While Dan Erickson "gets excited by the creativity" of fans' theories surrounding hit Apple TV Plus thriller Severance, the showrunner admits that he does also find them a little intimidating to read.
Released back in 2022, the series centers on Mark (Adam Scott), Irving (John Turturro), and Dylan (Zach Cherry), three happy-enough office employees who work for a biotech company called Lumon. Before they signed on, each of them underwent a procedure that splits their consciousnesses between their personal lives and work – something Macrodata refiner Mark is particular glad of, having lost his wife Gemma.
But their colleague disappear and a rebellious new starter Helly (Britt Lower) joins the team, they start to realize the downsides of living a compartmentalized existence. With that, the quartet band together to find out more about their mysterious employer.
- 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"
- Severance creator Dan Erickson talks keeping the acclaimed show's spark alive in season 2: "It's not just that it's still there - I think it's better"
"Ben and I did a lot of work before the show ever came out, before we even got into production on season 1, [when it comes to] figuring out a lot of the answers," Erickson tells SFX magazine. "So there's a lot more that we know, that we've known from the beginning, that we've not revealed on screen – and some of it we may never reveal on screen.
"People can continue to have their own ideas about it and that's part of what makes [Severance] special. I feel like I can read the theories and enjoy them and get excited by the creativity people are bringing to them. Sometimes, though, I have to stop. Sometimes it does get overwhelming to see them all and be like, 'Oh, I wish we could [go in] all these different directions', but they are so fun to read."
When Severance returns on January 17, we'll catch up with the innies following their office breakout in the season 1 finale, and explore the emotional fallout of Irving learning Burt has a partner on the outside, Gemma being alive (and Lumon's wellness counsellor Ms. Casey), and Helly realizing she's actually Helena Eagan, a descendant of Lumon founder Kier Eagan.
For more, check out our picks of the best Apple TV shows streaming now.
