There are good shows, and then there are great shows. Apple TV has taken it upon itself to create a show that is beyond great. In 2023, Apple TV took on the project of presenting a TV show by the name of Silo. It is rare for me to find a show nowadays I am captivated by and forced to binge-watch, but Silo has all the components that a show in this age needs to become a household name.Â
The last show that genuinely won me over was Desperate Housewives, which came out in 2004. It is hard to capture my attention when it comes to TV shows. I either find them too boring or predictable, with humor that tends to come off as cringe. However, Apple TV beat that stereotype when they released Silo.
I went back home for a weekend to visit my dad, and he sat me down and forced me to watch the first episode with him. At first, it felt like a chore because my dad does not have good taste in television typically. But remarkably, by the second half of the first episode, I was hooked.
What exactly is it about Silo that is captivating enough to boldly claim that it’s saving television in the modern age? Let me break it down.Â
- The cast
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Apple TV must have known a show is only as good as its cast, which is why it went out of its way to hire high-quality actors and actresses.
The main character of Silo, Juliette Nichols, is played by none other than Golden Globe nominee Rebecca Ferguson. Ferguson has played iconic roles in movies such as Mission Impossible and Dune, so she knows a thing or two about stepping into a role to create an immersive character.
By her side is actress Rashida Jones, who acts as Allison Becker. Jones is best known for her role as Ann Perkins in Parks and Recreation. While the role Jones takes on in Silo is extremely different from her role in Parks and Recreation, she commits to the bit and creates a character that, in only two episodes, leaves a resounding impact on the rest of the show.
Apple TV also cast Tim Robbins as the villain Bernard Holland, who has the right intentions but the wrong way of executing them. Robbins has played in movies like The Shawshank Redemption and Top Gun, where he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for the former.
Lastly, Iain Glen plays Peter Nicholas, the father of Juliette Nichols and a doctor for the Silo. Glen is most notably known for his role as Ser Jorah Mormont in Game of Thrones and for playing Magnus MacMillian in The Rig.
- the plot
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Many shows I have watched that have come out in the last few years all lack something that Silo has down pat: a plot. The first two episodes start by looking into a character named Allison Becker, and it isnât until the end of the first episode that we are introduced to our main character, Juliette.
Many shows try to cram as much information as possible into one season, not taking enough time to create a good background and foundation so that we understand why the characters are doing what they are doing. The creators of Silo seem to understand that, which is why the first episodes are purely there for setting up the stage for the rest of the show.
In the first episode, we meet Allison, the wife of the Sheriff in the silo, and we learn about her desire to have a child with her husband. As the episode progresses, we see how Allison discovers that the silo leaders are hiding things from the residents, such as pretending to take out the silo’s version of birth control for many to make it appear as if they have free will. We learn that residents stay underground in the silo because the outside world is toxic and uninhabitable, and their only view of what is on the surface is through a small camera outside the silo that records everything in real-time.
A resident can leave the silo whenever they please by saying they want to go out in front of someone else and then are sent to âcleanâ the outside camera, leading to their death from the toxins. Allison discovers a secret about the cleaning and shares it with an IT expert, George, who is Julietteâs lover. By taking the time to focus on a very minor character, Silo creates a plot that unravels slowly, leaving mystery and intrigue for the viewer.
- the set design
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Silo is set in a subterranean city around 140 stories below ground level. That said, there was no way Apple TV was going to build an actual underground silo to film in. Instead, the filmmakers built a set over one floor with a large bluescreen extension where they would use VFX to create real-time CG images of the siloâs internal dimensions.
Cinematographer David Luther said in an interview with IBC, âWe had an iPad on set to see what the virtual extension of the world would look like rather than just bluescreen. That helped us create a feeling of vertigo and scale, particularly when Juliette is hanging by her fingertips facing a vertiginous drop.” The filmmakers would use an anamorphic Caldwell lens called Chameleon to create a separation from the characters and their backgrounds.
Luther continued, âThe lenses offer a very soft look for wide angles, but [Caldwells] donât have a great range of longer focal lengths. I found a small zoom that worked well with the Caldwells. It wasnât great image quality, but when you want to degrade the look of the show for TV and take off the sharp edges of digital, it was ideal.”
With only a small set to use, Apple TV created the illusion that the characters were not only underground but 140 levels deep. Personally, I found the details put into each floor level to stand out drastically, as they made the top levels seem more luxurious, with the living conditions deteriorating more and more the lower you went in the silo. The thought that went into designing the set puts this show well above any other that has come out more recently.
- the themes
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Every show usually has a theme they center themselves around. However, most shows seem to lose track of those themes the further and further into the season they go (Iâm looking at you, Riverdale).
Silo is consistent with its themes, constantly reminding its audience what the real issues at hand are. At the start of the show, we are met by the leader of the Judiciary (essentially the law-making body of the silo), Judge Meadows. It seems as if Meadows holds all the power in the silo, making every decision and final say. However, in mid-season, we learn that Meadows is actually a puppet for a different person in the silo and that she genuinely does not know the whole truth.
We are shown the theme of control and secrecy as residents of the silo live under strict rules and regulations by a mysterious governing authority known as The Order. Everyone in the silo, even those with high levels of clearance, thinks they know the truth, but in reality, they are all pawns in the power play of one of the main characters.
This brings me to our next theme, truth and lies. The silo is built solely on lies and keeping the truth hidden, and those who try to uncover the truth are either sent to the mines (a punishment that nobody wants to endure) or to clean (so, to their death). The whole show is based on how Juliette uncovers the truth and the extent the leaders of the silo are willing to go to stop her from spreading it.
The last central theme of Silo is isolation and freedom. The residents of the silo are given the idea that they are free to do as they wish when in reality, they are trapped in the silo by a higher authority that we are unaware of yet. They are confined to live and die in the silo, whether for their protection or oppression, we do not know. Their desire for freedom is juxtaposed with their fear of the unknown outside, leading them to stay trapped in the silo until they’re told it’s safe to go out.
Overall, Silo looks at themes that are dark and mysterious, which is what makes the show so interesting and addicting in the first place.Â
I have never been a fan of sci-fi shows. I tend to hate them and find them overdone and boring. However, Silo has genuinely fascinated me in a way that no show has been able to do for a long time. From the strong female lead to the plot twists and cynical themes, Silo has proven itself to be a show that has the potential to be a classic.
If you’ve been stuck on what to watch and have some free time this upcoming winter break, I highly recommend giving Silo a try. There is something for everyone in this show that is bound to catch your interest.Â