Severance Season 2 viral cast stunt is “all canon” to the series
Apple TV+When a mysterious Severance Season 2 pop-up appeared at Grand Central Terminal, cast in tow, fans thought it was just a marketing stunt… but apparently it’s genuine series canon, according to creator Dan Erickson.
The pop-up began January 14, with four Lumon desks set up inside a large glass cube. Onlookers took photos and videos before Ben Stiller and cast members Adam Scott (Mark), Zach Cherry (Dylan), and Britt Lower (Helly) arrived in character (but not John Turturro’s Irving), working away with occasional, largely inaudible conversations.
It was viewed as a clever marketing stunt that quickly went viral, but a new interview with series creator Dan Erickson revealed that it’s actually canon to the series… and might actually mean something as the show moves forward.
Viral Severance Season 2 stunt might actually mean something for Season 3
The Severance Season 2 glass cube stunt was largely written off as a marketing gimmick, since viral marketing pop-ups for big properties like Attack on Titan and Barbie have become commonplace.
The Severance cast stunt gained national attention after all, but according to the Severance creator, it was actually canon to the series.
The idea first came from Apple themselves. “They pitched the idea to us, and at one point we were talking about having it just be the other actors,” he, speaking with Variety. “But Ben Stiller and Adam Scott were both really adamant that we get the real cast in there, too.”
Of course, that opened up serious conversations about what the stunt all means, now that the cast, in character, were ‘at work.’ He said:
“Then we had conversations behind the scenes: Where exactly in the continuity of the show does this take place? Is it canon? Do the events that take place in the cube take place in the show? If so, where do they fit?”
A funny thing happened on the way to the Severance viral marketing stunt: it became a real part of series lore. “We decided that it’s all canon,” Erickson explained, “But the thing is: People couldn’t hear what the actors were saying. I don’t even know what the actors were saying.”
The viral marketing stunt became official show lore, though still a mystery to Erickson himself in some ways, but the weirdest implication was that it might potentially become integrated into the series. As the Severance creator said, “Britt Lower and I came up with an idea, but I’m going to keep that one close to the vest.”
Of course, the creator of Severance had to end on a bigger set of mysteries. “And, by the way, the different groups of actors — there’s a question as to whether that’s canon, too. And if so, where and when the hell is that taking place?”
Perhaps we’ll see what this all means in Season 3. In the meantime, see what Milchick is lying about in the first episode of Season 2, and here’s how to watch it and our review.