by Jack Grimme, Contributing Writer
Silo’s debut season was met with largely positive reviews from SiftPop and other media outlets. It shined due to a truly compelling mystery being unraveled by an increasingly broad and interesting scope of characters. Spending the season exploring the mystifying tower alongside the charming cast impressively built to a harrowing finale. The sophomore series picks up exactly where the 10th episode left off, while also peering into the tower’s past and further, unveiling how each action holds weight for the fate of humanity. Rebecca Ferguson continues to lead the show as the believed martyr Jules, along with pretty much every side character who managed to survive the previous events.
This season largely follows two distinct storylines. The audience reunites with Jules as she takes her first steps topside. She makes it further than any cleaner has made in history, but quickly realizes the overworld conditions are untenable. She seeks refuge in a second silo and spends the season grappling with the implications of her success, the greater context of the world, and the secretive sole survivor of the second silo, Solo, brilliantly portrayed by Steve Zahn. Meanwhile, the conflict between the lower levels and the upper tiers of the first silo starts to boil over. Jules’ former coworkers Knox (Shane McRae) and Shirley (Remmie Milner) take hold of the rebellion and brace for a grueling conflict with increasingly volatile Mayor Bernard Holland (Tim Robbins). Several other players work in the background to seek the truth, continuing Silo’s streak of impressively utilizing a deep cast.
In a sense, it feels like Jules is sidelined this season. Ferguson still has plenty of screen time and does make some dire revelations. And her dynamic with Zahn will almost certainly be one of the most memorable parts of the entire series. Zahn taps into the same energy he explored in War for the Planet of the Apes, playing a lonely, eccentric, well-meaning companion. Almost every joke in the entire season comes from his lips, and it hits with near perfect fidelity. Unfortunately, despite the fun quips and intriguing minor mystery, many of Jules’ scenes feel redundant. This is enhanced by the fact that her entire goal is just to undo her actions from the original finale. That admittedly oversimplifies her situation to some extent, but the feeling remains the same. There is also a twist in the final few episodes that is quite exciting, continuing to make the case for Zahn as the season’s MVP. But it doesn’t fully redeem the amount of minutes we spent watching Jules wander in the dark.
Similarly, the secondary plot has many highlights, but some key points keep it from hitting the heights of Season One. As mentioned earlier, one of the best parts of the first run of episodes were the side characters. The showrunners consistently introduced new characters with diverse perspectives. Some of them remained in their own bubble, but most had implications for several different plot lines, popping up throughout the floors interacting with different peers, or unveiling or forming compelling bonds. This time around, the show continues to utilize the existing characters effectively. The audience gets to watch as two disparate characters meet and form lasting bonds or deep rivalries due to the diverse perspectives. Rick Gomez as Patrick Kennedy first appears in the show as a random citizen wary of the law. Many shows would have dispensed with him as soon as his little tangent was over, but Silo sets itself apart by taking each individual character and evolving them in a natural and important way.
The near uniform increase in screen time does take away from the show in one minor way. The series settles into the established perspectives, and rarely deigns to bring new eyes into the fold. Now, this is hard to fully fault, because the series did such an outstanding job during its first run. Unfortunately, the lack of this feature does reduce the identity of the series. It was one of the most compelling parts of the show, and there are undeniably more shoes to walk in, so it is a slight bummer. Fortunately, it largely makes up for it by weaving the current perspectives together in a satisfying way.
Performances all around need to be commended. Despite the fact that Jules’ storyline isn’t perfect, Ferguson continues to perfectly portray the protagonist’s earnest, quiet passion. The veteran Robbins makes an excellent foil, with his zealous commitment to his cause, callously sacrificing friends and foes alike if it furthers his goal. But again, the show shines because the entire community is filled with life. Kennedy, Chinaza Uche, and Billy Postlethwaite are three standouts of the first season who spend an increased amount of time together this go-round. Their collective charm plays off each other, making one of the quieter side quests of the season quite memorable. And thankfully Avi Nash as Lukas Kyle was upgraded from mysterious minor love interest to major player and frontrunner for discovering the deeper machinations of this world. His time in the previous season was limited, but the actor was so charismatic that he demanded more attention if the show was to continue. If he continues this pace throughout the remaining seasons, he will become a must-watch performer for future projects.
Overall, Season Two of Silo is a relatively worthy followup, with minor dips in some aspects. Unfortunately, the parts that take the hit were some of the series’ most defining elements. If the show can continue to flesh out the side characters, I think it will be able to fill the void. And Jules’ journey ends with plenty of intrigue. As the primary protagonist, her objectives will almost certainly only become more consequential as the series builds to a finale. Certain moments also make me wonder if forcing out 10 long episodes is leading to diminishing returns. There is plenty of filler in this season that doesn’t do much for character or plot. A tighter run could lead to a more focused, rewarding journey. But regardless, this series will retain the majority of fans because it continues the mystery and pays a great deal of service and attention to its diverse ensemble.
Rating: Liked It
Silo is currently streaming on Apple TV+
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