Severance was hands down one of the best TV shows of 2022, if not the best. It gave audiences a chilling look into a world where employees can undergo “severance” which separates their work lives and personal lives.
The work personality is an “innie” and its opposite an “outie.” Mark S (Adam Scott) is one of these people, having chosen to undergo severance after the death of his wife. But then one of his friends disappears, a new arrival comes in the form of Helly R (Britt Lower) and things just get wilder and wilder at the cult-like company they all work for, Lumon.
The show ended on a dramatic cliffhanger. Mark learned a stunning secret concerning his outie, and the Lumon employees struck a blow against their employers. Everyone was on tenterhooks waiting for the next season and an answer to all their questions… but it was a long time coming. There were rumors of discord behind the scenes, which were denied, and then the Writer’s Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes upended things to an extent.
But, all is well in the world of Severance now. (Obviously not for the poor characters, but you know what I mean.) Season two is dropping on Apple TV+ on January 17 and the wait is about to be over.
How do you promote a show that’s been absent for so long? Let’s not forget, the season one finale of Severance aired all the way back in early April 2022. Well, Apple TV+ have hit on a novel idea: bring the actors out, stick ’em in a glass box, and have them work on their computers in-character in New York’s Grand Central station. And that’s what happened!
Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry (Dylan), Patricia Arquette (Ms. Cobel), and Tramell Tillman (Mr. Milchick) all made appearances inside the glass case and drew a huge crowd. Producer and director Ben Stiller was also there to send updates out on social media. Sometimes there is nothing more exciting than Adam Scott as Mark sweeping the floor. How often do you get a chance to see a TV character going about their business right in front of you?
Plenty of people present at Grand Central Station got in on the action. One person reported back that Adam Scott actually had some real-life trouble with his computer, and remained in character as he tried to fix it. There was also a scene where Lower’s Helly threw paper planes around.
Clearly, Apple TV+ is going all out to promote the new season. And if the social media reaction is anything to go by, fans are loving it. But does the high quality of the marketing reflect the quality of the new season? By all accounts it does. Severance season 2 has a 94% rating on RottenTomatoes right now, indicating rave reviews.
We cannot wait to get severed once more on January 17!
Published: Jan 15, 2025 02:26 pm