Silo season 2, episode 4 review: Bernard always plans ahead

Mechanical go to meet with Judge Meadows in Silo season 2, episode 4. You just knew that everything was going to go wrong.

Caution: This post contains SPOILERS from Silo season 2, episode 4.

The latest episode is a great lesson in propaganda and trusting the wrong people. It’s also a great lesson in how a lack of information can lead to the manipulation of people. This episode certainly connects to the world around us, as we see how disinformation and manipulation via social media is having an affect on choices and actions.

As with the previous episode, this one was split between the two silos. We had a chance to see Juliette continue her mission to get back to her home. She needs to save her people, her silo. This could become drawn out if it’s not careful, though.

Solo helps Juliette until he panics in Silo season 2, episode 4

I’ve fully enjoyed watching Steve Zahn’s performance as Solo. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, I wasn’t sure how the show would be able to bring Solo to life, but it certainly has, and I think Zahn has been the perfect casting.

This episode saw just how much being trapped inside a room has affected his mental state. It’s almost like he has agoraphobia, although not to the extreme that he can’t get outside at all. He’s just terrified of being out of his room for long periods of time. He spends the whole time outside in fear that he didn’t shut the door.

Juliette says that he did, but she can’t confirm this really. She wasn’t paying attention, and it’s clear that she doesn’t understand why this is so important to Solo just yet. While she has tried to get to know him, she’s been asking all of the wrong questions. A lot has happened over the last few decades that Solo has been in this room, but I don’t even think Juliette realizes how long Solo has been alone.

It’s understandable that she’s angry when he runs off. She has done all this work to get a suit that she’ll be able to use to get back to her own silo. However, she needs to cut him some slack. She was winding him up way too much as he punched in the wrong code in his panic. He needed to calm down and think about the numbers he was putting in.

This will come with time, though. We’re only a couple of days into her being in Silo 17. She hasn’t really had the time to fully appreciate what Solo has been through because he hasn’t shared a lot. Once she understands more, I think she’ll stop getting as frustrated with his ways.

Judge Meadows doesn’t get to go outside

Poor Judge Meadows. All she wants is to go outside. She wants to be able to walk 200ft in one direction. It’s something nobody except Juliette has been able to do. And it felt like she was so close.

She should have known not to trust Bernard, though. He was always going to have another trick up his sleeve. The fact that he didn’t write the numbers down when measuring her for a suit made it clear that he never intended for her to go outside. Allowing her to go outside and walk over the hill would be suicide for the silo, and Bernard can’t have that.

For all of Bernard’s faults, he is doing what he’s doing to protect the majority. He knows what happened to Silo 17 in the past. He may have been young, but he knows the damage that a failed cleaning did. He is dealing with the ramifications of Juliette’s failed cleaning right now. What would Judge Meadows being allowed to go outside do within?

It’s still a bit of a shock when Bernard poisons Meadows, though. She realizes it right away, and she knows that it wasn’t in the wine. Bernard couldn’t trust that she would drink that. So, what was it in? Mushrooms. Of course, he would choose the ingredient that thrives underground—the opposite of Meadows. It’s almost like there’s a meaning behind using the mushrooms in that Meadows will always be one.

At least Bernard offered her some compassion in her final moments. He can care about people, but he chooses not to get close to many. He can’t; not with the weight of what he knows. I wouldn’t want to be in his position in the silo, and I don’t blame Meadows from walking away from The Order and everything it held.

I'm intrigued with Lukas coming back into the story, though. Meadows can see that Lukas is far too inquisitive for his own good. I think while she reduced his sentence, not removing it completely was a way to keep him safe. Sure, he'll struggle in the mines, but at least there, Bernard isn't likely to hear his questions about the outside. Could Bernard end up realizing Meadows likely told him something, though?

Knox and Shirley walk into a trap in Silo

The death of Meadows is just one shocking turn, though. The second shocking turn comes with how Meadows’ death is being used within Silo 18.

While all that was going on, Knox and Shirley teamed up. Knox had shared that the names on the wall were connected to previous failed rebellion attempts. Each time, Mechanical was blamed. Sometimes, Mechanical was likely involved, but every time, Mechanical has been blamed in some way.

Knox and Shirley want to get the truth out to the silo, but how do they do that? They don’t think Bernard has much control. They view Judge Meadows as the head of it all. This is where we see the manipulation and disinformation take its hold. Knox and Shirley are smart people. So is Walker, who agreed to go to see the judge with them. Yet, none of them have worked out that Bernard is the one not to trust just yet.

Bernard has been able to manipulate the people into hating Mechanical. This is a part of the silo that is essential for everyone. They control all the power, and they can turn it off with the flick of a switch. They prove that when they’re trying to get through the mob outside of Judicial. Yet, they have the least power, especially when they’re up top.

People hate them. Bernard has convinced them that they’re bringing a rebellion and death. Yet, it’s all the opposite way around. If Bernard had social media, I would hate to see what he could do to manipulate people. And again, I understand why Bernard is doing this. He knows the dangers of a rebellion within the silo. That doesn’t mean he’s going about it the right way.

But Bernard consistently remains ahead of the game. He knows the way to get people to hate Mechanical even more and quash this rebellion attempt. Meadows’ death isn’t for nothing. As Shirley and Knox are invited to see her, they find out that she’s been stabbed in the chest. Yes, the two are being framed for Judge Meadows’ murder, and of course, the people are going to believe Sims over Knox and Shirley.

Now Mechanical will need to regroup once more. They’ll need to work with Supply. It’s the only way to protect themselves from being framed and for the end of another silo.

Overall, it was another strong episode, bringing us a way to further the two Silo storylines ahead without dragging too much out. Silo will need to watch out with the Silo 17 storyline, though. That one runs the risk of being dragged out too much.

Silo airs Fridays on Apple TV+.