With only two episodes left of Silo season 2, desperate times call for desperate measures. In episode 8, Bernard may finally have the upper hand, but Sims could put a stop to everything very soon.
Meanwhile, Juliette's mission to rescue Solo may cost her life. But above all the questions and plotting, has Lukas finally made a breakthrough with Salvador Quinn's message?
Bernard's game
First and foremost, Bernard is ready to take back the control he's been losing all season long. And, unfortunately, Walker is going to be the one to help him.
Although Walker has never mentioned her ex-wife Carla, nor seemed to care about her in the slightest until she's arrested earlier this season, she's suddenly desperate to save her from a horrible fate at Bernard's hands. Although Shirley tells Walker that the malfunctioning pump is a trap, she goes anyway after she, Knox, and a group of Mechanical get into a heated argument about stealing from Supply.
As predicted, the lower levels are running out of supplies and they believe raiding Supply is their only option. Walker disagrees but, keep in mind, every opinion she has this episode is all due to her placing Carla's wellbeing over the silo.
Not surprisingly when Walker goes to fix the pump, she finds Bernard waiting, able to fix the pump, no issue. It is here that he makes her an offer.
He'll allow Walker to see Carla and perhaps even spare her from torture and death, if Walker gives him fair warning about any plans or attacks from Mechanical. This includes turning her camera back on and not sharing this deal with anyone.
As much as Walker hates the conditions and although she barely sees Carla, she agrees. She already upholds her end of the bargain when the group is caught raiding Supply.
When Shirely tells Walker of the news with the camera on and operational (which Shirely does not know about), Walker does a horrible job masking how she truly feels. How long before Shirley and the others realize something is wrong?
Bernard may believe he has the upper hand once more, but Sims may be swooping in to change that thanks to more leverage. Angry that Lukas is now Bernard's shadow he asks Amundsen, a man working closely with Beranrd from the security room, to spy on Lukas.
Amundsen refuses but is easily convinced to do so after Camille asks him, using some sweet talk, memories, and a threat or two. I found this whole interaction bizarre.
Understandably they have this friendship, both are married but there seemed to be a hint of something more, maybe, from the past that was never acted upon. Anyway, Amundsen folds and tells Sims about how Lukas was searching for a book in Meadows' office but couldn't provide more details.
Who was Salvador Quinn?
Speaking of Lukas, he's truly the man of the hour in this episode as his clearance badge has given him an all-new sense of confidence and power. He's able to search Meadows' apartment for books but in the end, seeks Quinn's surviving family for answers.
At first, the family refuses to help him, claiming Quinn nearly destroyed the silo. After sharing this information with Bernard, it is revealed that Quinn saved the silo.
He destroyed all the books, the only evidence of life before the end times, blamed it on the lower levels and then drugged the water supply so that everyone would forget. Turns out rebellions were happening quite often, and Quinn saw this as the only way to put a stop to it all.
When Lukas returns to Quinn's family to share that he saved the silo (without going into detail), they give him Quinn's copy of the Pact. Turns out Meadows was seeking their help as well once upon a time.
With his copy of the Pact, Lukas is able to decode a message, a warning from Quinn. But Lukas may find himself in danger if he doesn't play his own cards right. Sims offers a warning of his own as well as an alliance. Sims wants Lukas to align himself with him against Bernard.
Although Lukas seems hesitant to do so, it isn't fair-fetched to believe that once Bernard has gotten what he wanted, Lukas will be forgotten. The Pact is what's keeping Sherriff Billings on the straight and narrow but even he is beginning to crack under the pressure of what is right and wrong.
Shirely is desperate to have him on their side but he believes that keeping to the Pact is the correct route, even though his ideals are completetly foolish at this point. The turmoil doesn't end for Billings as his wife demands to see the page in the book he had been keeping hidden.
When he does reveal the page, showing how beautiful the world once looked the pair cries, desperate to learn what had happened and if the world could return to such beauty.
Meanwhile, Juliette's mission to rescue Solo goes south when she begins to suffer from a condition called, the bends. Because she resurfaced too quickly she'll need to go back in the water to prevent her death.
After doing so she encounters a stranger in black who attacks her with an arrow after warning her to stay away. Juliette rushes to tend to her severe wound. After addressing this nearly killing blow, she returns.
When she fends off an attacker, she finds he's nothing more than a teenager. Two more teens emerge from the stairs, equipped with weapons as the episode comes to a close.
Season 2 episode 8 review
The story picks up the pace rather quickly and finally addresses some burning questions we've had since the show began. Turns out the silo hasn't been this happily functioning place, there have been plenty of rebellions that everyone merely forgot.
The drug to wipe the memories of those minds is what has been keeping the silo orderly. This includes any memories of evidence of the world before it collapsed.
Keeping everyone in the silo on the same path, focused on the here and now, without asking questions or wanting more, is how the silo has been functioning but now it seems another rebellion is brewing, which could prove to be more lethal than any before it.
While I am very disappointed in Walker (again since when did she care about Carla? There was no previous evidence of her pining about the loss of her failed marriage), I am rooting for Sims to swoop in and take over. At this point, he's the lesser of two evils and regardless of his intentions, Bernard needs to go.
He's been a fun villain to follow and dissect but at this point, his time is up. With two episodes remaining, maybe these teens can help Juliette return home. Maybe she can reunite with her friends before it's too late.
Or maybe something else entirely will happen no one will see coming.
Stream Silo season 2 episode 8 on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 on AppleTV+.