Severance season 2 has set the Internet afire with theories, memes, and reactions alike, and one moment in particular has captured the attention of audiences around the world. A particularly surreal moment in the finale was the surprise arrival of a full marching band led by Mr. Milchick, and the extended performance of a piece titled “The Ballad of Ambrose and Gunnel”. On top of immersing viewers in trademark Severance weirdness, the piece and its performance in the show serve as a backdrop for some of the episode’s most decisive moments.
ScreenRant is thrilled to take you back to one of the standout moments of the fantastically-reviewed Severance season 2 finale with “The Ballad of Ambrose and Gunnel” by composer Theodore Shapiro. The track is one of 18 that will compose the Severance: Season 2 Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack, which even includes a nod to the popular 8-hour YouTube video Music To Refine To feat. ODESZA in the form of another remix of the show’s music by the electronic duo. The soundtrack releases tomorrow, March 28, and can be pre-saved here.
Theodore Shapiro Has Always Been Ben Stiller’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
“The Ballad of Ambrose and Gunnel” was written by composer Theodore Shapiro, who scored Severance season 2’s opening title sequence as well as the rest of the show. Shapiro’s music for Severance is captivatingly intriguing and often unsettling, complementing the unique world that director Ben Stiller, creator Dan Erickson, and the rest of the filmmakers have created. But Severance is far from the only collaboration Shapiro and Stiller have had, with the composer providing a musical language for the actor-turned-director’s best films.
Before Severance, and before Zoolander 2, which Shapiro also scored, the composer did the music for Stiller’s underrated 2013 movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which ScreenRant’s review called “an inspiring and beautifully shot character adventure.” That movie boasted an impressive soundtrack full of music by the Swedish singer/songwriter José González and his band Junip, whose signature sound incorporates entrancing acoustic guitar and layered vocals. To keep the score consistent with the songs, Shapiro incorporated González’s style into his work, helping to elevate the uplifting and immersive experience of witnessing the titular character’s journey.
Shapiro also scored Stiller’s ambitious Hollywood satire Tropic Thunder, which made waves upon its release in 2008 and earned Robert Downy Jr. an Academy Award nomination. In a score entirely different from Severance and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Shapiro wrote adrenaline-fueled action music that helped the movie’s unforgettable comedy and larger-than-life situations land with audiences in a way that has helped the film endure nearly 20 years later. Now, the question is whether or not Shapiro will score Tom Cruise’s Tropic Thunder spinoff movie.
Check out the Severance: Season 2 Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack, courtesy of Lakeshore Records, here.
Severance
8/10
- Release Date
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February 18, 2022
- Showrunner
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Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman
- Writers
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Dan Erickson