The good news is that Severance Season 3 is definitely happening, but while fans are excited for more from the Apple TV series, there’s one major complaint that has emerged amid the latest update.
According to a new report from Deadline, Apple TV has made Severance its “innie” title, having acquired all rights for the sci-fi series from its former production company, Fifth Season.
The outlet stated that due to expanding production costs (Season 2 reportedly cost $20 million an episode), the deal will allow Apple TV execs to better manage the financial health of the show.
Sources said that the plan is for Severance to run for at least four seasons, while showrunner Dan Erickson and director Ben Stiller are potentially open to expanding the franchise with a prequel or other spinoffs.
Severance fans frustrated over Season 3 plans
For now, Apple TV sources said the streamer is hoping for Severance Season 3 to start shooting in summer 2026. The report does say that timing isn’t certain, as the scripts are still being written.
Fans of the series are happy the show is definitely returning, but they’ve described the summer 2026 hopes as “ridiculous”. Let’s not forget the excruciating three-year wait between Seasons 1 and 2.
Although the creators have promised it won’t be as long before the next chapter, Season 2 finished airing a year ago. Ultimately, viewers aren’t getting their hopes up at the idea of seeing a third chapter anytime soon.
“This is pretty ridiculous,” wrote one Redditor in response to the idea. “This is not a sustainable formula.” Another quipped, “See you guys in 2028.” A third added, “There will probably be 10 years between the first and the fourth season.”
A fourth asked, “Can someone please tell me why all shows are like this now? I’m being serious.”
Severance is part of a wider TV trend in recent years: long gaps between seasons. More than three years passed between Stranger Things Seasons 4 and 5, and we’ve been waiting four years for Euphoria Season 3.
While there were factors that impacted these shows – from the Hollywood strikes to scheduling conflicts – another reason is that the production value has risen, meaning longer filming and post-production times.
Another Redditor responded to the question, “If you mean the time between seasons it’s because most large productions use ‘per season’ contracts now, as far as i know, i.e. the actors sign on for one season of filming and then leave and they have to be recontracted for another.
“This takes a lot of time and a lot of paperwork because getting 15-25 actors who are all not contracted for Severance to be in the same place and are working on other projects in their own time is exceptionally difficult for scheduling.
“And the end result is it being years between seasons. I can’t really say if it’s a better system for the actors or the company but I do believe it is cheaper and less risky if the show doesn’t turn out to be a success.”
In a separate Reddit post on the news, there are many similar complaints. “I love Severance but this 3+ years for 10 episodes is unsustainable. Hell, two years is still a push,” wrote one.
Another quipped, “At this rate Adam Scott will be pushing 60 by the time this show finishes.”
Potential Severance spinoffs divides viewers
Others don’t mind the wait between seasons but aren’t too keen on the idea of the show expanding into spinoffs.
“I’m not bothered by the time scale for Season 3 but the idea it’ll have spinoffs after a fourth season makes me cringe,” said one, and a second agreed, “Some shows don’t need spinoffs or prequels. This is one of them.”
A third commented, “Universe expansion. Ugh. No. Please no. The mere existence of this idea makes the whole thing feel more and more lore and world buildy and less whimsical and satirical.”
However, not everyone is against the idea, including this person who wrote, “People said the same about Breaking Bad and imo the prequel was even better.”
Another added, “Four seasons makes sense, Ben Stiller said last summer when the news came out that he wouldn’t be directing any Season 3 episodes due to being busy with another project and that he ‘looks forward to directing it again at some point’.”
The positive to take away from this is that Severance Season 3 is definitely going ahead. And given Season 2 was even better than the first, there’s high hopes that the quality will be upheld.
And the summer 2026 filming schedule may still happen, as Patricia Arquette told Dexerto last October. “They’re still writing… I’m not sure when we’ll start [filming]. Either we’ll start shooting in the spring or early summer I think.”
Union Says 1,200 Ubisoft Staff Went on Strike This Week, Protesting Closures, Cost-Cutting and Return-to-Office Mandate