I started watching Severance last week on Apple TV and I am hooked. The photography, set design, and lighting are great. But the story and acting are what make the show worth watching.
The show opens to a woman laying on a conference table in a windowless room. It’s a jarring scene and eventually the episode loops back to it from another perspective. Disorientation is a strong theme in the series.
We learn that these characters are employees of a company where they have agreed to have their work memories severed from their non-work memories. The reason why this is done is not clear as of episode 2. The third episode came out today and I’m looking forward to learning more.
The employees are all grown adults but when they undergo the severance procedure their work memories start from almost nothing. They understand English and how to use a computer but they have no idea of who they are on the outside, aka their outies. They work underground and come and go to work at staggered times to avoid their other selves from meeting each other.
The story is very original and so far very well done. Ben Stiller’s production company is making it and Ben directs multiple episodes. On this mornings Pivot podcast they interviewed him about the show. Episodes are released on Friday’s like all the streamers are doing now.