Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for Severance.
Severance creator Dan Erickson's epic Reddit AMA session answered many of the questions that have hounded fans of the show since its release on Apple TV+. During his AMA, Erickson also gave fans glimpses into the writing process behind the show's cliffhangers and twists. The Severance audience took this chance to press Erickson, whose answers to certain crucial questions provide clues and even outright spoilers about what will happen in Severance season 2.
Severance is a prime example of the merits of releasing new episodes on a weekly basis. This format has allowed viewers to fully digest the show's various mysteries and clues, with each new episode adding to the momentum that would later catapult Severance into cult status among the sci-fi community. As Severance lovers were forced to wait one whole week before the last cliffhanger was resolved, viewers flooded Reddit with theories about what's really going on, many of which were confirmed by latter episodes in Severance season 1.
Severance creator Dan Erickson, through his AMA, finally addresses the part of Reddit that has become obsessed with his dark dystopian workplace comedy. Notably, Erickson's Reddit account DanEricksonMDR was only created after the ending of Severance season 1, days before the AMA, which means that Erickson created it specifically to answer key questions. Here's everything viewers might have missed in Dan Erickson's Reddit AMA.
Some Innies Are The First Personality Of The Severed Person
This Severance season 2 spoiler was prompted by the question that garnered the most upvotes in the Reddit AMA. The question is about whether or not some characters are “Severed on the outside,” exploring the possibility that for some Severed individuals, their innie is their original personality, while their outie is the one considered to be the Severed personality. Erickson responded with the comment, “I started to type a response to this but Ben Stiller's spirit flew out of his body and into my house and slammed my laptop shut. So, no comment on this.” Erickson's answer implies that the query was too close to the truth.
Indeed, it's already been revealed that not all innies are the same. For instance, Mark's wife Gemma/Ms. Casey has no outie and exists only through her innie. Meanwhile, the masked Waffle Party dancers reveal that some innies are much more devoted to Kier Eagan than others. Considering these facts, along with Erickson's refusal to answer the question, it's possible that there are Severed agents who live inside Lumon's Severed Floor and consider the outside world to be their work environment. Just as there are moles and spies inside the Severed Floor seeking to destroy Lumon Industries from the inside, it makes sense for Lumon to deploy counter-intelligence in the form of seemingly ordinary outies being piloted by innies loyal to Kier Eagan's vision.
Helena Eagan Is The Real Villain Of Severance Season 2
The future of Helly, also known as Helena Eagan, in Severance season 2 was teased by Erickson when an audience member asked whether or not the name Helly is a reference to “Hellywood: The Silent Bloodbath,” an old script that was written by the Severance creator. Erickson replied, “Hellywood is set in the distant future (just like Aladdin). Helena Eagan has taken over the world and remade everything in her image. Kidding. Kind of.” At the very least, this implies that Helena Eagan will have a much larger role in Severance season 2, possibly as the main antagonist. Indeed, apart from how Helena's willingness to get Severed reveals her deep loyalty to Kier's vision, Helena Eagan is next in line to become the CEO of Lumon Industries. Moreover, when one fan asked why Helena hid Helly's attempted suicide from the board, Erickson replied, “Good question. I think more of that will reveal itself in Season 2!”
The Severance Procedure Can Only Be Done Once – “So Far”
Many of the major theories about Severance are about the capabilities of the Severance Chip and Lumon's biotechnology. When a fan asked how many times someone can be Severed, Erickson replied, “So far just the once!” Although Erickson's answer seems like an outright dismissal of the theories about some employees being “double-severed” or “sub-severed,” it also hints at the huge potential of the Severance Chip. “So far” implies that although the writers initially planned on making Severance a one-time procedure, this could soon change in Severance season 2. Indeed, if a person can be repeatedly implanted with different Severance Chips, it could open Severance Season 2 to further exploring how Lumon's revolutionary biotechnology can be abused not just by corporations, but also by military institutions, medical researchers, governments, or even prisons.
Severance Creator Dan Erickson Debunks 2 Major Fan Theories
Erickson also took this opportunity to put some theories to rest. This includes the theory about the code detectors in Severance being fake, as the code detectors are confirmed to be real by way of “Severance: The Lexington Letter,” an e-book detailing a former Lumon employee's letter to a journalist. In the Reddit AMA, Erickson confirms that the Lexington Letter is indeed canon, which means that Lumon really was in the process of updating its code detectors at the time. This is why Peg Kincaid, who corresponded with her innie Peggy K, used a unique code to communicate, and also why Peggy abruptly stopped replying to her outie.
Another theory that Erickson debunks is the idea that the Severed Floor is some kind of virtual simulation that only exists inside the minds of Severed employees. As Erickson explains, “The office is real. It exists physically and everything we see there is actually happening (except the black goo, which is Irv's dream)” Although it's tempting to imagine Lumon Industries' retrofuturistic basement as a simulated digital space, Erickson confirms that the Severed Floor is indeed real – even the baby goats.
Severance Creator Dan Erickson's Reddit AMA Fun Facts
Severance creator Dan Erickson certainly wasn't shy about dropping bombs during his Reddit AMA. Alongside these revelations, Erickson's exchange with fans also led to some fun facts about the show. While Erickson refused to elaborate on why Lumon keeps goats around, he did sadly reveal that the crew wasn't allowed to pet the baby goats during filming due to strict COVID protocols. Moreover, it's revealed that Dan Erickson is the real author of “The You You Are,” Ricken's self-help book turned revolutionary literature. While answering another query, Erickson also confirmed that the visuals in the Break Room were inspired by Plato's “Allegory of the Cave,” a philosophical concept that reflects the plight of Severance's innies. Despite this fruitful exchange between the Severance creator and the audience, there are still many unanswered questions and headscratchers for Severance season 2 to unravel and resolve.
Severance season 1 is streaming now on Apple TV+.