As anticipation builds for the second season of Severance, series writer and co-executive producer Mohamad El Masri has revealed intriguing details about the show’s future, hinting at the possibility of a third season even before the second has premiered. The critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series, which debuted in 2022, received 14 Emmy nominations and won two awards. Season 2 is set to release on January 17, 2025.
In a recent interview, El Masri discussed the overarching vision creator Dan Erickson has for the series, stating that both Erickson and executive producer Ben Stiller have “mapped out” the full narrative arc of the sci-fi workplace drama. Although a third season has yet to be officially confirmed, the groundwork is already being laid.
“There was always a thinking ahead to future seasons,” El Masri explained. “Even in Season 2, we were talking about what the end game is and how this show ends. A lot of work went into that discussion.” He emphasized the importance of keeping the momentum going with Season 2 while also setting up the potential for a third season and beyond.
El Masri teased that Season 2 will guide viewers towards the series’ conclusion. “I know there was work being done on Season 3 while they were still shooting Season 2,” he confirmed, although he could not provide specific timelines for its release. He expressed hope that fans won’t have to wait another three and a half years for Season 3, but acknowledged the realities of the industry.
“It’s Hollywood,” he remarked. “Ben and Dan, along with the entire team, are perfectionists. They want the show to be great, and if that means taking the time they need, then so be it. They aren’t going to release something unless they feel it’s exceptional.”
El Masri acknowledged the lengthy gaps between seasons, admitting that it feels “nuts” to have such a long wait. “By the time the show comes out in January, it’ll have been almost three and a half years since we started writing,” he said, highlighting the challenge of keeping the narrative fresh in both the writers’ and viewers’ minds.
Regarding the narrative structure of Season 2, El Masri hinted at the possibility of a time jump to accommodate the extended production timeline. “I’m excited to see what that time jump will be,” he said, although he emphasized that he doesn’t know how the narrative ties between Seasons 2 and 3 will ultimately resolve.
Delving into the lore of Lumon, the fictional company at the heart of Severance, El Masri noted that Erickson had created a comprehensive series Bible, which he used as a foundation while developing the second season. “We spent the first two months in the writer’s room while they were still filming the first season, so we were tying together the threads of both seasons,” he explained.
According to El Masri, the narrative design of Severance is akin to a video game, revealing “undiscovered parts of the map” to the audience. “Lumon seems like a massive complex. We’re only seeing a couple of floors. Where is everybody? It feels kind of empty,” he teased, hinting at new storylines to explore in Season 2.
Unlike other sci-fi shows that might evolve organically, El Masri emphasized that Severance is built on a meticulously crafted foundation. “Dan is not figuring it out as we go. He is very detailed about the world he’s created,” he said, noting the collaborative nature of the writing process as the team adapts and refines the story.
Fans of Severance can look forward to a deeper exploration of Lumon and its mysteries when Season 2 premieres on January 17, 2025, on Apple TV+.