The Breakup Season 2 Episode 1 takes a big twist right off the bat

Warning: This article is for true Cyrus fans only. If you haven’t watched the season 2 premiere of The Gap, beware spoilers.

Well, we’ve finally found out what’s been going on since the fateful film The Gap left us all literally on the edge of our seats almost three full years ago … and the answer is apparently nothing? Season 2 premiere episode (which I reviewed here for /Film) picks up pretty much right where we left off with our ini favorite Mark S. (Adam Scott), who wakes up immediately on a segregated floor of Lumon Industries seconds—at least from his perspective—after exclaiming that his (supposedly) late wife was actually alive. For those who need a refresher on what happened last timeMark led a rebellion against his corporate overlords, resulting in Heli R. (Brit Lauer) blew the whistle in front of several Lumon dignitaries, and Irving B. (John Turturro) urgently sought out his brief romantic flame Bert (Christopher Walken).

However, when the smoke cleared and Mark returned to work, he was faced with the shocking fact that his old team at Macrodata Refinement (MDR) had been completely replaced by a new trio of strange cohorts. Presumably, this would establish a new status quo for at least the first few episodes of the season. Not so! In the first big competition of the season (with many more to come), the highly charged premiere episode immediately turns the tables on both Mark S. and the audience… and in doing so, sets the tone for a sophomore season that’s sure to keep fans guessing about every step.

Oh, how easily any of us can be replaced as the wheels of capitalism continue to churn. “The Gap” season 2 is back and doesn’t miss a beat in its scathing satire of workplace norms, the latter of which is best represented by the three newest characters introduced — and just as quickly eliminated — in this first hour of season 2. That’s right, if it seemed like we would have to get used to it Bizarro version of MDR led by guest stars Bob Balaban, Alia Shaukat and Stefan Caronante, Marco’s desperate, rule-breaking appeal to the Council does the trick. Halfway through the premiere, the first big twist is that our favorite group of innies have reunited and are ready to be an even bigger thorn in Lumon’s side.

Trailers for season 2 went out of their way to highlight the new MDR team, confirming speculation that series creator Dan Erickson and his writing team might let them stick around for a while. Well, you know what they say about guessers. After being caught trying to sabotage poor Mark W. (even Mark S. doesn’t seem to have tried too hard, as Mr. Milczyk of Trammell Tillman points out, even forgetting to hide his own handwriting on the incriminating memo he tried to file ), Mark S. decides to take his complaints to the very top of Lumon’s management. His ill-advised infiltration of Mr. Milchick’s office yields incredible results, as even the Council seems to recognize that giving in to Ini’s demands will be the easiest way to get him back at the table and clear up all that macro data.

Sometimes, workers it is possible get a narrow victory over the bosses – although maybe our young people can finally figure out how to unionize before Season 3 and make things easier for themselves, eh?

So where does all this lead our promising MDR recruits? On his way to the new, improved lounge to watch a Lumon-approved animated video unlike anything we’ve seen on this show before (including a voiceover cameo you’ll probably recognize), the always sardonic Dylan G. (Zach Cherry) urges Mark not to feel bad about “ending their lives.” Dylan shows no remorse for these workers who have been put in the position of taking away his and his friends’ jobs, but their uncertain fate is as amusing as it is quietly disturbing. Our beloved innies could easily end up “killed off” in exactly the same way, ceasing to exist, as dear Burt did last season when he was forced to retire.

Again, to be fair, “Severance” plays things low-key. The premiere is not dependent on whether some (or all) of this trio of new characters will appear later in the season. But if nothing else, this subversion of expectations feels like a massive, bright neon sign that our heroes need to watch their backs even more in the coming episodes.

So far, the premiere has left us in an exciting place — and, yes, it just so happens that it’s exactly where our episodes were last season. But don’t let the looks fool you. Mark S, Healey R, Irving B. and Dylan G. can get back all their previous jobs, but they live in very different emotional spaces than ever before. Despite struggling to accept Lumon’s offer to leave voluntarily, Irving B. decides to stay and help his friends. Dylan, after learning that his girlfriend has a wife and kids, remains more motivated than ever. As for Heli R. and Mark S., our new power couple, you can bet that these two will get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the missing Ms. Casey/Gemma (Dichen Lachman).

New episodes of Severance air every Friday on Apple TV+.