The Apple TV thriller Severance began with a very different idea in mind than the one that was ultimately delivered to the audience. Dan Erickson, the show's creator, spent a decade developing and writing it until it premiered in 2022. The story underwent significant changes during this lengthy creative process, which completely changed the audience's experience. Dan Erickson said on Buzzfeed:"We switched it around for various reasons. Once we had the idea for it to be Helly, there is an obvious thing of once you bring anybody into a setting that was all one way, and you get to introduce an element of diversity to the environment, you're going to have new ideas introduced that are going to help and improve things."The choice of the main character who wakes up on the conference table at the start of the scene was one of the most crucial ones. Mark was supposed to open his eyes on that table, rather than Helly being the first one to wake up disoriented and scared. This transformation laid the groundwork for the rest of the show, contributing to Severance's peculiar style of storytelling about corporate disillusionment and memory manipulation.Read more about the story.The original script concept View this post on Instagram Instagram PostIn the initial 2015 version of the Severance pilot script, Mark was going to be the individual who awoke on the table with no memory of who he was or what had happened to him. Producer Dan Erickson wanted visitors to enter the world of Lumon Industries, meet Mark, and feel his terror and uncertainty firsthand.The script also explained an angry picture of Mark falling down a colossal sphincter in the ceiling to the table. This unpleasant premise was later dropped, but Erickson believed that starting with Mark bewildered would immediately immerse the audience in the show's mystery and tension.Why did the creator change their mind? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostDan Erickson later realized that opening with Mark’s awakening would not fit the story he wanted for Severance. He chose to rewrite the pilot and went with Helly instead. Erickson felt that Mark needed to be introduced as a more established character before audiences met him.In the final version, Mark is already working at Lumon and has been promoted to manager of Macrodata Refinement. This change meant Mark understood the rules of his divided life and could guide viewers. The switch created a stronger and more engaging narrative.How did Helly become the perfect audience surrogate?Helly R. became the perfect character to welcome viewers into the strange world of Severance. Her sudden awakening on the conference table mirrored the audience’s own confusion and curiosity. She had no idea about her job, her coworkers, or the unsettling procedure that split her mind in two.Her fear and urgent questions reflected exactly what viewers felt as they tried to understand the story. This choice made the show easier to connect with and gave it a strong emotional center. Helly’s journey from scared newcomer to determined truth seeker helped Severance become a gripping drama on Apple TV.Follow Soap Central for more updates!