The first episode of Season 2 "The Farewell." had the unenviable task of following up on the show's spectacular finale from season one, and instead of immediately providing answers, it plunges viewers back into some of the key mysteries established in season 1. The entire episode takes place in Lumon's office, with no view of the outside world or to which the characters may rise there. The only clues we get are through the exposition given to Mark S. (Adam Scott) and the rest of the gang, who are told that their temporary escape at the end of the first season made them famous and led to major reforms in working conditions for cut-off employees.
The events of the season 1 finale are wrapped up in an animated corporate instructional video, which is shown to the Macrodata Refinement (or MDR) team after everyone returns to the office. Anyone who's seen The Matrix or John Wick probably woke up at the start of this scene, because the video's narrator—an anthropomorphized version of the Lumon Building—is voiced by Keanu Reeves.
You wouldn't know it by looking at the credits, because Reeves goes uncredited. But if you've seen any of his films, it's impossible not to recognize that iconic voice, which most recently brought Shadow the Hedgehog to life in "Sonic the Hedgehog 3". And if you're still in doubt that the building's voice is from Neo himself, series creator Dan Erickson may have given the game away during a recent interview with /Film.
Keanu Reeves' Severance cameo comes with some big questions
While recently speaking with /Film about "Severance" season 2, series creator Dan Erickson was coy about Keanu Reeves' unremarkable appearance. When asked about the cameo, Erickson slyly replied, “I certainly have no idea what you could be talking about. I'm actually not familiar with that actor." He went on to ask cheekily, "Is that the boy from The Lake House?"
The likelihood of Reeves appearing in a larger role seems highly unlikely, but it only adds to the absurdity of the series to have such a recognizable voice supporting the bizarre training video shown on MDR. The video itself raises a lot of questions, as it portrays the Innies' escape from the first season as both a violent rebellion (referred to as the "Macrodath Uprising") and a hugely influential act for which the company is grateful. The "reforms" introduced as a result are certainly a kind of marginal progress for inny-rights, but they don't really seem to change things that much. In a way, the company seems to be using the bad publicity of their escape to foster a new public image of suave and suave corporate overlords.
Keanu Reeves isn't the only cameo in Lumon's weird video
While Keanu Reeves is the star of the claymation-style corporate training video on Severance Season 2 Episode 1, he's not the only big name to voice a doe-eyed building in it. Comedian Sarah Sherman, who is best known these days as a cast member of Saturday Night Live it also appears ever so briefly as a water tower at the end of the tutorial video. But unlike Reeves, Sherman is actually credited for her one-liners.
Perhaps because of how acclaimed and popular the first season of "Demolition" was, it seems to have become a hot ticket for established names in Hollywood. Two of MDR's temporary replacements appearing in Season 2 are played by character actors Bob Balaban and Alia Shawkat, and casting news ahead of the Season 2 premiere confirmed that Game of Thrones alum Gwendoline Christie will also join on the show.
Since Reeves' role has not been confirmed, it leaves open the possibility of additional cameos hidden in plain sight in later episodes. It's just another mystery for eagle-eyed Severance fans to keep an eye on as Season 2 continues.
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