Silo Recap: Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men?

As a long-time resident of the Underground Railroad, I’ve seen my fair share of uprisings and power struggles. This week’s episode of The Expanse was a thrilling ride, showcasing the delicate balance of power within the silos and the lengths people will go to protect their interests.

In the inaugural episode of “Silo,” we encountered the concept of “artifacts” – small items of technology or art that originated from the world prior to the apocalypse, illegally traded in Silo 18’s underground marketplace. I have long believed that the trade of these artifacts is generally allowed by those in power (many of whom possess valuable artifacts themselves). This leniency allows for subtle acts of rebellion among the masses, which help maintain the stability of authoritarian societies. Additionally, with technology constantly monitoring everyone, the significant artifacts – such as the hard drive from the series premiere, eventually obtained by Juliette and then Bernard – can typically be recovered before they cause any serious problems.

The transfer of information across generations within these isolated silos has been restricted, making it challenging for anyone to gather scattered artifacts and create a consistent story about past life. Even the tales that exist seem to vary from one silo to another. For instance, last week we discovered that Silo 17 celebrates Founders Day while Silo 18 observes Freedom Day. This week, Solo was astonished to find out that the Romeo and Juliet story Juliette knew in her silo had a different ending – the lovers don’t die.

This episode focuses on unofficial knowledge that’s typically shared directly between individuals – either from teacher to student or from leader to follower, who learns by observing closely. Additionally, the significance and potential risk associated with artifacts play a significant role in the storyline.

By the close of the hour, Sims will ascend to the position of judge, whereas Rick Amundsen (Christian Ochoa) takes over as the new head of security in his stead. Simultaneously, Sheriff Billings and Deputy Hank (Billy Postlethwaite) lament their exclusion from the silo’s critical decisions; meanwhile, the quartet of fugitives leverage relationships with other departments and knowledge of secrets they shouldn’t possess to orchestrate an exhilarating escape. Despite this proximity, everyone maintains a sufficient distance to avoid uncovering any profound truths about the silo.

In my role at Supply, I’ve found myself in a unique position to help the fugitives. There’s this guy named Calvin, who used to be a porter but now heads the department due to health reasons. He suggests moving Knox and his group back to the Down Deep via the grain belts, which seems like a reasonable option. However, I believe there’s a better way. I’m advocating for him to use some contraband porter technology – a winch-and-cable system. This device is prohibited by The Pact, primarily because it could make porters redundant, and they are an integral part of the silo’s traditional hierarchy. But I think it’s worth the risk to help our fugitives escape.

1) Calvin demonstrates a lack of reliability, forcing the Down Deepers to flee once more, except for Walker who is so secluded that Carla suggests she should return home undetected and without incident. Their former relationship culminates in a tender kiss before Walker departs. Later, Knox and Shirley seek refuge, recuperate, then rejoin Calvin, requesting the high-end cables. This leads to an exhilarating action scene where Knox and Shirley slide down the silo’s center as a riotous crowd – instigated by impostors disguised as citizens, orchestrated by Amundsen – breach the barriers intended to control the chaos.

This episode deviates significantly from Bernard’s original plan, which is a key aspect of the storyline. Unlike last week’s more intense and focused episode, this one seems less structured and thrilling, but it delves into fascinating aspects of how disorder can emerge within a society where information is intentionally restricted. In this setting, even those who are supposed to be in the know can find themselves taken aback.

Despite Bernard leading Lukas out of the mines to examine Juliette’s “red-level relic” hard drive, Bernard seems taken aback when Lukas discovers blueprints for an undiscovered tunnel beneath the silo, along with what seem like power connections entering IT and Judicial from outside the fortifications. (It is less surprising to Bernard that the drive also contains a love letter penned by the legendary Salvador Quinn to his spouse, containing both endearing sentiments and a secret code.)

In Silo 17, it turns out there are unforeseen power lines too, which causes Juliette to puzzle over how the power failure is affecting the entire flooded compound, except on the IT level. Solo straightforwardly informs her that IT has its own separate power supply, arriving from outside – though he doesn’t provide specifics about how or why. Instead, he urges Juliette to find a means to lower the rising water levels before they reach IT (he calculates he has 10 months left before the flooding gets to him and only a short time more before he’ll have to evacuate). However, Juliette is dealing with issues of her own. The wound on her arm is infected, leaving her feeling dizzy. In her search for a new helmet for her re-entry into the outside world, she unwittingly uncovers that Solo has assumed the identity of Silo 17’s actual former IT assistant, Cole Myers.

The moment when Juliette challenges the man pretending to be Solo over his deceit is quite intense. This intensity mainly comes from Steve Zahn’s acting, as he swiftly transforms from endearing and innocent-looking to fiercely enraged. (“I am Solo,” he snarls, his words directed straight at Juliette’s flinching face. “I am the IT shadow!”) The imposter Solo hints that he might have committed something unspeakable against the genuine Solo and Trina Samuel. He seems uneasy when speaking about Trina, saying, “To be honest, I don’t like to think about her.” It appears plausible that in order to endure the rebellion in Silo 17, this pretender may have had to assume the identity of one of the few individuals who could potentially find refuge.

Thus, we’re revisiting the concept of a rigid and stringently enforced social structure that leaves individuals with little choice but to act out of both ignorance and fear. The Order is intended to serve as a guide for people such as Bernard, enabling him to ease tensions and reinstate order – an example being his action this week, where he seizes Juliette’s personal items to prevent them from being revered. However, since he doesn’t have absolute power, errors occur.

In this scenario, when Carla bribes Calvin, she gives him a case of old bourbon, which he accepts. However, what Calvin is truly seeking is an abandoned artifact that Carla can verify was once owned by Juliette. These new relics are being generated in real-time, and Bernard’s concerns are justified because the venerators have already started to venerate them.

The Down Deep

• How are there still whole cases of real bourbon available?

Here’s another way of expressing the idea:

As a passionate film enthusiast, I found myself eagerly following the narrative unfolding on screen, where Sheriff Billings and Deputy Hank were initially left out of the manhunt until chaos erupted, necessitating every trustworthy law enforcer. However, this temporary exclusion seemed to suit them perfectly, as it afforded them the opportunity to pursue Patrick Kennedy, the arsonist from a previous episode. It appears that no one in the Judicial system is concerned about him anymore – of course, given Bernard and Sims’ role in inciting the riot. Yet, Billings and Hank managed to locate him, injured and hidden away in a concealed passageway. The antique dealer hinted at revealing “all the secrets you might or might not wish to uncover.” I can hardly wait!

This week, Camille Sims takes on a dual role that adds depth to her intriguing character. She feigns being a devout fundamentalist around Bernard, discussing The Pact and expressing traditional views about motherhood. However, behind this facade, she dons an old raider’s uniform and secretly shelters the fugitives in a janitor’s apartment, thus evading the authorities. It seems Camille is skillfully navigating a double life, or perhaps playing a complex game with hidden intentions.

Asa (Ross Armstrong) is the janitor who often complains to Knox and Shirley that he’s just a diligent worker maintaining the silo. This remark sparks Knox to question, “Don’t you think everyone in each department believes they’re the ones ensuring the silo keeps functioning?

• Asa, awakened by Camille and told to prepare to have guests: “Can I put some pants on at least?” Camille: “I don’t know why you didn’t reach for those first.”

2024-12-13 17:54

Silo Recap: Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men?

The Down Deep

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