Silo season 2 premiere review: Rebecca Ferguson compels us in an episode alone

The Silo season 2 premiere picks up off the back of that shocking and twisty season 1 finale. We see Juliette figure out things now that she is outside of Silo 18. Where does she get to call home next?

Caution: This post contains spoilers for the Silo season 2 premiere.

The Silo season 2 premiere is all about Juliette. In the present day, we just have Rebecca Ferguson on her own, and that could have been a dangerous decision. After all, now can an episode where we have no dialogue be all that interesting?

The episode is interspersed with flashbacks of when Juliette first went down to Mechanical, but the episode arguably doesn’t need this. Ferguson slays it on her own. We don’t need her saying anything to figure out how she’s feeling or thinking. She does it all through facial expressions and grunts of frustration.

However, the flashbacks do serve a purpose. They show us that Juliette has always had a mind like Walker’s. She is able to fix things and create things, and that’s important to see her come up with everything throughout the episode. They also give us a look at why Juliette and Walker are such good friends and why Walker risked so much to keep Juliette safe. So, I do appreciate them being there, but I was more intrigued by Juliette in this other silo.

Juliette finds a new silo to get into in the Silo season 2 premiere

The opening moments give us an idea of what to expect in the silo that Juliette comes across. There was a rebellion at some point, and all we see are skeletons everywhere outside. There are even more inside. This gives us an idea of how long it’s been between this rebellion and Juliette finding the silo, and it tells us, more importantly, what could happen to Juliette’s former home.

Juliette spends her time trying to figure out what’s going on in this silo, though. She initially needs to figure out if it’s safe—as in, the air isn’t going to kill her—and she needs to find water and a way to get around. It’s clear that something massive happened during this rebellion as the stairway has been demolished and there’s water at the bottom of the silo.

It's clear that there is a lot of fear. Juliette has no idea what she's walking—or falling—into. As that rope snapped and she fell, I panicked for a second. That's despite reading the books. I knew she was falling into water, but it didn't stop me fearing for her life.

Somehow some plants are still sort of growing, and it’s clear that there is someone else around. How else did that rope get cut, because it wasn’t frayed from snapping on the wall? We can see the cogs in Juliette's brain turning as she figures it all out. She knows she isn't alone, but nbody is coming out to help—and can you blame them considering what clearly happened at some point?

I do think this episode goes a good job of setting things up for the future episodes. After all, it would be a boring show to keep Juliette all on her own in this defunct silo, wouldn’t it? We’re seeing Juliette figure out how to create bridges and get around places, which are all going to be important moving forward. We get to see Juliette’s inventions, which are going to be essential when it comes to her figuring out how to save her own people back in Silo 18.

There is someone in the new silo

The ending brought us one of those WTF moments. So, there is someone else in this silo. Steve Zahn plays Solo, and if you know the books, you know Solo’s story. You know what to expect, and Zahn’s characterization is perfect.

Zahn has brought a child-like performance to his character already. Our only introduction are a few sentences about how Juliette needs to not try to open the door again because otherwise “I’ll kill you.” It’s said in such a matter-of-fact way that you want to take him seriously but not take him seriously at the same time.

I’ve been excited to meet Solo in Silo season 2, so to have this as the first introduction put a smile on my face. It gives the perfect hint of what’s to come for him, and it offers a tiny insight into the character and his backstory. Juliette’s look as he says “Or I’ll kill you” is just what I would imagine it to be. There’s that dumbfounded shock. Like, did he really just say that?

Episode 1 gives us a strong start to the second season. It kept momentum despite focusing mostly on just one character. There was plenty to take in throughout the new silo to get some clues of things that happened. I actually think we could have done without the opening five minutes, but that did serve a purpose to also help us understand what could happen to those in Silo 18.

Now bring on Episode 2!

Silo airs on Fridays on Apple TV+.