Ahead of the premiere of the long-awaited season 2 of Severance, Apple TV Plus brought the Lumon office to New York, and it was easily the coolest thing I've seen since moving to the city.
I arrived at Grand Central Station, the prettiest and busiest train station in New York City, around 5 p.m. It was quite a spectacle: actors Adam Scott, Britt Lower and Zach Cherry sat behind their desks in the Macrodata Refinement office (on the cut floor of Lumon Industries, of course), which were placed inside a giant glass box sound proof. It looked more or less like an aquarium. Computers, which display those “scary” numbers that Mark and co. that “refine” were in working order.
The fourth desk, however, was noticeably empty. Someone behind me asked, “Where's Irving? That's the other guy, right? What does that mean?” It's likely that John Turturro simply wasn't present at the event, but having watched all of Season 2… this felt very significant.
I was told that around 4pm, there were different Lumon employees sitting behind those desks, but security quickly ushered them out before Mark, Helly, and Dylan were escorted inside. The three of them alternated between writing at their desks and chatting and laughing. and walking. They stayed in character for three whole hours. At no time did anyone recognize the crowd.
When 5:30 arrived, Mr. Milchick (Trammell Tillman) himself was ushered in. There was a low “Uh oh” from the crowd, and fans wondered if Mark, Helly and Dylan were in trouble, but business continued as before. usual. Some time later, Patricia Arquette, also known as Harmony Cobell, arrived and the crowd applauded. She sat at Mark's desk and paid her full attention while he uncomfortably humored her. Due to the soundproofing we could only theorize about what was being said, and it seemed intense. Some season 2 props were also cleverly incorporated, with Milchick holding the red ball from the trailer, as well as Ricken's book from season 1, The You You Are.
By 6 pm, we became a crowd of 100 people. Creator Dan Erickson and director Ben Stiller were also present, with the latter running around the box taking photos from all angles (and stopping occasionally to take one with a fan). The event ended with every Lumon employee being escorted out of the glass box… without any announcement or acknowledgment from Apple or Grand Central staff. The crowd immediately crowded against the glass to see all the little details.
It was incredibly clever: nothing really happened. It was a suspiciously “normal” day at the office, but we know Severance is anything but normal – this was just a way to establish the calm before the storm.
Severance Season 2 arrives on Apple TV Plus on January 17. For more, check out our Severance season 2 review and our exclusive set visit and interview with Ben Stiller.