What To Watch If You Like Severance: Everything You Need To Know In 2026
Alright, so you’ve binged Severance. You’ve stared at the screen with your jaw on the floor, replayed scenes in your head until your brain felt like a scrambled egg, and you’re probably still occasionally wondering if your own work/life balance is really balanced. Welcome to the club! That show is a mind-bender, right? It’s like that moment you realize you’ve been wearing your shirt inside out all day, but on a cosmic, existential scale. And now? Now you’re probably itching for something that hits that same sweet spot of weird, wonderful, and slightly terrifying. Good news! By 2026, the universe of shows that scratch that Severance itch has only gotten bigger and better. Let’s dive in!
The "Wait, Is This Real Life?" Vibes
If the whole "what is consciousness, anyway?" and the feeling of being a cog in a giant, mysterious machine spoke to your soul, then you absolutely need to check out Devs. Imagine if Severance had a baby with a philosophical sci-fi thriller. That’s Devs. It’s all about a tech company with a super-secret quantum computing project that might just be able to predict the future. Sounds innocent enough, right? Wrong. It’s got that same slow-burn tension, those characters who are just too calm in the face of the impossible, and a mystery that’ll have you Googling "determinism vs. free will" at 2 AM. Plus, the visual style is chef’s kiss. Think sleek, minimalist dread. If you enjoyed the unsettling professionalism of Lumon Industries, the sterile brilliance of Amaya’s tech empire will have you hooked.
Then there’s Mr. Robot. Now, I know what you’re thinking: "That’s a few years old!" But hear me out. If the underlying themes of corporate control, societal manipulation, and a protagonist struggling with their own reality resonated with you in Severance, then Mr. Robot is your jam. It’s a bit more gritty and chaotic, like if Lumon decided to host a rave in the server room. Elliot Alderson is a hacker who’s basically the anti-Mark S. He’s in control, or at least thinks he is, battling powerful corporations from the shadows. The show plays with reality, identity, and what it means to be awake in a world that’s asleep. Just be prepared for more existential screaming into a pillow. It's a wild ride that explores similar anxieties about power and truth.
When The Workplace Gets Really Weird
Let’s be honest, the office environment in Severance is its own special kind of nightmare fuel. If you liked the idea of a company that’s both incredibly mundane and utterly sinister, you’ll love The Good Place. Okay, I know, I know. It’s a comedy! But stick with me. It’s a comedy that massively explores ethics, philosophy, and what it means to be a good person. And, much like Severance, it features a bizarre afterlife bureaucracy that’s surprisingly… bureaucratic. You’ve got characters trying to navigate a system that makes no sense, with rules that are constantly changing, and an overarching mystery about the true nature of reality. If you found yourself chuckling nervously at Lumon’s absurd rules, you’ll find yourself in stitches (and deeply pondering your own moral compass) with The Good Place. It’s the fun, philosophical cousin of Severance.
And for a slightly more grounded, but still delightfully unsettling, workplace experience, consider Station Eleven. While it’s not about an office, it’s about a troupe of traveling performers in a post-apocalyptic world. But hear me out! It’s all about found family, the preservation of culture and art, and the enduring human spirit in the face of overwhelming odds. Think of it as Lumon Industries after the apocalypse, but instead of trying to "sever" minds, they’re trying to reconnect them through art. The show has that same feeling of uncovering buried truths and piecing together a fractured reality. It’s beautiful, poignant, and will make you appreciate the small things, like not having your memories surgically divided. The way it explores how people cope with immense change and find meaning will definitely resonate with Severance fans.
The Mystery That Keeps You Guessing
The central mystery of Severance is what keeps you coming back for more. You need to know what Lumon is up to! If you crave that delicious feeling of being utterly clueless but utterly captivated, then Westworld (especially the early seasons) is a must-watch. Imagine a theme park populated by incredibly lifelike androids who are starting to question their programming. It’s a sprawling narrative with layers upon layers of deception and discovery. It’s got that high-concept sci-fi sheen and characters wrestling with their very existence, much like our favorite MDR team. If you enjoyed trying to figure out the "why" behind Lumon’s bizarre experiments, you'll be diving headfirst into the labyrinthine plots of Westworld.
And for a more recent dose of mind-bending mystery, by 2026 you’ll definitely want to be talking about The Peripheral. Based on a William Gibson novel, this show throws you into a future where people can experience alternate realities through VR. Sounds cool, right? It gets weirder. It’s got that signature Gibson cyberpunk feel, mixed with a deep dive into consciousness, identity, and the consequences of technological advancement. If the existential dread of Severance felt like a gentle nudge, The Peripheral might be a full-on shove into a rabbit hole of possibilities. It explores the idea of living multiple lives and the ripple effects that has, which is a fascinating parallel to the severed employees.
So there you have it! Your 2026 guide to keeping that Severance-shaped hole in your viewing schedule filled. Get ready for more mind-melters, more existential crises, and more reasons to question everything you thought you knew. Happy watching!