Severance is one of the best shows I’ve seen in years. One of the key reasons for that is its visual flair: the stylistic choices behind the camera, from the winding and mind-bending shots of characters sprinting frantically through corridors, to that strange zoom effect in the elevator as Outies transform into their Innies (and vice versa).  

The chilling atmosphere is spearheaded by the show’s primary director, Ben Stiller. Or, I should say, former director.  

Stiller has recently revealed to the Los Angeles Times that due to scheduling conflicts, he won’t also have time to direct the highly anticipated third season of one of Apple TV+’s biggest shows. 

He’ll soon be starring in Focker-in-Law (another offshoot from Meet the Parents), and will also be directing a WW2 survival film based on a true story of a downed airman in occupied France who joins the French Resistance.   

Fair enough: at least one of these sounds like a great project. But I can’t help the alarm bells that are starting to ring, knowing that a core element behind Severance is changing. That’s especially because he directed just over half of the episodes you’ve seen of the show thus far, including season 2’s bombshell finale.

And…it’s Ben Stiller. His name carries weight in the world of entertainment. It’s as though the most popular kid at school has left the house party. 

Stiller is encouraging fans to stay calm, as he’ll still be involved as a producer (a role he also held in the first two seasons) and, according to the article, he’s spent a lot of this year planning the next instalment with the writers so he can focus on his next film.  

His reply to a tweet from Severance Updates also could imply that we’ll see previous directors return, such as cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagné, who directed Chikhai Bardo, the standout episode of the second season. There are also plenty of other experienced names behind the scenes, such as Aoife McArdle, Sam Donovan and Uta Briesewitz – all of whom are familiar with what makes Severance, well, Severance.  

The issue is that history has taught us to fear changes such as this in the world of TV.  

Behind-the-scenes talent exiting can equal a drop in quality

There are numerous examples of shows essentially going down the toilet when a big shake-up happens. Some of these include The Walking Dead, after Frank Darabont left, and Amy Sherman-Palladino’s exit from long-running cosy dramedy, Gilmore Girls. Creator of Supernatural, Eric Kripke (now the twisted mind behind The Boys), is another example. 

All these shows suffered from character inconsistencies, plot holes, and a general drop in quality. As such, viewership often went down, and many fans advise viewers of today to stick to the so-called ‘golden years’ of these series.  

However, there is a key difference between these examples and Severance. The people leaving the TV series above were the showrunners, so they had a much larger role in overseeing the overarching narrative. Despite the focus on Stiller’s involvement in this series, he was never the showrunner – that honour falls to the head writer, Dan Erickson. 

As far as we know, Erickson is staying on for Severance season 3. So, in theory, plot inconsistencies shouldn’t be too much of a problem. However, much of what makes Severance so binge-worthy may soon begin to unravel.  

Will Severance lose its mysterious appeal?

Discourse around all the weird elements of Severance dominates the headlines when it’s on, with viewers wondering what the true meaning is behind the mysterious rooms, bizarre number sorting system and endless amounts of baby goats. 

As we get into the third season, it’d be a surprise if the series doesn’t delve into what’s happening at Lumon. If it does, then that discourse is likely to dampen.

There is, of course, the option to keep the mysteries going. However, the show risks making these plot points more convoluted than necessary and ultimately resulting in disappointment. You only need to look at the show Lost as a blueprint for this.  

With season 3 bearing the brunt of this challenge, it’s a very bold decision to also switch up arguably the biggest name attached to the show. But it’s not the only series attempting this – HBO’s The Last of Us will see creator Neil Druckmann also move on as the cast list gets a big shift.  

It’s not stopping me from being excited for the eventual return of Severance. Hopefully, the existing team members will be able to carry the torch, and Stiller’s involvement in the process as a producer may still hold some weight. However, with all the challenges ahead, it wouldn’t surprise me if season 3 isn’t able to meet the high standards set by the first two parts.