10 shows to watch if you miss Severance

One of the most acclaimed shows of recent years has been Severance. The Apple TV+ series has a bold hook as employees for a company are subjected to mind wipes to forget anything they do in the office and return home. 

The show is striking in showing how each worker is a different person outside the office and that their company has some sinister motivations. It's a long wait for Season 2, but to while away the time, here are some shows that can appeal to Severance fans. They also involve evil companies, a mix of minds and identities and also quite thrilling to make the wait for Season 2 more tolerable. 

Homecoming (Prime Video)

Julia Roberts coming to TV is a big deal, and that makes this Prime Video series bigger. At first, she seems to be a therapist helping soldiers with PTSD through their trauma. It turns out she's really supplying them with a drug to alter their memories. However, she soon realizes her bosses have more sinister plans for the drug. 

The second season ups the ante with Roberts gone, but it is still a gripping tale of corporations treating people like numbers, and the lost memories are perfect for fans of Severance. It's only two episodes, but it's a good binge on a gripping drama making you question your own memories. 

Upload (Prime Video)

This wild Prime Video comedy is set in 2033, when humans can upload their memories into a "virtual heaven" when they die. Robbie Amell is a guy who dies in an accident and is uploaded into a wonderful place. However, he learns even death won't help him escape from his domineering girlfriend even as he connects with a living "handler."

The seasons amp up the conspiracy angle as Amell realizes the company behind this "heaven" has some sinister motives and mixes in questions of identity. Season 3 is a great ride as this dark comedy still delivers a human touch while showing how the afterlife isn't what it's cracked up to me. 

Maniac (Netflix)

With a cast including Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Justin Theroux and Sally Field, this Netflix mini-series has a lot going for it. Stone and Hill play strangers who are joined together in an experimental drug trial. It takes them on a loopy journey, making them question their own realities. 

The series has each actor playing multiple versions of themselves and mixing in some crazy visuals. It's often hard to tell what exactly is going on, but it's a compelling ride and shows how some drug companies treat human beings like lab rats, with Stone reminding you why she's an Oscar winner. 

Westworld (Max)

Yes, it got rough in the end, but the first season of HBO's sci-fi thriller based on the movie series is gripping television. In the future, a theme park utilizes lifelike robots to play Old West scenarios for guests. The first problem is when the robots start to break free of their programming, which leads to the dark secrets their company has. 

The stellar cast of Evan Rachel Wood, Anthony Hopkins, James Marsden and Thandiwe Newton in an Emmy-winning turn make it all work, even the later seasons when the timelines blur and plotlines become confusing. Yet the question of what truly makes someone human remains and why this show is still so enjoyable. 

Devs (Netflix)

From acclaimed filmmaker Alex Garland comes this underrated Netflix show exploring corporate malfeasance. A software engineer is convinced her company is somehow behind the death of her boyfriend. Her investigation into it unveils a lot of darker shenanigans happening. 

The show gets more convoluted as it goes, mixing in various time periods and the question of how much is truly real. The finale brings it to an intriguing conclusion, and Severance fans can appreciate its own take on reality controlled by a corporation. 

Dollhouse (VOD)

Currently without a streaming home, Joss Whedon's cult series is a fun short ride. A company specializes in imprinting memories and skills onto people called "Actives" to be used for any job, then reprogrammed like robots. Eliza Dushku is Echo, one Active who is somehow able to remember and utilize her skills as she fights for her freedom.

The show has the Whedon touches of some shocking plot twists and a fantastic first season finale showing a dark future where this mindwipe technology gets out of control. It ended after only two seasons but worth checking out as the "company mindwipes employees for their own benefit" predates Severance by several years. 

Counterpart (Prime Video)

Long one of those "hey, it's that guy" actors on TV shows, J.K. Simmons finally got her overdue starring role in this Starz series. He's a sad-sack of an office worker, a guy in a dull job when his bosses lead him into a room and he sees…himself. Rather, his doppelganger from an alternate world where the Cold War never ended and a deadly plague killed millions.

Simmons pulls off the dual role nicely as each version explores the others' world with a fun look at this other reality. It's a great showcase for the Oscar winner with some interesting office dynamics while making you wonder how life could have taken a different turn. 

Orphan Black (AMC+)

The reason to watch this BBC America series can be summed up in two words: Tatiana Maslany. In her star-making Emmy-winning breakout, Maslany plays Sarah, a con artist who sees a woman who looks just like her jump before a train. Sarah takes over her double's life only to find she's one of several clones. 

Maslany's performance(s) remains astounding as you honestly forget all these women are one actress. There is an overreaching arc of a corporation plotting to use these clones for their own purposes, yet Maslany is terrific, showing how each clone moved into a separate life, and her work remains utterly brilliant.

Corporate (Paramount+)

It's more of a comedy, but much like Severance, this series tackles the sheer soul-crushing weight being an office drone can bring. It's focused on two employees of a huge corporation and handling its dark work. That includes anything from working with the CIA and arms dealers to profiting off anti-corporate protestors.

The comedy is as black as possible with a nihilistic edge, yet also quite hilarious. The late Lance Reddick steals scenes as their sinister boss, and anyone who's worked an office job will understand how true to life it all is. 

Mr. Robot (Prime Video)

Before his Oscar-winning fame, Rami Malek broke out with his Emmy-winning turn in this USA Network smash. It looks like a simple setup as Malek's hacker Eliot is recruited by the titular anarchist (Christan Slater) to take down the evil E Corp. Then it gets weird. 

It's soon clear Eliot isn't playing with a full deck, and almost everything he's been "remembering" is lies. The show loves to trick the viewer with stunning twists and turns and not shying away from presenting a company that's evil just for kicks. It's a strange ride, but it's worth taking with Malek's performance, making this show one of the best of the last decade.

Severance Season 1 streaming on Apple TV+