Black Mirroris arguably the most mind-bending, subversive show around. The Charlie Brooker series threw fans for a loop with its incredibly disturbing first episode, and they were hooked from there. While the series was taken over by Netflix from seasons three onward, and began to feature more well-known actors, its original luster was maintained.
Delivered in anthology format, the purpose of every episode is to explore an exaggerated, worst-case scenario ofa dystopian futureshould society continue on its current path of technological obsession. Every episode has a completely different story that viewers don’t quite understand until the very end. From warnings about obsessive social media habits to thedangers of cancel cultureand repercussions of being tracked and monitored, each episode is more jarring than the next. There hasn’t been a new season since 2023, but fans who have powered through all the seasons and specials to date would absolutely love this perfect Apple TV+ show in the meantime.
Black Mirror
What Is ‘Severance’ About?
Severanceis arguably one of thebest shows on Apple TV+ right now. The sci-fi psychological thriller, which just began streaming its second season, is about a near future where a biotech company called Lumon Industries has developed a surgery that can sever a human brain in two parts.When a person enters their office building and hops onto the elevator, they mentally switch to their “innie” and forget everything about their personal life. Once they descend and emerge into the lobby to head home, they become their “outie” and forget everything about work.
Mark Scout (Adam Scott) voluntarily decided to undergo the procedure to deal with the grief of losing his wife. He spends his days in a bright, white office with three other co-workers doing monotonous work on a computer he doesn’t quite understand and engaging in meaningless conversation. At home, he is perpetually depressed, just trying to get through life, day by day.
When he is approached by a man who claims to have been a friend and co-worker, and who seems to be cognizant of both versions of himself in the real world,Mark’s outie tries to investigate with his innie none the wiser. How can a person get a message to themselves?
The series is beautifully acted, wonderfully bizarre, and cinematically stunning. Earning 14 Emmy nominations, including one for Outstanding Drama Series,Severancealso had one of the best season finales in recent history with itscliffhanger Season 1 ending. After a long three-year wait, fans finally get to see the story continue.
‘Severance’ Season 2 Review: More Kooky Fun with Even Less Answers
We get more mysteries and less answers in Season 2 of ‘Severance,’ but it’s still a very fun, thoughtful show about the meaning of work.
Why ‘Black Mirror’ Fans Will Love ‘Severance’
Black MirrorandSeverancehave a lot in common.Both involve the development of technology designed to solve a societal pain by drastic means. In the case ofSeverance, this is the human inability to achieve a proper work-life balance. But it’s also about a means of forgetting distractions and emotions that can get in the way of productivity.
Rather than companies helping employees through challenging times, the solution is to literally sever the brain so that during office hours, staff no longer have to worry about their sick mom, kids’ soccer practice, or struggling to pay the bills.The severance program forces fully dedicated commitment to the job. While everyBlack Mirrorepisode is different, there are a few that are especially similar toSeverancein the tone and approach.Each episode has a specific lesson and warning about where society could go should technological development and reliance get out of hand.
10 Black Mirror Episodes That Should Get a Spin-Off Series
These Black Mirror episodes have untapped depths that should be explored, delving more into techs' ethical mysteries.
The truth behind what’s going on inSeverancehasn’t yet been revealed, but it’s clear there’s more than meets the eye to Lumon’s intention to use the severance program for good. There’s a woman Mark’s sister Devon (Jen Tullock) meets at a retreat, for example, who later doesn’t remember her. It’s heavily implied thatshe underwent the severance procedure to forget about the pain of childbirth, and possibly help her manage her kids without becoming overly stressed. Imagine getting a break from caring for young children all day while your “innie” functions as your nanny so you still get to spend time with them?
Then, there are people like Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), who hasn’t been severed but has been playing the role of someone else in the real world to monitor and keep an eye on Mark, as though she’s researching him for a separate purpose. The elimination of Petey Kilmer (Yul Vazquez), the former severed worker who reintegrated and tried to warn outie Mark, then died under mysterious circumstances, suggeststhe company is trying to hide somethingas well.
The biggest indication, however, thatSeveranceis diving intoBlack Mirror-like territory, is thatMs. Casey (Dichen Lachman), the wellness counselor for the severed employees, is actually Mark’s supposedly deceased wife. There’s something truly sinister going on that she’s either a part of or victim to as well. That type of storyline is right upBlack Mirror’s alley.
Which ‘Black Mirror’ Episodes Is ‘Severance’ Most Like?
As an anthology series, every episode ofBlack Mirrortells its own compartmentalized stories. But there are a few in particular that are in a similar vein toSeverance.Black Mirrorfans who hold these episodes in high regard will especially appreciate whatSeverancehas to offer.
The Entire History of You
In one of the show’s best-ever episodes, Episode 3, called “The Entire History of You,”the future world sees people implant grains behind their ears that allow them to replay all their memories. While this is designed to ensure people never forget important details, it’s easy to see how this can turn dangerous. That happens when Liam (Toby Kebbell) becomes suspicious that his wife is having an affair and forces her former flame Jonas (Tom Cullen) to remove all his memories of her. When he sees Jonas’ memories involving Fiona (Leonie Elliott) in bed, he becomes furious.The obsession takes over until Liam is willing to literally maim himself to remove the temptation to see the truth.
Weirdest Episodes of Black Mirror, Ranked
Black Mirror is a generally weird TV show, but some episodes take things to a deeper level.
Be Right Back
In Season 2, Episode 1 “Be Right Back,” Martha (Hayley Atwell) loses her husband, similarly to how Mark loses his wife Gemma. Society in this version of the world has devised its own way to help people avoid the grief and pain of loss.By data mining social media and online presences, a virtual likeness of people can be created after they die, capturing their voice, personality, even crucial memories based on what they have posted over the years. While it starts out innocently enough, Martha gets caught up in the next steps and orders a lifelike android of her boyfriend. It’s him, but it isn’treallyhim in the same way Mark’s innie is him, but his outie is truly who he is.
Beyond the Sea
One of the more recent andbest episodes ofBlack Mirrorthat draws comparisons toSeveranceis Season 6, Episode 3 “Beyond the Sea,” starring Aaron Paul and Josh Hartnett. They are astronauts Cliff and David who, in an alternate history, are completing a years-long mission in space.When it’s break time, they can lie in specialized pods to transmit their consciousness’ to body replicas back home and virtually visit their families. But when David’s family is killed and his replica destroyed, Cliff’s generosity in allowing him to re-enter the real world from time-to-time using his body replica backfires in the most awful way. It demonstrates the worst possible outcome of extreme loneliness.
While these three episodes are especially close to the subject matter, look, feel, and tone ofSeverance, the two shows on the whole fit into the same strange, unique mold. So, for fans who adoreBlack Mirrorand are anxiously awaitingthe seventh season,Severanceis a worthy fill-in. It will be like watching an over-extended episode of the popular show, the mystery about these characters drawn out over hours to keep viewers invested in finding out what the real reason for, and cost of, the severance program is.
