| "Good News About Hell" | |
|---|---|
| Severance episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Ben Stiller |
| Written by | Dan Erickson |
| Cinematography by | Jessica Lee Gagné |
| Editing by | Geoffrey Richman |
| Original release date | February 18, 2022 |
| Running time | 57 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Good News About Hell" is the series premiere of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance. The episode was written by series creator Dan Erickson, and directed by executive producer Ben Stiller. It was released on Apple TV+ on February 18, 2022.
The series follows employees of Lumon Industries, a biotechnology corporation that uses a medical procedure called "severance" to separate the memories of their employees depending spatially on whether they are at work or not. When severed workers are at work, they are dubbed "innies" and cannot remember anything of their lives or the world outside. When outside work, they are dubbed "outies" and cannot remember their time at work. Due to this, innie and outie experience two different lives, with distinct personalities and agendas.
The episode received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised the premise, production values, performances, and intrigue. Adam Scott received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.