Dichen Lachman shares ‘Friends’-type’ idea for Severance ‘fun’ season 3

Severance may be one of the most intense shows on television, but Dichen Lachman has a playful idea for taking things in a completely different direction for season 3.

The actress, who plays Gemma Scout, couldn’t help but pitch a fun twist while speaking at the show’s PaleyFest panel in Los Angeles on March 21.

"I mean, I am so excited to see what [creator] Dan Erickson is coming up with," Lachman shared. "But I thought it could be fun if season 3 was like a sitcom and it was a timeshare where they live in a Friends-type apartment building."

If that sounds like a wild departure from Lumon’s eerie, fluorescent-lit hallways, Lachman is happy to elaborate. 

"They sever, and then they go and they have their little timeshare relationship with everybody," she added. A Severance sitcom? That might be one way to lighten the existential dread.

Of course, season 2’s finale left fans with plenty to ponder. 

Gemma, also known as Ms. Casey, managed to escape Lumon, but her husband, Mark (Adam Scott), didn’t follow. His innie chose to stay behind on the severed floor, caught up in his growing connection with Helly (Britt Lower). While there’s still a chance that innie Mark might choose reintegration, his outie has no plans to let his workplace romance continue—which means trouble is brewing.

For now, fans are just relieved that Gemma made it out of the research floor alive. As for what’s next? Lachman doesn’t have any insider knowledge but deeply connects with her character’s emotional struggles.

"I think a lot of people feel like that, which is why they love her, in a way," she shared. "We all want to feel like we belong, and maybe sometimes we shouldn’t. Maybe that comes with being so much more sure of yourself, which I wish I was, sometimes, but we all struggle with that. That’s what I love about Ms. Casey."

A thrilling mystery, an identity crisis, and now, possibly, a sitcom? If Severance has taught viewers anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.