Just finished watching Severance 2, the Apple TV series about severance protocols. Although I liked the ending being left vague, the other parts felt rather lacking.
I can’t give a specific examples, but it was like they were overly complicating the dialogue, which was presumably to appear meaningful and in depth. This also falls flat because it is so hard to follow, and whenever you follow, you realize it is shallower than expected. I could not find true deep meanings other than ice cold corporates stuff. Also, parts like switching to sudden outdoor scenes was so sudden and it seemed to rather harm the narrative.
Did I miss important details and symbolism to understand the show?
For me, the issue is that the show hinges on one single plot point (what is the program and what is the main character’s role in it), and you can only go so long without revealing it that it starts to drag. It’s already a slow burn show in the first place, which isn’t necessarily bad. But you can’t keep going for multiple seasons prolonging things to keep it a mystery.
Season 1 was good because it set up everything, and you end it with the excitement of what S2 will reveal. By the end of S2, you still don’t really know anything. Yes, things happened and you get to know more about the characters, but nothing really moves forward. You can feel it’s getting there, but not quite because the show is planned to go 2 or 3 more seasons. For me, this show should’ve been two seasons max, with the second season revealing the mystery halfway, and the second half showing the aftermath.
I didn’t finish Season 2. As Season 1 progressed, I began to get the feeling they didn’t have a destination in mind and were sort of making it up as they went. Maybe I’m wrong, but Season 2 seemed to confirm it for me.
You were not alone. I loved season one but gave up on season two.
(You might want to post over at television rather than movies since Severance is a TV show.)
Season 2 felt both like the parts I cared about were spinning their wheels, and simultaneously like the show started vastly overbuilding its world rather than sticking to the core concept.
I thought season one was fantastic. Sadly, I felt that season 2 was a massive let down. I won’t be watching season 3, it’s lost me.
I liked the pacing in Season 1 much more. The cinematography in Season 2 improved, but the individual episodes in it didn’t seem to tie together well to reach a resolution.
