18 Shows Like ‘Severance’ to Binge-Watch Before Season 2

I wouldn't trade anything for a day in the life of a Lumon Industries employee, but I would happily waste my hours watching the team navigate tricky situations from their tiny cubicles on Severance.

It's been over a year since I last caught up with the Innies and Outies—and yes, I'm still obsessing over that mind-blowing season one finale. Fortunately, season two has already been confirmed and, better yet, Apple TV+ has announced the release date. I've already marked my calendar for January 17, 2025, and I'm all caught up on key details like casting and the plot. For now, though, I'm filling my workplace thriller withdrawal by watching binge-worthy shows like Severance. (And obsessing over season two theories, of course.)

From Mr. Robot to Dollhouse, keep reading for 18 shows that'll keep you occupied ahead of season two.

1. Homecoming

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Julia Roberts, Stephan James, Bobby Cannavale, Hong Chau, Janelle Monáe
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes TK% | IMDb TK/10

Like Severance, Homecoming is a slow-burn thriller about a seemingly innocent organization that’s hiding a dark secret. And it's only a matter of time before employees start to uncover the truth. In this case, the show revolves around a facility called Homecoming, which helps soldiers transition back to civilian life. Created by Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg, the series is clever, haunting and packed with twists and turns. (You may or may not be tempted to watch both seasons a second time.)

2. Devs

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Sonoya Mizuno, Nick Offerman, Jin Ha
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 82% | IMDb 7.6/10

Here’s another binge-worthy option that focuses on corporate life at a shady organization. Only this time, a brilliant young employee is convinced that the company is responsible for her boyfriend’s mysterious disappearance. The Emmy-nominated series expertly tackles themes like religion, people's relationships with technology and the true meaning of free will.

Show creator Alex Garland told Observer, “It’s really about all of the characters experiencing dissonance. We all have these funny dichotomies...We oscillate between these states and the way we oscillate between them affects whoever we’re around.”

3. Dollhouse

• Rating: TV-14
• Cast: Eliza Dushku, Harry Lennix, Fran Kranz
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 63% | IMDb 7.7/10

Dollhouse may not be set in an office, but it shares similar themes and has an eerie, unsettling tone. It follows Echo, an “active” woman who resides in a secret facility where people get their true identities erased. After being imprinted with temporary new personas, the actives carry out assignments for clients that range from romantic affairs to criminal activities. It’s imaginative and seriously gripping because it raises valid questions about morality, identity and slavery. Joss Whedon's sci-fi series ran for just two seasons, but trust me, it's worth the binge.

4. Mr. Robot

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Rami Malek, Christian Slater
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 94% | IMDb 8.5/10

Elliot, a skilled cybersecurity engineer by day and hacker by night, finds himself in a tough spot when he gets recruited by the mysterious "Mr. Robot” to join a group of hacktivists and eliminate all consumer debt. Aside from sharing the common theme of rebelling against a powerful corporation, the series also deals with mental health, social justice and wealth disparity. The show's lengthy list of accolades include two Golden Globe Awards, three Emmy Awards and three Critics' Choice Television Awards.

5. Westworld

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, Thandie Newton
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 79% | IMDb 8.5/10

This dystopian sci-fi thriller involves a Western-themed amusement park, where wealthy visitors get to indulge in their wildest fantasies without any consequences. While it dives into darker and more complex themes, Westworld does a stellar job of exploring consciousness and the nature of reality for both humans and sentient beings. So, it comes as no surprise that the show scored nine Emmy wins and 54 nominations.

6. Counterpart

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: J.K. Simmons, Olivia Williams, Harry Lloyd
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 100% | IMDb 8/10

Meet Howard Silk, a UN worker who’s shocked to discover that his agency is housing a secret gateway to a parallel world—complete with a skilled doppelgänger who couldn’t be more different from him. Like Severance, viewers get a glimpse of the corporate world, complete with sci-fi elements and unexpected twists. It is created by Justin Marks (best known for Shōgun), and it scored an Emmy for Outstanding Main Title Design.

7. Black Mirror

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Michaela Coel, YourPritam, Daniel Lapaine, Hannah John-Kamen See
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 83% | IMDb 8.7/10

While Severance addresses corporate life, Black Mirror focuses on the darker side of modern society and its relationship with advanced technology. The British anthology series is rife with mind-bending scenarios and satirical themes, and it boasts a laundry list of impressive guest actors, from Miley Cyrus to Jerome Flynn. Oh, and did I mention the sci-fi anthology series has nine Emmys and four BAFTA Television Awards to its name?

8. Servant

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free, Rupert Grint
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes TK% | IMDb TK/10

It's the kind of slow-paced horror show that's creepy enough to leave you unsettled, but it's almost impossible to stop watching once you start. The series revolves around Dorothy and Sean Turner, a married couple who try to cope with the loss of their son by getting a lifelike reborn doll. But when they hire a young nanny to take care of him, they unknowingly invite a dark force into their home. I should note the series got a stamp of approval from the King of Horror, Stephen King.

9. Made For Love

• Rating: TV-14
• Cast: Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, Ray Romano
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 97% | IMDb 6.9/10

Made for Love follows a young woman who tries to run away from her controlling and abusive husband. During her journey, she learns that he’s been following her every move with a tracking device that he planted in her brain. This captivating series, which ran for two seasons, has plenty to say about modern technology, privacy and relationships. Severance fans will also be happy to know that it touches on free will and memory erasure.

10. Upload

• Rating: 16+
• Cast: Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, Zainab Johnson
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes TK% | IMDb TK/10

If you prefer a high-concept series that’s more lighthearted, you’ll want to check out this comedy-drama, which follows a computer programmer who passes away and gets uploaded into a digital afterlife. It’s filled with funny moments, and like Severance, it centers on a protagonist who’s determined to uncover the truth about his life. (Or in this case, his death.)

Creator Greg Daniels told The Hollywood Reporter, “It’s a world where heaven is only for the very rich, so you can’t avoid critiques of income inequality and billionaires when that’s your subject matter. The trick is to not hit people over the head with that and to be a fun comedy show.”

11. Russian Doll

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Greta Lee, Yul Vazquez, Charlie Barnett
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 97% | IMDb 7.7/10

Lyonne is Nadia Vulvokov, a game developer who gets stuck in a time loop after dying at a party in New York. But as she investigates her death, she discovers she isn’t the only one who’s trapped. The premise is quite different, but it's a thrilling ride that will fulfill your Severance void, thanks to its existential themes. BTW, Russian Doll received 14 Emmy Award nominations for season one, winning a total of three. While season one explores life and death, season two focuses on the nature of time.

12. Corporate

• Rating: TV-14
• Cast: Matt Ingebretson, Jake Weisman, Anne Dudek
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 87% | IMDb 7.8/10

If you’re especially drawn to the corporate setting and dark humor in Severance (or prefer to skip the sci-fi elements), then you may want to check out Corporate. The comedy series follows employees at Hampton DeVille as they struggle to navigate their toxic work environment. The show includes several notable guest stars, from Natasha Lyonne and Kate Walsh to Chris Fleming.

13. Dispatches from Elsewhere

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Jason Segel, Andre Benjamin, Eve Lindley, Richard E. Grant
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 85% | IMDb 6.9/10

Four strangers stumble upon an elaborate game that prompts them to do strange things, and as a result, they gain access to a completely different world, which changes how they perceive reality. This other-worldy experience isn't quite like Lumon Industries, but if you're up for an imaginative series that dives a bit more into the meaning of life, you'll enjoy Dispatches from Elsewhere. (Fun fact: It's based on the documentary film The Institute about the alternate reality game The Jejune Institute.)

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Rashida Jones, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Joanna Sotomura, Judy Ongg
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 90% | IMDb 6.6/10

If you're craving another refreshing, unique series that thoughtfully tackles mental health while exploring the impact of modern technology, then you simply have to watch Sunny. Based on Colin O'Sullivan's 2018 novel, The Dark Manual, the series follows a recently widowed woman named Suzie. She's gifted with Sunny, a domestic robot that's programmed to help her as she grieves. Unfortunately, it turns out there's more to this robot than meets the eye.

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Tatiana Maslany, Jordan Gavaris, Dylan Bruce, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Kevin Hanchard
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 93% | IMDb 8.3/10

Maslany stars as Sarah, a young hustler whose life is turned upside down after she witnesses the suicide of a woman who looks exactly like her. I won't spoil the big reveal, but let's just say that her perspective shifts when she gets a shocking revelation about her past. Created by Graeme Manson and John Fawcett, this wild sci-fi thriller explores identity, morality and ethics. Maslany also delivers a stunning performance, which (rightfully) earned her an Emmy Award.

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Lee Sun-kyun, Lee Yoo-young, Park Hee-soon
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 80% | IMDb 6.7/10

When Sewon Koh, a brilliant brain scientist, suddenly loses his family in a mysterious accident, he goes to extreme lengths to get to the bottom of what happened. His approach? Performing brain syncs with the dead, where he searches their minds for clues that could potentially solve the case. While Severance focuses on the split between work life and personal life, this series creates a similar contrast between the living and the dead, offering viewers a fascinating glimpse of what it's like to manipulate the brain and merge the two, rather than keeping them "severed."

• Rating: TV-MA
• Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Nick Jonas, Pedro Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Lily Collins
• Reviews: Rotten Tomatoes 95% | IMDb 7.7/10

What I love about Severance is that it maintains an element of mystery that makes you go, "What the heck is really happening?" You'll have a lot of those moments when you watch Calls, an intense thriller that chronicles a story through a giant web of interconnected phone conversations between strangers. All of their lives are thrown into chaos as they get closer to a devastating apocalyptic event. (FYI, if you need more convincing, the series won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Motion Design.)