‘Severance’ Season 1 Recap: What to Know Before Season 2

At ScreenCrush, we’re thrilled about the comeback of the intriguing series, “Severance,” which airs on Apple TV+. This show delves into the lives of employees at Lumon Industries, a peculiar company that uses a process called “severance” to erase workers’ memories while they’re on duty, creating a division between their work and personal experiences during office hours. Ever since its premiere in 2022, we’ve been eagerly anticipating the show’s return for Season 2, and now that day has arrived!

Perhaps you didn’t catch Season 1 when it initially aired, or maybe you heard all the buzz about the show, got Apple TV+ recently, and are eager to start with Season 2. Alternatively, if you’ve been watching a lot of television since 2022 (as many of us have), and want to refresh your memory before the new premiere, our latest video is exactly what you need!

This video condenses all nine episodes of Severance‘s first season into a quick 13-minute watch. It brings you up to speed on Mark, Dylan, and other Lumon employees, the series’ intriguing plot twists, and hints about what Season 2 might hold.

Watch our full Severance Season 1 recap below:

If you enjoyed the video about Season 1 of “Severance” and are eager for Season 2, don’t forget to explore more videos beneath it! You’ll find our comprehensive recap of “Squid Game” Season 1 before the arrival of Season 2, our review of Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” series, as well as an analysis of the true meaning behind the ending of “Lost”. And there’s plenty more to discover on ScreenCrush’s YouTube channel! Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss our upcoming episodes. By the way, “Severance” Season 2 is slated to debut on Apple TV+ on January 17.

The 10 Biggest Unanswered ‘Squid Game’ Questions

1. Who is in charge of the games after Il-Nam dies?

In the gripping drama “Squid Game,” spectators were taken aback when Player 001, whose real identity was Il-nam, unveiled himself as the architect of the ruthless competition that eventually led to Gi-hun’s victory. It transpired that Il-nam craved the adrenaline rush he couldn’t find elsewhere in life. Though Il-nam fabricated numerous elements of his persona during the series, his battle against cancer was genuine. Engaging in the games provided him with a raw, human encounter. In the final episode, Il-nam succumbs to his illness, hinting at the possible demise of the games. But here’s the twist: the following year, Gi-hun learns that the games are set to resume. This leaves us pondering: Who is orchestrating the games now that Il-nam has perished? Could it be the Front Man, or is there a puppeteer even higher up controlling the deadly contests?

2. Why didn’t Mi-nyeo get killed after she couldn’t find a partner for marbles?

In Episode 6, the competitors are compelled to compete against each other in a deadly game of marbles. This is intensely distressing since most participants pick their partners based on their closeness, expecting collaboration during the challenge. There’s an odd number of players, leading the contestants to assume that the last player left will be eliminated automatically. This is what drives Gi-hun to reach out to Il-nam as a partner, despite his deteriorating health making him a potential liability. The vocal Mi-nyeo finds herself without a partner, and the other competitors presume she has been shot by the remaining guards. However, following Round 4, the surviving players return to find Mi-nyeo very much alive. In these games, it appears that the guards do not miss an opportunity to eliminate any player who can no longer participate. Could it be that they were told not to kill the non-partnered player, assuming it would be Il-nam instead?

3. What would happen if there were more than two players remaining for Round 6?

What if Song-woo had chosen to eliminate both Sae-byeok and Gi-hun simultaneously, becoming the sole contestant before Round 6 commenced?

4. Is Hwang Jun-ho still alive after being shot off the cliff?

The central side plot of Squid Game revolves around detective Hwang Jun-ho’s quest to uncover his brother Hwang In-ho’s whereabouts. Throughout the first season, he diligently tracks down his brother, ultimately discovering that the Front Man is actually In-ho. This shocking truth unfolds as Jun-ho finds himself on a dangerous cliff edge, with In-ho shooting him in the shoulder and causing him to fall off. While it appears Jun-ho might not have survived, there’s room for speculation – he might still be alive. After all, Jun-ho has shown remarkable resilience, and the bullet only hit his shoulder, not his heart. Since we didn’t witness him die, could it be that he’s somehow managed to survive? If so, one wonders where he might be now.

5. Why did In-ho become the Front Man, if he was a winner of the games himself?

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve pondered over Jun-ho’s findings about the games, and one intriguing revelation is that my brother, years before the current events, was the victor in these games. This implies that he’s incredibly wealthy, with the winner receiving billions of won. Yet, here comes the puzzling part – my brother, In-ho, took on the role of the Front-Man for these deadly games. Was it the allure of wealth that made him cynical like Il-nam, finding excitement only in these lethal competitions? Did he squander his fortune and seek a new source of income? Or is there some hidden rule in the games that obliges winners to remain associated with this enigmatic organization? The position of the Front-Man seems more like a power trip than a desirable job, given its stressful and traumatizing nature. Why did In-ho choose to return to such a dangerous competition? Was it a choice he had?

6. Where do the masked workers come from?

In the popular series “Squid Game”, the numerous staff members are seen wearing vibrant pinkish-red tracksuits and masks adorned with geometric shapes, symbolizing their positions. It swiftly becomes evident that these staff members do not possess inherent power; their authority stems solely from the Front Man and Il-nam’s commands. Interestingly, they too harbor secrets, as a clandestine group of workers reportedly earn additional income by illegally harvesting and selling organs from deceased players. The question then arises: How did these staff members come to be associated with the game? Some viewers propose that they were recruited in much the same way as the players, and that their status as a worker was determined by the color of the card they picked during the ddakji game. However, director Hwang Dong-hyuk has dismissed this theory, explaining that the color of the cards is a reference to an old Korean folktale about a ghost in a bathroom who offered people a choice between red and blue tissue, but ultimately caused their demise regardless of their selection. As a result, the origins of the staff members’ involvement and the reason behind it remain unclear.

7. Was each player recruited the same way Gi-hun was at the train station?

From the start, it’s clear that Gi-hun has a propensity for gambling, evident in his reckless wager of his mother’s savings at a horse race. The game of ddakji, where one player aims to flip their opponent’s paper with their own, leveraged Gi-hun’s gambling vulnerability, placing him in a precarious situation where he was ready to go to any lengths to win. This tactic proved useful in getting him to participate in the Squid Game, but it appears customized for someone with an addictive character. One might wonder if the game organizers enlisted all 456 players using this same approach. While each participant was financially strapped, a seemingly basic game like ddakji may not have been as persuasive for individuals such as Sae-byeok or Ali. Could there have been various strategies employed to lure people into the games?

8. Why did the Front Man want the workers to track down the players who quit?

By the finale of Episode 1, Player 001 exercised the pivotal vote in a survey to decide if the games would persist. With most players opting against continuing the games, all were immediately dismissed. However, over the passage of time, many returned. The longing for the monetary prize surpassed their apprehension about losing. Yet, there were some players who elected not to return, and the Foreman ordered his staff to locate them. But why? Given that a substantial number of contestants returned – enough to continue the games, one might wonder what significance their whereabouts held. It is plausible that the Foreman was anxious that these contestants may expose the secrets of the games to the authorities, as Gi-hun attempted in Episode 2. We are aware that each player was chosen for a unique purpose, and it could be that the Foreman was trying to mitigate potential damage.

9. How many other death games are happening all over the world?

Upon encountering the VIPs, they share valuable information about the death games’ expansive nature. One VIP hints at similar games occurring in different nations, suggesting that these games are a worldwide occurrence. How many contests are taking place globally? Is there one central figure controlling them all, or does each event have its own individual leader? Do the various games incorporate challenges derived from the traditional childhood games of their respective regions? If Season 2 unfolds, would we discover more about these other events? Since Il-nam is absent, it’s plausible that the Korean games could carry on as long as there’s a robust network of leaders to step up and take charge.

10. What is Seong Gi-hun’s plan after he hangs up the phone at the airport?

At the finale of “Squid Game”, there’s a sense of resolution, but it seems incomplete. The character Gi-hun, now with red hair, places Sae-byeok’s brother with Song-woo’s mother and prepares to depart for America where his daughter resides. However, before boarding the plane, he calls the number on a business card he had taken from a man at the train station. The people on the other end inform him that the games are being held again, causing Gi-hun to abruptly leave his flight. This leaves viewers feeling frustrated as they had hoped for Gi-hun to meet his daughter. We’re left wondering what Gi-hun intends to do, given he doesn’t have specific locations for the games. If he finds them, will he try to stop them? The first season of “Squid Game” concludes with a huge mystery, leaving us eagerly anticipating a potential second season.

2025-01-15 17:23