How Silo Episode 1 and 2 Set Up a Mystery and a Rebellion

The first two episodes of the new sci-fi dystopian drama series Silo on Apple TV+ introduced several mysteries. 

The plot is set in a large underground community known as the Silo, which is considered the only safe place for humans to live after a rebellion destroyed all pre-war books and hard drives. 

The main character, a kind-hearted Sheriff, decides to leave the Silo in search of his wife who had left after uncovering some of the Silo’s darkest secrets. Anyone can leave the Silo by simply announcing their intention to do so.

Silo is a new series created by Graham Yost, known for his work on Band of Brothers, Justified, and Speed. The show features a star-studded cast including Rebecca Ferguson, David Oyelowo, Rashida Jones, Tim Robbins, Will Patton, and Common. 

Early reviews compare Silo to other popular dystopian stories and suggest it reimagines some of The Matrix’s storytelling techniques. 

By the end of the first two episodes, some mysteries are given direction while many questions remain unanswered. The biggest revelation in episode 2, “Holston’s Pick,” is that the Silo may not be the safe haven its inhabitants believe it to be.

1. Why Allison Cannot Conceive a Child 

Allison and Holston have been trying to have a baby for their third pre-approved time. Allison believes her birth control has been removed and that a year of trying should be enough to conceive. 

However, after a year passes with no success, Allison discovers that her birth control was never removed and that “they” don’t want people like her to have children. Holston is confused by her emotional reaction and seemingly delusional beliefs.

Allison is likely correct in her belief that the Pact, an ambiguous yet authoritative group, does not want her to have children due to her personality type. 

Allison is intelligent, curious, direct, and sometimes insubordinate. For instance, in the first episode, she is reprimanded by her superior for posting something that broke their guidelines without his approval. 

This characteristic is frowned upon by the Pact as it shows a potential for resistance and rebellion. Allison herself states that the Pact only wants docile and obedient people, which she is not. This is why they would never allow her to have a child.

2. The Role and Power of the Judicial in Silo

In Silo, the Judicial is the authority that maintains peace and justice. They monitor and stop any illegal or suspicious activity that threatens the Silo’s stability or integrity. 

They have agents like Sims who use force and fear to control people and confront suspects. They forbid anyone from owning or using relics in the Silo. 

They are believed to have planted devices that record sound everywhere in the Silo, even in people’s homes. That’s why characters turn on the water when they talk about something risky or secret.

3. The Truth and Lies about the Outside World in Silo

The Silo makes people think that the outside world is a deadly wasteland. Through a camera at the top of the Silo, people see those who choose to leave and “clean” the camera die after wiping it. 

Allison leaves the Silo because she believes that the Pact has hidden a green and living world from the Silo’s people. She saw it in an old relic with George, a computer guy. Holston, who loves her, is shocked when she leaves and thinks she is dead for two years.

When Holston leaves the Silo and risks his life in episode 2, the camera shows him dying like Allison. He cleans the camera and tries to walk up the hill, but falls down. 

In reality, Holston sees that Allison was right. The outside world is beautiful and alive. He takes off his helmet when he can’t breathe, which seems real. 

But what happens next is unknown. The camera shows him dying next to Allison’s body, but since the camera lies, there is hope that they are both alive.

4. Holston’s Decision to Make Juliette a Sheriff in Silo

Holston decided to go outside the Silo when he locked himself in Holding 3 in episode 1. He took the relic, a hidden computer drive, that Juliette showed him after she thought that George was killed. 

She thought someone pushed George because he knew too much or went to the banned mines. Holston promises to contact Juliette after he watches the relic. But like Allison, he wants to leave as soon as he knows the truth and doesn’t tell Juliette.

Holston made Juliette the new Sheriff of the Silo to save her. She knew about George and maybe about the outside world. Holston gave her power and kept her secrets. 

As Sheriff, Juliette could access and investigate anything in the Silo. She could also find what George found in episode 2. As Sheriff, Juliette could also talk to the Mayor and other high people in the Silo and expose their lies.

5. Juliette’s Quest for George’s Tunnel in Silo

George may have found a door in the mines that leads to the tunnel he saw on the Silo’s plans. Juliette uses George’s rope to go to the bottom of the mines, where there is only water. 

She doesn’t know how deep the water is or where the door is. Silo episode 2 ends with Juliette hanging on the rope above the water. Juliette’s find could mean that there is another way in or out of the Silo besides the top door. 

It could be a secret passage for the Silo’s leaders, like the Pact and Judicial agents, or it could link to another hidden place or group. George’s tunnel shows that the Silo has more secrets than it seems.

As of now, there are many mysteries that remain unsolved, and we all have several questions. Let’s hope we get some clarity in the future episodes. 

6. About Silo

Silo is an American dystopian television series created by Graham Yost based on Hugh Howey’s novel series Wool. It premiered on Apple TV+ on May 5, 2023.

In a toxic dystopian future where a community exists in a giant silo hundreds of stories deep underground, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them.

The ten-episode series stars Rebecca Ferguson, Common, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche, Avi Nash, David Oyelowo, Rashida Jones, and Tim Robbins.