The first season of Severance was a cult hit for Apple TV+ when it premiered in 2022 but by the time the jaw-dropping second season finale aired in March 2025, it was the most-talked about show on TV.
Set in the fictional smalltown of Kier, Severance focuses on the mysterious Lumon Industries and their morally-questionable practice of “severing” employees – which essentially creates a split personality where neither has any memories of what the other has been up to. How’s that for a work-life balance?
The nine episodes of season one slowly introduced us to the quiet dystopia before a shocking finale saw innie Mark S (Adam Scott) discover that one of his colleagues was actually his outie’s presumed-dead wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman) while Helly R (Britt Lower) was confronted with the truth that outside of the office, she was actually heir to the dastardly Lumon empire. Season two wasted no time in running with this new information and while a few big mysteries were solved, we still have plenty of questions that we want answered in season three.
Is Severance season three happening?
Apple officially confirmed a third season of Severance shortly after the gut-wrenching conclusion (more on that later) to season two. Taking to X, executive producer and director Ben Stiller told Apple boss Tim Cook that “some fans are asking for Season 3 of Severance.”
“Season 3 of Severance is available upon request,” Cook replied alongside a short teaser trailer that confirmed the show had been renewed.
Season 3 of Severance is available upon request.
– Tim C. https://t.co/bNig41qs9t pic.twitter.com/cnctZIRDNF— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 21, 2025
In an accompanying statement, Stiller said: “While I have no memory of this, I’m told making season 3 will be equally enjoyable, though any recollection of these future events will be forever and irrevocably wiped from my memory as well.”
Creator Dan Erickson was slightly more sincere: “The idea of getting to make more Severance with the greatest cast and crew on Earth is more thrilling to me than all the world’s finger traps combined,” he explained. “I can’t wait to continue spreading woe, frolic, dread and malice with these truly incredible people.”
When will Severance season three be released?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the WGA writers’ strike, Severance fans had to wait three years for the second season.
However, Stiller has confirmed fans will “definitely” not have to wait that long this time around. A writer’s room was “underway” before the show was renewed, which should hopefully speed up the process but it’s still unlikely we’ll clock in at Lumon again before 2027.
What cast members will return for Severance season three?
Season two ended with innies Helly R and Mark S running away together through the corridors of Lumon after successfully rescuing Gemma from the organisation’s clutches. Season three will presumably show us the repercussions of Helly and Mark’s rebellion, as well as Gemma’s reaction to her husband abandoning her for the office. It’s safe to assume Adam Scott, Britt Lower and Dichen Lachman will all be back.
Confirming his return, Scott said: “I couldn’t be more excited to get back to work with Ben, Dan, the incredible cast and crew, Apple and the whole Severance team. Oh hey, also – not a huge deal – but if you see my Innie, please don’t mention any of this to him. Thanks.”
Fellow Lumon worker Dylan (Zach Cherry), terrifying line manager Mr Milchick (Tramell Tillman) and the spurned inventor of the whole severing process Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) all have unfinished business, as does Mark’s tenacious sister Devon (Jen Tullock) and her slightly-less formidable life guru husband Ricken (Michael Chernus).
However, it’s not known if the fiercely loyal but recently fired Irving (John Turturro) will make a return after Burt (Christopher Walken) sent him away from Kier for his own protection. Sarah Bock’s Miss Huang was also dismissed by Milchick, so there’s a question mark over her comeback as well. We’d also like to see more of unnerving Lumon assistant Natalie (Sydney Cole Alexander) as well as mysterious farmer Lorne (Gwendoline Christie) and her gaggle of adorable goats in Severance season three.
Where could Severance season three go?
The first season of Severance kept the drama mostly confined to Lumon HQ but season two blew things wide open. The Macrodata Refinement team had a corporate day out to frozen wasteland Woe’s Hollow, Harmony Cobel went on a road trip to the ruined town of Salt’s Neck and Mark S destroyed whatever grand plan Lumon had for Gemma by forcing her out of a fire escape – but only after she’d faced a number of excruciating situations on the testing floor.
This means that anything goes for season three. We know there are other Lumon sites in operation (thanks to a fancy birthing sanctuary and the replacement Macrodata Refinement team) but there are plenty of questions around what the company and its cult-like CEO James Eagan are actually trying to do – and how our band of disgruntled employees can fight back.
Will Severance season three be the last?
We really don’t know. It’s hard to see Apple TV+ killing its most successful show prematurely but the streamer has seemingly given creator Dan Erikson free rein, so it depends what his vision is.
“We’ve had the story pretty mapped out since we started,” he said in an interview with the Radio Times. “But we don’t want to say how many seasons; it needs to be tight and concise but have room to breathe.”
Erikson has also spoken about the struggle of ending Severance. “It’s hard and it’s complicated because with the innie and outie dynamic, it’s sort of a zero-sum game, where however much life one of them has, that means the other has less. Reintegration has been raised as a possibility,” he told the LA Times.
“But there’s also the question of to what degree does that decimate the identity of each? Who would this new person be and how much would they resemble the innie or the outie? I’m an optimist. I do think that there’s room for a happy ending, but it sure is complicated.”