Apple+ succeeds with binge-worthy series about office workers with no memory of their personal lives
From left, Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Patricia Arquette and John Turturro star in “Severance,” an Apple+ series about a company whose workers have no memory of their personal lives.
Editor’s note: This review contains plot spoilers, but not all is revealed.
People often like to forget about work when they come home from the office after a long day.
Be careful what you wish for.
That’s the lesson of “Severance,” a new series streaming on Apple+.
Executive-produced by Ben Stiller (who directed some of the episodes), “Severance” is about Lumon, an odd corporation with strict rules. On the surface, it treats its employees well: They’re provided with wages and a home and get waffle parties and melon bars.
The catch is they have to agree to have their memory divided. So when they leave the office, they have no memory of the workplace. Likewise, when they’re in the office, they have no memory of their lives outside Lumon.
That results in every person essentially becoming two individuals, with a possible tug-of-war over who’s in charge: the worker in the office or the version who goes home at night.
On top of that, what exactly is Lumon making, selling or doing? The employees sort through random numbers on old-school computers for no apparent reason.
And “Severance” hints that Lumon is up to no good.
“Severance,” a dramatic series with comedic moments (but definitely a drama, not a dramedy), succeeds because of its mystery, strong characters and a talented cast led by Adam Scott, known for the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation.” If you love sci-fi, watch it. Episodes stream Fridays on Apple+, and another one streams today.
Mr. Scott stars as Mark Scout, who is mourning the death of his wife. The severance technique offers him a chance not to remember his loss for eight hours a day. So he drives to Lumon, goes into an elevator, and he becomes Mark S., the worker who has no memory of his personal life.
When Mark’s co-worker/office buddy Petey leaves Lumon, Mark is suddenly promoted to department head and must train Helly (Britt Lower), who quickly decides she hates her job and wants to quit.
That depends on whether her “outie” — the version of her outside the office — will let her.
Ms. Lower is brilliant in the role, making viewers root for the worker version of Helly.
Mark’s team at the computers also includes loyal employee Irving (the talented John Turturro, who’s also in “The Batman”) and skeptical/sarcastic worker Dylan (Zach Cherry). Mark reports to Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), who oversees the company and reports to the unseen board on her office intercom.
Ms. Arquette is great as Harmony, the no-nonsense boss who doesn’t raise her voice but calmly finds ways to show her intolerance for incompetence. (Well, mostly calmly.)
And there’s Milchick, played effectively by Tramell Tlilman, Harmony’s right-hand man.
Another talented cast member is movie star Christopher Walken, who plays Burt, Irving’s new friend from the Optics and Design Department, with utter sincerity. Burt’s duties include storing and placing art work and designing employee tote bags.
The staff also includes Ms. Casey, the office therapist played by Dichen Lachman (known for her work on Fox’s “Dollhouse”). Her “wellness” sessions with employees have a sinister edge.
Created by Dan Erickson, “Severance” is a binge-worthy show for sci-fi fans who like mystery and the gradual unraveling of questions.
email: dmason@newspress.com
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New episodes of “Severance” stream Fridays on Apple+, where, of course, you can watch the old ones.
This series is for mature audiences because of its subject matter and, at times, its language.
