When season 2 ended, it finally felt like Silo was going somewhere. After all, the second season dragged on in pacing, and it seemed as if nothing was ever going to come to fruition. That all changed in the season finale, reviving hope that the return of season 3 would jump full-speed ahead into the revelations and excitement that would come from all of the knowledge that had been gained about the truth about the Silos over the previous two seasons.
The season 3 premiere, "Who Are You?" strips away all of the momentum in a single act: removing Juliette's memories.
Season 3 takes place over the course of two distinct timelines. The main timeline follows Juliette three months after her return to the Silo, with no recollection of what really happened to her. The other storyline follows a more recognizable world in a timeline similar to the present day, where a freshman Congressman will someway, somehow, become important to the creation of the Silos and their government.
Both storylines move at a snail's pace, removing all forward movement as the show is stunted on both fronts. In the main timeline, Juliette's memory loss is a hindrance to continuing development. Yet, perhaps that narrative choice is meant to balance out the stakes and pacing of the past timeline, as moving full speed ahead in one while simultaneously only introducing a new set of characters may give a stronger sensation of whiplash as the show would struggle under the weight of two vastly different sets of stakes.
Still, Silo fails to make either plotline truly engaging. With the exception of Juliette, none of the rest of the supporting characters who appear in "Who Are You?" are strong enough characters or are given heavy enough material to carry the weight of leading a season premiere. The lack of significant characters or storylines that could have helped, such as the mystery surrounding Lukas at the conclusion of season 2, is noticeably absent.
Instead, "Who Are You?" slowly works its way through Juliette going through the motions. In moments where Juliette is not at the center, that story surrounds Camille Sims and the dangerous entity she is working for within the Silo.
In the past timeline storyline, Congressman Daniel Keene is the central character, and one the narrative struggles to give a lot of weight to, at least in the season premiere. He is clearly important, but his side of the episode comes across more as an out-of-place series premiere than what to expect from a set of flashbacks in an established series.
While Daniel Keene's storyline will inevitably intertwine with the creation of the Silos, at times, it comes across as a storyline that may have been better off as its own separate spinoff, rather than a subplot in an already existing show. That way, at least, its pacing would not have to directly impact the narrative movement of Juliette's story.
While season 3 does show easter eggs that suggest that someone may be willing to reveal the truth to Juliette, the pacing of "Who Are You?," if it is a sign of the rest of the season to come, may be showing that season 3 will be another slow-moving season until, finally, the past storyline makes enough progress that Juliette's storyline can once again pack a real punch.
One of the biggest storylines in Silo has always been about the secrets that have been hidden regarding the real truth about the past and the acts of rebellion. Understanding history is essential, in part because no one really knows the truth.
While stories may get passed down, season 3's memory loss arc proves that perhaps even the stories have been purposefully falsified. There are several details about the outside world and control by an unknown individual that have yet to be answered, and Silo does have to get to them eventually.
Yet, its season premiere is not even interested in being truly character-centric or introspective. Instead, it tries to set up a foundation of mystery, entirely relying on Juliette's amnesia and the unknown individual who wants to allegedly help her remember the truth to be the thing that keeps the show interesting.
"Who Are You?" does not just fail as a season premiere, it falters as a foundation. By stalling its own momentum, it forces the audience to wait even longer for the results and answers they have been waiting for.
While there is still plenty of time in season 3 to turn things around, the premiere is not a promising start for things to look forward to. Instead, it sets up the question of if audiences are in for a second slow-moving season in a row.
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