The office will change forever with the Severance release date. Yes, folks, Apple's getting its own dose of Black Mirror with the Adam Scott-led mystery series Severance. And, spoiler alert (joking), we love it. In fact, Tom's Guide senior editor Henry T. Casey opined about it, declaring that the best new show isn't on Netflix.
While it may look like a minimalist Office Space on the outside, a peek into Severance shows that there is something else afoot at Lumon, a company that promises that brain surgery can give you the perfect work/life balance. That's the kind of promise that seems to bring in people desperate to stop bringing home their anxiety about the work day, but it comes with the inevitable question of "what's really going on here?"
Severance (which is directed by Ben Stiller), also features Patricia Arquette, John Turturro and Christopher Walken. And with that cast and this interesting sci-fi premise, it certainly looks like Apple TV Plus' next buzzy series.
Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Severance online. Plus, check out the trailer below:
When does Severance come out?
Severance debuts on Apple TV Plus on Friday (Feb. 18) at 3 a.m ET, with its first two episodes released at the same time. The nine-episode season will unfurl with one new episode on each of the following Fridays.
For more recommendations, check out our guide on the new shows to watch. And if you're done with Severance, then here's what we know about Severance season 2 so far.
How to watch Severance for Free online
You can taste Severance for free, provided you've not signed up for Apple's streaming service before. That's thanks to the Apple TV Plus 7-day free trial. You could even watch the entire season for free, if you're able to wait until the week of the finale.
In other TV news, ABC's sending a show it canceled to live on Hulu after 5 episodes. Looking for more shows and movies that are new on Netflix? After Life season 3 and Archive 81 dropped recently.
For more recommendations that aren't on Netflix, check out our guide on what to watch in February 2022 and recent new movies and shows on HBO Max, Hulu and more.
Severance trailers
The official Severance trailer introduces Adam Scott's Mark S., a man who is undergoing the severance treatment. A dream for any employer who wants their workers to never think about their personal life during work hours, and an answer for all employees who bring home the drama of their job, severance breaks your work and life balance into disconnected sides of your memory.
It's only when one of Mark S.'s colleagues leaves, and the company won't tell him why, that he begins to start questioning things. But then that colleague finds Mark at a diner, and we start to see the walls fall apart around us.
The below teaser trailer for Severance introduced us to the group of employees who elected to the "severance," which appears to be a brain surgery where the Lumon corporation "severs" the memories between one's work and personal life.
As weird as that sounds, things get even weirder, thanks to what looks like the saddest holiday party, an employee writhing on a desk. Then, someone at the Lumon corporation (played by Christopher Walken) is banging on a window, sirens ring and we're left with questions. All the while Patricia Arquette's character seems like a major concern.
Severance episodes
There are nine episodes of Severance, and Apple TV Plus is releasing the first two together. Then, the rest come one at a time on subsequent weeks.
- Severance episode 1: Feb. 18, 2022
- Severance episode 2: Feb. 18, 2022
- Severance episode 3: Feb. 25, 2022
- Severance episode 4: Mar. 4, 2022
- Severance episode 5: Mar. 11, 2022
- Severance episode 6: Mar. 18, 2022
- Severance episode 7: Mar. 25, 2022
- Severance episode 8: Apr. 1, 2022
- Severance episode 9: Apr. 8, 2022
How to watch Severance from anywhere
If you're stuck abroad — in one of the few countries where Apple TV Plus is not available — you will likely run into geo-fenced restrictions on the platforms and services you can use. But with the help of a virtual private network (VPN), you can watch Severance and all the other services you already pay for no matter where you are.
Based on our testing, the best VPN is ExpressVPN, which is easy to use and delivers fast internet speeds, making it simple to set up for streaming in no time at all. It also works on practically any device, starting with iOS and Android and including streaming devices such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Apple TV.
