Fortunately, “Severance” returns to Apple TV+ on Friday, and its makers seem to have used every second of the absence productively. The season takes new turns while remaining the most ambitious, batty and all-out pleasurable show on TV, an M.C. Escher maze whose plot convolutions never get in the way of its voice, heart and sense of humor.

Apple TV+'s thriller returns with more sci-fi creepiness, nuanced social commentary and black humor. And perks like fruit leather.

The hit Apple TV+ series returns Friday with fewer laughs as it tries unravel the mystery of what's happening to its characters.

Mark and Lumon now have to grapple with their new reality. Here's what you need to know ahead of Severance Season 2, Episode 2.

I’ve already published my full Season 2 (spoiler-free) review. Now, we can dive into each individual episode as they stream every Friday. There’s so much to unpack in each one, I really can’t wait! Let’s start with a brief recap of where we left off back at the end of Season 1.

Severance” Season 2 premiered Thursday night after a nearly three-year delay from the first season’s release. The anticipation is high, and viewers will likely be following each episode closely to unpack the mystery of Lumon and its Severed workers.

We flash through the ending of Season 1 once more, but this time, we return to the moment when the Outies returned. Mark (Adam Scott) wakes up at Rickon’s book reading — and his sister Devon (Jen Tullock) checks in on him.

After an excellently mysterious premiere reintroduced viewers to the world of Severance in its much-anticipated Season 2, “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig” does the same thing from the opposite angle. While Episode 1 was set entirely within Lumon among the innies,