Apple TV slammed for “spoiling” Severance as viewers catch up before Season 2

Ahead of the long-awaited Severance Season 2, Apple TV+ has landed itself in hot water after “spoiling” the cliffhanger ending in its trailer. 

Not only is Severance the best series on Apple TV+ but it’s arguably the best series of the past decade, with impeccable performances, a captivating thriller-mystery plot, surreal sci-fi settings, breathtaking cinematography, and offbeat humor to name just a few of its pluses.

The show centers around Mark S. (Adam Scott) and his MDR team at Lumon Industries, where employees have been “severed”. This process splits their consciousness into two: their “innie”, who only exists at work; and their “outie,” who experiences the opposite.

It’s been three long years since Severance Season 1 aired its cliffhanger ending, but thankfully the wait is nearly over. However, for newcomers, Apple TV+ may have accidentally ruined the anticipation. Safe to say, expect spoilers ahead. 

Apple TV’s “bad planning” with Severance Season 2 trailer

Here’s what’s happened: the Apple TV+ trailer for Severance Season 2 contains the massive twist at the end of Season 1: that not only is Mark’s outie’s wife Gemma still alive but she’s also Ms. Casey.

Now, it’s important to note that this isn’t technically a spoiler. After all, the first chapter premiered back in February 2022, so there’s been plenty of time to tune in. However, the issue is that the trailer has been playing on the streaming service in between episodes. 

So, for viewers who a) have forgotten what happened in Season 1 and are catching up or b) are watching it for the first time before the second season arrives, they’re having that reminder before they’ve even reached the finale. 

Taking to Reddit, one wrote, “Need to vent right now. I’ve just finished Season 1 and whilst I was halfway through the season, Apple TV played the trailer for Season 2 right before one of the episodes. 

“It didn’t even give me the option to skip as it usually does arrrrggg!! So basically that spoiled the major plot twist we see at the end about Ms Casey. Why even program a Season 2 trailer if someone is watching Season 1?”

Others have seen similar complaints online, with one person replying, “I’ve seen this reported a few times. Bad planning on Apple TV’s part. 

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, it’s such a bummer. Glad you’re here anyways, and I’m sure there are greater reveals ahead for us all to experience together.”

Apple TV+

Another said the Severance Season 2 trailer was the reason they watched it in the first place, as they thought it was just an ad for the show. 

“The whole time I kept thinking the season would be so much longer because I was just waiting to see these crazy things I saw in the ad,” they said. 

“Until I finished the show… and realized I was never supposed to know about goats… or that his wife was alive… and I’d actually ruined those things for myself.”

Over on X/Twitter, users have experienced the same thing. “Catching up on a rewatch of Severance on Apple TV and why does the very first episode start with a spoiler-filled trailer for Season 2?” said one.

Another wrote, “Just copped an earth-shattering Severance spoiler because AppleTV autoplayed the Season 2 trailer.”

If you want to avoid a similar situation unfolding when the second chapter starts airing, some tech-savvy TV and movie fans have made Google Chrome extensions to block spoilers on YouTube and social media. 

You can never be too careful. 

Severance Season 2 premieres on Apple TV+ on January 17. If you’re in need of a refresher but don’t want to watch the whole thing, check out our Season 1 recap. You can also read about the O&D department and the one way Season 2 has already beaten the first chapter.