There's no doubt that Severance has been one of the most talked about shows of the year, and remains so as everyone continues to discuss and theorize what's going to happen next at Lumon. The Apple TV+ series returned for its second season in January 2025 after nearly three years off the air, and the series understandably became everyone's weekly obsession.
Thankfully, Apple TV+ renewed the show for season 3 on the same day as the season 2 finale, which allowed all of us fans to wonder what's to come after that shocking cliffhanger. Going into the third season, we're hoping to get the episodes sooner than last time (we will) and we're naturally curious if the powers that be have the story mapped out to an endgame (they do).
During the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, which saw Severance stars Trammell Tillman and Britt Lower earning deserved wins for their performances in season 2, series creator Dan Erickson spilled some tea about the show's eventual endgame. While he didn't give anything away, Erickson revealed the unexpected caveat about his future plans for Mark, Helly, and the gang.
Dan Erickson knows how Severance ends, but not how to get there
The cast and crew were all grilled on the red carpet, whether it was Erickson or executive producer and director Ben Stiller, about Severance season 3 and beyond. While they can't ruin any surprises for fans, Erickson was able to share some insight on his creative process during a chat with IndieWire. The creator admitted that he knows how the series will end but hasn't crafted the path there yet.
"We know the end, and we don’t really know how we’re getting there. We have some idea of how we’re getting there, but we definitely like to be open to playing jazz a little bit and changing things as we go along, falling in love with characters that we didn’t necessarily expect to fall in love with, and incorporating them into the story in new ways. I think it is possible to overplan, but we know where we’re going at the end of the day," Erickson told IndieWire.
Erickson's answer features a nod to the show's "defiant jazz," which seems to be life imitating art. It's smart that the creator and writers are allowing the story to be a living, breathing entity on its own that's directed naturally by the characters and cast and other creative inspirations. By having an ending in mind, they can work their way toward that without being beholden to a set narrative.
Oftentimes, TV creators and showrunners will share that they have a certain number of seasons in mind for their show, and then that becomes quoted scripture that they're held to. Erickson clearly doesn't want to pigeonhole himself or the Severance writers to a certain amount of time or a specific outline. That's the best way to create something great: Without strict limitations.
However, sometimes that's also how middling seasons of great shows are made. In the shadow of success, there have been instances of beloved, award-winning series (you're surely filling in the blanks with an example) taking risks that didn't work or going way too dark or what have you. Hopefully, Severance will be able to avoid those pitfalls as the writers continue work on season 3.