"People are gonna be mad" - When Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller took a bold risk with Severance’s cliffhanger ending

The dystopian thriller series Severance debuted its first season from February 18, 2022, to April 8, 2022, on Apple TV+. Over nine episodes, the series introduced Mark S., Helly R., Dylan G., and Irving B. as employees of the mysterious Lumon Industries who had undergone the severance procedure to separate their work life (innie) and personal life (outie).

After the season 1 finale premiered, the show's creator, Dan Erickson, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the shocking cliffhanger ending on April 8, 2022. He revealed that Ben Stiller, the show's director and executive producer, had the idea of concluding the season abruptly with the end of the overtime contingency.

The special protocol allowed the innies to glimpse into their respective outie's lives in the finale episode, titled The We We Are. Erickson shared that he responded to Ben's idea by saying:

"Okay, people are gonna be mad!"

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A brief look into the ending of Severance season 1

After learning about the overtime contingency in episode 7, the innies decide to activate the protocol to awaken in the outside world. Dylan operates the overtime contingency from the office while his friends explore their outies' lives and stumble upon shocking discoveries.

Right before Milchick ends the overtime contingency, Helly speaks against Lumon's severance program at a company gala in the presence of investors. Irving stands outside Burt's house, pounding at his door. Mark recognizes his outie's wife, Gemma, as wellness counselor Ms. Casey from work and screams, "She's Alive!" in front of Devon and Ricken before they all switch back to their outies.

In the show, the innies are played by Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, and Zach Cherry. Moreover, Patricia Arquette and Tramell Tillman star as the severed floor's manager and deputy manager, respectively.

The bombshell revelation that Gemma is alive sets up the next season for her search and rescue mission. Severance season 1 was widely praised for its novel concept and stellar writing. Based on 117 critic reviews, the series received a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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The second installment of Severance aired in early 2025

After waiting nearly three years, fans of the hit series were greeted with season 2 on January 17, 2025. Featuring 10 episodes, it delved deeper into the mysteries of Lumon's secret operations. The season finale episode, which aired on March 20, 2025, resolved many lingering mysteries while giving rise to new questions that will be addressed in season 3.

The latest season shows the innies becoming aware of their personhood and fighting for more autonomy. It also centers on Mark's search for Gemma and his innie's brewing romance with Helly R. The two storylines coincide in a climactic season 2 finale, where Mark successfully rescues Gemma. However, his innie decides to stay with Helly.

The final episode reveals that Gemma is held up inside Lumon as a test subject for the severance chip. All the 25 files Mark has worked on, including the final Cold Harbor file, are directly tied to Gemma's mental state and have resulted in splitting her consciousness into 25 different innies. Each of these innies is used to test the efficacy of the severance barrier.

Moreover, Lumon was planning to kill her off once the Cold Harbor file was completed, making her rescue mission a race against time for Mark. The show's second season also received universal praise, earning a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 207 critic reviews.

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Both seasons of the hit series Severance are available to stream on Apple TV+.