“SEVERANCE” (Series, Season 1, Apple TV+)
Review by Dennis D. McDonald
Sometimes high concept fantasy and science fiction gets out of hand when effects and story outpace characters or story.
Not so with Severance. It rivals Alex Garland’s DEVS in imagination, production values, and—most importantly—in its tightly controlled intelligent weirdness.
The story: white collar workers at a large corporation have volunteered to undergo a special brain operation that splits their memories in two. Entering the company building in the morning their outside memories are replaced by what they do in front of their computers. Once they leave at the end of the day, their office life memories are replaced by memories of their lives outside. And so it goes day after day.
Over the course of Season One we learn some of what has come before but major questions persist: what does the company stand for? What do their odd computer jobs involve? And what happens when unintended—and intended—memory leaks occur between the shadowy company’s interior and exterior worlds?
Mysteries are revealed only to be replaced by further mysteries as we gradually learn about the exterior worlds of a small group of office workers. It’s engrossing. Plus, Christopher Walken is a regular cast member!
I’m looking forward to Season 2!
Review copyright (c) 2022 by Dennis D. McDonald
