"Severance" season 3 is coming "as fast as possible," according to director and executive producer Ben Stiller, but last night was all about season 2. Apple's sci-fi thriller was up for numerous awards at the 2025 Primetime Emmys on Sunday night, after already having won a few at the Creative Arts Emmys the week before. By the end of the night, "Severance" season 2 added two more wins to its trophy cabinet, with Tramell Tillman and Britt Lower both winning for acting performances, giving the show a total of eight Emmy wins from 27 nominations.
We know the end, and we don’t really know how we’re getting there.
'Severance' show creator Dan Erickson
But that wasn't the only "Severance" news to come from the Emmys. On the red carpet, showrunner Dan Erickson revealed a major update on season 3 and the future of the series.
"We know the end, and we don’t really know how we’re getting there,” Erickson told IndieWire when asked about the show's future.
"We have some idea of how we’re getting there, but we definitely like to be open to playing jazz a little bit and changing things as we go along, falling in love with characters that we didn’t necessarily expect to fall in love with, and incorporating them into the story in new ways. I think it is possible to overplan, but we know where we’re going at the end of the day."
That's a positive update. It signals that writing for season 3 is still moving apace, which it needs to be if we want to avoid having to wait another three years to get new episodes of "Severance." Especially since season 3 reportedly hasn't begun production, and, according to the show's lead, Adam Scott, it could take six weeks to film a single episode and half a year to film a full season.
However, I think it also signals when "Severance" is going to end, and I think it may be sooner than a lot of people think.
Erickson's remarks signal 'Severance' season 4 could be its last
As someone who used to play jazz music, I'm well aware that a soloist can improvise for a while. But at a certain point, you need to reel it back in and finish the song. So when I read Erickson's comments on the future of "Severance," I came away thinking that this sounds like a guy who knows the end is coming.
So I think that, while "Severance" season 3 won't be the show's last, I do think "Severance" season 4 will be the final season of the Apple TV Plus sci-fi series. I think Erickson knows the ending he wants, which means he's now filling the story to stretch things out. You can only do that for so long.
It also doesn't make sense after season 2's cliffhanger ending to prolong the story indefinitely. We now know (to a degree) what Lumon is doing, and now Mark and Helly are running through the halls, evading Lumon's management. You can't do that forever. Either you have to have Mark and Helly win and live happily ever after, have a tragic ending where one of them gets to live the life they want but at great cost, or Lumon wins and everything returns to the status quo. We now know the stakes of the show, and it's time for Erickson & Co. to deliver.
Of course, Erickson is now down a major creative partner, with Ben Stiller announcing he won't return to direct season 3. If that makes season 3 a more arduous endeavour for Erickson than seasons 1 and 2, I could see him ready to wrap things up in season 4, regardless of whether that's the current plan or not.
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Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
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