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As a show about company employees who split their identities into two halves, Severance is uniquely suited to expansion. Each episode follows Mark S (Adam Scott) as he learns more about Lumon Industries and its procedure that divides Mark’s work identity (or “innie”) from his out-of-work identity (“outie”). Although the show has been a critical and commercial hit, its slow release schedule has frustrated some viewers. Since Severance debuted on February 18, 2022, only nineteen episodes have been released, and season three is still in early production.
To help fill that gap, Apple is considering severing the show. According to a deep dive by Deadline, Apple Studios have acquired full rights to the series, created by Dan Erickson and produced by Ben Stiller. While Erickson and Stiller aren’t sure if there will be a fifth season of the show, the report reveals that “the duo are open to the idea of doing more with the Severance universe; possibilities include a prequel, spinoffs, and foreign versions.”
That news may worry some fans of the show. One of the great pleasures of Severance has been its tight focus on Mark S. and his immediate co-workers: the abrasive Dylan G. (Zach Cherry), the elegant Irving B. (John Turturro), and newcomer Helly R. (Britt Lower). Although we learn more about Lumon’s power structure and strange history, as well as the company’s upper management, and the lives of the employees’ outies, these bits of information have come to us through the main characters’ stories.
However, it’s also clear that Erickson and Stiller’s interests go far beyond the lives of these four people. What began as a light sci-fi take on corporate work culture, as Mark and his co-workers navigate absurd banalities such as waffle parties, has expanded into an almost Lost-esque mythology.
Over two seasons, we’ve seen how Lumon is more than just a mega-corporation. It takes on a vast, almost religious quality, as demonstrated by the higher-ups’ cult-like devotion to founder Kier Eagan. Moreover, season two gave us glimpses of other divisions and employees within Lumon, including one staffed by characters played by Bob Balaban and Alia Shawkat and some strange livestock division where Gwendoline Christie works with sheep.
Spinoffs and prequels may be the perfect way to develop the show’s mythology without losing sight of the central human story. The series began with a powerful, empathetic shot: Mark crying in his car before going into the office, his emotional state suddenly changing. It’s those human moments that keep us coming back to the show, moments such as Seth Milchick’s (Tramell Tillman) reprimand or Irving’s romance with Burt G. (Christopher Walken).
But, as Deadline notes, those moments can only do so much with such huge gaps between seasons. Spinoff shows are one way “to keep the show’s fandom engaged by releasing a smaller-scale offshoot in-between that also would increase the franchise’s value,” the report notes, citing similar experiments with Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad.
By splitting the show into multiple series, Apple may be able to give us a fuller Severance experience, letting us see not just innies and outies, but every aspect of Lumon and its employees.
Severance seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Apple TV.
The post Apple Considering Severance Spinoffs to Fill Gaps Between Seasons appeared first on Den of Geek.
