Jessica Lee Gagné’s directorial debut on Severance is now one of the highest-rated TV episodes ever on IMDb.
Jessica Lee Gagné’s directorial debut on Severance has made an immediate impact, with Episode 7 currently holding a 9.5/10 on IMDb — making it the second-highest-rated episode of the series after the Season 1 finale and one of the highest-rated TV episodes of all time.
Gagné, who has previously served as cinematographer on almost all episodes of Severance, spoke about her transition to directing, calling it a personal awakening. In an interview with AV Club, she shared:
“The thing I learned the most is that this is what I want to do. It’s hard to say I want to move on from cinematography, but it makes sense. I feel like a part of myself that I buried for many, many years has just shown up. It makes me a happier, lighter person. It’s been a bit of an awakening. So I’m open to directing more episodes of Severance, too, but I don’t know what will happen because nothing’s been decided yet. I’m also looking at where I can go with stories that I might want to tell. It’s a whole new world for me.”
Gagné’s directorial debut also left audiences buzzing over a particular one-shot sequence that moves seamlessly from the office setting with Mark (Adam Scott) and Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman) to the basement floor. Many assumed CGI was involved, but Gagné confirmed that the entire shot was done practically using a custom-built cable rig.
“There’s a shot that goes from MDR to the control room downstairs. There’s no CGI in it. It’s all real. We actually shot through cables. It was the most laborious thing I have ever done as a DP. It was the biggest side project of this show and so many people participated on it.”
She further explained that the intricate setup involved the camera moving through the internal part of a desk with a pulley system controlling it — a highly complex technical feat.
Ben Stiller, who serves as an executive producer and director on the series, praised Gagné’s creative vision, calling her ‘a true artist with the camera’ and commending her ability to fully commit to her craft.
Let’s hope that even with her newfound love for directing, she returns as the cinematographer for Severance S3, which is currently in development.
While Apple TV+ has yet to officially announce a third season, Ben Stiller confirmed that the writers’ room is actively developing S3 in Los Angeles. Stiller has also expressed a desire to reduce the lengthy hiatus experienced between the first two seasons, which was almost three years due to various factors, including the Hollywood strikes, rewrites, and a lengthy shoot due to some challenging setups, including the opening sequence of S2, which Adam Scott says took 5 months to do due to the various shots within the sequence.
These factors also lead to the show reportedly becoming one of the most expensive ever, with the budget rising to over $20M an episode. That’s rivaling a show like House of the Dragon, which relies heavily on CGI for dragon sequences and massive sets. Quite expensive for a show that largely takes place in an office setting.
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