(Disclaimer: This review was written with access to 6 out of the 10 total episodes of this season)

There is something inherently dehumanizing about work. For most of your childhood, the world seems like one with endless possibilities. Yet as you mature, your options narrow significantly based on what career path you thought sounded interesting as a teenager.  And once you become an adult, at least 40 hours of your week are spent catering to the whims of those above you in the corporate ladder. Whether you are tying yourself in knots to seem charismatic and capable enough for a job or doing meaningless work you hate because you have no other option or ignoring thinly veiled discrimination in order to keep up the façade of the dream employee, work often finds a way of crushing the individualism you so treasured as a child. 

There is no show on television that understands this better than Severance. Though the hook of the show is a fascinating sci-fi-esque premise of having your work life severed from your personal life to the extent that you have two different selves, I never found the mystery surrounding this premise to be the most gripping part of the show. Rather, it was the scathing critique of how soulless corporations use and abuse the people that depend on them for a living and the compelling characters whose relationships with this company, with each other, and even with themselves are constantly shifting that captivated me 3 years ago. 

However, whether it was Severance’s mystery or its corporate evisceration that appealed to you most about the first season, you are sure to be satisfied with the long-awaited follow-up. Severance Season 2 is quicker, more cutting, and more inventive than its predecessor. 

When I say Severance Season 2 is quicker, I don’t mean to say that it rushes through plot points. While its pacing is still fairly methodical, after the bombshell that was the Season 1 finale, it would have been strange if this season’s progression mirrored the slow burn of its predecessor. There is a sense of vigor that drives even the smallest character moments every episode. And really, the main reason the pacing feels faster is because the writing of the characters’ dynamics with each other, Lumon, and even themselves has gotten more compelling. After Mark S. (Adam Scott) discovers that his outie’s dead wife Gemma (Dichen Lachmann) is actually the very alive but also very missing Ms. Casey, he has to grapple with his conflicting yet budding feelings for Helly R. (Britt Lower). Meanwhile, Mark Scout comes to terms with the fact that the love of his life may not be dead — and that Lumon is likely responsible for this obfuscation — and is motivated to do whatever he can to bring her back. His innie’s love Helly R. has my favorite arc in the show at the moment, horrified by the lack of autonomy she has over her own body, one she shares with someone who is responsible for the proliferation of Severance. This question of identity, and of how much your experiences shape the person you are at your core, is one that her outie Helena Eagan is obsessed with. She has a much larger role this season and is deeply fascinating as a woman who can’t stand the idea that her innie is her own person and yet is envious of her meaningful relationships. Britt Lower is astounding in this dual role, as she instills both characters with distinct physicalities and mannerisms. Even though Helly and Helena may be the same person, they could not be more different, and Lower conveys this with a subtlety that only strikes you as an achievement halfway through the show. The various themes Severance’s second season can explore through its cast now that each character has been fleshed out makes it an even more gripping watch than its predecessor.

This season’s social commentary also has more bite than the first particularly thanks to the added nuance to fan favorite characters Milchick (Tramell Tillman) and Dylan (Zach Cherry). Milchick is far more prominent this season, adding a guarded vulnerability to his artificial corporate kindness and latent menace. I found him to be a more effective villain in the first season than Ms. Cobel (Patricia Arquette) because of how much more grounded and realistic of a character he was — though I did appreciate Arquette’s tendency to chew up every single line — but his role in this season takes turns I was not expecting. His treatment by Lumon despite his devotion and seeming climb of the corporate ladder echoes the subtle discrimination and higher standards people of color are subject to in the corporate world. Dylan, on the other hand,  gets more depth as an innie and an outie. The struggle to obtain and maintain meaningful work is explored through Dylan’s outie, who, outside of his work at Lumon, “hasn’t found his thing” yet. And given the horrid (yet painfully relatable) interviews he is subjected to, it’s no wonder why! Another stomach-churning implications of Severance? Already dire job prospects become nearly impossible. Yet Dylan’s innie is characterized by his drive and his confidence, which is a juxtaposition Dylan George’s wife Gretchen (Merrit Wever) is taken aback by. Every scene Cherry and Wever share is strangely addicting, as the exploration of who Gretchen’s husband could have been in a different environment leads to awkward yet titillating moments. The idea that your personality is an amalgamation of your community, your environment, and your experiences could feel repetitive with how much of a through line for the show it is, but Severance always manages to find interesting new avenues to explore its themes.

Truthfully, the best thing I can say about Severance’s second season is that it is always willing to experiment with and innovate on its premise. Whether it’s a twist on the love triangle trope, a status quo shift only three episodes in, or a complete environment change (yes, there is an entire episode of this show without a hallway in sight!), the show is unafraid to toy with the boundaries of what Severance can be. It features incredible performances from across the board — though I couldn’t find a way to smoothly segue praise for John Turturro into this review, he too is as brilliant as ever — and its signature mind-blowing direction, but it is truly Dan Erickson’s pen that elevates a high-quality season of television all around to one of the best in recent memory. Severance's highly anticipated return is not the same show I fell madly in love with three years ago. Somehow, it's even better.

10/10