Severance (2022) - Review
This show absolutely rules. Brilliant writing, amazing atmosphere, creative filmmaking, and performances that endear you to the characters even more. With the surplus of “tv shows that are actually just long movies”, Severance kicked me into high gear, reminding me how strong a television show with a capital “T” can be. Multiple arcs, plots a, b, and c, consistent questions that leave you wondering what is or what will happen. And jaw-dropping twists and cliffhangers that will make you watch the entire season all over again.
It’s brilliant with its simple story told expertly. The idea of splitting your personality into one for work and one for outside life is one that can seem obvious in its messages, but the series aids this simple idea by piling on the mysteries and making you care about both sides, with the character(s?) of Mark. Outie Mark is one over-taken by sadness. He feels like Severance is helping him heal from his wife’s death, when in fact it’s just isolating himself further. Innie Mark is a person who is searching for his purpose, he just got a recent promotion and feels like he is failing due to new recruit Helly’s instance on escaping. Innie Mark gains confidence within himself and individuality, and it is joyous to see. The other plot lines and characters are great too. Helly’s journey through the series is engaging and is a great tool to introduce viewers to the rules of this world. Dylan is hilarious and gets some compelling motivation as the series goes on. Harmony is the biggest question mark out of all characters, with a rollercoaster performance from Patricia Arquette. And Irving, played amazingly by John Turturro, has one of the most compelling romance arcs of any season of television I’ve seen.
The filmmaking here is incredible as well. The set design is incredible, blending the blandness of an office space and the allure of a labyrinth. The direction is fantastic as well, utilizing structure in an amazing way. The pace is pitch perfect; you are never bored despite the series basically devolving into talking in an office. The cinematography is fantastic as well, impeccable framing and floaty movements that add to the atmosphere. Another aspect adding to the atmosphere is the killer soundtrack. The soundtrack is instantly memorable and sets the mood perfectly. Theodore Shapiro is literally that guy on the beach playing the piano that is on fire while creating the Severance score. It goes hard. Honestly, I could go on forever, because every aspect of this show is perfect. The best first season of television ever. Better than the first season of Game of Thrones. Better than the first season of Breaking Bad. Better than the first season of Invincible. Move aside, the new king of television is here.