Severance (Ben Stiller thriller)

[Memorex MP3]

oh yeah I thought I saw it somewhere else too! I guess that's why I was slow making that connection.

[ImmaculateClump]

This has been great fun!
Hopefully they don't flush it all down the shitter with the last one.
Chalk me down as another one who had no idea Ben Stiller was talented.

[up_the_hampipe]

This has been great fun!
Hopefully they don't flush it all down the shitter with the last one.

Stiller just announced season 2 on Twitter, which makes me worried they're going to leave this with a cliffhanger and more mystery.

I don't want another Lost.

[mjwilson]

Stiller just announced season 2 on Twitter, which makes me worried they're going to leave this with a cliffhanger and more mystery.

I don't want another Lost.

It doesn't feel like they could finish off the story in one more episode, so I'm not too worried.

[phantom_power]

I am guessing that season 1 will end with them becoming unsevered and season 2 will be finding out what is going on in the company

[studpuppet]

Just caught up (to episode 8 at least), and I'm glad to say I still don't know where this is going to go, which is a good thing to say after eight episodes. I mean I have ideas, but it's at a jumping off point where so many interesting trajectories are available.

It's like reading the beginning of the Animosity comic where:

Spoiler alert

the animals are just about to start speaking and there are so many outcomes once it happens, but you can savour that moment before the event.

[close]

I have to agree with the Wikipedia summation:

The series premiered on Apple TV+ on February 18, 2022, to universal acclaim from critics, who praised its performances, narrative, musical score, cinematography and production design.

I've even managed to persuade Mrs. S to give it a go, although she hates anything post-apocalyptic or alternate reality. (I basically said, if you don't watch it, in a couple of months everyone you know will be raving about it, and you won't get the chance to be the cool kid in the office for once.)

[up_the_hampipe]

Quickest 40 mins of my life with that finale. Thrilling from start to finish, setting up well for season 2 but this wait is going to kill me. Wish I could be severed with this show so I can wake up with it again immediately.

[Better Midlands]

Quickest 40 mins of my life with that finale. Thrilling from start to finish, setting up well for season 2 but this wait is going to kill me. Wish I could be severed with this show so I can wake up with it again immediately.

Tell me about it, excellent television

👏👏👏

Kudos to Ben Stiller (and the team) this show is one of the best things I've seen in a while.

[shiftwork2]

And with that I think Apple may have found its first decent show, 5/5.  It's clanging around in my brain.

[Ja'moke]

Fantastically tense finale. I need Season 2 now!

[Mobius]

I'm scared to read this thread in case there's spoilers but I've just watched the first 2 episodes and wow what a great and intriguing show so far. Very interesting and mysterious!

[Memorex MP3]

Spoilers in thread, from me at least (spoilered major things but if you spoilered everything in a show like this it'd just be a thread full of "+ Spoiler Alert" to click through.

Really strong finale, quite eventful, some clear plot progressions but haven't locked themselves down horribly.

Spoiler alert

Turtorro in reality came across like some kind of crazy man? Trying to hack into his subconsciousness via paintings? A whole load of employee tracing. Assume he'll be playing a big part next season.

[close]

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

Production on season 2 started last month. Apple only delayed the announcement to build some buzz around the show.

[Ja'moke]

Spoiler alert

Turtorro in reality came across like some kind of crazy man? Trying to hack into his subconsciousness via paintings? A whole load of employee tracing. Assume he'll be playing a big part next season.

[close]

Spoiler alert

It definitely seems like Irving's "outie" has been onto Lumon for a while and doing his own investigation. It makes sense seeing as he's one of the longest-serving employees.

[close]

What I really love about Severance is it's a complete original. It's not another remake or reboot or a spinoff or a superhero show or based on a book. Very refreshing.

[Steve Lampkins]

What a great show. Really enjoyed it from start to finish -- bring on season 2!

Not seen too many AppleTV+ shows, but I really enjoyed For All Mankind. An alt history telling of the space race.

[SteveDave]

We watched all of this in one go yesterday and loved it.

Spoiler alert

Did Harmony know that Helly E was an Egan? And that's why she kept her suicide attempt from "The Board"?

[close]

I'm interested to see where they go in a second series.

[Mobius]

Just finished the last episode. What a great show. Can't wait for more

[up_the_hampipe]

We watched all of this in one go yesterday and loved it.

Spoiler alert

Did Harmony know that Helly E was an Egan? And that's why she kept her suicide attempt from "The Board"?

[close]

I'm interested to see where they go in a second series.

Spoiler alert

When she discovered they were in Overtime Protocol via Mark, she raced to that gala type thing to stop Helly, so she knew.

[close]

[phantom_power]

I know acting is a bit of an over-rated profession and a lot of it is just pretending to be other people but the way the main actors play two versions of the same character with really subtle differences is pretty remarkable. And the way they reacted to being dropped into a world they didn't know existed was played so well also

[surreal]

Wow, it's really unusual to see CaB so united in praise for something for a change!  Finished this yesterday, agree with everything said - finale was really tense, proper shout-at-the-telly viewing.  Just hope they have a plan and don't turn it into Westworld.  I guess Apple really knows about being all about the company and having a cult-like atmosphere and leadership.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

I don't think that Apple has any creative involvement with the show. They're just trying to become the new HBO (they even work with the previous HBO CEO, the one who left when ATT bought Time Warner) by having a few select shows that get some big names involved, rather than developing dozens of shows like all the other streaming services outside of Disney+.

The pilot started out as a spec script in 2015, long before Apple TV+ became a thing.

Also...

https://www.polygon.com/23010270/severance-season-finale-explained-questions-creator

[Shaky]

Brilliant stuff, and some of the best TV I've seen in yonks. I've never been that keen on Adam Scott but he was a revelation in this. Think I'm a bit in love with Britt Lower as well.

Hopefully they wrap it up in a satisfying way after another season or two, but I'm feeling I don't need all the answers re what Lumon is and what it actually does.

[Cottonon]

I know acting is a bit of an over-rated profession and a lot of it is just pretending to be other people but the way the main actors play two versions of the same character with really subtle differences is pretty remarkable. And the way they reacted to being dropped into a world they didn't know existed was played so well also

At the start I was wondering if they made subtle post production alterations to their faces for the in work versions... but this was muddied by not having seen Adam Scott in anything since Parks and Rec so he looked odd to me.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

When there was the Parks and Recreation Covid reunion, the footage of Scott came from the webcam and would show his face frontally, and it was very angular. In his usual appearances, he's shot from the side or from a three quarters angle for good reason. Here, it's mostly frontal for a different good reason.

[Ferris]

It were good, this.

Spoiler alert

Tenner says he wakes up and it's all a dream

[close]

[Jerzy Bondov]

I thought this was the best thing I've seen in ages. Cheers.

[Lost Oliver]

Am 5 episodes in and loving this. Nothing else to add.

[Lost Oliver]

Actually, there is. I don't tend to watch series anymore because they usually end up disappointing a huge time sinker but I've broken my rule for this. It's good. Yes. I like it a lot.

[KennyMonster]

Actually, there is. I don't tend to watch series anymore because they usually end up disappointing a huge time sinker but I've broken my rule for this. It's good. Yes. I like it a lot.

I'll add that I like the show too, I just saw the climax of series 1 a couple of days ago.

I like that at present we don't really know what's going on, such a strange atmosphere and no one knows what Lumon actually does.

I hope that when all is revealed it doesn't disappoint, usually I find that these kind of things are less interesting in the final act once 'all is revealed' to us.

I do have a theory on what Lumon does as a business.....

Spoiler alert

I think the Lumon are selling the concept of 'Severing' as a service they will go to offer worldwide and the work we have seen the innies do is there for Lumon to show as case studiesthat even the most tedious, pointless or mundane roles can be performed by severed folk.

[close]

[phantom_power]

That's a really good shout actually.

Spoiler alert

It does show how pliable the Innies are, and Helly's suicide attempt shows how trapped they are regardless of whether they want to be there or not

[close]