It’s ironic that the breakout star of Severance is the only one who appears whole and happy. Apple TV’s sinister sci-fi thriller is all about the dichotomy between a work-self and a real-world identity, tapping a cast of heavy hitters to play double roles. Adam Scott, Christopher Walken, and John Turturro each find ways to subvert their on-screen personas playing “innies” and “outies” — the terms for the severed personas trapped inside Lumon and the original personas who leave each day — and each make a major impact on the series. But it’s Tramell Tillman, the unsevered manager of Lumon Industries, who feels like the perfect embodiment of Severance’s split focus. As Seth Milchick, Tillman plays babysitter to the unruly innies of Lumon’s Macrodata Refinement team. His frosty condescension is a perfect complement to the sterile atmosphere within the Ben Stiller-directed series, though perhaps not as disturbing as Milchick’s performative warmth. That mercurial balance of kindness and cruelty would have been enough to steal the show. Paired with viral moments that amuse as much as they disturb — like the “impromptu” dance break in Season 1’s “Defiant Jazz” — Milchick has become an undisputed icon of the streaming era, a figure that audiences love to hate. Tillman, who spoke to Inverse ahead of the premiere of Severance Season 2, has come to relish his reputation as Milchick, especially in the limbo between Severance’s first season and its long-awaited follow-up. | 
