Severance creator Dan Erickson says that he's not scared for the show's return after spending three years in production - and that the new season is even better.
"It's much less [pressure] now than it was as we were making it, and especially as I was writing it," Erickson tells 12DOVE. "Because there is always that question of can you live up to what you did before? Can you even replicate what you did before? Do you even understand what it is that made it special? And so, you know, I had a lot of anxiety as we were doing it. You know, I fortunately have a very good therapist, so that helped."
The critically acclaimed series first hit Apple TV Plus in 2022 and was swiftly renewed for a second season. However, the show met production delays - leaving us on a three-year-long cliffhanger. The finale, directed by Ben Stiller and penned by Erickson, has been regarded by critics as one of the best episodes of television ever made (and I agree). The second season takes place right where the finale left off. Erickson says the more of season 2 they got done, "the less and less scary" it got for him.
- The reaction to Severance season 1 was so intense, creator Dan Erickson said he had to start therapy to process "all the wonderful feelings"
- Severance creator explains how season 1's reaction influenced where the story went in season 2: "What makes the show so special is Mark, Helly, Irving, and Dylan"
"Because, as I started to see the finished scripts, and then we started to see sets, and then ultimately we started to see cuts of episodes. I just had this real relief of like, okay, it's still Severance. This feels like what we did before. Whatever sort of amorphous thing it is that people love about the show that I love about the show, it's still there."
Three trailers have been released ahead of season 2, which tease new characters, a brewing mystery about Mark's late ex-wife, and a plethora of eerie new changes made to Lumon's severed floor.
"By the end I was like, it's not just that it's still there. I think it's better. Like, I really think that this is a more exciting and scarier and weirder and funnier chapter even than we did in the first season. So it's less scary now than it was."
Severance season 2 hits Apple TV Plus on January 17. The first season is streaming now for free. For more, check out our Severance season 2 review, or check out our set visit report and interview with Ben Stiller.
