'Severance' memes are everywhere as show boosts Apple TV+ viewership

NBC News

21-02-2025

Would you like your "outie?" What do Irving's paintings mean? And how about that Mr. Milchick?
"Severance," now the biggest hit in the relatively short history of Apple's foray into the production of TV shows, has also emerged as a social media phenomenon, sparking an array of memes, fan-cam edits and theories speculating on what could unfold next.
The show, which launched in 2022 and returned for Season 2 in January, follows a team of office workers at the fictional Lumon Industries, where they have undergone a 'severance' procedure that divides their memories between their work and personal lives.
The show is now among the most streamed across all platforms, amassing 622 million minutes of viewing for the week of Jan. 20-26, according to Nielsen, which tracks viewership data.
Since its debut, the sci-fi series has become part of the cultural zeitgeist, hooking viewers and inspiring dozens of think pieces about workplace culture and work-life balance.
Much of the "Severance" fandom has become captivated by the show's dystopian premise, as well as the cohort of characters that make up Lumon's dedicated Microdata Refinement (MDR) team: Mark S. (Adam Scott), Dylan G. (Zach Cherry), Helly R. (Britt Lower) and Irving B. (John Turturro).
The severed 'innies' have no knowledge of their 'outies,' because while the two share the same body, the consciousness of an 'outie' shuts off when entering the severed floor.
In Season 1, some of the "innies" partake in wellness checks, where they're told by Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), a wellness counselor on Lumon's severed floor, what their "outies" enjoy. The interactions with the character have inspired a " Your Outie Likes" meme on TikTok and X.
In the videos and posts, viewers often joke about how they might not actually like their "outie."
"Your outie's top artist on their 2024 Spotify Wrapped was Limp Bizkit," says the voice-over in TikTok user Hunter Hopewell's video, which has amassed nearly 350,000 views. "Your outie has shared the celebrities singing 'Imagine' 12 times during the pandemic."
"Are you sure this is my outie?" Hopewell says, visibly showcasing disappointment in the satirical video.
On X, users participated in the trend by posting a still of Ms. Casey's character and using the prompt, "Your outie..."
Another popular meme emerged in 2022 after Scott's character, Mark S., tells his colleagues that the work they do is "mysterious and important." Many use a screenshot of the scene, in which Mark S. is seen with his finger raised as he delivers the line to Helly R.
Meanwhile, on Reddit, users who identify themselves as "innies" and "outies" debate theories about the show's mysterious plotlines. One user even participated in the meme trend, writing in a recent post: "Your outie spends his time writing dumba-- theories on r/severance."
The popularity of 'Severance' has helped usher in a new era for AppleTV+. While the streaming service has garnered praise in Hollywood, notably for its Oscar-winning film 'Coda ' and the Emmy-winning 'Ted Lasso,' much of its original programming had failed to break through online.
The streamer's rivals, like HBO and Netflix, have seen mainstream success, with shows such as 'The White Lotus' and 'Bridgerton,' respectively, generating both critical acclaim and online buzz.
With 'Severance,' AppleTV+ has seen a boost in paying consumers. Last month, Apple TV+ reported a +126% increase in new subscribers between Jan. 1-19, 2025 vs. Dec. 1-19, 2024, according to Deadline.