Severance

:

Season 1
  • Network: Apple TV+
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 18, 2022
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 115 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 102 out of 115
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 115
  3. Negative: 4 out of 115
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User Reviews

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  1. carlito000
    Apr 30, 2023
    9
    Starts slow. Builds into something absolutely mesmerising. A sci-fi (ish) office-based (ish) mystery about a sinister company with a brilliant pay off in the season finale. Easily, one of the best shows I’ve seen in the last decade. Unmissable.
  2. bstrdbwn
    Jan 18, 2023
    10
    Absolutely amazing show. Interesting, fantastically acted. And this music, oh boy.
  3. ParQer
    Feb 20, 2023
    6
    Season 1 could have been great, but it’s not rewarding. The pacing is a bit too slow but that’s not the issue. The issue is the fact that season 1 ended up only being a premise for season 2.

    They could have cut at least 3 episodes and the content of episode 9 should have been around episode 6. Then there would be 3 more episodes to close the season. This would have been great.    Season 1 could have been great, but it’s not rewarding. The pacing is a bit too slow but that’s not the issue. The issue is the fact that season 1 ended up only being a premise for season 2.

    They could have cut at least 3 episodes and the content of episode 9 should have been around episode 6. Then there would be 3 more episodes to close the season. This would have been great.

    Instead, they decided to stretch the sauce as much as possible to do 2 seasons. It’s okay to leave some story arc open for the next season but a season should always be its own entity but season 1 is basically just a mid-season that drags for 9 episodes.    … Expand
  4. UncleWillard
    Mar 10, 2022
    9
    Updating to a 9. The more I watch, the more questions and philosophical issues pop up. This is one hell of an onion and each layer pulled back answers and poses more questions. Probably one of the best CGI intros and theme music in a while. Perfect for this. No complaints at all and I can't wait to see where it goes.
  5. Spawnvash
    Mar 1, 2022
    10
    It's a must watch. After reading Ben Stiller would be directing this dark thriller, I didn't know what to expect; Kudos to him, the pacing, the filmography, the way you delve into character's arcs is fantastic. I honestly couldn't believe he had such a great vision and direction talents (apart from comedy). The writing is good. Music is great but a bit repetitive.
  6. All_ButTrU4
    Apr 23, 2022
    5
    Satisfying television that just couldn't stick with me. It's a sinister mystery that wraps you in but the pacing makes it a dirge to live through.
  7. SimboTheKing
    Aug 21, 2022
    10
    Wow, what a debut. It takes a brilliant concept and executes it to perfection. It wears its influences on its sleeve (it has shades of Black Mirror, The Stanley Parable, Eternal Sunshine etc.) without becoming a clone or derivative. I am amazed at Adam Scott as I never really considered him that good of an actor but he kills in this. I am also surprised by Ben Stiller's involvement butWow, what a debut. It takes a brilliant concept and executes it to perfection. It wears its influences on its sleeve (it has shades of Black Mirror, The Stanley Parable, Eternal Sunshine etc.) without becoming a clone or derivative. I am amazed at Adam Scott as I never really considered him that good of an actor but he kills in this. I am also surprised by Ben Stiller's involvement but fair play to the guy he has crafted an amazing season. Up there with Westworld S1 in terms of being a brand new IP that just comes on the scene and makes its mark. Fingers crossed it doesn't end up like the later seasons of Westworld though as I am super excited for S2.… Expand
  8. meten90
    Apr 8, 2022
    10
    One of the best sf shows Ive seen in my life. Remarkable. Mystery part is just so crazy tense.
  9. Filazafer
    Apr 12, 2022
    10
    I absolutely loved it. It’s beautifully shot, the music is amazing, and the acting is excellent. The characters quickly became people that I cared about. It’s also creepy and interesting and original. One of my favorite shows of all-time and as soon as I finished I wanted more, so I started again with episode 1. Believe the hype. The awards are coming and the inevitable SeveranceI absolutely loved it. It’s beautifully shot, the music is amazing, and the acting is excellent. The characters quickly became people that I cared about. It’s also creepy and interesting and original. One of my favorite shows of all-time and as soon as I finished I wanted more, so I started again with episode 1. Believe the hype. The awards are coming and the inevitable Severance global obsession is just beginning.… Expand
  10. CateArcher
    Mar 20, 2022
    10
    This is an amazing show, a thriller with depth, many clever details and thought provoking questions. Dark and mysterious. I can't wait for each new episode, and each new episode is a new delight. The best show of 2022 so far.
  11. bambony
    Oct 26, 2022
    10
    The last 3 episodes are the most exhilarating, seat of your pants television since Breaking Bad left our screens. I'm not sure there'll be a better show in 2022
  12. ion87
    Dec 9, 2022
    10
    One of the best new shows on television. Great mystery, Great characters engaging story. Could not get enough. You deserve to watch this show.
  13. bignoisedoyle
    Aug 10, 2022
    9
    Creative and innovative in a bizzare charlie kauffman like setting. It's fresh, the script and characters are amazing.
  14. Gts08
    Nov 8, 2022
    9
    My favorite new series of 2022, even the decade, hands down. It has probably the most original and creative concept of the last years. The Kafkaesque & surreal Lumon combined with the severance procedure is truly a genius idea. The show builds perfectly; it always adds something to the mystery so that you can't stop watching it. It's like a puzzle. An episode from The Twilight Zone madeMy favorite new series of 2022, even the decade, hands down. It has probably the most original and creative concept of the last years. The Kafkaesque & surreal Lumon combined with the severance procedure is truly a genius idea. The show builds perfectly; it always adds something to the mystery so that you can't stop watching it. It's like a puzzle. An episode from The Twilight Zone made into an entire season. Felt like it was made for me, but I hope other people feel the same way. Criminally underrated masterpiece of a show...massive 9/10. (and ironic that Apple made it bruh)… Expand
  15. KJ_20
    Nov 12, 2022
    10
    It's pure entertainment. Unique, gripping, suspenseful, insightful entertainment. Severance is like nothing we have ever seen before. Remarkably amazing!
  16. bl1rt
    Feb 27, 2022
    4
    It's a Black Mirror episode written by Charlie Kaufman about working in an office, only it is actually written by a neurotypical who never worked a day in a regular job, and it is padded to fill a whole season. Which means that there is a perceivable lack in the middle of it - a lack of truth behind the weirdness, and honestly, a lack of material. The show tries to make up for it inIt's a Black Mirror episode written by Charlie Kaufman about working in an office, only it is actually written by a neurotypical who never worked a day in a regular job, and it is padded to fill a whole season. Which means that there is a perceivable lack in the middle of it - a lack of truth behind the weirdness, and honestly, a lack of material. The show tries to make up for it in atmosphere, so it looks nice and goes slowly. Watching paint dry slowly.
    I really want to like it, if just for trying to be different, but it is so clearly trying too hard at the wrong places, while under-delivering at the important bits. It feels like unrewarding work to get through this slob, which is ironic since that is what it tries to portrait, yet I'd rather be at the office.    … Expand
  17. sam6666
    May 10, 2022
    1
    Extremely slow and boring.
    I only lasted 3.5 episodes of total boredom.
    Don’t believe the hype.
  18. Hsgw
    Apr 17, 2022
    10
    A must see. Intriguing, surprising, and well filmed. Actors are perfect, and plot is thick. Keeps you in suspense until very last minute.
  19. Kanaka
    Apr 16, 2022
    10
    Excellent series. The subject is intriguing. The actors are perfect. The atmosphere is heavy. It's a great series. A must see.
  20. Louis_Voltron
    May 5, 2022
    10
    Best show period . Brilliant I love it. I am jealous of those who have not watched it and now will .
  21. OlivierPiel
    Dec 29, 2022
    5
    Other reviewers marvel at the purported "depth"and the "philosophical questions" that this show examines. However, they actually don't explain what these are...because they simply don't exist. The other reviewer bl1rt nailed it: It's a show trying to be a Kafkaian/French existentialist satire of the drab, soulless, nonsensical corporate 'Meurica but ends up grotesque because it pushes theOther reviewers marvel at the purported "depth"and the "philosophical questions" that this show examines. However, they actually don't explain what these are...because they simply don't exist. The other reviewer bl1rt nailed it: It's a show trying to be a Kafkaian/French existentialist satire of the drab, soulless, nonsensical corporate 'Meurica but ends up grotesque because it pushes the implausable actions of the protagonists too far, and contradicts our experience of the workplace.
    The American workplace is far better, far freer than the 1935 Austrian, the 1895 French or the 1865 English workplace!
    Indeed Kafka's genius was the reverse: He showed that our apparently trivial, everyday, mindless actions were the symptoms of our "normal" dehumanisation and alienation in a modern society, not the master plan of an evil regime. Kafka, Camus and Sartre showed that we are all willing, not pushed to it, except maybe in the most dictatorial regimes!

    Plus points for Turturro and Walken, whose romance is beautifully acted.

    By the way, Rick and Morty did it better in their episode "night people".    … Expand
  22. MetacriticOnur
    Apr 12, 2022
    6
    admirable
    [ ad-mer-uh-buhl ]

    adjective
    worthy of admiration; inspiring approval, reverence, or affection.
  23. Archer_11
    Aug 12, 2022
    8
    A must watch for fans of slow burn / big payoff TV. There's an issue though and it's a big one - the writers spend the first six episodes trading narrative pull for interminably dull world building. They're not the first to do this and won't be the last but it's a damn shame. The incredible final three episodes end feel more like a reward for persevering than the victory lap it could have been,
  24. Mystichydra
    May 11, 2022
    10
    Absolutely loved it. It's a truly unique show, and one that is clearly not for everyone. Some consider it slow. But to me slowness is due to lack of engagement, to which Severance never suffered. Honestly, whether you like it or not depends basically on one key element - do you contemplate things?

    Before people get offended at the very notion of the question, consider this - there are    Absolutely loved it. It's a truly unique show, and one that is clearly not for everyone. Some consider it slow. But to me slowness is due to lack of engagement, to which Severance never suffered. Honestly, whether you like it or not depends basically on one key element - do you contemplate things?

    Before people get offended at the very notion of the question, consider this - there are people in this world that literally have no inner dialogue. There are people with aphantasia. And when I ask about contemplation, I don't mean a cursory glance at mortality and meaning, but a marination and meditation on deep concepts. To enjoy Severance, it's basically a prerequisite. If philosophy makes your eyes glaze over, you should probably seek your escapism elsewhere.

    Criticisms like the L.A Times frankly shows to me that they just didn't 'get it'. Same with criticisms of plotlessness. Ben Stiller said this was his longest project to date, and it shows. It's a layered and complicated endeavor, and it actually rewards you for investing in the series. Unlike so many dead end shows.

    The performances are great all around, not a single bad actor and perfectly cast. The directing is phenomenal (Stiller has always been underrated in this department), with many innovative camera angles and framing. The graduality of it was to me, perfect. Every added revelation or element was palpable and usually mystifying. And it shows how intensity can be achieved without relying on tired, uninspired tropes of death and violence. The script is amazing, and there are TONS of clues interspersed around both with dialogue and detail. I found myself pausing often to read things and take note.

    To think that this started primarily as a workplace comedy. Some of the many examples of themes and concepts within Severance include - Religion, free-will, ship of Theseus, existentialism, compartmentalization, fascism, corporatism, pleasure and pain, escapism, connection, power, consciousness, duality, autonomy, meaning, the afterlife, paranoia, ontology, information, essentialism, cults, time, identity, memory, solipsism, nihilism, diligence, the psyche, humanism, happiness, surveillance, control, conditioning. There’s even an argument to be had that it has Gnostic and Kabalistic elements with the demiurge and the ascension/descension, respectively.

    Honestly, you’re lucky to find a show that incorporates even one of these themes compellingly. Severance manages to interweave seamlessly and simultaneously, all of these and more.    … Expand
  25. Dee-Jay_Deli
    May 9, 2022
    8
    A very unique show that takes inspiration from Office Space, Joe vs. the Vulcano, Brazil and Black Mirror to explore a novel premise without overstretching it.
  26. drlowdon
    Mar 9, 2023
    8
    Mark works for Lumon Industries, an organisation that has developed a technology that allows them to wipe the minds of employees when they arrive and leave work. It soon becomes clear however that everything within the company is not quite as it seems.

    It’s impossible to fully judge shows that lean so heavily on mystery until we know whether said mysteries will be resolved in a    Mark works for Lumon Industries, an organisation that has developed a technology that allows them to wipe the minds of employees when they arrive and leave work. It soon becomes clear however that everything within the company is not quite as it seems.

    It’s impossible to fully judge shows that lean so heavily on mystery until we know whether said mysteries will be resolved in a satisfying manner, but this first season makes for an intriguing and thought provoking watch.    … Expand
  27. moirons
    May 22, 2023
    4
    There are a few problems with this show (okay, more than a few). The first is pacing. While they do a fantastic job of pacing the physical workplace and its mystery, they do a piss poor job of pacing character development. Like many other modern shows, I have no idea who these people are or why I would care about them in the first place. I think the writers and directors are taking forThere are a few problems with this show (okay, more than a few). The first is pacing. While they do a fantastic job of pacing the physical workplace and its mystery, they do a piss poor job of pacing character development. Like many other modern shows, I have no idea who these people are or why I would care about them in the first place. I think the writers and directors are taking for granted that people will just like these characters because they're attractive and well-dressed. Not so. The lead character is wood, soulless, and doesn't have a backstory besides "his wife died." Okay? Does he have a personality? The answer is no.

    The second major problem is the mix of side humor in combination with blaring music. Severance's score is understandably unsettling and should be. But when you play that score through 80% of every episode, it's a distraction, not a companion to anything going on. And when you play it so much that every mundane moment gets its own portion of the soundtrack, everything starts to look like parody. "Christopher Walken strutting through a corridor." I can almost hear a director saying "Turn the music up!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

    Finally, it all goes back to the people. I don't know these people. I don't see them having regular human conversations that are relatable. Why would I care about them? I had planned to binge this but couldn't get past episode 4. We had a funeral for a character we'd seen exactly 4 times and were just naturally expected to see that as a moment. It wasn't. I don't know who this man was or see enough of him to care.

    Is it unsettling? Sure. It's also boring and melodramatic, sometimes comically at points.

    But I'm sure Apple TV paid for plenty of reviews, so no one needs to worry about mine.    … Expand
  28. Sbellz
    Mar 4, 2023
    10
    Amazing & fresh idea that’s ‘black mirror-esque’. Really kept me on the edge sometimes. Accidentally clicked the wrong rating but it’s a 10/10 for me. Best thing I’ve seen of the 2020s decade so far
  29. geewah
    Jan 20, 2023
    10
    A brilliant mind-bending drama that Charlie Kaufman or Spike Jonze would be proud of. A quirky blend of characters and a story that lays the foundations for it's gripping finale, makes this one of 2022's best shows.
  30. busiek
    Jul 24, 2023
    5
    Good acting, excellent production design, great shots do not compensate for the sense of boredom. It's not "slow burn", this show is simply boring and nothing encourages you to continue watching... The material for three -four max - episodes was stretched to nine. I gave up and fell asleep.

Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Best TV Season of 2022
24
#24 Most Discussed TV Season of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. i
    Reviewed by: Rachael Sigee
    May 25, 2022
    100
    With an exceptional cast (rounded out by Patricia Arquette, John Turturro and Christopher Walken), this is an original, weird, thought-provoking and beautifully crafted story that asks just how much of ourselves we should give over to our jobs.
    Read full review
  2. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Naomi Fry
    May 25, 2022
    80
    “Severance” is political in spite of itself—the employees’ dawning realization of their mutual oppression makes them accidental proletariat. And yet it is almost impossible to watch the show and not think of real-life parallels to the situation at Lumon.
    Read full review
  3. Radio Times
    Reviewed by: Huw Fullerton
    May 25, 2022
    80
    Altogether, Severance is an impressive creation. It’s a sci-fi mystery, an quasi-religious thriller and much more besides – but more than anything it really is a portrait of work and how we let it take over our lives.
    Read full review
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