Apple has been steadily working to increase the world of the Apple TV+ collection “Severance,” by means of on-line supplies, e-books, podcasts, and different content material – and so have its followers. Benefiting from its platform energy, the Cupertino tech big has been capable of simply distribute supplemental materials that provides to the present’s storytelling skills, providing viewers extra clues in regards to the mysterious employer on the coronary heart of the collection, Lumon Industries, and different characters.
And for followers of the manufacturing itself, a companion podcast with creator Ben Stiller and star Adam Scott delves into the nuts and bolts of how scenes have been filmed and different behind-the-scenes content material.
At the moment the hottest Apple TV+ collection ever, “Severance” has gained consideration and awards for its cinematic methods, path, manufacturing design, and extra, however can also be resonating with viewers as a result of it displays a sure discontent with American society.
With its borderline absurdist takes on subjects just like the perils of capitalism, the lengths individuals will go to attain work-life steadiness, company oppression, classism, and the evils of know-how, “Severance” is reaching a broader group than those that usually watch sci-fi.
The advertising across the “puzzle box-style” TV collection, the place on-line content material turns into part of the present itself, is one thing that brings to thoughts the work that was completed in earlier years across the cult basic, “Lost,” the place web site tie-ins supplied additional clues in regards to the present’s mysteries, just like the Dharma Initiative.
Not like “Lost,” nonetheless, “Severance’s” creators have promised that they know the place the collection goes and the way it will finish – which makes it extra enjoyable to go down the rabbit gap chasing on-line clues.
Beneath are a number of the supplemental supplies that increase “Severance’s” universe and supply hints at what’s to return.
Official Companions
- “Severance: The Lexington Letter,” revealed by Apple Books. This companion story and tell-all is informed from the attitude of a severed Lumon Industries worker Margaret “Peg” Kincaid, who discovers a number of the darkish truths about her employer.
- Included on this obtain can also be the Macrodate Refiner’s Orientation Booklet for newly-severed staff, which encompasses a Lumon model of Microsoft’s Clippy — besides he’s an anthropomorphized severance chip, not a paperclip.
- “The You You Are,” revealed by Apple Books. Within the collection, this ebook is penned by “Severance” character Dr. Ricken Lazlo Hale, PhD, and finally ends up taking part in a task within the severed staff’ awakening. The companion ebook, which is accessible as each an e-book and a narrated audiobook, presents the primary 8 chapters of Ricken’s oeuvre dedicated to self-discovery and weird anecdotes.
- The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller & Adam Scott. Produced by Audacy, the creator’s official podcast recaps and divulges behind-the-scenes particulars alongside actor interviews.
- Lumon Industires’ LinkedIn profile. Researching your subsequent job on LinkedIn and you would possibly come throughout the Lumon Industries enterprise profile, which introduces followers to founder Kier Eagan’s ideas, together with his 9 core ideas of Imaginative and prescient, Verve, Wit, Cheer, Humility, Benevolence, Nimbleness, Probity, and Wiles. The web page typically posts try-hard odes to company achievement and self-improvement alongside its makes an attempt to recruit new employees to hitch Lumon, headquartered within the fictional city of Kier. The sinister undertones of its content material aren’t all that totally different from a number of the company communicate that surrounds it on LinkedIn, oddly.
- Meet up with “Severance” creator Dan Erickson in his Reddit AMA. It’s a number of years previous, however nonetheless price a learn for any followers searching for “official” – if restricted – solutions to their questions. (For instance, Erickson dismissed the “it’s all a simulation theory” by responding, “Yes, the office is real. It exists physically and everything we see there is actually happening.”)
- Roku’s Free Fan Expertise. The streaming media participant and TV maker partnered with Apple TV+ to supply “Severance” followers a free Season 2 preview that included character intros for Mark S., Helly R., and others, plus different behind-the-scenes content material, together with an unique forged interview. (Because the premiere has now handed, you possibly can entry the fan expertise through Roku Search as a substitute of the Dwelling Display menu.)
- Lumon Industries on TikTok. This TikTok account hosts the video content material produced by Lumon (aka Apple’s advertising group), however seems to be independently run. On the web page, you’ll discover the retro-looking video footage of the city referred to as Kier and extra excerpts from Lumon’s Administration Program (“LUMP”) – like what to do when low morale plagues your group. For instance, it recommends you purge all distractions so staff can deal with their “important and mysterious” work.
- There are additionally social media accounts for Lumon Industries on X, Instagram, Threads, and YouTube, however these are additionally not verified or run by Apple.
- Reddit customers can delve into “Severance” theories and share concepts in communities like r/SeveranceAppleTVPlus, r/SeveranceTVshow, r/WelcometoLumon, or can share shitposts in r/okbuddyseverance,
- Tumblr customers can be part of the web Tumblr Group dedicated to “Severance,” the place you could find followers’ weblog posts and fan-made artwork.
- Because it’s a “real” ebook, you possibly can go away “The You You Are” tome a Goodreads evaluate. One chosen evaluate reads: “Bullies are nothing but bull and lies. I am looking forward to reading the book in its entirety, but every time I order a copy, it gets stolen off my front steps. So frustrating.”
Fan-Made Enjoyable
- Lumon Industries web site. Designed by programmer Daniel Shiffman and several other of his YouTube collection viewers, this fan-made web site permits you to faux to be an MDR worker, refining the numbers – scary and in any other case – by binning them into containers on the backside of the display. Whereas the fan model doesn’t look fairly just like the software program seen on TV – the bins aren’t labeled with the varied “tempers” as on the present, as an illustration – there’s a little Easter Egg referencing the display pulled from Season 2, Episode 1 on the web site.
- Additionally from Shiffman, the You You Are bot on Bluesky and X auto-posts excerpts from Dr. Ricken Hale’s ebook, like: “A society adrift dines on illusions, but the famished mind feasts upon profundity hidden within reality’s kaleidoscope.” Shiffman additionally put the bot’s supply code on GitHub.
- Severance Wiki. This fan-made wiki dedicated to all issues “Severance,” permits you to analysis characters, music, places, episodes, occasions, theories, and extra, multi function vacation spot. (There are additionally wikis accessible on Fandom and wikiwand.)
- A fan-made Lumon workplace is accessible for the Sims 4 recreation.
“Severance” Season 2 is on Apple TV+, which not too long ago arrived on Android cell units too. Season 2 started airing on Jan. 17, 2025, and can embody 10 episodes, ending on March 21, 2025.
Do you could have a favourite Severance fan-made expertise? Let me know: sarahp@techcrunch.com.
