Do you ever have trouble maintaining a work/life balance? Find yourself struggling to switch off after a hard day at the office, and bringing that worry home with you? Wouldn't it be better for everyone if there was a literal switch you can flip to keep work at work, and home at home?
That's the basic concept of the stunning Ben Stiller-directed thriller series, Severance, where a select group of office workers at the mysterious Lumon Industries get their brains effectively split between their personal and office lives. All it takes is a trip in an elevator.
'Outies' go in to work and they forget the rest of the day until they leave. 'Innies' never see more than inside the elevator walls, where the switch is flipped and they're back to work for another day, making small talk and staring at a computer.
Severance sets the unsettling tone immediately with the introduction of Helly R (Future Man's Britt Lower), the newest severed member of staff. Passed out on a conference table, it takes her approximately two seconds to demand her release, only, in this world, her 'outie' is in charge, and doesn't want her to leave.
The newly-promoted Mark S (Parks and Rec's Adam Scott) does little to ease her stress, and soon she's plonked in a blank room, in front of a computer, and told to click at numbers all day as part of "Macro-data Refinement". No one, including the characters, knows what this means. Her only companionship throughout these work hours is Mark, sarcastic and awkward Dylan (You's Zach Cherry), and the pleasantly absent-minded Irving (John Turturro).
In a faint sense of care from the corporate 'higher ups', you get the odd appearance from Ms Casey (Altered Carbon's Dichen Lachman), some kind of guidance councillor who comes in for "wellness checks" and allows the 'innies' a sense of life on the outside… but not too much. "Your outy is kind, and can build a tent in three minutes", that kind of thing. But it's mainly to ensure all severed staff are sticking to their jobs without completely losing their mind.
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But separating your in-and-out life doesn't make life any easier, it turns out. In fact, by the end of the day, Mark is weeping in his car with no real answers as to why.
Severance is very obviously a show with a master plan, and it will have you gripped, laughing, and confused all in one go. It's perfect for the target audience of Black Mirror, in the episodes where the world appears only slightly left of our reality. The show takes a twisted look through corporate culture at its most toxic.
Soon, the severed members of staff begin to feel like something is a little off, even while everything is functioning just as it should be. And therein lies the fun, the confusion, and at times, the horror of it all.
For a sterile and neverending office, the production design is immaculate, promoting perfect symmetry in everything from the layout, to the halls and the parking lot, while giving us nothing but blankness, day in day out. The use of the same, jarring piano piece over and over brings us right in with the leading characters, whose lives are monotonous they lose a sense of themselves in the process.
Every inch of the screen – from set pieces to clothing choices – leaves you with an inner voice telling the characters to run. But where to? As far as they know, their 'outies' are going on with their lives, not knowing any better about what's happening to them inside Lumon's walls. In this corporate world, autonomy is saved for the outside world.
Completing the cast is Patricia Arquette as Ms Cobel, who chews up every bit of scenery she has as the cold and calculating boss with her own ulterior motives. A target pusher, and an unsentimental or personable boss, she recoils at the idea of even giving a handshake. But she also has a particular eye on Mark, who is left dazed by the sudden disappearance of his friend, Petey.
Then there's Tramell Tillman as Milcheck, the office supervisor with the disgustingly beige outlook on boosting morale (like a melon party, or a five-minute dance break with an instrument of their choice). He serves as a perfect threatening and looming force over the severed, with a smile of course, as is protocol.
Severance has a smart and acidic wit that guides you through each episode, with genuinely funny and sweet moments amid this hovering question of what's going on. Christopher Walken as technician Burt is a small but delightful role, with the actor's mere presence adding to the uncertainty of who to trust.
Severance is the kind of show that proves Apple TV+ truly does have skin in the game of streaming TV. Its biggest breakout after three years is inarguably Ted Lasso, with The Morning Show also providing some levity when it comes to awards season.
But there are so many wonderful shows that fall a little under the radar of the zeitgeist beyond those. The LGBTQ+ comedy-drama Dickinson, the magical musical world of Schmigadoon! and the true-crime obsessed drama Truth Be Told are all there with their own cult fanbases. They go quality over quantity, with a mix of results.
It's just a shame they continue to opt for the weekly model instead of dropping binge-worthy sessions of their counterparts. Severance feels like a nine-hour movie and is full of beats we can already imagine Reddit pulling apart inch-by-inch to come up with delicious fan theories about what exactly it all means going forward.
If you've been unsure about signing up for the service before, there's no better time than to do it for Severance. We promise it's worth it, and we're going to need a season two immediately.
Severance launches its first two episodes on February 18 2022, and then airs weekly on Apple TV+.
Freelance writer, Digital Spy
Tilly is Gold-Standard NCTJ accredited journalist with eight years of experience in entertainment journalism.
She has been heard giving her insight on the latest TV stories on BBC Radio across the country and on BBC News.
Previously working with The Sun Online, Yahoo, Metro.co.uk and Independent IE amongst others, she joined the Digital Spy team from 2021-2023 as Deputy TV Editor (Maternity cover).
With a speciality in TV drama and true crime, Tilly has been praised for her exclusive content with A-list stars ranging from Sir David Attenborough to the lawyers behind Making A Murderer.
She’s happy to report her mum now takes her seriously as a journalist as she got to interview George Clooney once.
