Apple TV+’s best sci-fi show is over – I'm eager for season 3 already

Update: Apple has now commissioned Severance for season 3, per this official YouTube video

Far as I'm concerned, Severance is Apple TV+'s sci-fi GOAT. Yes, acronym friends, 'the greatest of all time'. That the show also happens to include actual goats in Lumon Industries' underground labs is a happy coincidence. Maybe.

It's been a wild ride, but I can't quite believe that after 19 episodes Apple TV+'s best sci-fi is over – for now, at least. Season 2's finale has been much hyped, bringing a close to the 96%-rated show (that's its Rotten Tomatoes critics score) which has earned scores of fans around the world.

It's easy to see why Severance has elevated Apple TV+ in the battle to be the best streaming service. I was late in catching the show, but now am hooked. The streamer is really pulling all the punches in the sci-fi genre, too, with others, like Silo, also setting a strong precedent.

YouTube

Watch On

Silo is a particularly relevant reference, because the streamer has had the foresight to commission that show right through to its finale – season 3 is already in production, with season 4 to follow and close it out.

That's not the case for Severance just yet, though, with myself and myriad fans waiting with bated breath any confirmation from Apple TV+ regarding the show's future. Even a peep from its creator, Ben Stiller, certainly wouldn't go amiss.

However, while Silo is a for-screen adaptation, with Hugh Howey's series of books – Wool, Shift, and Dust – providing source material and a pathway of where the televised version will go, Severance is a total original for screen. Nobody wants it rushed or taken down the wrong path.

Image 1 of 8

And let's face it: much could go wrong. With many questions still unanswered, despite various stones being turned, Severance has fed its audience just an appetiser of what could yet follow. But in so doing it would need to stay true to its roots, its distinctive style, and – from my personal point of view – its small-scale, almost claustrophobic settings.

Let's look back to the gap between the first and second seasons for inspiration: while season 2 was confirmed for production in April 2022, shortly after the first season wrapped, it didn't air until January 2025. But the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike had a big impact on that delay.

I'd hope for an imminent announcement regarding Severance season 3. But with recent episodes costing Apple TV+ a reported $20 million apiece – that's $200 million for season 2 alone – and that cost only likely to go up given its success, there might be a little more delay yet. Just don't go the way of Netflix, please, Apple...