We've had to wait nearly three years for "Severance" season 2 to grace our screens. However, judging by the early reviews, the absurdly long gap between seasons has been worth it.
Admittedly, that's not all that surprising; the Apple TV Plus show was a critical darling when it first aired back in 2022, drawing fans into an utterly compelling mystery that played out within the halls of Lumon Industries' drab office complex.
Reviews for the long-awaited sophomore season started being shared on Jan. 7, and they're making it sound like another installment of utterly gripping television, one that's earned a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here's a sample of what critics have said about "Severance" season 2 and a snapshot of what we can expect to see in the new season.
What is 'Severance' season 2 about?
If you've yet to experience it, "Severance" is a sci-fi show about a team of workers at Lumon Industries, a business whose employees have undergone a procedure that divides their memories between their work and personal lives; once they clock in or out, their consciousnesses switch back and forth.
The "Innies" never go home, the "Outies" arrive at Lumon then feel like they never went to work. As you can imagine, this balance caused some serious problems and spun a compelling, intriguing mystery.
"Severance" season 2 continues on from the first season's dramatic cliffhanger finale, wherein "Innies" Mark (Adam Scott), Helly (Britt Lower) and Irving (John Turturro) made some shocking discoveries about the world beyond their jobs at Lumon.
Apple (rightly) hasn't given much away about the new season, but the streamer has promised that Mark and Co. will spend season 2 learning the "dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier". Expect more mysteries, more intrigue, and more thrills when the show returns.
What are the critics saying about 'Severance' season 2?
If you just want the short answer, "Severance" season 2 is being praised as an excellent watch.
As we mentioned, "Severance" season 2 currently has a perfect 100% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is particularly impressive when you consider that score is derived from 40 accredited reviews (at the time of writing).
The critical consensus reads: "Masterfully managing its two halves of adroit character study and surreal nightmare, "Severance's" long-awaited sophomore season makes cognitive dissonance a mind-melting pleasure."
Want specific opinions? Well, Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall had this to say: "What a relief — and, even more, what a pleasure — it was to dive into the 10 episodes of season two and discover that "Severance" has still got it. There are some storytelling hiccups here and there (as there were, to be fair, in Season One), but for the most part the new season is as exciting, surprising, darkly funny, and distinct as before."
Entertainment Weekly writer Kristen Baldwin was similarly thrilled by what she watched, calling the new chapter "a briskly paced sophomore season that refines its many themes into a timely, rewarding, and challenging debate about the power and parameters of parenthood."
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter critic Angie Han said "Severance" season 2 "makes for a season that’s frequently darker, less frequently amusing and not necessarily more satisfying — but one that hits, if anything, even more chillingly close to home."
With reactions like that, I simply cannot wait to start streaming "Severance" season 2 when it lands on Apple TV Plus on Jan. 17; the wait's almost over!
