Severance is the most original science fiction series in years. Created by Dan Erickson, the show presents a terrifying premise: what if you could separate your work memories from your personal memories? Lumon Industries has developed a procedure that creates two distinct consciousnesses in one body — the "innie" who works and remembers nothing of the outside world, and the "outie" who lives a normal life but has no memory of work.
The premise is explored with remarkable depth and dark humor. The innies of the Macrodata Refinement department — Mark (Adam Scott), Helly (Britt Lower), Irving (John Turturro), and Dylan (Zach Cherry) — are essentially prisoners who exist only to work, with no knowledge of the outside world or even their own identities. Their struggle to understand their existence is both absurd and profoundly moving.
The show's visual language is extraordinary. The Lumon offices are a masterpiece of mid-century corporate design, with endless white corridors and oppressive symmetry. The contrast between the sterile office world and the outside world's messiness reinforces the central theme. The direction by Ben Stiller and others creates an atmosphere of dread that never overwhelms the human story.
The ensemble is flawless. Scott brings depth to a character who is both workplace manager and grieving husband. Lower's Helly provides the audience's entry point, her rebellion against the system driving the plot. Turturro and Cherry find humor and humanity in their roles. Tramell Tillman's Mr. Milchick is a uniquely unsettling presence.
Severance is essential viewing. It's a show about work, identity, and the parts of ourselves we hide.