Severance season 2 risks falling into a dangerous TV trap

Now, season 2 has premiered to wide acclaim, with fans hoping that it will live up to the first instalment and be worth the long, long wait. But, for it to do that, we'll need to get some answers.

For years, mystery series have struggled with the delicate balance of keeping viewers guessing, while also revealing just enough to keep them interested. Too many, including Lost and, more recently, MGM's From, have failed at this, falling into the dangerous trap of stringing viewers along and just opening up more questions rather than giving any answers.

As a viewer, it's incredibly frustrating to invest in a series for upwards of three seasons, only to realise you're more confused than when you started.

Sure, it's important to keep the larger mystery alive and not give too much away, but the only chance you have of keeping people interested is to give some breadcrumbs, or some smaller answers, making them feel like they're getting closer to solving that big mystery.

In the worst cases, the show ends without answering all these questions, or the writers end up frantically penning endings that don't do justice to the years-long mysteries that fans have been poring over.

So, now it's Severance's time to show that it can set itself apart and avoid falling into that all too alluring TV trap.

Severance season 1 did a spectacular job of building up world-shatteringly important mysteries, leaving fans questioning what kind of work Lumon could possibly be dealing in and what happened to Mark's wife Gemma, AKA Ms Casey (Dichen Lachman).

So far in season 2, we've had hints that those answers are coming our way, with references to a project called Cold Harbor, which appears to have some relation to Gemma/Ms Casey.

But Severance needs to make good on answering these questions this season, or risk going the same way as Lost and From. In other words, it needs to avoid becoming all vibes and no substance.

You could say it's more important than ever for the show. As mentioned, fans have waited three years to watch season 2 – so there's a lot of pressure for this season to end with some sort of pay-off. If we have to wait another three years for the prospect of any answers, it's possible some fans will start to switch off.

Then there's the level of fan investment in the show. Many fans could write an actual dissertation on Severance theories, noticing the tiniest moments and making connections that some of us would never have considered.

Revealing the work that Lumon is doing and what's going on with Gemma/Ms Casey seem like quite big reveals to have in season 2, and some might argue that the show would benefit from keeping those secrets a while longer.

But the show is so much bigger than these mysteries. To name just a few of the complex plot lines introduced so far, there's the internal battle between Helena and Helly, who share a body but clearly have completely different world views and values – particularly when it comes to the severance procedure.

Then there's what's going on with Harmony Cobel, clearly unfinished business between Burt and Irving, and plenty more mysteries to unfurl within Lumon, including what the 5X department is, what's going on with literal child worker Miss Huang and, of course, what on earth the goats are for.

By giving us some answers, most crucially, what's going on with Ms Casey and what Mark and Lumon are working on, Severance could usher in the next chapter of the show, still keeping mysteries alive but, crucially, making sure the journey doesn't just feel fruitless.

Creators Ben Stiller and Dan Erickson have given us some hope that they're not going to fall into the trap of 'all vibes, no substance' trap, the most important being that they know exactly how the show ends.

When speaking to the New York Times, Stiller said: "Yes, we definitely have an end. I think we now know exactly how many seasons, which I won’t say."

It may seem like a small thing, but this is our best clue that Stiller and Erickson aren't planning to drag the show out longer than needed and that they've got a detailed plan in place of when and how to reveal their secrets.

As of right now, Severance one of the richest, most complex and gripping shows on TV with some of the most stellar storytelling we've seen in years. But to continue its triumphant run, we need to get some answers – and soon.

Severance season 2 is airing weekly on Apple TV+. Season 1 is available now.

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