This is a spoiler-free review of Severance season 2 episode 1.
When Severance made its debut on Apple TV+ in February 2022, the United States had a different president. TikTok wasn't on the verge of being banned. Taylor Swift hadn't released either Midnights or The Tortured Poets Department or started The Eras Tour. A lot has changed since the Emmy-nominated sci-fi thriller had its breakout moment, but it's finally back after almost three full years.
Severance season 2 premiered on Friday, Jan. 17 on Apple TV+ after strike delays threatened to cool its momentum. But when a show is as inherently good and innovative as Severance, it's nearly impossible to slow it down. In spite of the longer wait than it should have had, the second season remained one of the most highly anticipated shows of 2025 by a long shot.
Long waits for shorter seasons are something that modern television viewers (streaming television viewers, to be more specific... friendly PSA: weekly broadcast television on an annual schedule still exists!) have been forced to get used to. But it's become a common source of complaint. "Three years for eight episodes?!" Yeah, but you're still going to watch anyway.
And if you're wondering if the three-year long hiatus was worth it for Severance, it's honestly a question that doesn't need to be asked. Those who watched season 1 know that quality wasn't never a concern; that was always going to be top notch. However, with the show returning to a much different cultural landscape, will it still hold as much resonance? Well, yes!
Severance season 2 was well worth the wait
The innies pick up right where they left off in Severance season 2 episode 1 (that's the most spoilers you're going to get!), and so does the show. The three years that the show took to return aren't apparent on screen even though narrative wise, its been five months (okay, one more spoiler). The singular visual style of the show remains the same, perhaps even sharper with those blues and greens popping against the brightness of Lumon.
Something that's been especially tricky with modern television is the movie-ification of serialized storytelling. We often hear from creators that a season of television is like an enter-number-here-part movie. That's not usually what television is, both in visual aesthetic and the timing of production, and it doesn't always work if we're being honest. But with Severance, the heightened cinematic experience not only works but is necessary.
In season 2, Severance doesn't need time to find its footing. It's off to the races as Mark and the team return to Lumon amid the shocking rebellion they spearheaded at the end of season 1 and the changes that have occurred in response. From the very beginning, it's obvious that whatever this cat and mouse chase is at Lumon, it's far from over. The mystery persists, but so does the emboldened MDR team. They have questions to answer.
As previously mentioned, the show makes its comeback as culture endures another seismic shift. It's a timely reentrance onto our screens, as the premiere arrives mere days before a major American historical event. The themes present in Severance haven't become outdated in the last three years (unfortunately?), as its takes on power imbalance, capitalism, self-identity, and more will continue to be in conversation with what's happening in our world.
Severance season 2 contains 10 episodes, up one from its season 1 order, and it remains to be seen where the remaining nine episodes will take the characters, story, and viewers. The show could stay the course for a flawless followup season or take a strange left turn and suffer a minor sophomore slump. It's looking like the former's more likely for this laser-focused show with an excellent and enviable eye for pacing.
Even though, yes, Severance season 2 wound up being worth waiting three years for, let's not normalize that as much as it already has been. Sure, in this instance, delays were beyond anyone's control with the strikes. But the wait would have been around two years regardless, and that's still pushing it. You can't rush greatness, but we also can't make it out of this decade without Severance finishing its story. It's a show with a voice we're going to need so, so much.
New episodes of Severance season 2 are released Fridays on Apple TV+.