ORTBOs are in order for everyone. With Season 2 only halfway through at Apple TV+ and earning rave reviews all around, the streamer has confirmed that Severance has become its most-viewed series ever. The announcement came via a short video on Instagram and, while exact numbers aren’t available, it does assure that this is a time of jubilation for the innies at Lumon Industries. Created by Dan Erickson with direction by Ben Stiller, the series is showing no signs of slowing down as it continues to unravel its myriad of mysteries and begins to look towards the future.
Severance burst onto the scene in 2022 and immediately became one of the defining hits for Apple‘s streaming service. Starring Adam Scott as Mark S., the series has taken viewers on a tour through the terrifying sci-fi reality of Lumon, where employees can undergo a severance program to split their work and personal lives from each other with neither having any recollection of the other. With the lingering questions left unanswered by Season 1’s cliffhanger ending, the long wait between seasons, and an aggressive promotional campaign, anticipation for more had built to a fever pitch by the time Season 2 kicked off in January. That all contributed to what Apple revealed was a record-breaking debut based on the number of unique viewers, toppling the three-season run of Ted Lasso to become the platform’s #1 series globally and drive a 126% increase in new subscribers between Jan. 1-19.
Speaking to the overwhelming success the series has enjoyed thus far, Apple TV+ head of programming Matt Cherniss shared an official statement saying, “We have long admired Ben’s extraordinary gift for original and immersive storytelling, and with he and Dan at the helm, Severance has proven to be an extraordinary success and a cultural phenomenon. The series has become an obsession for audiences all over the world and we can’t wait for people to continue to experience all the masterful twists and turns as the rest of the season unfolds.” With five episodes remaining and the personal stakes growing as Mark continues on the path to reintegration, viewership numbers are only going to continue rising further too. It all bodes well for Season 3 and beyond, which Stiller has said the team has always been thinking about, so long as it does right by the fans.
What Is Happening in ‘Severance’ Season 2?
Season 2 has slowly been reckoning with all the reveals in Season 1, namely the fact that Mark’s supposedly deceased wife is not only alive but working in Lumon as the company’s counselor. As everyone returns to work, he and his colleagues have a newfound determination to go deep within the heart of the company to get the answers they seek. The worlds of the innies and outies are merging more than ever though, with adventures both within and outside company walls that expose more secrets for the employees to process, all as Lumon tries to maintain control. The star-studded office has only become more packed too, with a cast featuring Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Christopher Walken, and Dichen Lachman among many others.
Severance Season 2, Episode 6 airs this Thursday on Apple TV+ with new episodes coming every week.
via Collider