I've always maintained that for the highest quality tv shows, you need to tune into Apple TV+. With hit after hit, including The Morning Show, Ted Lasso, Pachinko, and Foundation, the streaming service keeps hitting it out of the park. And now we can add Silo to that list.
Silo is a science fiction dystopian drama series based on the Wool series of novels by author Hugh Howey. It was created by Graham Yost.
It premiered on Apple TV+ on May 5, 2023, and with 10 episodes, is set in a post-apocalyptic future.
Starring Rebecca Ferguson, Common and Tim Robbins, as well as a stellar main cast, Silo has a lot going on. So what is it about, and is it worth watching?
What Is Silo About?
Toxic air pollution has made the surface of the Earth uninhabitable, and people are forced to live in a massive underground silo.
The Judicial run the silo with the Mayor, who presides over the sheriff. The one thing that absolutely nobody ever wants to do is be sent to the outside world. That's because nobody knows what's out there.
In fact, nobody knows why the silo was built or by whom. All they know is that they cannot go outside. Unless they ask.
With various people trying to uncover the mystery of the silo, the person to get closest to finding real answers is George Wilkins. However, when George dies in mysterious circumstances, his friend, Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson), believes he was murdered.
Sheriff Holston (David Oyelowo) agrees to look into it, but when he asks to go outside, everybody in the silo is shocked. Even more surprising is that his last request is that Juliette Nichols takes over as sheriff.
Juliette, an engineer, becomes sheriff in a bid to uncover secrets about the silo's past and present, including political conspiracies, personal relationships, and the truth about why they are forced to live in the silo.
But the path to the truth is not easy, and along the way, she faces resistance from those who want to maintain the status quo and keep the truth hidden. Can she unravel the mystery of the silo?
Silo Official Trailer
Is Silo Worth Watching?
In a ruined and toxic future, 10,000 people live in a giant silo almost devoid of all modern technology (except for the IT department). They live and work in a silo, and their only connection to the outside world is through a window that depicts a bleak and desolate land.
Aesthetically, this is very well done with production opting for more of a utilitarian approach to the look and feel of the show. But it's the central mystery of the silo and Juliette's endeavours to find out what they are that really keeps you hooked episode after episode.
Each character is well thought out, and with such a great cast, they make it look effortless.
The finale of season one is a doozy that I did not see coming, having already smugly thought I'd figured it out. I hadn't! So the ability to send the audience one way while still surprising them in the last minutes is really well done.
That said, no show is perfect, and Silo suffers from minor issues that can become frustrating. The pacing in each episode is quite slow until a bombshell at the end is revealed. That's fine if you binge-watch the season, but if you tune in weekly, then it starts to grate.
Secondly, while Rebecca Ferguson is superb, her character is devoid of any real personality. I don't expect her to skip her way down the silo steps, but anger and frustration are the only two emotions she really ever shows.
Sure, she's a product of the silo and all of the damage it has done to her family but her complete inability to even ‘play the game' and buy herself time or goodwill is disappointing. A little manipulation on her part would have gone a long way.
But these are minor criticisms and definitely not enough to put you off the show. It's one for sci-fi fans or those who simply love a great story.
So is Silo worth watching? Absolutely, 100% yes, it is. And we cannot wait for the second season.
Silo Season 2
It didn't take the powers that be at Apple TV to renew Silo for a second season. In fact, they did so before the first had even finished!
Of course, that was only in June 2023, so it's at least another year before we will see it on our screens.
Silo TV Series Cast
Rebecca Ferguson as Juliette Nichols, an engineer who becomes the new sheriff to investigate the death of her friend.
Rashida Jones as Allison Becker, who works in the IT department in the Silo and is married to Sheriff Holston.
David Oyelowo (Chaos Walking) as Holston Becker, the devoted husband of Allison and the sheriff of the Silo.
Common (John Wick 2) as Robert Sims, the head of security for Judicial, who maintains order within the Silo.
Tim Robbins (Shawshank Redemption) as Bernard Holland, the strict head of the IT Dept.
Harriet Walter as Martha Walker, an electrical engineer who runs a workshop in the lower level.
Avi Nash as Lukas Kyle, a systems analyst in the IT Dept.
Iain Glen (The Rig) as Dr. Pete Nichols, an obstetrician and the father of Juliette.
Chinaza Uche as Paul Billings, the newly assigned chief deputy and a former Judicial enforcer.
Will Patton as Sam Marnes, a deputy who works under Sheriff Holston.
