I seem to be pretty good at being late to the party when it comes to Apple TV+. There was that Tom Hanks epic movie, Finch, which I discovered three years late – but loved. Somehow I've also managed to sleep on the best Apple Originals sci-fi show, too – until now.
Severance first launched almost exactly two years back, to critical acclaim even then, but I never got around to watching. It's only just in time for its season 2 release – which continues weekly, through until 21 March – that's got everyones tongues wagging and got me to press play on the very first episode. And now I'm totally hooked.
Severance is a sci-fi in its simplest form: workers who have elected to undergo the procedure of severance are unable to access their real life ('outie') memories when in their place of work (as 'innies'). Yet the show is deeply complex beneath its surface, raising various moral and social issues, while continually moving the goalposts of 'reality' – it'll keep you guessing throughout (although the 'big reveals' so far have been fairly obvious to me). What exactly this work is, however, I'm never sure will (or should) be fully revealed – the mystique is a key part of the show.
Severance comes from the mind of Ben Stiller, which I can barely believe given his attachment to a myriad of comedies over the years. The show's generally minimal humour – sure, there are some subtly hilarious scenes, or one-liners narrated from a book – feels at stark contrast to that type-cast expectation. But it certainly reveals Stiller to be a mastermind visionary and director. Hats off also for Jessica Lee Gagné's stunning cinematography, which brings symmetrical interest to otherwise boring architecture, juxtaposed by big close-ups of various stars' faces.
I'm calling Severance the best sci-fi on Apple TV+ because its Rotten Tomatoes score, at 97%, sits it above Silo (92%) or Dark Matter (81%). How I've been this late to the party I have no idea, honestly. It's full of superb actors, too, from Zach Cherry (Fallout, Succession), to Adam Scott (Parks & Recreation), Christopher Walken (needs no introduction!), John Turturro (I mostly recall his part in Mr Deeds), and many more.
Having now just finished the first season, I'm in the perfect position to catch up with Severance's second season in fine form – adding fuel to the fire that Apple TV+ may well be the best streaming service of 2025. I've certainly watched more shows on it than Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ in recent months. And with this show having me so hooked, I don't expect to be flicking through other channels anytime soon. So if you haven't started watching yet and the premise sounds interesting, I thoroughly recommend that you go check out Severance from the beginning.
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