Review: Severance reimagines office life as an inescapable nightmare
Apple TV’s latest sci-fi is a creepy workplace drama
Timing is everything, and there’s something uncanny about how the release of Apple TV’s Severance coincides with many of us returning to the office. Created by Dan Erickson and executive-produced by Ben Stiller, this dark drama transforms the office into purgatory. It’s set in a world where it’s possible for some people to “sever” their consciousness, achieving complete separation between their work and their private life. Pioneered by Lumon Industries, this surgical procedure leaves the characters and their memories divided. They have one mind devoted to work, trapped in the office existence; and the other to a personal life, unaware of anything that happens in their job. They’ve all chosen to do this — that’s the company line at least — and there’s no way they’d be able to speak up about a hellish office life once they’re out the door anyway.
Adam Scott stars as Mark, a Lumon employee who has undergone the “severance” surgery. We follow him both in his personal and professional life, and the show does a terrific job of showing how different both versions of Mark are — both through Scott’s performance and clever filmmaking. Mark’s coworkers include by-the-books Irving (John Turturro) and Dylan (Zach Cherry), who enjoys the perks of the job. At the start of the premiere, we meet Helly (Britt Lower), the replacement for Mark’s close friend who has left the job without explanation.
#worklifebalance
In the interest of keeping this review spoiler-free, I won’t get too far into the twists the show has in store, but I’ll say there are some surprising developments and shocks here. I watched the first three episodes before writing this and can report that there are a few great revelations at the end of the first instalment that lead to further unravelling as it goes on. Even without knowing specifics, you’re sure to spot that the possibilities in the concept are full of potential for mind-bending storytelling. What might seem ideal for one half of the “severed” employee, a life beyond work where they fully switch off, is the opposite for the other half. The office-bound part of each person doesn’t experience freedom, the outside world, or even sleep, they just exist in a world of endless work.
The office as a retrofuturist hellscape
While the Lumon office itself may seem somewhat calm, it’s also far too quiet, far too bland and far too minimal. The higher-ups try to portray themselves as having things under control, yet there’s a sense that this could all crumble at any moment. It’s worth saying that Severance looks distinctive too. It boasts some terrific production design and amazing sets. It’s got a futuristic but retro ’70s aesthetic that makes it difficult to know when and where this all takes place. That all contributes to the unnerving atmosphere that makes us feel as confused and trapped as the characters do within the stark workplace.
Echoes of Black Mirror, Lost and Orphan Black
I’d be quick to recommend this to loads of TV fans, and within its first few episodes, it reminded me of a few great dramas right away. You’re sure to have guessed it, but Lumon Industries is as sketchy as it gets, the employees don’t even know what they’re working on, and the severance procedure may not be as permanent as they’re told. Right from the off, it’s got the mysteriousness of Lost with a dash of that corporate villainy from Orphan Black, and tons of Black Mirror-esque bleakness. When it comes to themes, it’s evident that work-life balance is on its mind, but it’s also pretty existential. Severance wants us to consider whether we’re different people in the office and outside of it, and it’s interested in looking at forgetting as a coping mechanism and exploring the importance of memory.
Verdict
This dark dystopian drama is sure to get you hooked, delivering mysteries and thrills with a great cast and exquisite production design.
★★★★☆
From Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson, Severance centers around Mark Scout (Adam Scott), a leader of a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. This experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself. (Apple TV+)
Running time: Episodes are about 45 minutes to an hour long
Directors: Ben Stiller, Aoife McArdle
Writers: Mohamad el Masri, Dan Erickson, Wei-Ning Yu, Anna Ouyang Moench, Andrew Colville, Kari Drake
Stars: Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Dichen Lachman, Jen Tullock, Tramell Tillman, Michael Chernus, Christopher Walken
Where to watch
Severance is streaming on Apple TV+ with new episodes released weekly on Fridays. There are nine episodes in the first season, with a second season already confirmed and due to start filming this month.
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