SEVERANCE Episode 2.1

Episode 1 of Season two of SEVERANCE on Apple+ takes place roughly five months after the end of season one. After the “Innie” versions of Mark, Helly, Irv, and Dylan could contact the outside world and expose the conditions they work under, it forced Lumen to make major changes to the program. While the leadership is trying to scrape by with minimal actual changes, Mark and the gang continue to try to force reform from the inside.

Not knowing how long since the “macro data revolution,” Innie Mark wakes up in the elevator. He arrives back in the same old office and runs through looking for his friends. However, Mark cannot find anyone until he enters his office, which presents three new faces. Desperate to know where his friends are, Mr. Milchick brings him into the head office, where he informs Mark that Ms. Cobel is no longer with Lumen and that he has taken over as the boss of the severance program. Furthermore, Helly, Irv, and Dylan’s outer selves choose not to return to Lumen, hence their replacement.

Having dealt with the company’s lies for long enough, Mark is adamant that he hears from his friends, so he knows they have turned down the opportunity to return to work rather than not being given the chance at all. Mr. Milchick, however, denies his request. Undeterred, Mark devises a plan to speak with his friends. He writes a letter about hating Lumen, which he slides into the pocket of one of his new co-workers. Mark gets in trouble when the letter is found but runs away from the reprimand, breaking into Mr. Milchick’s office to speak to the higher-ups about hearing from his friends.

The next day, Helly, Irv, and Dylan are all back in the office with Mark, and the “innies” can decide if they want to stay with Lumen. Before they make their decisions, the group meets Mr. Milchick, who shows them a video of all the changes rolling out in the severance program to make it more humane. Though many surface-level changes are in place, very little has been altered. Nonetheless, the group is interested in staying after being given a chance to discuss what they saw during the revolution.

Not everyone in the group is honest, though, as Helly is not willing to share what she realized about herself, and Irv keeps it a secret that the man from the office he is in love with has a husband on the outside. Ultimately, Mark decides to stay because he wants to continue to push for change in the severance program, Helly stays because she is in love with Mark, Dylan stays because he likes his friends, and Irv stays because Dylan convinces him to.

While season two of SEVERANCE introduces a variety of new twists and turns, the series is not quite as entertaining as the narrative arc of season one. Ultimately, the intrigue that made the first season so thrilling is missing from the second. Season two, however, continues to be excellently made with compelling characters and strong support from striking visuals and great music.

The season also shifts into a romantic worldview as the characters follow their hearts and make decisions based on their feelings rather than making choices based on what is right. Furthermore, the characters strongly support homosexual relationships, and Helly argues that Mark should be able to cheat on his wife because the “innie” versions are different from the “outie” versions. Additionally, season two features strong foul language, especially from Dylan who uses the “f” word in nearly every sentence. In total, episode one features 29 profanities and obscenities. Thus, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older teens and adults.