Ahead of the release ofSeveranceseason 2, series writer Mohamad El Masri shares an update on the show’s future, including season 3 and a potential time jump. Created by Dan Erickson, the Apple TV+ sci-fi mystery premiered in 2022, chronicling the lives of employees at Lumon Industries who have had their work selves surgically separated from their home selves. The show, which stars Adam Scott, John Turturro, Britt Lower, and Zach Cherry, was a hit, andSeveranceseason 2 is now confirmedto be arriving in January 2025, though it hasn’t yet been renewed for season 3.
In a recent interview withIndieWireEl Masri reveals thatErickson and executive producer and director Ben Stiller haveSeverance’s entire storyline “mapped out,“though he doesn’t reveal how many seasons that would ideally include. The writer reveals that season 2 will “point us in the direction we want to go” in terms of heading toward the show’s conclusion:
“There was always a thinking ahead to future seasons. Even in Season 2, we were talking about, what is the end game and how does this show end? A lot of work was talking about that. I think there’s a natural overlap that happens, especially with the second season of a show, that you’ve got to keep [the momentum] going.
People are interested, people are watching, and now with Season 2, you really have to sort of think about, not just what is Season 2 going to deliver in a satisfying way, but how does this set up season 3 and beyond?
El Masri also comments on the three-year gap between seasons 1 and 2, revealing that he hopes the wait between seasons 2 and 3 isn’t quite as long. He does admit, however, that another long wait isn’t out of the question if that’s how long it takes for the creative team to put together a season they’re proud of:
“That’s something I can’t ultimately talk about. I will say, will it take another 3.5 years for the show to come out with Season 3? I mean, I hope not, just as a fan. I hope we don’t have to keep ourselves waiting for that long. But, you know, it’s Hollywood.
“What I would say is that Ben and Dan and the entire team, they’re perfectionists and they want it to be great. And if that takes, you know, a year, two years, three years or whatever it’s going to be,they’re just going take the time they need to make it the show that they want, and clearly that’s paid offand in a remarkable first season. I feel like Ben and Dan and everyone, they’re not going to put something out that they don’t feel is amazing.”
With the potential for a long wait forSeveranceseason 3,El Masri also teases that a time jump could be used after season 2to help account for this:
“I know there was work being done on Season 3 while they were still shooting Season 2. I’m excited to see what that time jump will be. Or if there is a time jump. I think at the end of the day I don’t know what the narrative ties up between Season 3 is going to be.”
El Masri promises that the world of the show has already been figured out, with writers having been tasked with finding “answers” for everything, including what the workers at Lumon are actually doing. This means that, unlike other shows,Severanceisn’t “figuring out as we go.” As for what awaits viewers in season 2, the writer teases that more of Lumon will be revealed:
“Lumon, it seems to me, it’s a massive complex. We’re only seeing a couple of floors. Where is everybody? It seems kind of empty. A lot of our work in Season 2 was like, what else is in this place? Where else can we go? What else can we discover?What does this company want? How did this company come to this town? What does this family want? That’s stuff you have to answer.”
How Much Will Season 2 Reveal?
Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Severance season 1 finale.
Reviews forSeveranceseason 1 were glowing from critics and audiences alike, with praise aimed at the show’s captivating mystery, which slowly unfolds over nine episodes. With a plan clearly in place for season 3,audiences certainly shouldn’t expect season 2 to resolve every storyline. TheSeveranceseason 1 endingsees Innie Mark (Scott) make a monumental discovery about Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), while Helly (Lower) uncovers her Outie’s real identity as the daughter of Lumon CEO James Eagan, with both of these storylines sure to be a major focus in season 2.
Severance Season 1 Recap: 10 Biggest Things To Remember Before Season 2
Severance season 2 has finally confirmed a release date, but enough time has passed since season 1 that it’s worth looking back at the biggest twists.
As for whether season 3 will actually happen, that will likely depend on the reception to season 2. In addition to earning positive reviews,Severanceseason 1 was also a viewership hit, and viewership for season 2 will determine whether the series gets to continue. Considering the popularity of season 1, there’s a good chance that Apple will renew the show for season 3.
Our Take On Severance’s Future
Is The Show Best Suited To A Shorter Run?
Apple TV+ may still be a relatively small streaming service compared to the likes of Netflix and Prime Video, but it has several very high quality shows and movies on offer.Severanceis one of the streamer’s standout titles, boasting strong writing and performances, and a degree of craft and care that sets it apart.
Mystery-driven shows likeSeverance, however, can sometimes struggle to maintain momentum beyond four or maybe five seasons, suggesting that the Apple TV+ series would be best to not overstay its welcome. Thankfully, the fact that the whole show has already been mapped out is good news, and it could mean that audiences are in for a strong multi-season arc that provides answers regarding Lumon’s mysteries and closure for theSeverancecastof characters.
Cast
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a “severance” procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
