Interview with Tramell Tillman and Zach Cherry - SEVERANCE

#severancetvshow #appletv #tramelltillman #zachcherry
For me, Severance is one of the best series. Since season one, I have watched with anticipation of where it would go next and, without a doubt, it doesn't disappoint. Severance bites its thumb at the systems that try to control us. 

The show's brilliance lies in its eerie calm, its sterile aesthetic that somehow hums with dread, and its characters who, despite being trapped in a system designed to strip them of agency, claw their way toward something resembling truth or identity. Adam Scott brings a quiet, aching humanity to Mark, while the rest of the cast elevates the series with performances that balance absurdity with deep emotional resonance.
Milchick is a perfect example of the show's unsettling tone. He's the ever-smiling enforcer of order - too friendly, too controlled, too precise. He's both charming and deeply unnerving, gliding through the fluorescent halls of Lumon like a predator in a tailored suit. You never quite know if he's going to offer you a dance party or psychological destruction. 

Dylan, with his sharp wit and intensity, starts off as comic relief but quickly becomes one of the most emotionally resonant characters. His transformation from a loyal company man to someone willing to risk so much for a glimpse of his real life is interesting, to say the least. It does lead to the question of how much is Dylan like his outie, who he has referred to as an "asshole". 

Helly is the wild card, the fuse lit from the very beginning. Her resistance is our resistance. She's raw, furious, and completely unwilling to accept the fate handed to her. Watching her fight back - with every ounce of her being - adds urgency to the show's slow-burning unease. She embodies rebellion, and her presence shakes the entire system at its core. Ironic, given who her outie is.

Cobel, on the other hand, is like a cult leader in a blazer. She masks her obsession with control behind a veneer of maternal care, yet her every move is manipulative and calculating. She's terrifying because she believes in the system - not just as a job, but as a sacred duty. Her dual life, when she was watching Mark outside the office as Ms. Selvig, added layers of creepiness and complexity that deepen the show's commentary on surveillance and control.

Irving's meticulous nature and deep sense of loyalty conceal a simmering storm of grief, longing, and suppressed rage. His relationship with Burt is one of the show's most tender and quietly revolutionary elements, a beacon of hope in a place designed to crush individuality.

And then there's Gemma, or Ms. Casey, who haunts the narrative like a ghost. The mystery surrounding her identity and her connection to Mark (finally solved in an emotionally brutal way in season 2) adds an aching emotional weight to the story. Every glimpse of her seemed designed to feel like a memory trying to claw its way out of a locked box. She's the living embodiment of everything the severance procedure is trying to bury - and her presence hints that the system may not be as airtight as it claims.

Severance is a corporate nightmare wrapped in mystery, laced with dark humor, science fiction, and a philosophical bite. Every episode unravels more than just plot - it peels back layers of how we define who we are and what we're willing to give up for comfort, for survival, for a paycheck. The writing is sharp, the pacing meticulous, and the tension builds like a pressure cooker with no release valve in sight.
In a world that increasingly asks us to compartmentalize our lives, Severance feels both prescient and deeply personal. It entertains and it challenges. And I, for one, can't look away.
#adamscott #brittlower #dichenlachman #johnturturro #patriciaarquette #benstiller