Fascinating, enigmatic and confusing: “Severance”, the series that will make you prefer teleworking

What happens in open space stays in open space. The rule is immutable at Lumon Industries, which requires its employees to undergo surgery to completely separate their professional life from their private life. With his impeccable side parting and sharp suit, Mark S. seems to have found his balance thanks to this controversial procedure until Petey, a former employee who resigned, contacts him outside the company. And if this dissociation – “severance” in English – was actually hiding a very heavy secret?

Launched in 2022 on AppleTV+ in a world still marked by the pandemic, this hybrid series quickly established itself as one of the best of the moment. It's difficult for any employee not to recognize themselves in at least one of the heroes under close surveillance who end up questioning their relationship to work, which on screen is not really synonymous with fulfillment. Many people also had this revelation during the health crisis.

“I can’t say if the series would have been as successful if it had been broadcast before the pandemic. Who can? This period was an opportunity for us to take stock of who we are,” recognizes from TF1info Tramell Tillman, the interpreter of Seth Milchick, one of the supervisors of Lumon Industries. “The world stopped and we were able to take stock of our choices, the people around us, the type of work we were doing, and whether or not we wanted to continue doing this.”

The idea of Severance germinated in Dan Erickson's mind before his script arrived on the desks of Ben Stiller's production company eight years ago. “It was so unique in terms of tone that it jumped out at me”explains the American actor to The Hollywood Reporter (new window), director of the majority of episodes.

Quand “The Office” rencontre “Black Mirror”

The king of schoolboy comedy begins to develop his unclassifiable series, first drawing inspiration from sitcoms also taking place in the corporate world, The Office et Parks and Recreation. It was in the latter that he found his main actor, Adam Scott, quickly joined by big names like Patricia Arquette, John Turturro and “his friend of 40 years” Christopher Walken, who with Burt Goodman offers the sweetest character of his long career. “Yes, it’s trueadmits the octogenarian when contacted from New York. I don't often get the opportunity to play this kind of role. That's one of the reasons that made it very interesting. The other reason is Ben Stiller. I've known him since he was a teenager.”he remembers.

“We did a play together about thirty years ago and his parents, Jerry and Anne, were very good friends. At the start of Covid, he came to my house, presented me with the script and we had some discussed”he continues. The first season of Severance has the pace of a diesel and takes the time to establish its complex plot, even if it means losing viewers who find in the character of Helly R. a perfect ally.

“What the fuck?”she insists. It is no coincidence that the series opens with her arrival at Lumon Industries, lying on a table. With no idea where she is or who she is. “For my first day, I shot this scene where Helly wakes up for the first time. She’s sort of the audience surrogate, she’s the one asking the questions”describes its interpreter Britt Lower.

At first, I couldn't understand or imagine the tone of the series (…). I was like, 'What is this thing?'”

Patricia Arquette

His colleagues pass the buck when we ask them what the series is precisely. “I would answer you by asking you what you would answer to this question. There is an exchange between the public and us. It is up to you to decide what we are”teases John Turturro who plays Irving B., one of the employees of Lumen Industries.

It must be said that the actors have also been confused for a long time by this puzzle which is gradually completed over the course of the episodes. “At first, I couldn't understand or imagine the tone of the series. I wondered if it was a comedy or a dark novel, if it was a mix of the two or a science soap opera -fiction. I was like, 'What is this thing?'”confesses Patricia Arquette, whose score is much murkier than it seems.

“Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's moving. But there's something underlying that's quite scary. What would happen if you thought you were losing your mind? It's this combination of humor and terror that attracts”summarizes Christopher Walken. Because it navigates with great finesse and intelligence between thriller and dystopia, comedy and horror, Severance immediately falls into the category of series that fascinate as much as they disturb. Devilishly effective, its second season, which starts this Friday, January 17 on AppleTV+, could have borrowed one of its most famous titles from the group Daft Punk. “Harder, better, faster, stronger”, “harder, better, faster and stronger”.

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“The first season also talked a lot about falling in love. We now dig a little deeper into what love is. Does it live in you more than a memory? Is it a mental construction around a memory or does it remain completely within you?”analyse Patricia Arquette. “It's very interesting because at the end of the day I think it's all about love and lack of love, not knowing it and wishing you had it.” Ours for the series only comes out reinforced by an exceptional season two which should not be the last. But here again, patience will be the mother of all virtues. Because season 3 isn't even written yet.

>> Severance – season 2 from January 17 on AppleTV+ (two episodes then one episode every Friday until March 21), season 1 already available