Break's over and the Severance cast and crew have returned to their desks, with season 2 finally resuming filming after an 18-month shutdown.
The hit Apple TV Plus show was forced to pause production back in May 2023, just a few days before the second chapter was set to wrap due to the WGA writers' strike and SAG AFTRA actors' strike. But now, both are over, it's officially back to work...
While we wait for more news on the sci-fi show's return, we've got lots of juicy information on the series' sophomore season to tide you over. Showrunner Dan Erickson and the show's executive producer Ben Stiller have been dropping a fair few hints about what's coming next in Severance season 2, and fortunately, we've been keeping tabs. And that's not to mention everything the stars have been saying after the first season's cliffhanger ending.
We'll delve into everything we know about the return to Lumon below, as well as speculate a bit about when new episodes could arrive on Apple TV Plus.
Severance season 2 release date
Apple TV Plus has yet to reveal the Severance season 2 release date and as it stands, it's kind of hard to work out exactly when it might land on the streaming service.
Production shut down in early May 2023 amid the writers and actors' strikes, causing a delay. Fortunately, on January 29, 2024, Ben Stiller confirmed that the team were "back to work", with a photo of a suited-and-booted Adam Scott on set. Later, Scott and some his fellow actor Britt Lower shared photos of their set chairs, complete with their character's names on them: Mark and Helly, respectively.
Severance takes a while to make and we're not sure how much is already in the can, so it's almost impossible to predict when it'll be back right now. Season 1 wrapped in June 2021 following a lengthy eight-month shoot, before premiering in February 2022.
Considering cameras first starting rolling on season 2 in October 2022, though, we can assume that most of the footage has been shot. Based on all of this, we're probably looking at a late 2024 or, at the very latest, an early 2025 release date.
Severance season 2 trailer
Given that the cast are still filming, it's hardly surprising that there's no trailer for Severance season 2 yet. We have seen some cryptic Severance-esque "footage", however.
Back in September 2022, Apple made two references to the sci-fi show at its Far Out event, where it was showcasing its latest and upcoming products, from iPhones to AirPods. The first nod came during an ad for the latter, where a clip depicted a woman who looks just like Britt Lower's Helly R, in her pencil skirt, polo neck, and Lumon lanyard, boarding a subway train. Even more curiously, the car's display suggested that its destination is 'Infinite Loop' via 'Milky Way Road', which could be nothing – or could equally be a cryptic indication of what's to come in the Severance's second chapter. Season 1, episode 2 is titled 'Half Loop', so it's arguably not a complete coincidence.
Later, another clip showed the same red-haired doppelgänger waiting for the train as Severance's eerie theme tune kicks in and Helly R starts glitching out of focus. Is Severance season 2 about to lean even further into its sci-fi ways?
Severance season 2 cast
Severance season 1 ended mid-action, so it was always pretty clear that its main cast would be returning. We've had confirmation for a while that Britt Lower will be back as Lumon's newest employee Helly, as she posted a behind-the-scenes snap from set on her Instagram Story in late October, and Adam Scott will reprise his role as Mark.
We're sure to see the likes of Zach Cherry, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Tramell Tillman, and Patricia Arquette again, too, as we catch up with Dylan, Irving, Burt, Mr. Milchick, and Harmony Cobel respectively. Lastly, when it comes to familiar faces, we can expect to see Michael Chernus, Jen Tullock, and Dichen Lachman show up as Ricken, Mark's sister Devon, and Lumon counselor Ms. Casey – who is actually Mark's supposedly deceased wife Gemma (!) – too.
Now for the newbies... On October 31, 2022, Apple TV Plus announced that Bob Balaban, Merritt Wever, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Robby Benson, Stefano Carannante, Alia Shawkat, Fringe's John Noble, and Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie had joined the cast. Unsurprisingly, there's no news as to who each of them are playing yet, but they certainly make for some exciting new hires.
"Holy shiiiit beyond excited to work with this unbelievable group of actors on season 2 of Severance – we are so lucky to have them," Scott wrote on Instagram at the time, as he shared Deadline's write-up of the news.
Severance season 2 plot
The final episode of Severance season 1 had its fair share of shock moments, as the Innies managed to "switch" their consciousnesses on outside of the office. Helly R was revealed to be Helena Egan, a descendant of Lumon's mysterious founder Kier Eagan, when she's not sat at her desk in Macrodata Refinement, while Mark discovered that his neighbor, Mrs. Selvig, is actually his boss and that his wife Gemma is actually Ms. Casey, Lumon's oddly serene wellness counselor.
Mark just about managed to tell his sister Devon that information before he lost control of his mind when Milchick tackled Dylan, who was maintaining their 'Overtime' status from the office, while Irving's Innie went blank on the doorstep of his work paramour Burt. Helly, realizing who she really is at a swanky Lumon party, went rogue, too, shouting about how awful it is to undergo the severance procedure and have your existence (and identity) compartmentalized. Basically, Lumon Industries is aware our heroes broke out, and we're sure to see the fallout from that in season 2.
Given their rebellion, it's curious, then, that the behind-the-scenes shot Apple TV Plus shared to commemorate the start of filming sees Mark back at Lumon – eyes shut, as he descends the lift to his windowless basement at work. Mark must be self-aware now, so it's hard to believe he'd be willing to go back to Lumon. Perhaps the sinister organization has the ability to wipe memories, or he's sneaking back in to help Gemma "escape"?
Both Erickson, who worked on the script for the first season for 10 years, and Stiller reminded tight-lipped about season 2 when they took part in a Severance panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. The only thing they teased will be revealed in the new episodes was the significance of the seemingly random baby goats from episode 5, titled 'The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design'.
For more, check out our guides to the best sci-fi movies and the best shows on Apple TV Plus right now.
