The secret to Severance’s mysteries come from this show now on Netflix

Return of a Sci-Fi Show

Later this January, one of the most intriguing science fiction shows of the 21st century will finally return. Nearly three years after its debut, Severance’s second season promises to resolve at least some of the many mysteries posed by this series about a sinister company with the capability to surgically split its employees’ consciousnesses between work and home life (innies and outies, respectively) and the lives of those “severed” workers.

Origins of a Hit Series

Created by first-time showrunner Dan Erickson, Severance might never have come into existence if it hadn’t landed on the desk of Ben Stiller, who produced the series and directed six of the nine episodes in the first season. But while the emergence of Stiller as a TV director was a surprise to many — since when does Derek Zoolander make prestige television? — it wasn’t his first attempt. Just a few years earlier, he’d directed another critically acclaimed series: Escape at Dannemora.

A Real-Life Prison Break

Escape at Dannemora is a dramatized retelling of a real-life prison break from the maximum security Clinton Correctional Facility in 2015. The show features a sprawling cast but focuses on three characters: Richard Matt (Benicio del Toro), a charming prisoner who paints pictures for the prison guards in return for favors; David Sweat (Paul Dano), another inmate who teams up with Richard to escape; and Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell (Patricia Arquette), a prison employee who becomes romantically involved with both Richard and David.

The Intriguing Storytelling

After an opening scene set post-prison break where Tilly is brought in by the police for questioning, the series jumps back in time and painstakingly reveals how the two men managed to break out of a prison often referred to as New York’s Little Siberia. Without spoiling too much, what makes Escape at Dannemora so interesting is the meticulous way its story unfolds.

Comparing the Shows

While Stiller once told IndieWire he never noticed the similarities between Escape at Dannemora and Severance, they aren’t exactly subtle. Both shows are, on some level, prison break stories, and they handle their biggest twists in a compelling manner.

Exploring Character Depth

In a sense, that dramatic episode of Dannemora tells us everything we need to know about Severance. Because in a show where everyone feels like a blank slate, the biggest twist isn’t whether they’ll ultimately escape from their innie existence or why they’re being severed in the first place; it’s the possibility that the true nature of these characters will tarnish the versions of them we’ve come to know and love.

Streaming Details

Escape at Dannemora is streaming on Netflix. Severance season 2 premieres Jan. 17.