Severance season 2 review: Bigger, stranger, and beautifully filmed
It’s been a long three years since Severance first aired in 2022, ending with one of television’s most excruciating cliffhangers. I re-watched that first season multiple times in the interim, and every time the finale rolled around, I wanted to shout at the screen: You can’t end it here!
Now, with Season 2 already released, as well as season 3 being announced, fans can breathe again. Without diving into spoilers, I’ll say upfront that while the first season remains the tighter and more masterful achievement, Season 2 is still extraordinary—ambitious, visually dazzling, and brimming with revelations that expand the world of Lumon Industries.
Visual brilliance and symbolism
If Season 1 was striking, Season 2 is mesmerizing. Blue dominates the palette this time—blue walls, blue ties, blue balloons, and Helly R. in blue dresses almost exclusively. Where her wardrobe once varied with hints of green and yellow, now it is unrelenting azure. When characters remove their blue clothing for black coats, the screen itself seems drained of life until bursts of fire reintroduce warmth.
Director Ben Stiller and the creative team sharpen every visual cue into art. Symmetry in suburban streets, eerie lighting through frosted windows, or the way fire casts shadows on a character’s face—every shot feels deliberate, claustrophobic, as well as breathtaking.
Atmosphere and audio
The sense of menace in Season 2 is forever present, humming like a bass note. Familiar musical themes return this time around; however, they’re now infused with urgency and dread, intertwining playful notes with an undercurrent of malice. This sound design intentionally adds to the creeping paranoia, and transforms mundane office moments into scenes of quiet terror.
Severance season 2 cast
Season 2 picks up where we left off. Mark (Adam Scott), Helly (Britt Lower), Irving (John Turturro), and Dylan (Zach Cherry) remain the heart of Macrodata Refinement, while Milchick (Tramell Tillman) and Cobel (Patricia Arquette) continue with their power games within Lumon. Cobel’s conflict with her own loyalties is very fascinating, showing her as both servant and saboteur.
Outside Lumon, Mark’s sister Devon (Jen Tullock) grows increasingly suspicious of the company, while her husband Ricken (Michael Chernus) is seduced by it. Their opposing views mirror their larger battle over Lumon’s true nature. New additions to the cast, much like Gwendoline Christie, bring fresh energy, though some returning characters (such as Alexa, played by Nikki M. James) are very much absent throughout the second season.
Season 2 also explores the aftermath of Season 1’s shocking finale; however, the writers wisely introduce new conflicts and unexpected twists rather than relying solely on old mysteries.
Characters we barely glimpsed as “outies” in Season 1 now come into sharper focus, and the duality of their lives adds emotional depth to this season.
Expansion and pacing
This sophomore season is broader in scope. Lumon’s influence reaches beyond the claustrophobic office halls and snowy Kier into new locations and scenarios.
Where Season 1 was a masterclass in slow-burning tension, Season 2 bursts out of the gate with bold twists, which was expected. It’s exhilarating; however, a couple of midseason “bottle-neck” episodes slow momentum, leaving the narrative feeling uneven. One backstory-heavy episode withholds key details, while another introduces a twist that felt tacked on.
The finale, while wild and unpredictable, doesn’t land with the same ferocity as Season 1’s. It raises new questions rather than resolving old ones—a setup that makes Season 3 essential viewing.
What was used to film Severance Season 2
Severance Season 2 was mainly filmed using Sony's Venice 2, which served as the A-camera throughout the season. This extremely high-end digital cinema camera is known for its versatile imaging capabilities and rich color rendition, making it ideal for the show’s extremely appealing visual style.
For more dynamic or compact setups, including crash and gimbal shots, the production team had also used the Sony FX3, allowing for greater mobility and flexibility on set.
The lens package for Severance Season 2 was anchored by Panavision's anamorphic C-Series and H-Series primes, providing the cinematic scope and depth of field that characterize the series’ visual identity.
To add to this, the Panavision Primo Compact Zoom (PCZ) 19–90mm was used to accommodate versatile framing and movement without compromising image quality. Together, this combination of cameras and lenses ensured that Severance Season 2 maintained the same precise and immersive look that fans appreciated in the first season.
Final verdict
Season 2 of Severance is grander, stranger, and more ambitious than its predecessor. It stumbles in places—occasionally meandering or overreaching—but it remains leagues ahead of most modern television. Its atmosphere, performances, and ideas are unmatched, and its flaws only highlight how impossibly high Season 1 set the bar.
Severance, to me, remains one of the boldest and most original series in recent years, and with Season 3 on the horizon, the wait begins again.
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