The fourth episode of Silo season 4 might be the sci-fi drama’s best one yet. Here’s our review.
Warning! This week’s review includes HEAVY SPOILERS for the entirety of the episode. You have been warned.
Where to even begin with this week’s episode of Silo? Apple’s ambitious, addictive sci-fi drama seems to get better with each episode, but this week’s chapter feels particularly effective.
Juliette and Solo are desperately trying to figure out how Juliette could breathe underwater to explore another part of silo 18. They find a classroom where Juliette has a chance to write and draw her ideas on the chalkboard, but Solo, like an excited child, keeps telling Juliette about elephants and the circus. Steve Zahn is truly remarkable here, turning Solo from a comic relief to a tragic, mysterious figure. Zahn brings a lot of childish mannerisms to Solo, adjusting the way he stands and moves, constantly a little bit on edge and occasionally bubbling over when Solo panics about leaving his safe, secure vault.
In silo 17 though, all hell is very close to breaking loose. Holland is trying to control the chaos and bring peace to the silo. Except we know his version of peace is more control and lying to the residents, trying to hide the history of the world. To Holland and whoever build the silos, knowledge is power and power is dangerous.
The class element of Silo has always felt really timely and season 2 only doubles down on it. As Knox, Shirley, Walker and Carla demand to see Judge Meadows, they encounter an angry mob, who have been led to believe Mechanical are to blame for all the bad things happening in the Silo, but in truth, Mechanical are the ones literally keeping the lights on in the silo. Hmm, I wonder where else the working class people are keeping the country going but rarely get to enjoy any of the luxuries…
The star of the episode, though, is Tanya Moodie as Judge Meadows. I’ve mentioned a few times that she’s becoming one of the most fascinating characters in season 2. You’re never quite certain what side she’s on and who she’s playing and Moodie keeps that intrigue alive well. Meadows is still adamant that she wants to leave the Silo, expecting Holland to keep his promise to get her a suit.
From here on out, we’re going to discuss some major, spoiler-y events in the episode. If you haven’t had the chance to watch the episode yet, this is your final warning to not proceed until you have.
Holland has no intent on keeping his promise to Meadows promise. Instead, he invites her for a nice, romantic dinner, just to poison her food. What really sets Silo apart from similar other TV shows is how it decides to portray its villain. Holland is without a doubt the series’ baddie, but you also get a strong sense that he completely believes he’s doing what’s right for the silo.
There’s even a strange, tragic beauty to Holland’s actions in Meadows’ final moments. He places a pair of glasses, which contain a video of Costa Rica in 2018, allowing Meadows to explore the life and animals of the time. “How did they lose this world?” Meadows wonders just before death. The entire scene is as chilling as it is beautiful. Episode 4 is by far the most emotionally charged episode we’ve seen of Silo yet and one of the best as well.
There’s an awful lot going on with a lot of characters involved in different subplots, but Silo doesn’t feel crowded or rushed. If there is something to complain about, it’s the sheer amount of characters. I’m struggling to remember people’s names and many characters disappear for long periods of time. Last week’s episode found Juliette’s dad, Dr. Nichols secretly allowing a couple to conceive, directly going against the silo’s directive. He’s nowhere to be seen this week and who knows when we’ll next see him, but I have faith in showrunner Graham Yost.
Come back next week to dissect another episode of Silo.
