Silo Season 2 Episode 2 Recap & Review

Silo Season 2 Episode 2 jumps right into the chaos incited by Juliette’s departure, while stirring up more drama and deepening what already exists in Silo 18.

This week, we jump right into the aftermath of the chaos that erupted inside the silo after Juliette’s departure. Episode 2 is laced with schemes and dreams as our story thickens when truths are revealed, new drama develops, and existing drama deepens.

Episode 2 opens with Mayor Holland (Tim Robbins, of Castle Rock) in his office processing what he just watched happen, panicking over how to handle this with the public. He knows this situation is likely to incite a rebellion and he must stop it before it starts. He eyes their world’s version of the Holy Bible, a book titled “The Order”, then flips to the section covering what to do in the event of an unsuccessful cleaning and how to prepare for war. Bernard knows he must prepare an answer for the people, even if it is bullshit, which it always is, but he also knows that in order to convince them of said b.s., he’s going to need the support of Judicial and its head Judge Meadows (Tanya Moodie, of Motherland).

Why is this contentious and dramatic (and important)? Because Bernard is a snake and cannot be trusted. He’s the head of IT who, if you’ll remember, secretly became the mayor of Silo 18 and now uses Judicial as his secret police. Meadows is in direct opposition to the mayor, and she fears him and openly disapproves of his actions. Their interaction here is a tense one that ultimately ends with her telling him she will offer her public show of support if he allows her one thing: her freedom from the silo. She wants out. 

Meanwhile, silo residents—particularly those who knew and worked with Juliette, the mechanics and engineers—speak in growing crowds, vocalizing that it’s time for another rebellion. They want answers as to why they just saw what they did. How did one of their own walk over the hill that others never even had the chance to reach? Clearly, the truth they’ve known and abided by their entire lives is a big, fat lie and they know it. Now, they’re pissed and rightly so. When Juliette survived and disappeared over that crater’s edge, she turned Silo 18’s normal existence upside down and inside out.

Speaking of, let’s look at this real quick. How did Juliette survive? She had the exact same outside suit that everyone else before her wore and died in. Episode 2’s answer sheds a big, bright light on a big ole secret, and that’s what thickens our story and deepens our drama. 

See, when someone expresses their intention to go outside of the silo, they’re equipped with a spacesuit and a limited supply of oxygen–the air is poisonous, remember? However, what only IT knew was that they purposely used weak tape to secure these suits and that was the reason Juliette’s predecessors died as quickly as they did. The IT Department wanted them to die. Why? Funny you should ask …

Episode 2 hips us to the fact that Bernard (and IT) have known about the outcome of the nearest silo’s rebellion and subsequent failure resulting in mass deaths since it happened. They haven’t wanted anyone from Silo 18 going outside, witnessing a mass graveyard, panicking, and inciting paranoid chaos amongst those inside from watching. 

So, when Bernard saw Juliette survive and walk away, he instantly knew how and why: She did not use IT’s tape; she used something different. And he is right. Down in mechanical, they use a strong adhesive tape. It must be if they’re using it for functional purposes in the mechanical department, right? That’s what was used to tape up Juliette’s suit, allowing her more time and more oxygen.

Before Bernard addresses the people though, and until he figures out what exactly he’s going to tell the people, he sees to it that the person he believes responsible for switching out the tape is arrested and silenced, Martha Walker (Harriet Walter, of Ted Lasso), who took Juliette in when she first came to mechanical as a kid. 

During his speech, instead of trying to deflect and redirect questions and accusations, Bernard joins the crowd and hails Juliette a hero before letting the people in on a big secret: The IT Department has developed a new, stronger, better tape for securing the outside suits, and Juliette agreed to be the first one to test it. That’s how she managed to walk farther than anyone else. He then promises to keep working on this tape so silo residents can one day put to bed their dangers of going outside and follow in Juliette’s footsteps, though he does assure the crowds that at this point, Juliette is likely dead. After learning about this new tape, Judge Meadows publicly backs Bernard’s story, convincing the public of Bernard’s false truth. She’s all in to do whatever she can to get a roll of that tape and leave Silo 18 for good, even if it means standing with her enemy.

Back in IT, Sims (Common, of The Chi) works hard to convince Bernard to talk to him, to let him be his shadow, to train him to one day become the new mayor. Bernard considers it but hesitates and instead goes to talk to Judge Meadows. As he walks the silo halls, he notices graffiti already starting in support of a rebellion: the letters JL enclosed in a circle (Juliette Lives). 

Later at home, Sims is talking to his wife about Bernard’s secrecy, and about his relationship with Judge Meadows, when they both realize this can only mean one thing: Bernard and Meadows are working together, but why? Sims wonders what it is they know that he (and no one else, for that matter) doesn’t. 

Silo Season 2 Episode 2 ends with a group of rebels in mechanical talking about Juliette when Walker shows up and informs them of the truth behind the tape: IT had nothing to do with it; she did. And then she tells them that whatever they’re schemin’ to do, she’s in. 

Stay tuned, my friends.

Silo Season 2 Episode 2 is currently streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes dropping every Friday through mid-January.

Loud and Clear Reviews has an affiliate partnership with Apple, so we receive a share of the revenue from your purchase or streaming of the films when you click on the button on this page. This won’t affect how much you pay for them and helps us keep the site free for everyone.