US series with ‘most agonising cliffhanger’ in years is finally returning

Severance fans will be relieved to learn that the trailer for season two has been released after a prolonged – and frustrating – wait.

Severance stars Adam Scott, Tramell Tillman, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry and John Turturro as employees of a shady biotech company called Lumon that “severs” its employees’ memories using a medical procedure, dividing their work and home lives completely in a daring experiment to find a work-life balance.

Fans have been waiting for more than two years since the workplace thriller aired its jaw-dropping cliffhanger finale, and this is the first trailer we’ve seen for the forthcoming season, which premiers on 17 January 2025.

In the new trailer for the Apple TV+ show, Scott’s Mark S returns to work after exposing his Innie – his at-work persona – to the outside world and, in a mind-bending twist, learning that his wife, who he thought was dead, is actually alive, and is working at Lumon as the wellness counsellor Ms Casey.

Mark can be seen running through white corridors until he arrives in a bare office greeted by Tillman’s Milchick, who says “Welcome back Mark S, it’s been a minute”. Mark then notices three unfamiliar Lumon employees mysteriously sitting at desks formerly occupied by Helly, Irving and Dylan, and asks them, “who are you?”

Mark is then heard saying, “I give my consent to sever my memories between my work life and my personal life.”

A voiceover says at the beginning of the trailer, “Everything you know about severance is a lie”.

It continues, “We’re not happy, we’re miserable”.

One fan said online that their “heart was pounding just from this trailer,” adding, “I cannot wait for this show to return!”

Another added, “Can you imagine I’ve been waiting for this series for almost 3 years and I can’t move on from the ending.. this series is so underrated!”

One viewer joked, “This is the only return to the office I will support”, as another said, “I’ve been waiting my whole life for this.”

Directed and executive produced by Zoolander star Ben Stiller, the second series went into production in October 2022, but had been delayed due to creative disputes and the Hollywood strikes. Filming finally wrapped in April this year.

New cast members include Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie, Search Party’s Alia Shawkat, Bob Balaban, Merritt Wever, Robby Benson, Stefano Carannante, John Noble, Ólafur Darri and Sarah Bock.

For a reminder of what happened in the Severance season one finale, read on. But be warned – spoilers follow.

It was revealed that Helly R’s Outie – the person she is on the outside – is actually Lumon CEO Jame Eagan’s newly severed daughter, Helena Eagan, and she’s just announced to a party full of Lumon shareholders the company is torturing its severed employees – despite Ms Cobel’s (Patricia Arquette) huge efforts to prevent her from doing so.

Mark’s Innie, meanwhile, found out that Outie Mark has a supposedly dead wife called Gemma (Dichen Lachman), who we know is actually alive because in Lumon she is wellness director Miss Casey. He admitted the shocking news to a room of guests at Devon (Jen Tullock) and Ricken’s (Michael Chernus) book launch party.

Innie Irving (Turturro) went to the home of his romantic interest, now-retired severed Lumon employee Burt (Christopher Walken), whose Outie has a partner. And finally Dylan’s (Cherry) heroic hour-long battle to hold the switches keeping the mental gate open for his colleagues’ Innies, so they could find help on the outside, was shut off by Milchick who pushed him to the ground.