The Creator of ‘Severance’ Literally Put His Own Blood Into the Work

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The Creator of ‘Severance’ Literally Put His Own Blood Into the Work

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While we excitedly await the next episode of Severance Season 2, one thing that is tiding fans over is new episodes of The Severance Podcast, where series executive producer/director Ben Stiller and lead star Adam Scott give in-depth insight on the show’s creation and interview the show’s stars, including John Turturro, Britt Lower, and Zach Cherry. For the podcast’s inaugural episode, the co-hosts spoke with the show’s creator, Dan Erickson. In one notable moment, Erickson revealed a surprising piece of pre-production lore that shows just how dedicated he was in bringing this story to life.

Dan Erickson Wanted an Unsettling Symbol for a Workplace Comedy With a Dark Edge

One thing is for sure when it comes to Severance — there’s nothing quite like it. The Apple TV+ series has become known for its unique blend of dystopian horror and humorous workplace camaraderie. Part of what makes it so convincing is that the show’s creator, Dan Erickson, based much of Severance on his own experience working in a corporate office job for a company that made doors. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Erickson explained that his mental health got to the point where he was asking himself, “What if I could skip the eight hours of the workday, to disassociate and just get it over with?” These questions led Erickson to start drafting the premise of the show. The screenwriter put a lot of his own experience into his work, but it turns out he put his literal blood into it too.

'Severance's-Season-1-Finale

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During his appearance on The Severance Podcast, Erickson mentioned that he became obsessed with creating an image to stamp on the pitch document that would make the show stand out to distributors. He ultimately decided on the image of a bloody coffee cup stain, as if someone whose hands were bleeding put down their coffee mug on the script and the blood pooled on the page. Though a bit dramatic, this image perfectly captures the tonal mixture of the show — on the one hand, it’s an absurdist workplace comedy, and on the other, it’s a dark nightmare.

Dan Erickson Decided That Food Coloring Wasn’t as Convincing as Real Blood

Erickson revealed that he began experimenting with the coffee stain design at home. While he initially tried using food coloring to create fake blood, he ultimately decided that it didn’t look convincing enough. Erickson bought a lancing needle, which he used to literally pour his blood out onto the page. He also admitted on the podcast that he didn’t tell anyone out of fear that the core team might be scared away. Severance producer Jackie Cohn corroborated Erickson, adding that, to perfect the look, he created about 30 different iterations of the blood stain. This means that Erickson had to pierce his skin 30 different times. Erickson said, laughing, “If you guys want to know why I looked so gaunt during that time, that’s why.”

Clearly, Erickson was willing to go to great lengths to make sure that the tone of his show was transferred correctly to the screen. This combination of eerie and silly is what makes Severance work. The weird forced melon parties and dance experiences serve as comedic interludes to the more sinister side of Lumon Industries. Erickson’s bloody coffee stain also feels connected to some of the show’s gorier moments. Especially with the major cliffhanger we were left on in Season 1 with Reghabi (Karen Aldridge) and the dangers of reintegration, it seems like Severance Season 2 has the potential to get a lot bloodier from here.

Severance Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Apple TV+, with new Season 2 episodes available to stream every Friday.

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