Silo Season 2 Episode 4 Recap & Review

Tension continues building in Silo Season 2, as Episode 4 sees Juliette on a quest to retrieve a suit, Mechanical wield their power, and a key character killed.

Episode 4 opens in Silo 17, where Solo (Steve Zahn) accompanies Juliette on her quest to retrieve an old fireman’s suit from Mechanical to get her home. Since the area is completely underwater, the search is on for materials to help her get there. Solo gets nostalgic exploring parts of the silo he remembered as a kid, and as he speaks of those memories, we really feel how mentally stuck he is. Psychologically, he’s very much a child, and an extremely smart one at that. Seemingly, he’s an inventive little kid trapped in a grown man’s body.

He spots an old harmonium and grows excited as he plays it with gusto. Just as Juliette hits a peak of frustration with his incessant talking and distracting energy, he explains to her the instrument’s importance: There are materials inside a harmonium that can be used to aid Juliette in her quest to retrieve the fireman’s suit.

Over in Silo 18, Shirley (Remmie Milner) and Knox (Shane McRae) talk alone down in Mechanical in front of a wall of names of the people who died in a rebellion. Next to the names are explanations of what exactly happened, with notations of how everything was blamed on Mechanical no matter where the rebellion started. Why?

Simple: Mechanical is the only department keeping the silo operational; thus, they have the power to shut it down to get what they need. Judicial knows this and has taken every opportunity to keep them from doing so. Shirley and Knox figure out that Juliette was sent outside to clean, she didn’t choose to go. So, they come up with a plan: demand the truth from Judge Meadows. Demand how? I think you know.

Elsewhere, Bernard (Tim Robbins) goes to Judge Meadows (Tanya Moodie) seeking help on nipping the impending Mechanical threat in the bud, but she refuses to discuss anything with him until she has her outside suit. As this is happening, Sims (Common) talks to his wife about making an effort to impeach Meadows to unite the silo against Mechanical (and essentially the truth).

After a meeting with Lucas Kyle (Avi Nash, of The Walking Dead), who helped Juliette figure out what was on the hard drive in Season 1, Meadows hears calls for her impeachment outside her window, then goes to Bernard to see if this is his doing. It’s clear she half expected this. Bernard assures her he is not involved but reminds her people are afraid and want protection from Mechanical, who have requested to meet with her and obtain a few suits to go outside and explore for themselves. She suggests they form a committee to “study their ideas” … in other words, stall them with bureaucracy. Bernard agrees and invites her to dinner so they can discuss. But if you’re paying attention here, you know this is not his intention at all.

Back in Silo 17, Juliette prepares to retrieve the old fireman’s suit. Before she can though, Solo panics when he can’t remember if he locked the vault door. He freaks out, saying he has to go check, but she reminds him he did lock it and in her sincerity, Solo feels he can trust her and calms himself into remembering.

Juliette drops into the water and tests their harmonium-concocted breathing apparatus, and it works. On her way to retrieve the suit, she gets hung up. She breaks free but has to let go of her breathing tube and nearly drowns. It’s a bit of a harrowing moment. As she retrieves the suit, we come to see how literally everything for her is a test and a quest for strength and survival.

When she returns to Solo, he’s in full panic, desperate to get back inside the vault, but the door won’t open. He blames Juliette when actually it is he who, in his urgency, keeps entering the wrong code. Again, Juliette brings him back to reality and as he calms, he slips inside the vault and disappears.

He retreats and refuses to talk anymore. That doesn’t stop Juliette from trying, though. She tells him about her experience with going outside, why she didn’t clean and how she felt lonely and scared. She essentially uses her vulnerability to connect with Solo and let him know he’s not alone in his fear. When he still doesn’t respond, she remembers how he enthusiastically spoke of Captain Nemo and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”. She inquires more about the captain but when there’s still no response, she gets up to leave. Then, in a moment inducing chills, the vault door opens and this tender little innocent kid inches his way out to continue the story.

Something is off, though. Solo is clearly hiding something that obviously causes him intense fear, shame, panic, and/or anxiety. We just don’t know what that is yet. Yes, the rebellion and subsequent isolation he experienced as a child were no doubt super traumatic, but there’s more going on with Solo than we realize. Secrets and lies are everywhere in Silo.

Back in 18, Meadows shows up at Bernard’s for dinner. If you’ve been paying attention, you know what’s coming. It’s written all over Bernard’s bullshit sincerity act. And then it happens: Meadows realizes she’s been poisoned when she can’t catch her breath after eating. She also realizes Bernard was never going to give her a suit to go outside. He just said whatever she wanted to hear in order to get what he needed from her.

Bernard apologizes but says he must follow what “The Order” says: Her death will unite the silo, and Mechanical will be blamed for it. There’s a nice juxtaposition here of cruelty and kindness. As the poison takes over, Bernard slips a VR headset over Meadows’ eyes and transports her to Costa Rica so she can die a free woman, in peace. He genuinely did love her up until she disappeared from being his shadow. Her death was a necessity for Bernard, just like the first mayor’s death was in Season 1. Bernard’s interest is solely in himself.

Mechanical’s request to meet with Judge Meadows is granted and an escort is sent to walk them up, as the upper half of the silo is on edge. Along the way, crowds protest and fight and block their way. They want to protect their silo, and they think Mechanical wants to endanger it. Just as a melee starts to ensue, Mechanical wields their power and shuts down the silo, leaving everyone in complete darkness and stillness … right up until Bernard steps in and smooths things over.

With the silo operational again, Bernard says only Knox and Shirley can meet with Judge Meadows. When the two enter her chambers, Sims is there. They then see Meadows dead in her chair, a knife from Mechanical plunged smack dab in the middle of her chest. Knox and Shirley realize they’re being set up and flee the scene, hoping to return in one piece to the safety of Mechanical. 

Bernard tells Sims he knows he was behind Meadows’ impeachment, that he forced Bernard’s hand in killing her and he didn’t appreciate that. He then sends Sims out to address the crowds and deliver the news of Judge Meadows’ death, where Sims tells everyone she gave her life for the silo, so it’s now the duty of every citizen to find those responsible and bring them to justice, setting off an angry mob on a blood hunt for justice.

As tension continues building, we find nothing is harmonious in either of our silos. Tune in next week to see what happens!

Season 2 Episode 4 of Silo is now available to watch on Apple TV+, with new episodes dropping every Friday through mid-January.

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