It’s been three months since the SeveranceSeason 2 finale was part of the 2025 TV schedule, but I know I’m still emotionally recovering from everything that took place during it. While I’m not surprised it took a toll on the series’ star Adam Scott, it’s interesting to hear him talk about one scene he was worried about, because he clearly crushed it. SPOILERS are ahead!
There are a lot of standout scenes from the finale, particularly how the season ends with Mark and Helly running away from Gemma after all that time when his outie thought his wife was dead and wanted to reunite with her. One moment from the episode that Scott’s friend and fellow actor Kristen Bell asked him about during an interview with Variety was when Innie and Outie Mark talk to each other over a camcorder. Here’s how he said he reacted to seeing that scene on paper:
If you read something like that, you just immediately start dreading [it] .
It’s one of the many genius scenes of Severance, but Adam Scott was not here for it when it came to being the man who had to pull it off. He said it was one of those shoot days that always felt like it was “on the horizon,” continuing with these words:
I was just like ‘Oh my god, there’s nothing I can do, that day [coming] we’re going to have to shoot that.’
Hey, it’s understandable. The actor had to play both versions of Mark as they had a conversation with each other with a camcorder. It cannot be easy to keep both Marks straight, and it’s a real key scene to the audience’s understanding that Innie Mark has become his own person and is rejecting Outie Mark’s wishes. As he explained further:
I was terrified to do that…because for me I just see it as a series of opportunities to screw it up, and lean in too far.
The actor of course didn’t screw up, he killed it in all the ways possible for that scene, and it really helps frame the ending of the season.
Scott spoke further about what went into that scene with these words:
And also, that scene was really a tough nut to crack writing-wise. And Dan [Erickson] and Beau [Willimon] and Mark [Friedman] really were great and were working on it right up until the last second, because there’s a million ways you could go where that would not feel right or go too far in one direction or the other. I feel like they did a terrific job with that. And then also Ben [Stiller] directing it — I was so lucky he was directing and he and Jeff editing it did an incredible job too.
Adam Scott sounds like a guy who doesn’t quite realize his talents as he passed off all of the credit for a scene that he had to play both parts in to everyone else involved, but of course, every scene of Severance is a collaborative effort. Considering the actor is currently in contention to earn another Emmy nomination for his role, he’s definitely being humble.
As we wait for the Emmy nominations to be announced, prior to it being one of the upcoming award shows for later this year, I will still be thinking about the Severance finale and what it means for Season 3 and potential Severance spinoffs.
