Paleyfest LA 2025 Opening Night: ‘Severance’
PaleyFest LA 2025 ‘SEVERANCE’ panel.
CinemaBums had the honor of attending PaleyFest LA 2025 Opening Night at the Dolby Theater, which highlighted the worldwide phenomenon from Apple TV+, Severance. The event featured a screening of the season two finale, followed by a panel conversation with executive producer and director Ben Stiller, creator, writer, and executive producer Dan Erickson, and stars Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman, Patricia Arquette, Sarah Bock, Gwendoline Christie, and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. The panel was moderated by Ben Schwartz.
The series has officially been renewed for its third season, and Ben Stiller has promised fans they won’t have to wait as long between seasons this time around. The season two finale holds a 9.5 rating on IMDb.
The panel was kicked off with the help of the USC marching band as Tramell Tillman, who plays Mr. Milchick, surprised the crowd by recreating a fan-favorite moment from the finale.
“We didn’t have a premiere this season, and we didn’t have a premiere for the first season either, due to events in the world,” Stiller said before the screening. “So this is our first time to really get together out in public, show an episode, and share it with everybody. I just want to say, first of all, we’re so grateful that you, the fans, are here to enjoy this.”
The panel began with the cast acknowledging the secrecy surrounding the show, with Erickson joking about the extent to which it has affected his personal life. “I’ve come to build my whole identity on secrecy and not being able to open up to anybody,” Erickson quipped.
Arquette, who plays Cobel, added that she enjoyed having secrets. “I like you all being confused and scared,” she said.
Britt Lower, who plays Helly, touched on the dynamic between Mark, Helly, and Gemma, joking that the complexities are only just beginning.
“I guess on the surface, it looks like a triangle, but if you know me, I love talking about shapes,” Lower said. “It might be a tetrahedron or a hexagonal prism, and so, to add complexity, maybe in that last moment, Helly R. experiences—it’s love at first sight, seeing Gemma across the hallway.”
The Parks & Recreation reunion of Adam Scott and panel host Ben Schwartz concluded that Mark getting to share a fight scene with Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie would have been Ben Wyatt’s fantasy.
Christie concluded the panel by reflecting on the admiration she held for the creators of the show. “Honestly, it does mean a huge amount to me because a show as original and fresh as this, with this amount of tangible passion, intelligence, and real depth of heart behind it, is so rare. I’m in awe of everyone involved in the show, and it is a dream. Thank you so much,” she said.
Both seasons of Severance are now streaming on Apple TV+.
