Season 3 of Silo starts with a moment of supposed peace. Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) is back. She is now something of an icon for the people inside the silo—the one who went out and came back. But the peace is fake, and before long, it becomes clear that Juliette’s return has changed everything.
The Real Power
Juliette is now Mayor, elected by the people out of love and admiration. There is a Council now, where the Heads of each department talk, share ideas, and solve problems together. It all looks very democratic. But we know better. Inside the Silo, the real power still belongs to the Head of IT—and that's Camille (Alexandria Riley).
Camille was directly chosen by the supposed computer to be Head of IT. At first, I assumed it was because there was something special about her. The real reason was much scarier: she was ruthless. She obeys, and she isn't afraid of doing terrible things if she believes they are for the greater good.
The Power of Stories
Stories were always important in human history. They not only pass information, but they also give it meaning, and that involves emotions, which are determinant for us.
In the show, stories are crucial to the effectiveness of the forgetting drugs, but they also carry a deeper meaning. If you could control what people think and remember, you would control humanity. That's exactly what they are trying to do with the forgetting drugs.
This also gives a powerful explanation for why the relics are forbidden. They have memories and emotions attached and could bring some memories back, memories that would lead people to question the stories they had been given.
This also gives a powerful explanation for why the relics are forbidden. They have memories and emotions attached and could bring some memories back, memories that would lead people to question the stories they had been given.
The Mines
We finally get a glimpse of the mines, and they are far more important than we'd think.
They could be the key to silo-to-silo contact without risking the poisonous air upstairs, but the founders thought of that too. The miners die every day because the tunnels are already too fragile for so much exploration.
They also die when they are being inconvenienced.
They could be the key to silo-to-silo contact without risking the poisonous air upstairs, but the founders thought of that too. The miners die every day because the tunnels are already too fragile for so much exploration.
They also die when they are being inconvenienced.
Silo's Fragility
The whole system is fragile. We know that from season 1 when the generator wasn't working properly. Now, we are reminded of how easily everything can go wrong with light bulbs.
Yes, something so simple and cheap for us is vital inside the Silo—and there aren't that many left.
Yes, something so simple and cheap for us is vital inside the Silo—and there aren't that many left.
The Repetition of History
Mission's Diary entry is so sad, and impossible to ignore. Knowing that, how could someone do the same thing again?
It talks about depression spreading through the whole population because of the forgetting drugs in the water.
This made me think of a whole different meaning to the silo's stairs. They go around and around, and they always lead to the same place. The people of the Silo keep climbing, convinced they are moving forward, but the structure keeps bringing them back to the same place.
It is, no doubt, time to disrupt the system and break the cycle.
It talks about depression spreading through the whole population because of the forgetting drugs in the water.
This made me think of a whole different meaning to the silo's stairs. They go around and around, and they always lead to the same place. The people of the Silo keep climbing, convinced they are moving forward, but the structure keeps bringing them back to the same place.
It is, no doubt, time to disrupt the system and break the cycle.
Shirley
Shirley's (Remmie Milner) pregnancy doesn't make any sense.
I understand they knew they would never be allowed to have kids, and they want to fight the system, so it wasn't that surprising unless you think about the whole situation.
Everything is going wrong; they are fighting, there are rebellions, and honestly, they have zero reason to think things will be okay. So, why did they think this was the right moment to bring a child into the world?
The Myth of AI
We were led to believe that AI was behind everything, and that the Head of IT was essentially being bossed around by a computer. But it wasn't AI. It was a human.
I could talk about how much crueler a human can be than a machine, but what really caught my attention was something else. Still believing Camille was talking to a computer, I was surprised by its incredible emotional intelligence—better than that of many people I know.
It tells her: “You're not looking for an answer; you're looking for an argument. I will not engage.”
Silo 17
Now we know that what we thought was AI is actually human—or rather, a team of humans, and they were directly responsible for what happened in silo 17 (Season 2).
We can watch it all, and despite the horror, the real question is: isn't the air poisonous after all? Was it all them? Why?
Why so much trouble to keep people underground? Is it all a lie and a simple experiment?
We can watch it all, and despite the horror, the real question is: isn't the air poisonous after all? Was it all them? Why?
Why so much trouble to keep people underground? Is it all a lie and a simple experiment?
What the Founders didn't think about
Having the head of IT obey seemed easy, but they forgot to count on something: they would eventually target someone that person loved.
With so much thinking, the founders forgot the head of IT also has emotions. Bernard (Tim Robbins) got tired, and Camille betrayed the system.
Was the Safeguard the only way to control that? Well, now they have a problem.
With so much thinking, the founders forgot the head of IT also has emotions. Bernard (Tim Robbins) got tired, and Camille betrayed the system.
Was the Safeguard the only way to control that? Well, now they have a problem.
Questions That Remain
For me, an important question remains: why silos can't contact each other? Help each other, even? What's the contamination they are trying to avoid? I bet it's free thinking. It's inevitable that each silo gather some "uncomfortabel" information and if they share, each one their bit could lead to trouble.
Maybe some algorithm determined that 10,000 is the ideal number of people to control. I don't know, but I think this should be explored more; maybe in season 4 we'd get a better answer.
Another thing that bothers me is that the founders built the silo so humanity could survive, but they also made sure they could end everyone if "needed." Why?
What are they hiding?
What are they hiding?
At first sight, Silo could look like an AI cautionary tale, but, in fact, it is all about humans and their lack of humanity.
Daniel (Ashley Zukerman) seems to be one of them, but we know him from before, so maybe his humanity is hiding somewhere because of the forgetting drugs. Now that we know Helen's name... will the memories be giving his consciousness back? Will he be the one who changes the outcome?
Season 3 brings us some much-needed answers, but every answer seems to open another question. And that's exactly why Silo remains so impossible to look away from. We finally understand more about how this world works, but we are still nowhere near understanding why it was built this way—or what the founders were really trying to protect humanity from. Whatever the answer is, I need Season 4 now.
Season 3 brings us some much-needed answers, but every answer seems to open another question. And that's exactly why Silo remains so impossible to look away from. We finally understand more about how this world works, but we are still nowhere near understanding why it was built this way—or what the founders were really trying to protect humanity from. Whatever the answer is, I need Season 4 now.
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