Silo Recap: That Thing He Does

by

As a seasoned survivor of the apocalypse, having spent my entire life in the silo, I must admit that this latest episode was a rollercoaster ride filled with intrigue and suspense. The way the characters navigate their complex relationships and power dynamics is nothing short of fascinating.

What sets Steve Zahn apart is his ability to transform ordinary roles into extraordinary performances. This week, I watched Silo with my youngest, who was home from college for the holidays. Although it was their first time watching Silo, they had previously encountered Zahn in That Thing You Do! and as the voice of “Bad Ape” in War for the Planet of the Apes. Afterward, we discussed how Zahn’s scenes in “Solo” captured our attention. In this role, he portrays a character who is both unpredictable and vulnerable, and his raw, shaky performance left us both yearning to reach out and comfort Solo, even though he seemed capable of harming us.

Approximately half of this episode focuses on Juliette’s endeavors to win Solo’s confidence and uncover details about the events in Silo 17. She makes progress with the latter as Solo, though cautious, is willing to converse. Solo startles Juliette immediately by revealing there are 50 silos. He adds to her astonishment when he discloses that the event triggering the devastation of Silo 17 was a man named Ron Tucker stepping outside without cleaning up.

Straight away, Juliette’s situation shifts unexpectedly. It was beyond her comprehension – who could have known? – that not cleaning could lead to the demise of everyone she cares about. Now, she’s in a hurry to locate another outfit, find decent tape, and rush back home. However, to accomplish this, she needs Solo’s assistance. Therefore, she must revert to the beginning: gaining his trust again.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I can’t help but be impressed by the depth and nuance that Zahn and Rebecca Ferguson bring to their on-screen chemistry. With him confined behind a single, narrow window or viewed from behind, and her navigating a dimly lit, debris-filled room, it’s a testament to the skillful direction of Aric Avelino and the brilliant writing by Cassie Pappas that they manage to maintain the enigma surrounding our protagonist, Solo. They deftly hint at his tumultuous past, spent isolated in his vault, one of the select few knowledgeable IT individuals within the surviving silos.

It seems that he has had to safeguard his home within the vault previously, as Juliette discovers decayed bodies in the hallway beyond which appear not to be as old as the others. Was there life in Silo 17 following the rebellion, or did these intruders originate from another silo? For now, Solo remains silent on that matter. Instead, he prepares a pot of chicken stew for Juliette – not only to comfort her but to verify her physical existence and ensure she’s no illusion. Once satisfied that she is indeed a tangible individual capable of consuming food, she requests a favor: The supplies she requires for her return journey to her silo are situated on a submerged level in Silo 17. Could Solo accompany her by supplying oxygen while she maneuvers through the water?

In this episode’s finale, Solo and Juliette are left in an eerie scene where Solo, disheveled and bearded, steps out from his vault possibly for the first time ever, exploring deeper into Silo 17 than before. He surveys the vast, ruined area, and we pause the story here, with them seated on a deteriorated walkway. I can’t wait to rejoin them next week.

Similar to last week’s premiere, there’s an unfortunate imbalance between the episodes focused on Juliette’s exploits in Silo 17 and other events. While Silo 17 is fresh and exciting, the old silo next door feels somewhat worn, even with a rebellion underway. This week, the action in the old silo seems scattered, with numerous subplots competing for attention, leaving only a few of them fully developed.

It’s important to note that the situation in the Deep Down is becoming increasingly tense. The judicial’s choice to reinforce the sheriff’s deputies with Sims’s gang and conduct a raid has everyone on edge. Locals are resisting martial law, boldly tagging “Juliette Lives!” as graffiti and calling for the release of individuals they consider political prisoners. Additionally, it’s regrettable but understandable that they’re beginning to split apart.

In addition to Knox’s theory about the enigmatic “wall of names” in the silo’s deepest levels, there are some fascinating aspects of the main silo narrative this week that revolve around two characters – Sims and Judge Meadows. However, these intriguing elements are not limited to just these two individuals.

What’s fascinating to me about Robert Sims is that here’s this loving family man with a totally reasonable ambition to be a leader, yet to get what he wants, he’s had to cultivate an identity as someone whose “parents threaten their kids with if they don’t eat their broccoli.” Sims throws his muscle around twice in this episode. First, with the rebellious Patrick (Rick Gomez), he offers a compromise wherein Patrick will head down to mechanical as a literal bomb-thrower, stirring up problems in accordance with how The Order suggests uprisings be handled: by making the mechanical department into a public enemy. In return, Patrick will be given a special drug that will make him forget as far back as he wants: before Juliette’s escape, before the death of his wife Doris, or even before he met Doris.

In due course, he recalls retired raider Reggie (Kieron Jecchinis) for duty, reminding him of a past instance where he was allowed additional time with a particularly unsettling criminal, to mete out personal retribution. Although Sims may not hold the confidential information that Bernard or Judge Meadows does (yet there’s no denying his yearning for such intel), he has learned from them that in the silo, power grants advantages — privileges to be wielded or shared.

Regarding Meadows, she desires to step out but requires extensive preparations and settling of matters first. For instance, she’s curious about the circumstances surrounding Juliette – how did she gain knowledge about the silo’s covert operations such as the concealed cameras? It’s also essential for Meadows to confirm if Juliette explicitly expressed her wish to go out. She needs these answers for two main reasons. Firstly, she wants to assess potential dangers that could arise in the silo during her absence following Juliette’s departure, which triggered The Order’s “prepare for war” alert. Secondly, she aims to determine if Bernard is deceiving her about this situation.

Regarding your second query, let me clarify: Bernard’s response is straightforward. You’re absolutely correct; he’s been dishonest, always manipulating information. This is his method of controlling others. However, it appears that he does hold genuine feelings for Meadows, and when he discusses helping her escape the silo, it comes across as sincere.

It’s unlikely that Bernard can be relied upon. However, as Meadows retrieves an illicit video projector and gazes at enchanting, familiar scenes – people frolicking on beaches, in snow, or celebrating birthdays – she understands her predicament. She’s willing to gamble with obscurity for the prospect of reaching a paradise.

The Down Deep

• Among all the scantly developed subplots in this episode, there’s one that particularly bears watching. Dr. Pete Nichols (Iain Glen) has a pleasant conversation with a woman named Phoebe Wells (Caitlin Innes Edwards), who has mixed feelings over entering the lottery to have a child, because she knows the only reason the lottery reopened is because Pete’s daughter Juliette left the silo. While doing the operation to remove Phoebe’s birth control implant, Pete is prepared to replace it with another implant (as he is required to do when the silo’s government determines that a parenting candidate is undesirable) but chooses not to. A small rebellion, but significant.

• Judge Meadows has a nice moment with Sheriff Billings in which she admits that she knows he has “the Syndrome” but that he shouldn’t feel ashamed about it because it’s probably the most natural human reaction to living underground. (“It’s time to get rid of the stigma tied to a few discriminatory phrases in the Pact,” she says.)

This week, Solo’s chosen track is “Red Rain” by Peter Gabriel. How does this piece resonate with Juliette? Does she find it within herself to fully comprehend the sounds she’s perceiving?

I make an effort not to ponder too deeply on what the inhabitants of the silo might or might not be aware about the world beyond, yet I find it intriguing that Solo clarifies the idea of birds to Juliette in one instance, and then later prepares her chicken stew.

Regarding the topic of that stew, didn’t anyone else get the feeling that Solo might have poisoned it, given his reaction to how quickly and without hesitation Juliette devoured it? Or perhaps my suspicions are heightened due to binge-watching Silo. I guess trust isn’t my strong suit.

Read More

2024-11-29 14:54