Director Ben Stiller explains howSeveranceseason 2 will address Mark and Helly’s relationship after the former finds out his wife is still alive. The popular Apple TV+ series, which premiered in 2022, follows Mark (Adam Scott) and his fellow employees of the fictional Lumon Industries who agree to have their work memories separated from their non-work memories. Throughout season 1, Mark develops feelings for his co-worker Helly (Britt Lower), but during theSeveranceseason 1 ending, Mark makes the shocking discovery that his wife is still alive.
Talking toVanity Fairfor their exclusive preview,Ben Stiller explained howSeveranceseason 2 will address Mark and Helly’s relationship after the former finds out his wife is still alive. Stiller, the show’s frequent director, says season 2 will explore the growing tension between Outie Mark’s unresolved grief for his wife and Innie Mark’s developing relationship with Helly, as the two versions of Mark grapple with their conflicting realities. Read his full explanation below:
For me, a through line in this series has always been about Mark trying to grieve his wife. But then, we find out that his wife is alive. Is Outie Mark going to find out that Innie Mark knows? And how is Outie Mark going to deal with that? At the same time, I think we’ve sort of developed a relationship with Innie Mark and Helly on the inside that feels like it’s going somewhere. So there’s a natural tension that’s growing there between Outie Mark’s interests and Innie Mark’s interests.
What Ben Stiller’s Comments Mean For Severance Season 2
The Conflict Between Mark’s Two Selves Will Continue
At the end ofSeveranceseason 1,Mark makes the shocking discovery that his wife Gemma, who he has been mourning in his personal life, is actually Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), his seemingly distant coworker at Lumon Industries, who is very much alive outside the office. Meanwhile, Mark’s co-worker who he has developed a relationship with, Helly, is revealed to be the daughter of the sinister Lumon Industries' founder and CEO, and she underwent severance to build public support for legalizing the procedure.
Severance Season 2: Everything We Know So Far
Severance season 2 is quickly approaching, and this is what we know so far.
Director Ben Stiller’s comments highlight howSeveranceseason 2willdelve deeper into the complex dynamic between Mark’s two realities. In season 1, Outie Mark is still grieving his wife, unaware that she is still alive, while Innie Mark has formed a budding relationship with Helly. Season 2 should explore whether Outie Mark will discover what Innie Mark knows and how he will cope with that revelation. This should create a growing tension between the desires and priorities of Mark’s two selves, setting the stage for emotional and psychological conflict.
Our Take On Ben Stiller’s Severance Season 2 Comments
There Are Several More Mysteries To Address
While Stiller explains how season 2 will address Mark and Helly’s relationship after the former finds out his wife is still alive, there are several more mysteries that season 2 will address. Among the many images that have been revealed, there is one ofIrving (John Turturro)holding a “Missing” poster with Ms. Casey’s face, meaning that Mark’s discovery will have major effects inside Lumon Industries. Additionally, Helly discovering that she is the daughter of Lumon’s CEO will have a major effect on her mindset moving forward inSeveranceseason 2.
Cast
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a “severance” procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
