The wait is ongoing for Severance season 2, but Escape at Dannemora is a good show to watch in the meantime. Severance impressed critics and audiences upon the release of its debut season in 2022, but has been on an incredibly long hiatus since then. This is due to several factors, among them delays caused by the Hollywood SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes in 2023. In a time where gaps between seasons of TV have already been steadily getting bigger, this has provided a frustratingly extended wait for fans of the Ben Stiller series.
At long last, Severance season 2 finally has a release date and will be arriving at the beginning of 2025, but this still leaves a couple of months before audiences can enjoy the next chapter. However, those who want a show like Severance should not be completely dismayed, as there is another great Stiller project to watch in the meantime. This show is Escape at Dannemora, featuring several overlapping elements with Severance that make it a great watch.
Ben Stiller Directed Escape At Dannemora Before Severance, And It’s Now Available On Netflix
Stiller Worked On Another Great Drama Series Fans Can Watch While Waiting For Severance
Before Stiller worked on Severance, he directed the Showtime series and well-reviewed Escape at Dannemora. The true crime drama tells the story of a prison employee who becomes entwined in a romance involving two inmates and helps create a plan for them to escape. As he does for Severance, Stiller served as a director on Escape at Dannemora. In this instance, Stiller directs all the episodes of the show. Therefore, Escape at Dannemora is a good chance to see the full extent of Stiller’s directing chops.
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Escape at Dannemora originally aired in 2018, but it has just become available on Netflix as of October 22, 2024, all seven episodes of the series now available for streaming. The series is also still available to watch on Paramount+, providing multiple ways for audiences to access the series. For those looking for another show from Stiller to catch while they are waiting for Severance, Escape at Dannemora’s Netflix release provides this good opportunity.
Escape At Dannemora Also Features Patricia Arquette In A Key Role
Arquette Is In Both Severance And Escape At Dannemora
Stiller is not the only crossover talent between Severance and Escape at Dannemora, as both shows also feature Patricia Arquette in key roles. When she is with the talented Severance cast, the actress plays Harmony Cobel. On the other hand, in Escape at Dannemora, Arquette plays lead Tilly Mitchell, the prison worker who tries to lead Benecio del Toro’s Richard Matt and Paul Dano’s David Sweat out of prison.
Escape at Dannemora features an arguably better Arquette performance, for several reasons. For one, it shows the actress getting to play a lead role in a TV series, whereas in Severance, she is just one member of the ensemble cast. Secondly, the high-stakes tension and genre-blended plot of Escape from Dannemora allows Arquette to show her full range of acting. She is at once a romantic lead, a crime solver, and at the heart of a thriller. This creates an exciting role for her to take on — one that should not be missed.
Why Escape At Dannemora Is Perfect To Watch Before Severance Season 2
Escape At Dannemora & Severance Exhibit The Same Tone
Stiller and Arquette’s work in Escape at Dannemora is in part what makes the show great to watch before Severance season 2. However, elements such as the shared tone also make the two shows similar. Escape at Dannemora, like Severance, maintains a compelling plot while containing dark themes and dramatic tension. Furthermore, the potent leading trio of Arquette, Dano, and del Toro craft performances potent enough to rival the immensely stacked Severance cast, making Escape at Dannemora the perfect series to binge during the last months of the former show’s hiatus.
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Overall, Escape at Dannemora and Severance‘s success — on the level of acting and direction — are great testaments to the burgeoning power of Stiller as a behind-the-scenes television creator. While Stiller has been engaged in directing for a while now, he is still best known by moviegoers for his acting roles like those in Zoolander and Night at the Museum. The coupling of Escape at Dannemora and Severance will give audiences a chance to see the extent of Stiller’s creative vision. Luckily, both shows are strong enough to be great examples of his career trajectory.
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From director and executive producer Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson comes “Severance.” Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and himself.
- Release Date
- February 18, 2022
- Seasons
- 1
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Escape at Dannemora is a crime drama based on a real-life prison break in upstate New York. The series explores the complex relationships and manipulations among two convicted murderers and the facility’s staff member who becomes entangled in their escape plan, revealing underlying themes of desperation and vulnerability.
- Cast
- Benicio Del Toro , Paul Dano , Patricia Arquette , David Morse , Eric Lange , Bonnie Hunt , Gregory Dann , Daniel Johnson , Dominic Colon , Jeremy Bobb , Skipp Sudduth , Amber Gray , Micah Stock , Michael Imperioli , Leo James Davis , Charlie Hofheimer , Jim Parrack , Richie Allan , Carolyn Mignini , Charles Prendergast , David Neal Levin
- Release Date
- November 18, 2018
- Seasons
- 1
