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“Severance,” created by Ben Stiller, starring Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro and Zach Cherry, is essentially a show about what happens when you take work-life balance a little too literally. The main characters in “Severance” have undergone a procedure by the same name. Their perceptual chronologies have been split between their work and personal lives out of their own accord by the fictional company they work for: “Lumon.”
The outside version of themselves, their “outie,” will hold no memories of their work-life. On the flip side, the work-life version of themselves, their “innie,” will have no prior memories nor recollection of anything outside of the office. As you would imagine, this ensues in a compelling story filled with drama, character growth and tragedy. What it also does is give us a deep-rooted and tense mystery that keeps you on your toes and guessing at all times.
Why People Watch
Currently boasting a solid 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, the series has been received well by critics and viewers alike. The concept of the show itself is easily one of the most unique in recent times. What would it be like to go to work every day but not remember a single minute of it? Even more interestingly, what would it be like to spend every minute of your life sitting at your office desk?
“Severance” also brings to the table excellent character work, with each of the four main characters having compelling stories and character arcs. The supporting cast, including Patricia Arquette and Tramell Tillman, also lends a sense of suspense and tension being built throughout the episodes. The cast contains incredible performers, with their acting being able to reflect the two distinct personalities of their “innie” versus their “outie.”
This is perfected to an extent that you would likely be able to tell which version of the character was on screen solely by looking at their body language. Not to mention, the cinematography, soundtrack and editing have been applauded by critics as well as everyone watching, with Episode 7 of Season 2 being lauded specifically for its artistic direction.
So, if the show’s so good, then why have we only recently started hearing about it?
Why People Didn’t
Season 1 of “Severance” premiered in February 2022 and it was received well by those who watched it. It also ranked #1 in the catalog on AppleTV+. However, it had a viewership rate of 557 million viewers, compared to Season 2’s 660 million viewers. Moreover, the time between Seasons 1 and 2 was long to say the least. Season 2 premiered in 2025, which meant that four years had passed between the releases of the two.
As a result of a lack of advertisements and generally flawed messaging, “Severance” Season 1 was assumed to be a corporate drama like “Succession” on HBO or an office-based sitcom show like “The Office,” by a lot of potential viewers. However, Season 2’s first episode had viewership numbers that broke AppleTV+ records.
How? The answer: marketing.
Why People Started Watching
AppleTV+’s marketing efforts for this season exceeded expectations. The most prominent and possibly the first major move that caused the shift in viewership was a piece of promo like none other. The actual cast of the show, including incredibly renowned actors like Scott, Turturro and Arquette, was seen being “trapped” in a version of their office at Grand Central Station in New York City, as they acted out what would be an average day at Lumon in their offices. This scene played out as the city’s residents passed through, going about their regular day — but not without stopping to take several photos and videos.
This garnered a lot of attention, as no campaign for a TV show had ever seen anything like it. Specifically on TikTok, this event seemed to have caught the eye of several people and slowly shifted their perceptions of the show.
“Severance” also utilized things like social media, of course! Why wouldn’t they, it’s quintessential to any modern marketing campaign, isn’t it? Sorry, what was that? Their social media of choice was … LinkedIn?
What could fit the concept of Severance more than the fictional company “Lumon” having its own LinkedIn account? The show has also been posting various YouTube videos that completely fit in with the world the show is set in. From an eight-hour “study music mix” to a “new employee intake” video, content that immerses you in the complex but tense world of “Severance” is all over the internet. The show has also been sending PR packages to fans of the show that have been making theories about future episodes and plotlines of the show.
Where It’s At Now
As the second season is in the process of releasing new episodes week by week, the show is slowly but surely taking the internet by storm with its popularity. Fans everywhere are making theories about the show, trying to find meaning in the smallest details — which, we’re fairly certain, does actually exist.
If that tells you anything, let it be that marketing can often make or break what you have to show the world. In the case of “Severance,” it’s certainly made it.
“Severance” is currently available to stream on AppleTV+ with its second season currently airing as of March 2025!
Have you had a chance to watch “Severance” yet? Let us know by tagging us @VALLEYmag on Instagram or X (formerly known as Twitter)!
