Recap of Season 2, Episode 3 of Silo – ‘Solo’
Episode 3 returns us to the plight of Juliette, now without her suit in a strange Silo filled with the corpses of the former residents, except for one straggler who threatens to kill her if she tries to enter the room he’s in. Juliette, realizing her future may depend on this lone resident, begins to become friendly with him and eventually learns his name, which he gives up begrudgingly, as Solo. Solo reveals he was the shadow to the former Silo leader, and he was put in here and has been tasked to keep the door closed no matter what. Juliette begins to understand that Solo’s not revealing everything, as she realizes the corpses by the door are in fact less decayed, suggesting a fight. She attempts to get Solo out; however, he says he will not leave.
Rebecca Ferguson in “Silo,” now streaming on Apple TV+
Meanwhile in the original Silo, Bernard is struggling with growing unrest as more graffiti of JL, Juliette Lives, appears. To clamp down on the graffit, Bernard has Teddy from the Deep Down for adding JL graffiti, which only leads to further unrest. Meanwhile Sims returns to Patrick, a Deep Down helper of Juliette’s who its revealed has been kept in custody, gagged and perhaps tortured, and he threatens Sims with the removal of his memories lest he helps Sims. Patrick, whose wife is dead, requests that Sims at least remove his memory to before she knew his wife, presumably to remove the pain of her absence.
Bernard offers his suit to Meadows, who he promises he will sneak outside during a brief shutdown of the system, so that no one knows she will depart. During this conversation Meadows chastizes Bernard for his by the book approach, and suggests he should let Teddy go and try to have some original thought in this situation. In the meantime, Pete, Nichols’ father, is shown meeting a young woman hoping to have a baby. They bond over the love of children, before Pete reveals he is in fact Juliette’s father, whereupon she immediately apologizes. They see each other later when he as is doctor is required to maintain her birth control; however, after hesitation she removes it from her, presumably against his directive.
Chinaza Uche and Tanya Moodie in “Silo,” now streaming on Apple TV+
Billings, Nichols’ replacement, has been writing up the report on Nichols’ departure, where he’s to ask if she indeed asked to go out. Meadows wants her notified in secret what this report says, and as he is suspect himself about how Nichols’ final moments in the silo went, he asks the last witness and she is not able to corraborate the story. When Billings reports this to Nichols, she’s certain she never asked to leave.
In the Down Deep, a fight breaks out between mechanical and the sherrif’s team, leaving young Cooper, a bright engineer, dead. Meadows who is now furious at Bernard after he lied to her about Nichols’ asking to leave, and over the death of Cooper, avoidable in her eyes, wishes to not see him again till he brings her a suit to depart in fitting for her size, and only when she’s leaving.
Returning to the neighboring Silo, Nichols is almost out of options, when Solo suggests using a fireman’s suit and adapting it to depart. She needs his help, and after much coaxing he finally leaves, bedraggled and scared, but alive. Together they begin to work on Nichols’ escape.
Thoughts on Silo’s Season 3 Episode: ‘Solo’
In both Episode 1 and 2, a lot seemed to happen of course; however, perhaps by seperating the narratives it felt like Silo’s writers were taking more time really delving into the new world order now developing thanks to Nichols’ departure. In bringing those two stories back however, it felt like everything was full steam ahead as we see the power structure of the primary Silo try to stay firm against burgeoning uprisings, while Nichols’ tries her best to gauge Solo’s motivations.
Steve Zahn in “Silo,” now streaming on Apple TV+
Starting with Solo first of all Steve Zahn is one of those character actors its always a delight to see, and though I didn’t recognize him right off, when he appears at the end of the episode I was like of course! As his voice, even when playing a character unused to speaking most likely for years, is still distinct. I really enjoyed the interplay between Zahn’s Solo and Nichols, because it was equal part tense and hilarious, as Solo’s nervousness – well earned it appears by the dead bodies and threating scrawl on the wall – came across as nervous energy that might fit a first date even more than a near-death situation. Still the fate of Nichols’ is very much in the hands of Solo now, and as we see the original Silo flare up, it’s only a matter of time before Nichols must return to help quell the violence that is both forthcoming and already present.
Meanwhile Bernanrd and Meadows conversation at the start in particular reiterated my thoughts from the previous episode “Order”, where it seemed to be Bernard as an IT man (a former one myself, so I get it) was too reliant on the rule book when he needed to think outside of the box. Meadows clearly believed Bernard failed at this, and now I wonder if her wish to leave is as much because she fears for the fate of the Silo, as well as just simply not wanting to be trapped in the Silo till her final days.
We also are starting to get more meaningful exchanges with the sub-plots of Sims, Bernard, and Deputy Hank. They are all on the front lines, and though they in their own way are tasked with maintaing order, we all see in small ways the doubt they have in their roles too. Though it’s not clear what that will mean yet, for them or the Silo, I imagine we will see some maybe consider changing sides, or perhaps hardening their stances.
There’s so much to come, and as much as occurred in ‘Solo’, as usual with a show this well written, it just has me wishing next week would arrive all the sooner.
