January 2025 is finally here—and with it, the return of that show you binged three years ago and felt like it was never coming back. We’re talking, of course, about Severancethe 2022 Apple TV+ sci-fi mystery that came out of nowhere and instantly became a fan favorite. Season one ended on an all-timer of a cliffhanger and fans have been eagerly awaiting season two, which is now coming on January 17, ever since.
Adam Scott, the star of Severancegets it. Scott is no stranger to hit TV shows, but with Severancehe went from starring on this weird show no one knew anything about to leading one of the most buzzed-about shows on TV. Suddenly fans were approaching him on the street, he was hearing lingo from the show out in the world, and everything about the long-delayed second season became super secret. Over video chat last month, io9 talked to Scott about all that. He discussed his first reactions to season two, what the fans have been like, and how things have changed around the Lumon offices. And don’t worry, the interview is spoiler-free for season two.
Germain Lussier, io9: Fans have had to wait almost three years to find out what’s happening next with the Severance crew, but I’m wondering, how long did you have to wait to get the scripts and find out what was happening, and what were your reactions to getting them?
Adam Scott: Before there are actual scripts, Dan [Erickson, showrunner] tends to map out the season. So I had a rough idea of the direction and the arc of the season before we started getting scripts. So it was really fun to see how far he’s going to take the story this season. Because season one, originally, the story went a bit further than it ended up going. And then Ben [Stiller, executive producer] was like, “Oh, that line, ‘She’s alive,’ that’s a great place to end the season.” So Dan ended up finding that as the demarcation line of the seasons. So getting to see how far we’re going to go and what it’s going to be is really interesting and fun. So I got to sort of get that info before scripts of any kind.
io9: And during that wait, have people been coming up to you asking about when the show is coming back? What’s that like?
Scott: Yes, and I think it was September or something, Apple announced the release date of January 17th. And it was so great to be able to tell people a date. Because multiple times a day, people are asking me where season two is. And I get it. It’s been a while. So it’s been great being able to say “January 17th.” But now, it’s coming in a matter of weeks. So it’s great. It’s so great that people have been as patient as they have, and that they’re willing to wait around this long.
io9: We didn’t really don’t have a choice, but I agree.
Scott: Yeah, that’s true.
io9: So I watched a couple of episodes from the season and without spoiling anything, it feels like innie Mark is fully invested in getting answers. You’re obviously always the main character, but in this season, but I almost saw him as a stand-in for the audience. He’s not playing around. Do you agree with that and how did that change your performance this season?
Scott: Well, I think that the piece of information Mark discovered at the end of season one… season one, we saw him gradually growing disillusioned of Lumon, which is this place that he wholeheartedly believed in. And his whole identity and life was based around this place. And he grew disillusioned with it. But I think by the time the ninth episode rolled around and they escaped, he felt he had reached the ceiling of what he thought Lumon’s depravity could be. So finding this piece of information, I think, blew the roof off of any expectation of what he thought was even possible for, quote unquote, “evil,” or what terrible things a company or people could do to each other. So I think that we’re starting season two with him being thrown back into this situation where he is beyond disillusioned now. Now he’s at a place of needing answers and needing to know what exactly he’s supposed to do with this information and if there’s even a way of getting it to his outtie.
io9: And it’s a unique show because you do have the innie and the outtie. And they’re different people, ostensibly. So I’m wondering, am I right in assuming it’s more fun to play innie Mark?
Scott: I don’t know. I love playing both of them. I think that they’re just different parts of the same person. And I think it’s all the same guy. But there are things I love playing with both of them.
io9: Got it. Now, these days, that are so many shows out there, especially with streaming, that it’s rare to actually be on one that hits. Looking back on season one, at what point did you realize, “Oh, I’m on a show everybody’s talking about”?
Scott: We made season one in a bubble. We had no idea if anyone was going to watch it or like it. So when it came out, we were all kind of holding our breath. But I think when I started hearing the terms from the show like “innie” and “outtie,” stuff like out in culture on a podcast or referenced anywhere, I think that’s when I knew we had caught on a little bit. And it was so weird to hear it out there. Suddenly talking about scripts and story or whatever, we had to start sending secure emails with code words. All of season one, which took place over a period of a few years, no one cared about anything we were doing. We didn’t have to hide anything. And suddenly, it was this kind of locked-down secretive thing we were doing. And it was really, really fun and strange to all of a sudden have this show that people were kind of paying attention to intensely.
io9: And as someone who has done so much awesome TV, what is it about Severance that feels different?
Scott: I don’t know. I think that the world that Dan and Ben created just kind of looks and feels unlike anything else out there. And I think it’s a testament to the audience that they’re willing to stick with a show like this that is throwing a lot of curveballs and a lot of mystery at them.
Severance season two premieres on January 17 with new episodes each Friday through March 21. We’ll have more from the cast and crew in the coming weeks.
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