“Dan Erickson Discusses Keeping the Magic of ‘Severance’ Alive in Season 2”

Severance creator Dan Erickson expresses that he is no longer filled with dread regarding the show’s comeback after dedicating three years to its production – and that the original season is even superior.

“It’s significantly less [stress] now than it was during the creation, especially while I was scripting it,” Erickson shares with GamesRadar+. “There’s always that lingering question of whether you can measure up to your prior work. Can you even duplicate what you accomplished before? Do you truly grasp what made it unique? And so, I experienced a lot of unease as we were progressing. Fortunately, I have a very excellent therapist, which helped.”

The critically lauded series debuted on Apple TV Plus in 2022 and was unexpectedly renewed for a second season. However, the show faced production delays – leaving us suspended on a three-year-long cliffhanger. The finale, directed by Ben Stiller and written by Erickson, has been acknowledged by critics as one of the finest episodes of television ever produced (and I concur). The second season begins exactly where the finale concluded. Erickson mentions that the more of season 2 they completed, “the less and less intimidating” it felt for him.

“Because, as I started to review the finished scripts, and then we began to see the sets, and ultimately we viewed cuts of episodes. I just felt this immense relief of like, okay, it’s still Severance. This has the essence of what we created before. Whatever kind of nebulous quality it is that audiences adore about the show that I adore about the show, it’s still present.”

Three trailers have been unveiled ahead of season 2, which hint at new characters, a rising mystery concerning Mark’s late ex-partner, and a host of unsettling new modifications made to Lumon’s severed floor.

“By the conclusion, I realized it’s not simply that it’s still present. I genuinely believe that it’s superior. Like, I really think this is a more thrilling and frightening experience.”