I don’t know when lockdown truly “ended” for me. My wife and I went into lockdown childless and emerged with two kids. Because we were scared s***less about what could happen to them, we took longer than most to get back out into the world, at least more regularly. We had to start returning to work in late 2021, but going out just to go out took time. Because of that, my memory of 2020 through about 2023 is blurry and mixed. For instance, I would have believed you if you told me Severance premiered in late 2020 and we’ve been waiting for more ever since.
We have been waiting for more. Severance was a taught, inventive, and emotionally charged show about people who turn off their consciousness when they go to work for a mysterious company called Lumon. The “severance” allows them to lead two different lives, at work and home, without either side being the wiser. However, our lead character’s home life begins to be affected by his work life, setting off a series of events that end in a wild cliffhanger that aired on April 8th, 2022.
So, we haven’t been waiting for more Severance for as long as I thought or expected. Still, it will be almost three years when the second season of the hit show begins streaming on Apple TV+. I am all for taking your time to make sure a movie or show is everything it can be, so I’ve never been annoyed that Severance didn’t return sooner than later. On top of wanting to get the second season right, there was an entertainment strike to deal with. We’re finally getting more in January, and now we know we’ll get even more than just a second season.
Ben Stiller, a director and producer for the show, will launch a podcast along with Scott to premiere before the new season. They will cover the first season in the weeks leading up to the premiere, then focus on the second season in the weeks that follow, along with its release. Severance is the latest show to have a companion podcast, and given the show’s mysterious nature, it seems perfect for discussions with the people behind it.
Scott and Stiller released a joint statement to announce the show, loading it with references. “We have severed ourselves from the world for five years making this show. While we have no memory of what happened during that time, we thought we should do a podcast for all the Innies who will have no recollection of watching, in an attempt to reintegrate them with their memory of the show,” the statement read. “We’re happy not to be working with Lumon Industries on this podcast and instead to be bringing it to the world with Audacy Podcasts, who would never send us to the break room.”
Emerging from lockdown with two kids has made it hard to watch things, much less rewatch things. So, I’m pretty psyched that the duo will recap the first season. I’d love to think I would have time to rewatch in the month and a half I have, but I’m also going to be realistic. Unless I can sever myself from my responsibilities and indulge, I’ll have to listen to Scott and Stiller walk me through the events while I’m doing laundry, preparing meals for the kids, etc. I call that a win.