- ResignationThe creator has dismissed a wild fan theory ahead of Season 2’s debut
- Dan Erickson humorously labeled that particular hypothesis “ridiculous”
- He also suggested that the hit Apple TV Original won’t answer every question that fans have
Three years have passed since Resignation‘s first season ended, so fans have had plenty of time to come up with some outlandish theories about the hit Apple TV Original.
Of the seemingly endless amount of online fan theories that have popped up, however, there’s only one that creator Dan Erickson has amusingly called “ridiculous.” Actually speaking to me prior to Resignation season 2’s debut this Friday (Jan. 17), Erickson debunked a wild fan hypothesis that, surprisingly, actually has ties to the man himself.
Asked for some examples of the strangest comments or theories he’s seen or heard, the Apple TV Plus show’s head writer replied, “Well, I’ve heard people say they think I based Rick [played by Michael Chernus] on myself, which I think is ridiculous! Hey, just because he’s a well-dressed writer doesn’t mean I’ve written myself into my own show.”
For those who need a reminder: Rick—full name Ricken Hale—is Devon’s husband, aka Mark Scout’s sister, and a published self-help author. His in-universe book, ‘The You You Are, A Spiritual Biography of You’, becomes something of a manifesto for Lumon Industries’ Macrodafa Refinement team, which Mark’s ‘innie’ is a part of, who – spoilers! – finally and openly rebel against the secret biotech mega-corporation in the Season 1 finale. However, despite what some fans believe, Erickson did not serve as the inspiration for Rick, so that’s one conspiracy theory we can knock off the list!
‘Part of the fun is letting people speculate and come up with their own interpretation’
One of the top Apple TV Plus series fanbases has come up with some absolutely fascinating theories since the mystery thriller originally premiered in February 2022. And as viewers continued to analyze one of 2025’s most anticipated shows in the three-year gap between Season 1 and its would-be successor, the theory mill has been in overdrive ever since Resignation season 2’s first trailer dropped in October 2024. Things further escalated with the launch of the Resignation season 2’s official trailer two months later, as fans pored over every second of footage to try to determine what will happen in the show’s second outing.
If you’re hoping that Season 2 and future installments will confirm or disprove every theory fans have concocted, check your expectations, though. In response to my inquiry about how Erickson strikes a balance between expanding or unraveling certain mysteries and leaving others open to the audience’s interpretation, he said, “It’s funny because as a kid doing my homework, I was always to show all my homework work so my teacher knew I had done everything correctly.
We don’t have everything figured out, but we’re getting there
Dan Erickson, creator of Severance
“Now, because we are very careful to find out all these things and answer all questions [that fans have]my impulse is to put that work on the screen. I will tell the audience everything. Often, Ben [Still, director/executive producer] must be there to put a hand on my shoulder and say ‘it’s okay to leave some things unsaid’.
“Part of the fun is letting people speculate and come up with their own interpretation, or they can find their own way to what we said and meet us in the middle,” he added. “So I’ve learned a lot about restraint from Ben, and we’re still having conversations about what questions we want to answer. We haven’t figured everything out, but we’re getting there.”
Before the highly rated series returns, read my Resignation season 2 review to get an inside look at the first four episodes. Once you have, read on for more Resignation coverage from me and the wider TechRadar team.
