Severance pulled off an incredible achievement by taking an extended break between seasons while still retaining its popularity. Oftentimes, this kind of gap can cause fans to be more critical of a show when it finally returns, but Season 2 of Severance was completely satisfying and seemed to promise an even more exciting future ahead. Given that Apple TV is keen to ensure that Severance fans won’t have to wait another three years, the production of Season 3 has become a priority, even if some of the creative heads won’t be as actively involved. While Ben Stiller was the primary auteur for the first two seasons, his current focus is on directing an upcoming World War II film.
Although there has yet to be any official confirmation from Apple, new claims have emerged that Kogonada will be replacing Stiller to direct the majority of Severance Season 3. A former visual artist and essayist, Kogonada wrote and directed the underrated arthouse film Columbus and sci-fi indie movie After Yang; in addition to directing last year’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey and the Sundance film Zi. Kogonada has also worked on shows like Disney+’s The Acolyte and Apple TV’s Pachinko. As a series with a very specific tone and style, Severance needs someone who can innovate while also finding a good balance with the existing series in order to avoid feeling derivative. Bringing in Kogonada to shepherd the latest installment could be either a brilliant choice or a total disaster, depending on how much creative input the brilliant filmmaker is given.
‘Severance’ Season 3 Could Be Getting a New Primary Director, but Is That a Good Thing?
Severance is not entirely directed by Stiller in the same way that other auteur-driven shows like Sam Esmail’s Mr. Robot or Park Chan-wook’s Little Drummer Girl were, but he did play a significant role in mapping out the series’ unique approach to sci-fi. “Chikhai Bardo,” often referred to as the best episode of the series, was directed by Jessica Lee Gagné, a longtime cinematographer who had been working with Stiller since their collaboration on the award-winning Showtime thriller Escape at Dannemora. The ending of Severance Season 2 suggests a significant shift within the narrative of the show, as Mark (Adam Scott) finally chooses to embrace his life as an “innie” by staying in Lumon with Helly (Britt Lower). Any potential newcomer would have to retain the didactic, darkly comedic style of Stiller’s filmmaking, which combined sharp satire of contemporary workplace culture with intense psychological paranoia.
Related
Apple TV’s 2-Part Modern Sci-Fi Classic Sets a New Gold Standard for Television
This Season 2 episode highlights the show’s visceral and tactile world as the story reaches its emotional apex.
There’s no doubt that Kogonada would be able to handle the visual sensibilities of Severance, as Columbus and After Yang are two beautiful films that combine his interest in avant-garde contemporary art and philosophy. After Yang, in particular, embraces a form of futurism that doesn’t feel far removed from the current time, which is the same window in which Severance operates. Kogonada is also renowned for his ability to generate chemistry between his stars, and might actually be able to help Severance avoid some potential pitfalls. Even though the second season was universally beloved, there were some concerns that the show was becoming too focused on its mystery boxes. Inserting more grounded emotional scenes will be necessary for the show to prove that the characters are worth investing in more than anything else. Kogonada seems particularly well-suited to handling the romance between Mark and Helly, which will surely be a major component in the next season.
Kogonada’s Previous Work Could Hint at His Potential Approach to ‘Severance’ Season 3
One potential issue that could arise is that Kogonada hasn’t had a great track record with projects he didn’t also write. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey was a complete misfire because the script offered something more traditionally crowdpleasing and melodramatic, which did not congeal with Kogonada’s style at all. At the same time, Kogonada took a swing in the opposite direction with his new Sundance film Zi, which he wrote and directed and which was highly improvisational. The critical response was polarizing, and it’s not all that surprising that it has yet to find a distributor. Should Kogonada be hired to do Severance, he will have to avoid both of these extremes.
Kogonada’s work on other drama shows offers insight into what he might be able to do with Severance. His work on Pachinko succeeded because he was also involved creatively in mapping out the story. However, the flashback episodes that Kogonada directed for The Acolyte were far less successful because his more lyrical approach was oddly inserted into a Star Wars series that was attempting to build a mystery that wasn’t developed in a meaningful way. If Kogonada is indeed replacing Stiller for the majority of the episodes, Severance needs to find a way to harness Kogonada’s unique style while also matching the show’s existing tone. With such high expectations for the series, this change could make or break the popular Apple TV sci-fi series.