Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season two of “Severance.”
After an explosive season two finale, “Severance” will be returning for season three.
The Apple TV+ workplace thriller, created by Dan Erickson and directed and executive produced by Ben Stiller, follows a group of employees who work at the mysterious Lumon Industries. They have elected to under a procedure which splits them into two distinct selves: innies, who only exist at work, and outies, who live in the outside world.
Kickstarted by the arrival of a new colleague in the pilot — Helly (Britt Lower) — the first two seasons of the show have seen the severed employees, led by Mark (Adam Scott), grapple with big questions about consciousness and bodily autonomy.
The supersized season two finale, which aired on March 21, revealed some disturbing truths about what’s been going on right under the innies’ noses — while also raising even more questions.
Here’s what we know so far about season three of “Severance.”
‘Severance’ season 3 is confirmed
Apple CEO Tim Cook and the show’s executive producer and director Ben Stiller announced the news via an interaction on X posted the day after the season two finale.
“Season 3 of Severance is available upon request. – Tim C,” the Apple boss wrote in response to a post from Stiller that read: “So some fans are asking for Season 3 of Severance. What do you say, @tim_cook?”
“Making ‘Severance’ has been one of the most creatively exciting experiences I’ve ever been a part of,” Stiller said in a longer statement provided as part of a press release.
“While I have no memory of this, I’m told making season three will be equally enjoyable, though any recollection of these future events will be forever and irrevocably wiped from my memory as well.”
“The idea of getting to make more ‘Severance’ with the greatest cast and crew on Earth is more thrilling to me than all the world’s finger traps combined,” creator, writer, and executive producer Dan Erickson added. “I can’t wait to continue spreading woe, frolic, dread and malice with these truly incredible people.”
The ‘Severance’ season 3 release date is unknown — but the wait between seasons will hopefully be shorter this time
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Erickson said that there should be a shorter wait for season three than there was for season two, which began airing almost three years after the season one finale.
“I would love to finish the show before I’m 70,” Erickson joked. “I would hope that season three comes sooner.”
Creator Dan Erickson on the set of “Severance.” Apple TV+
At the same time, Erickson said that each season of “Severance” does take longer than your typical show to craft due to the fact that he and the team are “very meticulous about how exactly we’re telling the story.”
“It is always been a show that we’re always very careful,” he said.
“That was the case on season 1 as well — actually, I think season 1 took about the same amount of time as season 2, but the difference is people weren’t waiting for it at that time.”
“Nobody knew what it was. But having said that, having done it twice now, there is more of a sense of understanding procedurally what works and how to streamline it, so our goal is never to draw out people’s pain for three years. And I hope that we don’t have to do that again.”
As for what he has planned beyond season three, Erickson has teased that there may be more seasons on the cards. He told Variety ahead of the season two premiere that “there is an endpoint for the series as a whole, and we know more or less how many seasons we are going to do.”
Season two ends with Innie Mark saving Gemma, but ultimately choosing to be with Helly
Adam Scott and Britt Lower in the season two finale of “Severance.” Apple TV+
Season one saw Mark and his Macro Data Refinement co-workers, including Helly, Dylan (Zach Cherry), and Irving (John Turturro), launch a rebellion against Lumon after they figured out how to awaken their innie selves in the outside world.
In a shocking set of reveals, audiences learned that Helly’s outie is Helena Eagan, the heir to the company and that the severed floor’s wellness counselor, Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), was actually outie Mark’s wife Gemma, whom he’d believed was dead.
Season two saw the innies explore what they learned from their visits to the outside world, culminating in both innie and outie Mark working up a plan to rescue Gemma from Lumon’s testing floor.
Gemma (Dichen Lachman) in season two of “Severance.” Apple TV+
In the final moments of the season two finale, that’s exactly what happens. But instead of following Gemma off the severed floor, innie Mark decides to stay and be with the woman he has formed his own romantic relationship with, Helly.
As Adam Scott notes while dissecting the scene for Apple TV+’s post-episode breakdown, “It isn’t until that moment that he pushes her through the door and is looking at her and realizing that he has no feelings for this person.”
‘Severance’ became Apple TV+’s most-watched series ever during its second season run
Adam Scott in season two of “Severance.” Apple TV+
According to the streamer, the second season of “Severance” has broken records and become the most-watched series on Apple TV+, surpassing its previous global hit “Ted Lasso,” which previously held the top spot.
The news of the series’ success comes amid a report from The Information that Apple TV+ is the only Apple subscription service that isn’t profitable, losing more than $1 billion a year on the streaming service, which has around 45 million subscribers — far fewer than competitors Netflix and Disney Plus.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
