Severance S2 (Apple TV)
The long wait for Severance season two has allowed for expectations to compound and the number of viewers to rise. However, these factors clearly didn’t pressure Ben Stiller and Dan Erickson into making them pull their punches as they delivered a towering achievement in television with this darker and more esoteric season.
The path between questions and answers is more scattered this season which can make viewing borderline frustrating. Whilst in season one moving from mysteries to answers was like following relatively straightforward pathways, the routes in season two to reach answers were more like wading through a foggy forest with how information and solutions were scattered about and then followed up by a bombardment of completely separate mysteries to divert your attention and obscure your burning questions. This destabilising method of answering the viewer will vary in effectiveness from person to person however I loved it. It made viewing more arresting as it made me feel more involved by making me scrounge together the show’s subplots and information, giving this season a more puzzle-like quality which was incredibly fun. Plus, almost every question is definitively answered by the finale, so the show does ultimately provide satisfaction.
The cinematography is a core element in building Severance’s ominous atmosphere, especially with its heavy use of negative space in its framing which will force characters into halves, thirds or even quarters of a frame. This framing effectively created a sense of dissonance which enhanced the show’s themes of corporate isolation and further emersed me into the show’s oppressive atmosphere. This season also became more experimental, particularly in episode seven which adopts many unique stylistic techniques such as the movement between filmic and digital aesthetics and the use of different frame rate and playback speeds which was gorgeous to look at.
Performance-wise, this season demanded more from its actors and everyone brought their A-game however the star performer is without a doubt Tramell Tillman as Mr Milchick. Tillman masterfully walks the line between the show’s cocktail of tones, one minute being a hilarious riot, the other exuding pure dread and intensity. Milchick’s company promotion this season also gave Tillman much more to chew on as an actor, with the character’s position not quite fitting in with his employees but also not with upper management either. Tillman excellently displays more of Milchick’s humanity here, showing the loneliness Milchick feels in this position and the realisation of the company’s lack of care for his individual identity, impressively binding the show’s themes of corporate isolation to his performance and character.
I also loved Theodore Shapiro’s score which feels like the show’s backbone. The score has a very foreboding sensibility to it in addition to a percussive melancholy which taps into the show’s exploration of depression from incomplete feeling lives. This makes Shapiro’s work feel integral, reinforcing the show’s ideas as well as being a key tone setter, particularly with the rising ominous texture to the score as the season progresses, building tension and urgency as the season approaches its nuclear crescendo.
As someone who has been intently waiting since season one’s devastating cliffhanger, I can confidently say Severance season two met my lofty expectations. Severance is now two for two in masterclass seasons of television, making it an absolute must watch for anyone.
