The sophomore episode of Apple TV’s Silo returns to the aggrieved citizens of our OG silo as rebellion brews…
Each week Joe and Terry discuss the most recent episodes of Apple TV’s Silo Season 2, alternating between our respective sites.
Catch up on Season 1: 1.01-1.02 / 1.03 / 1.04 / 1.05 / 1.06 / 1.07 / 1.08 / 1.09 / 1.10
Catch up on Season 2: 2.01
Spoilers follow for Silo S02E02 “Order”
JOE
Well, Terry, as predicted, episode two of Silo’s second season is wholly dedicated to the folks that Jules (Rebecca Ferguson) left behind when she walked over the hill (a phrase we hear many, many times).
It also seems like you may have spoken too early about avoiding a disastrous rebellion because “Order” is all about the rumblings that could lead to another 10K massacre. Or it will if Shirley (Remmie Milner) has anything to say about it: Jules’ friend is not going quietly into the night, loudly protesting that Mayor Bernard (Tim Robbins) is lying during his address about the “two tapes” and nearly getting herself arrested.
First Knox (Shane McCrae) tries to shut her up/protect her, but ultimately it’s Walker (Harriet Walter) – fresh from being held in Judicial’s prison for the majority of the episode – who not-so-kindly reminds Shirley that she’s real bad at covertly stirring shit up. With the pair working together, as well as Jules’ “shadow” Cooper (Matt Gomez Hidaka), we’ve got the makings of an upstart rebellion.
Because the episode is trying to reignite all of the non-Jules storylines, writer Fred Golan does have to bounce around a lot. That means we’re reminded of the desires of Sim’s wife Camille (Alexandria Riley) for her husband (Common) to be promoted, while also throwing new wrenches into the mix by revealing that Judge Meadows (Tanya Moodie) will assist Bernard to stay in power…in exchange for the opportunity to go outside. (That’s compelling, though I could have done without the not-so-subtle allusion to The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz).
Arguably the best part of the episode is when the various factions come into conflict. Watching Bernard sweat about how to calm the masses and then seeing how he and Sims use “heckler” plants to ensure the speech goes his way is both clever and fun to watch. And the growing divide between Knox, who turned Jules over to Judicial to keep the peace, and Shirley, who blames him for betraying their friend, should continue to produce fireworks in the episodes ahead.
It’s that anticipation of what’s to come that makes all of this exciting. The sudden appearance of “JL” graffiti on a stairwell, as well as Shirley dropping her friend’s name when questioned, proves that Juliette has already become a martyr figurehead for the impoverished, lied-to members of the silo to rally behind. Certainly Meadows can see the danger in that; she tells Bernard as much when he believes he’s appeased naysayers with his speech. That’s not enough, Meadows warns: he’ll need to give the people something to believe in if he hopes to quell the unrest in the long run.
But Terry over to you: what did you think of the direction of Michael Dinner, returning for his second episode in a row? Did you like the opening when Bernard leafs through the Founder’s Bible to discover that an unsuccessful cleaning = prepare for war? Did you catch Sex Education’s George Robinson as the new disabled character, Mark Chambers, that Knox speaks about weapons with? And did Bernard’s PR spin on Juliette as a hero and martyr hit a little too close to home considering we’re now living in the era of “fake news”?
TERRY
This season is certainly different from season one, Joe! Honestly, it makes sense as an escalation of the themes and plotlines in the first season, but I’m finding it a little difficult to adjust to the new direction. These first two episodes are very fast-paced and the action is moving so quickly. If mystery was one of the central themes of season one, escalation seems to perfectly encapsulate the direction these two episodes have taken. And while it makes for a thrilling watch, I must confess that I miss the thematic depth and the central mysteries of the first season.
It’s weird, because as much as I loved the first episode, it didn’t feel like a season premiere. But “Order” definitely does, in the way a premiere typically establishes the tone and the central conflicts to come. It’s been over a year since we finished talking about season one and I was afraid I wouldn’t remember the characters or the plotlines that were introduced, but this episode easily reestablishes the main threats and characters.
In particular, I’m happy to see Knox seems to be taking a more prominent role (mostly because I find Shane McCrae very, very easy on the eyes) if only because this current structure can provide more attention to these important side characters. Jules (and Rebecca Ferguson, in general) command so much attention and the first season was so focused on her own personal mysteries within the larger context of the silo mystery.
So it’s refreshing, in a way, to see the other characters step up and take the story a little larger. But, right now, Silo feels more like a bingeable show than season one, in that I think I would be left wanting more (pejoratively) after watching the first episode without the ability–and privilege we currently have–to quickly move on to the next episode.
Onto your questions, though, opening on Bernard seeing the catastrophic results of the other silo’s rebellion, combined with the ominous Bible-stand-in The Order, suggests a lot of danger ahead. “Prepare for war”, the book says, and that will only embolden Bernard’s iron claw rule.
Ironically, his preparations could actually further endanger a rebellion.
You brought up the “Juliette Lives” graffiti. It’s such a simple, yet effective, way to show the seeds of rebellion. It’s much more effective than the Wizard of Oz metaphor…Joe, I groaned when Judge Meadows brought it up. I also wondered how that book could have existed in such apparently pristine conditions and why it seemed readily available since The Founders are so keen on hiding any mention of the world before. Regardless, this script by Golan (a producer who also wrote S01E10 “Outside”) is a little on-the-nose in the symbolism department. It makes me wonder if we’ll see more lingering problems from the writer’s strike as we go forward.
So far, season two doesn’t seem as meticulously plotted. I hope I’m wrong and the writing gets a bit stronger in the rest of the season.
Small moments of note. Yes, I loved seeing George Robinson show up! I hope he has a big role this season as we get to know other people in the silo. Judge Meadows wanting to go outside is a weird development that feels a little on the iffy side, script wise. Bernard spinning Jules going “over the hill” and the tape did hit a bit too close to home in the aftermath of this election cycle.
What’s more intriguing, though, is the spin – combined with that stealthy, quiet shot of the camera in Judicial’s cells that presumably picked up Walker’s conversation about the tape. The implication suggests that Walker might be in trouble because she’s become a liability.
I’m curious to see where the season goes next, Joe, even if some of the plotting and narrative decisions in this episode left me wanting. We’ll see what’s next for the silo and, presumably, Jules next week when we’re back at Gayly Dreadful for episode three!
Silo airs Fridays on Apple TV
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