The Genius of Severance’s Multimedia Universe

Severance is an amazing show. Everyone knows it by now. I don’t know if I should thank Apple TV or Ben Stiller or who, but Severance has turned out to be one of the rare shows that I recommend to literally everyone. I was nervous when season 2 came out, of course - would it live up to the hype? But luckily, it’s been more than meeting expectations so far. The visuals, the story, the acting… Nothing in life is perfect, but Severance is coming pretty damn close.

But that’s not what I want to talk about today. No, I want to talk about what got me started watching Severance in the first place and what’s absolutely kept me hooked : its multimedia universe.

While I’d heard good things about Severance, I didn’t bother to check it out for the longest time… until I saw news about their pop-up in Grand Central Station. Basically, Adam Scott, Britt Lower, and the rest of the main cast showed up, sat in a cube, and pretended to be their characters. When it happened, I saw most people talk about it as a marketing stunt, and they weren’t wrong. It was clearly meant to grab attention and/or go viral, which it absolutely succeeded in doing. Like I said, it’s what got me watching the show.

But for the sake of this article, let’s take away the marketing aspect of the pop-up and see it for what it really is: a kind of performance art. The pop-up plays directly into some of the show’s central themes, like dehumanisation and surveillance. The audience might not realise it in the moment, but as soon as they start looking they take on a role that’s similar to that of The Board. They recreate the power dynamic of watcher and watched, boss and worker.

But for all the genius of the pop-up, that’s only the tip of Apple’s media iceberg. It was meant to attract new viewers, so there’s only so much that could be done with it before it failed to do what it was intended to. The books though? The music? The workplace-orientation style video? Those are meant for the devoted fans, and they’re absolutely brilliant.

If you’re not familiar, Apple has released two “books” from the Severance universe - a preview of a life-changing and utterly ridiculous self-help novel and the so-called “Lexington Letters”, emails that provide further hints and context for all of Lumon’s evil deeds. They also posted 8 hours of “Music To Refine To” and a “management program” on their YouTube channel… and I’m obsessed.

Severance has an atmosphere that almost overwhelms you as you watch (in a good way), and all the extras just heighten the sense of immersion. The books, especially, are an amazing addition since they give audience members something new to pick apart, letting them feel like they’re unravelling the mystery alongside the characters. And as not just a fan of the show but an artist as well, I have so much respect and admiration for Apple creating more art and thereby supporting creatives when really, they neither needed to nor will it probably directly and concretely benefit them. To a certain extent, it seems like they’re doing it just for the love of what they’re creating - a spirit that’s sadly lacking in a lot of movies and TV shows these days.

I’ve worked in marketing before, and while it can be fun, it can also be pretty miserable depending on what you’re doing. That being said, I would kill to be on Severance’s marketing team because they seem to have a lot of leeway to have fun. They’re not just focusing on attracting new viewers but also on keeping the ones they already have happy by creating an experience. What they’re making will never be super popular - it’s appealing to a minority of a minority - but still they do it. In a world where so much is about numbers these days, the focus on quality and creativity isn’t just refreshing, it’s inspiring.

Apple’s marketing team might seem like they’re making random, unnecessary side projects, but really, they’re knocking it out of the park. What they’re doing isn’t just enhancing the show, it’s completely changing the way I look at Apple. I was born too late to know their original reputation - I guess they were innovative and customer-oriented? - but recently they seem to churn out more or less the same products every year, just at higher prices. Now, though, I can at least appreciate that they’re not just hoarding the money. Or, well, they probably are I guess, but they still seem to be more interested in supporting and creating art than other companies, so I’m a little less mad about it.

So yeah, like I say to everyone I know, go watch Severance right now. But also, read the books. Listen to the music. Enjoy one of the rare modern examples of a complete artistic experience… Oh god, imagine if they created a complete immersive experience, like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but horrifying. It would be miserable but like, in a fun way.

A girl can dream…