Fortunately, “Severance” returns to Apple TV+ on Friday, and its makers seem to have used every second of the absence productively. The season takes new turns while remaining the most ambitious, batty and all-out pleasurable show on TV, an M.C. Escher maze whose plot convolutions never get in the way of its voice, heart and sense of humor.

After a three year sabbatical, the severed workers of Lumon Industries are returning for Season 2. Directed by Ben Stiller, the dystopian thriller premieres with two new episodes this Friday, Jan. 17 on Apple TV+.

While “Severance” has a wonderfully creepy-compelling premise, it’s a concept better suited to a movie than a multi-episode TV series.