Friend told me Severance was too slow and I almost quit episode 2

My buddy Mark said the pacing was glacial and I almost dropped it after the first two episodes. He kept saying 'nothing happens' but I pushed through to episode 4 and holy crap that twist changed everything. Now I tell people to at least get to the waffle party before deciding. Has anyone else almost bailed on a show because of one person's bad take?

5 comments

5 Comments

angelarivera2mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh, come on now. I actually think Mark had a point. I watched the whole first season and I kept waiting for something to grab me, but that slow burn just felt like a cold stove to me. The waffle party scene was weird but it didn't make up for all those episodes of people walking down hallways and staring at computer screens. I get that it's building atmosphere, but I'd rather have a show that hooks me from the start instead of making me work for it.

sage_moore372mo ago

Wow, @angelarivera I just had to push through to episode 4 to see if it paid off.

diana_kim662mo ago

Have you tried skipping ahead to episode 5 to see if the pacing changes for you? I did the same thing with that show, had to force myself through the first few episodes because everyone kept saying it gets good. And honestly @angelarivera is right, that waffle party scene was the only thing that really stuck with me too. But I found that if you fast forward through the hallway walking parts, the actual story beats land way better. The show just needed a better editor, not a whole season of buildup.

sean_green4429d ago

yeah but see @sage_moore37 said it perfectly, you gotta push through to get to the good stuff sometimes. i get why people skip ahead or fast forward but that misses the whole point of how the story is built. like sure the hallway scenes seem pointless but theyre setting up the mood so when something actually happens it hits harder. diana you said the show just needed a better editor but i think the slow parts are intentional to make you feel as stuck and bored as the characters do. if you skip past all that you lose the whole reason why the payoff works in the first place.

james_bell29d ago

Have you ever noticed how this same problem shows up in so many other things besides TV shows? I've seen it with books people recommend, new restaurants everyone raves about, even trying to learn a new skill. The issue is that we've gotten so used to getting what we want right away that we forget some things take time to build up to something good. It's like when someone tells you a recipe has too many steps before you even taste the final dish. You can't judge something based on the first few bites if the whole point is the payoff at the end. I think a lot of folks these days just don't have the patience for a slow build anymore, and that's a shame because they miss out on some of the best experiences.