Two days before the April 2022 finale of Season 1, Apple TV+ announced that Severance had already been greenlit for a continuation, but we had to wait three years for it. However, this week, the second season of the workplace dystopia/thriller finally launched, although its production was complicated by several external and internal factors. As a result, the budget reportedly inflated to $20 million per episode, making Severance one of the most expensive series of all time, and consuming most of the profit of the production studio, Fifth Season.
External difficulties included the aftermath of the pandemic, which the production had to contend with at the start of development, followed shortly by another halt in Hollywood due to the American writers' and actors' strikes. However, the real problem, according to insider journalist Matt Belloni, was the creative disagreements behind the scenes. The relationship between creator-showrunner Dan Erickson and writer-producer Mark Friedman reportedly soured, leading to discarded script versions and planned but scrapped storylines, which in turn led to the construction of several sets that were never used.
To resolve the situation, a new showrunner was sought and found in Beau Willimon, while Apple shifted the extra costs onto Fifth Season. The executive producer and director of most episodes of Severance is Ben Stiller, who, when asked about the budget, stated that for him, the only thing that mattered during production was making sure the second season was a perfect return. Stiller also recently commented that, in his view, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get anything done in Hollywood because decision-makers aren’t bold enough.
Despite the challenges, Apple is reportedly ready to greenlight a third season if they are satisfied with the weekly viewership and reception of the new episodes, as well as if the series wins prestigious awards. In any case, the start of the new season seems to be promising, as reviews have mostly been positive. According to Variety, it was worth the long wait for the continuation, which is stylish and surreal; The Hollywood Reporter calls the dystopia still frustrating but terrific; however, IGN is not entirely satisfied, with their American counterpart critic noting that the new season is too slow and relies too much on the vibe at the expense of character development and plot.
