Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

Severance: Season One Blu-ray Movie Review

"Every time you find yourself here, it's because you chose to come back."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown January 6, 2025

Severance returns to Apple TV+ on January 17th with its much-anticipated second season, meaning there's no better time than now to pick up the series' award-winning, critically acclaimed mind-bender of a debut. The concept is simple... sort of. In the world of the show, a technique exists called Severance whereby a person's mind can be split perfectly between two distinct personas: their innie and their outie. The innies wake up in an elevator descending into their work place. Their entire lives consist of their 9-5 jobs. The outies meanwhile, wake up in the same elevator, this time going up, as the person returns to the real world and their exterior life. The innies know nothing of their outie lives, and the outies know nothing -- not even the details or parameters of their job -- of their innie lives. The two are separate, never the two may cross. The innies are monitored, supervised, rewarded and punished within the confines of the workplace. The outies get paid, enjoy life, and experience the joys and heartaches of the outside world. The innies take care of the mundane tasks at work. The outies live the lives that matter. Severance, a brilliant surprise hit from creator Dan Erickson (Chambers), focuses on a small band of innie co-workers who begin to do the unthinkable: start asking questions. When the proverbial mess hits the fan, what's an outie to do?

"I bet it's a loyalty test. Remember the spicy candy!"

"You know, my mother was an atheist. She used to say that there was good news and bad news about hell. The good news is hell is just the product of a morbid human imagination. The bad news is whatever humans can imagine, they can usually create."

Biotechnology corporation Lumon Industries -- whose purpose and work are shrouded in mystery -- utilize a surgically implanted chip to initiate a daily procedure called "severance," which separates the consciousness of their employees upon entering and exiting work. We meet Mark (Adam Scott), Dylan (Zach Cherry), Irving (John Tuturro), and Helly (Britt Lower) as Mark's new trainee. But Helly doesn't take to the job like most new employees, and her questions -- along with a mysterious contraband book written by a philosopher from the outside world -- send Mark into a slow spiral, pondering the very things that he shouldn't, much to the irritation of his supervisor Seth Milchick (Tramell Tillman), wellness counselor Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman) and manager Harmony Cobel (a sinister Patricia Arquette). Outside of Lumen, Mark is a former history professor who knows nothing of his trials and tribulations of the Macrodata Refinement Division at work. In the outer world, he grieves the passing of his wife, tries to care for his perfectly capable pregnant sister Devon (Jen Tullock), and put up with his brother-in-law, the positively hilarious Ricken Hale (a laugh-a-minute Michael Chernus). But as Mark begins to realize Mark is not who Mark may want to be, Mark embarks on a quest to discover what Mark's life is like for Mark. Make more sense now? Other cast members include Christopher Walken's head of Optics and Design Burt, Yul Vazquez's former employee Petey, Michael Cumpsty's head of security Doug, Nikki M. James as midwife Alexa, and Sydney Cole Alexander as PR rep Natalie.

That's as far as I'm willing to go in explaining the plot of Severance's terrific first season, which is like Lost if Lost turned itself inside out, scribbled riddles on its walls, reacclimated itself then woke up in a strange office with no memory of where it came from. Every day. Day in and day out. The amount of story the writers cram into what's already a high-concept, high-dividends series is wild, to the point you'd assume the whole thing will eventually become so unwieldy that it loses its way. But quite the opposite thing happens, with Severance only becomes sharper and more salient as it barrels along. Masterfully paced, unspooling mysteries in quick precision, answering as much as it asks but never so much that it overwhelms or loses its audience in its enigmas. And my God, are there unanswered questions aplenty, even at season's end, which is itself a whirlwind closing episode that not only makes the wait for Season Two unbearable, it wraps up the series' first act to *chef's kiss* perfection. How far will otherwise timid Mark push things at Lumon? Will Irving find love? Will Dylan earn his most wanted perks? Will Helly figure out what the hell is going on? And will the foursome crack the code of Lumon in time to do something meaningful about whatever they uncover, if that is there's anything to uncover?

The Blu-ray release of Severance includes all ... first season episodes, including:

• 1. Good News About Hell - Mark is promoted to lead a team of employees who've had their memories surgicially divided between their work and personal lives.
• 2. Half Loop - The team trains new hire Helly on macrodata refinement, a strange process that has no descirnible meaning or end. Mark takes a day off to meet with a mysterious former colleague.
• 3. In Perpetuity - Mark takes the team on an in-office field trip where they encounter the Optics and Design Division, responsible for paintings that seem to exist for their own sakes. Helly, though, continues to rebel and reject her severance.
• 4. The You You Are - Irving makes an intriguing discovery at work. Helly aggressively pursues a meeting with her Outie. Mark grapples with the loss of his wife, finding little solace in his sister and her husband.
• 5. The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design - Irving and Dylan confront Burt but Irving realizes just how deep his feelings and admiration for Burt may run. Meanwhile, the team ventures farther out into the hallways.
• 6. Hide and Seek - The team angers Cobel by forming an alliance. Questions continue to be asked, rebellion continues to spread, and Helly's presence seems to have an increasingly disruptive influence on Mark and his co-workers.
• 7. Defiant Jazz - Mark and the team encounter a whole new set of security measures at Lumon initiated by Cobel. Undeterred, it only drives them to further investigations and questions about the company and their office.
• 8. What's for Dinner? - The team prepares a plan as Ms. Casey tries to help reconstitute calm within the office. Mark attends Devon and Ricken's party, where surprises await all involved.
• 9. The We We Are - In the season finale, all hell breaks loose as the team discovers troubling revelations and comes that much closer to introducing their Innies to the outside world.

Severance: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Why buy it on physical media when you can stream it on Apple anytime you want to watch it? Because the Blu-ray release of Severance is utterly perfect and far outperforms its streaming counterpart. Color and contrast are reproduced beautifully, even in the barren-paletted hallways of the drab Lumon offices. Primaries pierce through the mundanity when called upon, while black levels are rich and inky, without ever hindering delineation. Shadows and dark hallways are positively frightening, and the cold white lights of the work spaces are only made that much more unnerving as the season progresses. Detail is exceptionally well-resolved, with crisp edge definition and exacting fine textures. There also isn't a hint of compression artifacting, banding or errant noise. Spread across three discs (each boasting plenty of room for just three episodes apiece), the Blu-ray is the definitive version of Season One and very much deserves a place on your shelves.

Severance: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Severance features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that is, to use that word again, perfect. Office ambience, the hum of florescent lighting, the whir of outdated computers, the soft footfalls of dress shoes on a linoleum floor... it's all here, carefully and meticulously situated in a soundfield that's as immersive as it is enveloping. Directionality is dead on, pans are silky smooth, and dynamics are superb. There aren't always moments for the LFE channel to lend its weight, but the show always finds ways, particularly in its tense score. Dialogue is also clean and intelligible at all times, prioritization is flawless, and the entire soundscape delivers scene in and scene out. Top marks here.

Severance: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray release of Severance: Season One doesn't include any extras. Boo. Why releases like this don't offer audio commentaries in the form of podcast episodes that detail the production is beyond me. It would be a cheap and easy solution that would immediately elevate the value of any given TV release.

Severance: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Severance is a masterclass in quirky, funny, horrifying sci-fi and is one of the best series' of the last five years. Its opening season will take your breath away by the end of episode nine, guaranteed, and you'll be begging for Season Two like the rest of his have since 2021. And here it comes! On January 17th. The wait is nearly over. Fortunately, the season's Blu-ray release features stunning video and outstanding audio. No extras but maybe if we work really hard and don't complain, we'll get some next season.