the scenes of Lumon Industries thanks to a now essential figure: that of Mark. But while he hopes to reunite with his old colleagues, namely Helly, Dylan and Irving, he faces a strange new team.
Severance terrifies us with everyday images
The Lumon Industries company is thus strengthened by the presence of Mark W. and Gwendolyn Y, whose previous department suddenly closed, an Italian employee who does not speak a word of English and above all Miss Huang, a child who seems to be watching over them. Mr. Milchick has moved up the ranks: he now occupies Mrs. Cobel’s old position, and supervises the entire floor of Mark and the others. New functions that suit him perfectly, allowing his interpreter, Tramell Tillman, to reveal even new, deeply disturbing facets of the character.
And it is true that there is only Severance to manage to terrify us with very simple images of everyday life: those of Mr Milchick, wearing a huge smile, blue balloons in his hands, and welcoming Mark like a model collaborator, for example. But apart from a few visual flashes, like an unexpected stop-motion sequence during episode 1, or a sublime new credits, this season 2 provokes more boredom than the passion of the past.
A bingo of the best (or worst) screenplay ideas
Several times, during these 6 episodes, I found myself yawning, or even monitoring the time remaining before the end, since the plot does not advance a bit, despite a fantastic first chapter. From the next, the enthusiasm drops like a breeze, and certain episodes could even be deleted, without this posing a problem for the story.
And let’s be honest: the observation was the same with season 1, which followed more or less the same rhythm. Certainly, three years have passed, so it can be easy to put aside the bad times, to remember only what made the greatness of Severancewith its messy twists and its unforgettable final cliffhanger in mind.
But certainly, this season 2 takes too many directions at the same time, like its characters, who change plans and opinions too regularly. In fact, it’s quite simple: the screenwriters now seem to exclusively follow a bingo composed of their best (or worst) ideas, in bulk. They then mix their potential love for video games, with an improbable quest carried out in an open world, in episode 4, with their most absurd dreams, as with the goats in episode 3.
Severance reproduces the errors of Lost
It’s potentially very funny at first, but it basically stops the series from moving forward. Result: the characters are standing still. How else can we explain the annoying ending of episode 6, almost identical to the conclusion of episode 3? Unfortunately, Severance therefore reproduces the past errors of other puzzle series, such as Lost. The production of Apple TV+ is full of good ideas, showers us with endless twists and turns, but ends up offering us too many mysteries, which kill the mystery.
Let’s hope that the end of season 2 can make up for this rather disappointing mistake: according to American criticswho were able to watch the entire episodes, the next chapters should hypnotize us more. Waiting for, Severance blocks us, too, in an elevator. It’s a bit oppressive at the beginning, when you enter, then you feel little guilis in your stomach, during the final stop, but between these two stages: dead calm reigns.
The verdict
We liked
- The casting, just perfect
- Goats, of course
- The new credits, sublime
- The first episode
- The surprising conclusion of episode 4
We liked less
- Please answer our questions
- And especially pick up the pace
- We really fall asleep there
- Zzzzzzz…
If the rating is so high for this season 2, it is only thanks to its top-notch casting, Adam Scott (Mark), Britt Lower (Helly), Tramell Tillman (Mr Milchick), and John Turturro (Irving) in the lead , but also thanks to a perfect production in every way. Apart from these two qualities, which allow Severance to maintain its status as an essential series, we must recognize that the disappointment is there: the rhythm is shaky, the intrigues do not advance a bit and even the twists, which always turn our brains, do not succeed to make up for it all. It is not enough to captivate your viewer at the beginning and at the end of each episode: rather, finally give us the long-awaited answers to these mysteries that have haunted us for three years.
Source: www.numerama.com