*Warning: The following content reveals plot details for the first season of Severance.*
The buzz around Apple TV+ has intensified as they’ve just unleashed a fresh teaser for the highly anticipated second season of Severance, slated for release on 17 January 2025.
Fans are also buzzing with the news that fresh faces will join the darkly comedic series as newcomers in the office life of Mark Scout, portrayed by Adam Scott.
As Scott steps back into his role as an employee who opted to distinctly separate his work and personal lives, he is joined by fellow returnees Britt Lower as Helly, Zach Cherry as Dylan, John Turturro as Irving, and Patricia Arquette as Harmony Cobel.
The upcoming season of Severance promises to pick up where the jaw-dropping finale of season one left off, with Helly’s daring attempt to expose the harsh reality behind their “severed” existence, reports the Mirror.
The latest trailer gives us a peek at Mark, seemingly caught up in the usual routine as he returns to Lumon Industries.
Yet, it’s not all business as usual three enigmatic figures emerge, shaking up the office dynamics as new team members.
Eager to know more about these latest additions? Here’s where you’ve seen them before.
Alia Shawkat
The first of our new Lumon employees is played by Alia Shawkat – who stands up during the trailer when a shocked Mark asks his new colleagues: “Who are you people?”
Shawkat is best known for her performance as Maeby Fünke in the cult comedy series Arrested Development, which originally ran between 2003 and 2006.
The actress reprised her role when the show returned on Netflix several years later in 2013, staying until the finale in 2019.
Fans might also recognise Shawkat for her role as Dory Sief in the TBS and HBO Max dark comedy series Search Party.
She has also delivered memorable performances in State of Grace and The Old Man and has guest-starred as several historical figures on Comedy Central’s Drunk History.
Shawkat has also starred in many films over the years, including the 2015 horror-comedy film The Final Girls and, most recently, 2024’s Blink Twice.
Bob Balaban
Esteemed film actor Bob Balaban is also joining the cast of Severance season 2 as one of Mark’s new co-workers.
Fans are bound to recognise Balaban for his many roles in Wes Anderson films over the years, including Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Isle of Dogs (2018) and The French Dispatch (2021).
In 2001, he was one of the producers nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for the whodunnit film Gosford Park, in which he also starred.
Fans of Christopher Guest’s comedies will also remember Balaban from such films as Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006).
His other notable film roles include 1969’s Midnight Cowboy, 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind and 2005’s Capote.
Stefano Carannante
Rounding off the trio is Stefano Carannante, who only has one acting credit on IMDb for his role in Blue Bloods episode, The Naked Truth.
Not much else is known about the actor, but he does also seem to have an Assistant Director credit for the short film Mirabilia.
Severance season 2 is coming to Apple TV+ on January 17, 2025.