We’re now little more than a week away from Severance season 2, and fans of the show have two things to celebrate today: strong reviews for the new season, plus the arrival of an official Severance podcast.

Severance is the kind of show that’s best experienced spoiler-free. And it sounds like Apple gave critics very expansive lists of spoilers that could not be mentioned in their reviews.

Nonetheless, I’ve intentionally included review excerpts that don’t contain even a hint of spoilers, but will almost certainly hype you up for season 2’s arrival on January 17.

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the first season of the sci-fi thriller wasn’t a fluke…season 2 hits just as hard as the original, pushing further into the dark, weird edges of the Severance universe, while expanding it in fascinating new ways.

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That a business like Lumon goes out of its way to discourage solidarity or individuality or emotion will be no surprise to anyone who’s ever had a job. Severance goes further, pointing out how the most devastating effect of corporate capitalism is the way it alienates us from what might be the very best parts of ourselves. It makes for a season that’s frequently darker, less frequently amusing and not necessarily more satisfying — but one that hits, if anything, even more chillingly close to home

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Somehow, Severance manages to top itself in its second outing, expanding further on its unique sci-fi premise and always, always keeping us on our toes. Expect the unexpected this season

Several additional reviews use the phrase ‘worth the wait’ to describe Severance season 2, which has taken nearly three years to arrive.

Launching today is a new companion podcast, ‘ ,’ featuring Ben Stiller and star Adam Scott.

In the lead-up to season 2’s debut, Stiller and Scott will do a full rewatch of the first season and discuss it—along with some special guests. The first two episodes are .

Then after season 2 kicks off, the podcast will continue with the duo talking through each episode week after week.

Even though Apple now makes , curiously the new Severance show isn’t branded as such. Instead, it’s produced by Audacy and branded as such.

Are you hyped for Severance season 2? Are you going to check out the new podcast? Let us know in the comments.