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Apple TV+ Silo follows a group of 10,000 survivors living underground in city-sized silos, unallowed to leave due to an apparent deadly condition on the surface. Season two picks up moments where the gripping first season left audiences.
Curious engineer and former sheriff Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) has faced the ultimate punishment for knowing too much when she is sent outside the mysterious building. She discovers outside the silo, there is more than one building and that the world might not be as toxic as they were told; instead, it’s a dead wasteland filled with abandoned silos. As the first person to survive outside, she becomes a beacon of hope for a tiring society under the threat of collapse.
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The first episode of the sophomore season of the show, based on Hugh Howey’s novels, sees Juliette head inside an empty silo and meet the mysterious Solo (Steve Zahn). The show isn’t concerned with immediately answering questions; instead, it lays down the groundwork for more intrigue and another puzzling yet gripping season. The opening episode features a dialogue-free Juliette adventuring through a new deserted silo. At some points, the opening episode feels more like a videogame and less like a TV show; some set pieces are created more to create spectacle than to push the story forward.
Season 2 of Silo is a tale of two cities. As Juliette investigates this new, deserted silo, the original silo from the previous season is on the brink of a full rebellion. Mayor Bernard Holland (Tim Robbins) declares Juliette dead, explaining that no one could survive outside, but her legacy is too much to be forgotten by the silo dwellers. Joining him once more is the head of Judicial, Robert Sims (Common), who isn’t above getting his hands dirty to scare people into submission, his Lady Macbeth wife Camille (Alexandria Riley), and the less willing to blindly follow Judge Meadows (Tanya Moodie).
Juliette’s exit from the building does push recluse Walker (Harriet Walter) and her ex-wife Carla (Clare Perkins) to the front of the rebellion, giving the audience the hero they need. As Bernard and Robert struggle to hold onto power, Paul Billings (Chinaza Uche) is finding his voice.
Silo Season 2 Review
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Shifting the plot between two locations causes supporting characters to get lost in the mix. Iain Glen as Dr. Pete Nichols especially fades into the background, perhaps because so much of his story is entwined around Juliette who has moved into another silo. The silo is full of too interesting people and potentially interesting plots which get skimmed over because there is sometimes too much area to cover in just ten episodes.
The second season is dirtier and grittier, with the silo turning on those in power and possibly itself. They have been stripped of their rights and segregated into divisions for too long; every aspect of their lives, even down to having children, is dictated by someone else. This series effectively questions what happens when society stands up and questions their reality, tired of being oppressed and lied to. It’s not treading on any new ground when it comes to dystopian fiction, but what it does do, it executes with an elegant maturity.
Creator and showrunner Graham Yost amp up the action in this second outing, turning the existing silo into a pressure cooker. The procedural element of the first season is replaced with a political paranoia that feels relevant to the current climate without being too on the nose. The problems with the second season are all connected to the lack of urgency in the writing. Every scene is stretched to its maximum, with characters either marching around with zero dialogue like video game characters or performing Shakespearean monologues.
Silo sees Rebecca Ferguson at her strongest. The talented star can handle the role’s physical and emotional demands. Acting either alone or with the manic yet endearing Solo, Rebecca is always strong but never feels one-dimensional. This season plays much more to her action heroine strengths, even if she is underused in her own story. Steve Zahn plays a fantastic scene partner, switching between lovable and terrifying with a horrifying speed. It’s a shame not more time is spent investigating this new mystery and this intriguing pairing.
The show perhaps spends too much time exploring the shifting power dynamics of the silo. The rise and fall of the society and the dampening of the rebellion unwelcomingly takes over Juliette’s arc. It’s a shame the rebellion and politics of the old silo take precedence over exploring the more interesting world outside. After the reveal that there is a world outside of their building, fans will have been chomping at the bit to see more of the outside.
That is not to say that the original silo doesn’t have engrossing plotlines. The flashbacks and mythology of the world add new layers to the seemingly never-ending mystery. If you’re looking for answers to this puzzle box, season 2 of Silo can only offer even more questions. Silo never wants to hand-feed audiences’ answers, instead leaving breadcrumbs that will make people keep coming back for more. Silo can get away with its slow pacing thanks to the mysteries that only get added to in season 2.
Silo season 2 frustratingly focuses on the wrong arcs, spending time with the wrong characters and mysteries but the tight writing and strong performances will keep audiences engaged. The show is best when it concentrates on the consequences of war for the small guys rather than when it zooms out and takes a look at the big picture. Despite the languid pace and occasional lack of focus, Silo once again proves itself to be one of the most mature and thoughtful science fiction shows of recent years.
Score: B-
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