SEASON #1

Season 1 Tapes #1 and #2 (front)

TAPE #1

101 - “Good news about hell” (57 minutes)

Mark Scout, who works in Lumon Industries' MDR department, discovers he is being promoted to department head in light of his coworker Petey's sudden departure. His first task is to orient Helly, the replacement, who wakes up in a conference room with no memory of who she is.

Directed by Ben Stiller / Written by Dan Erickson

Review: "One of the things that makes Severance so good right at the offset is that the viewer never really feels very comfortable inside the world of this Apple TV+ series. Director Ben Stiller has made it clear that there is nothing normal about the Severance procedure or a company that is asking its employees to undergo something like this. Even before things take a turn, it becomes quite clear that things just aren't right." (Game Rant)

102 - “Half loop” (53 minutes)

Helly undergoes the severance procedure as a new employee, implanting a microchip inside her brain. At the office, the severed (or "innie") Helly is introduced to her coworkers, Dylan and Irving, and is instructed that her job is to sort encrypted numbers into categories.

Directed by Ben Stiller / Written by Dan Erickson

Review: "Severance takes its time to build up to reveals, but it's time worth spending. The longer you spend in its world the more anxious you become, starting to crave answers like Mark and Helly." (Telltale)

103 - “In perpetuity” (56 minutes)

Petey tells Mark that mysterious benefactors helped him undergo the reintegration procedure. At the office, Helly learns her resignation request sent to her outie has been denied. Mark thwarts her various attempts to smuggle other messages to her outie.

Directed by Ben Stiller / Written by Andrew Colville

Review: "It seems to be a combination of guilt-ridden prayer, the classic and agonizingly repetitive 'write it 100 times' chalkboard punishment, and downright torture. Milchick's steely presence and curt responses fill the scene with a sense of impending dread and an understanding that any refusal to do exactly as he says will be met with severe consequences." (Vulture)

104 - “The you you are” (46 minutes)

Mark stashes away Petey's phone, noticing several missed calls from the same blocked number.Helly finds a paper cutter and threatens self-mutilation unless she is granted a recorded resignation request. However, her outie sends back a recording firmly denying both the request and her innie's personhood.

Directed by Aoife McArdle / Written by Kari Drake

Review: "While most of the other episodes of Severance have been equal parts humor and the absurdity of the work environment, there wasn't much to laugh at in this particular episode. The show probably needed an episode like this, because when push comes to shove, it's important to note that there really isn't anything funny about what's been going on with a company that sends people to some sort of weird torture chamber if they try and pass a note to themselves." (Game Rant)

TAPE #2

105 - “The grim barbarity of O&D” (43 minutes)

Helly returns to work. Cobel orders Ms. Casey to watch her closely, but Mark sneaks Helly out of MDR and reveals he has been recreating Petey's map.

Directed by Aoife McArdle / Written by Anna O. Moench

Review: "It's not hyperbole to say that Severance is the most visually arresting show on TV today. Along with the gorgeous costuming, deft art direction, meticulous production design, and spot-on cinematography, the entire credit sequence is a glorious work of clay-like animation designed to compliment the series' artistic sensibilities. I can't stop watching it. And the setting – Eero Saarinen's stunning Bell Labs – is a real-world piece of mid-century modern art that serves as a crucial centerpiece for the narrative." (Vulture)

106 - “Hide and seek” (40 minutes)

Lumon security chief Graner informs Cobel that he has identified ab ex-employee as responsible for Petey's reintegration. Irving and Burt admit their feelings to one another, but Irving admits he is not ready to commit to a relationship. 

Directed by Aoife McArdle / Written by Amanda Overton

Review: "In 'Hide And Seek', Arquette puts forth the iciest, scariest version of Cobel yet. And I'm not just talking about her breaking into a passionate song with lyrics like, 'Kier, chosen one, Kier' while disciplining the MDR crew." (The A.V. Club)

107 - “Defiant jazz” (49 minutes)

Reghabi kills Graner and gives Mark his access card, telling him to take it to his innie. Milchick engages in a "Music Dance Experience" with the department as a prize for Helly; Dylan refuses to participate...

Directed by Ben Stiller / Written by Helen Leigh

Review: "Severance consistently provides thrills and twists, but Severance Season 1 Episode 7, 'Defiant Jazz', really pushes at the emotional aspect of the show. The closer the lives of the innies come to being self-actualized, the higher the emotional stakes." (Telltale)

108 - “What’s for dinner?” (46 minutes)

Irving's outie paints identical images of a dark corridor. Helly reaches 100% on her data refinement file, thereby meeting MDR's quota. Secretly the MDR team prepares for Dylan to remotely awaken them on the outside...

Directed by Ben Stiller / Written by Chris Black

Review: "On these last few episodes, the stakes have amped up considerably. This episode was full of mounting tension, and the pace has certainly picked up. My heart was pounding during the final sequence." (TV Fanatic)

109 - “The we we are” (40 minutes)

Mark's innie awakens in Devon's home and finds himself hugging "Mrs. Selvig". While excusing himself, he calls Cobel by name, alerting her that the overtime contingency has been activated. Helly wakes up at a Lumon gala where she learns that her outie is Helena Eagan...

Directed by Ben Stiller / Written by Dan Erickson

Review: "'The We We Are' is a rush of pure adrenaline interspersed with moments of angst and dark humor. Dan Erickson and Ben Stiller's writer-director combination works wonders here. This is a satisfying finale because it sprinkles answers throughout at a digestible pace. And then bam: Those last 10 minutes don't hold back." (The A.V. Club)

"I understand if there's viewer frustration over the lack of answers in this finale episode. Personally? I'm going to love thinking about this show for months to come. For me, the best shows are the ones that tease my brain with possibility. Given how stellar the first season was, I fully trust the Severance creative team will capably steer this ship, and I will follow wherever they lead." (Vulture)

Season 1 Tapes #1 and #2 (back)