Severance is back, and though season two is just one more episodefans are already forming theories about what is indeed happening as Apple TV+'s sci-fi thriller enters its next chapter. We'll have to be patient as the puzzle pieces drop in the weekly premiere, but the opening scene of the season premiere sets up the breathtaking and disturbing path that the characters—especially Adam Scott's Mark S—will travel as they seek to solve the mystery behind Lumon Industries.
In a new video from Vanity Fair, executive producer Ben Stiller, who also directed the season premiere “Hello, Ms. Cobel,” and star Scott go behind the scenes of the frantic sequence that's it. It took four to five months to complete and involved more special effects and logistical maneuvering than Severance generally need.
As the couple explained, Mark ran as soon as he got off the elevator—returning to his “innie” mindspace for the first time since realizing that his Lumon co-worker, Ms. Casey is actually Gemma, the wife her “outie” believes died in a car crash—because her first impulse is to find Ms. Casey and share this incredible discovery with him.
But the route to the wellness room proves more of a journey than the viewer realizes. The broken floor of Lumon is like a mile-long maze of white corridors and right turns.
Although Mark was confident he knew the way he could sprint there, capturing his mad dash was technically more difficult than simply following Scott with a Steadicam. It involved a massive piece of camera equipment called a “bolt arm,” as well as a patchwork of hallway shots whenever it was set up to support the sequence—and a treadmill for Scott in some places.
“We didn't want to use visual effects too much on the show in terms of creating backgrounds and environments,” Stiller said. “But we needed it for this shot because of the bolt arm taking up all the space.”
The video further explains why Stiller didn't use a Steadicam (it would have been “too complicated” for the operator to use while keeping up with Mark's pace), as well as how Scott knew each time he was filming. portion of the high-intensity scene when he was asked what flavor of Gatorade he wanted.
“We always felt like we really wanted to start the season in a way that was going to be exciting and fun, and kind of give an indication of where we're going for season two,” Stiller said. “[The shot] it's like, 'Okay, we're going to signal to the audience that this is some new thing going on.”
Oh, and that guy who appears behind Mark when he reaches the former wellness room? Scott and Stiller point to him in the video, but don't reveal much more about his identity. Add that to your ever-growing list of theories! New episodes of Severance coming every Friday on Apple TV+.
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