For the next series I want to cover, I’m going to try to get through the first season in one- or two-episode bursts before the second season starts in November. Join me as I bury myself underground for:
Silo
Season 1, Episode 1: “Freedom Day”
Written by Graham Yost
Directed by Morten Tyldum
Streaming on Apple TV+
A good quote I read many years ago stated that science fiction is not about the future; it’s about the present. That is, it’s based on the author’s circumstances and concerns, and they’re using futuristic tropes or extrapolations of scientific concepts or some other features that aren’t currently possible to explore these ideas. In the best cases, this can give readers/viewers the opportunity to understand themselves and their world better, consider things that they wouldn’t have previously thought about, or look at what might need to change to realize a future utopia or prevent a dystopia. Even in sci-fi stories that seem to be pure escapism, people can find meaning among the spaceships and laser guns, especially if they consider the real-world issues that led the author to shape the story in the way they chose.
With Silo, I’m interested in the ideas being presented, but I’m slightly concerned that they may fall into territory that has been less than helpful in our society in recent years. In the pilot episode, we get introduced to a society that lives in an underground silo due to a nuclear war or some other global disaster that took place well over 100 years ago. David Oyelowo plays Sheriff Holston, and much of the episode concerns him and his wife Allison (Rashida Jones) trying to get pregnant after receiving authorization to do so from the people in charge. But as their one-year window in which they can conceive drags on, Allison starts to wonder whether there’s something else going on besides fertility issues.
You see, this is not just a closed system working to stay functional; it’s something of a totalitarian state that suppresses free thought and keeps people in line through the threat that they’ll be sent outside to die if they stand out too much. We learn that 140 years ago, there was some sort of rebellion against the people in charge, but it was put down, and people now celebrate that event during a holiday known as Freedom Day. The story goes that during the rebellion, all previous records (including digital files and anything printed out) were destroyed, so people don’t actually know how long their ancestors have been living in the silo, what events led the surface to become inhospitable, or what’s happening in the rest of the world.
The source of conflict that will apparently power the ongoing plot of the show involves Allison finding a “relic” from before the rebellion that gives her a better understanding of what’s actually going on in this society (we don’t get to learn exactly what she found out yet, of course). She comes to believe that they’ve been lied to about the conditions on the outside, their history, and everything else. So she decides to invoke her right to leave the silo, which anyone can do, although they’re treated like a criminal once they utter the words. People are also discouraged from leaving by prominent displays throughout the silo showing video feeds from the surface in which the bodies of previous people who left are clearly visible.
So it seems like that’s going to be our ongoing plot: the Sheriff will investigate and potentially learn exactly what his wife found out, and he’ll probably come up against forces that will conspire to keep him in the dark while also connecting with people who are willing to question authority and try to find out the truth. It’s nothing too groundbreaking, but it is intriguing (although an episode-opening flash-forward removes some of that by showing that the Sheriff is also going to decide to leave the silo at some point, which may end up being the same thing that I complained about in Constellation).
What gives me pause about all of this is that I’m not especially enamored of conspiracy-style stories in which oppressive forces are hiding the truth from the sheep-like public, and what’s really needed is someone who is bold enough to stand up and make people understand what’s happening. We’ve seen where conspiracy-minded thinking has led the United States over the past decade or so, with far too many people believing some nebulous online figure is delivering coded messages about the deep state and the heroism of a former president who is a convicted felon. These easily-disprovable “theories” have led people to engage in behavior that ranges from antisocial to dangerously violent. And that sort of thinking has been encouraged, in part, by numerous stories in which weirdos who have wild ideas about government conspiracies, secret societies, aliens, and whatnot are always proven right. While I do appreciate the idea of standing up against “the Man” and refusing to be silenced by authority figures who want everyone to be wearing blinders, I think too many people have taken the wrong messages from these stories, misidentified the forces of oppression in the real world, and acted to support people and organizations that are much more harmful than what they are ostensibly fighting against.
That might be placing too much importance on this story, but it’s something that will be on my mind as I watch future episodes. In the meantime, I expect I’ll be able to enjoy some good performances from the likes of Oyelowo and Will Patton, who plays one of his deputies. Rashida Jones does well enough, although she seemed a little bit out of her depth in scenes in this episode that called for her to become distraught and act like she had no choice but to do the unthinkable. Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Robbins are also among the cast, but they had little more than cameos in this episode, so we’ll have to see what roles they play going forward.
I also like the production design, which provides a sense of scale to the environment, with the Silo housing thousands of people and being so large that trekking down to the lower levels becomes an excursion that lasts a day or longer. The people all use old-school computer technology, with CRT screens and ancient-looking mice and keyboards (although the displays are capable of some high-resolution video). The sets are full of hatch-like doorways, round rooms, and small, cluttered living spaces. There’s also the sense that the area where the Sheriff and his wife live is sort of upscale, with people who are less well-off being relegated to the lower levels. This should be an interesting setting to explore, and I’m sure it will be full of odd nooks and crannies and various secrets to uncover.
I always try to be hopeful when starting a new series, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that this won’t end up being disappointing. Who knows, maybe all of my concerns will be addressed, and it will provide a cohesive worldview that offers unambiguous lessons that can help improve our lives. Whatever happens, I’ll do my best to delve into the series and figure out what I should take away from it.
I loved Silo! Enjoy your watch and I can't wait for season 2.
I greatly enjoyed this show!