This Apple TV+ Sci-Fi Show Is the One That Will Keep You Guessing

Silo, Apple TV’s thrilling adaptation of Hugh Howey’s series of novels of the same name, has come to the end of its first season on the platform. A second season of the show has been greenlit, with filming already underway according to series star Rebecca Ferguson. The show takes its dystopian premise to its limits. Full of lavish visuals, edge-of-your-seat action, powerful performances, and so many twists and turns you will be asking yourself what is real by the end of it. Silo is not groundbreaking in the genre, but it doesn’t have to be, it’s just a damn good show.

‘Silo’ Is Familiar Yet Fresh

Silo has an abundance of twists in it, definitely, ones near the end that I will not spoil, but early on it proves it is not what it seems. There are several false protagonist’s before we get to our true protagonist for the remainder of the series, Juliette Nichols (Ferguson) from the bottom of the silo in mechanical. Before that, we follow the wife of Sheriff Holston (David Oyelowo) Allison (Rashida Jones) as she uncovers secrets of the silo still mostly unbeknownst to us. It then falls to Holston, which then eventually leads to Juliette’s introduction as the protagonist, and new Sheriff of the silo. Because this show pulls on familiar tropes, it can switch up on the viewer and provide new angles and fast-paced storytelling.

Just because it pulls on familiar tropes within science fiction, especially that of the dystopian genre, doesn’t mean that it is stale. This is one of the best sci-fi shows in recent years. It keeps the audience asking for more with each episode, including its thunderous finale. But the main factor that carries the show is Rebecca Ferguson’s performance as the inquisitive Juliette that has no regard for rules. It is especially heightened when she is with her partner, Billings (Chinaza Uche), and able to bounce off his strictness to the pact that keeps the silo together. The two shine in their respective roles, and easily keep the show going at a fantastic pace.

RELATED: How ‘Silo’ Sets Up a Season 2

‘Silo’ Has Many Unanswered Questions

Silo also keeps its audience guessing with nearly every episode. The world is set up with seemingly the last civilization, or one of them, in a massive underground silo. The founders of the silo are unknown, only their rules have prevailed over the centuries. Their only look outside the silo comes from a giant screen in the cafeteria, showing a desolate and toxic world. Fans of Dan Trachtenberg’s 10 Cloverfield Lane will probably pull some very close comparisons. While it is similar, Silo brings the shared premise (well, more the other way around, the Silo books came first!) to a lavish and grander scale. The overarching question, which is resolved by the end of the first season, is if the outside is toxic, or a lie to keep everyone in. The show keeps you guessing until the literal last minute.

But the overarching plot is far from the only part of the show that keeps you guessing. Juliette is adamant that her lover, George (Ferdinand Kingsley) was murdered and is doing everything in her power as the new sheriff to solve his death. Connected to George, there is the introduction of a few mysteries. He and Allison work on cracking a hard drive. There is a small tease on what it contains, but most are not revealed until later. Another is far beneath the silo, finding a giant drill that was seemingly used to build the silo. Billings is hiding something, but how does that affect his ability to do his job? And probably the most emotional is that of Juliette’s childhood and family relationships. Not all of these questions are answered by the end of the season, but that’s a good thing, it keeps the audience wanting more.

The Sci-Fi Series Is Full of Superb Acting

What Silo strikes gold in is its actors. All of them give fantastic performances. Rebecca Ferguson has proven her acting ability. She stars in big franchises like Mission Impossible and Dune, as well as surprise hits like The Greatest Showman. She also stole the show as the brutal villain Rose the Hat in Mike Flanagan’s fantastic sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep. Here in Silo, Ferguson gets to shine just as bright. She provides an engaging protagonist that is a rule-breaker, unlikeable to most in the new community in which she finds herself, and is very passionate about the people she loves. Ferguson excels in this series, taking it to new heights with her performance.

She isn’t the only stand-out in the series though. Silo features many familiar actors like Tim Robbins, Harriet Walter, Iain Glen, and Will Patton. But Chinaza Uche can match Ferguson’s talents just as he needs to. They work perfectly together as they butt heads in their respective positions. Billings is a stickler for the rules of the pact, while Juliette cares nothing for them, oftentimes simply ignoring them. Sometimes one performance can outshine the other, but Uche brings it all to the screen whether he is sharing it with Ferguson or anyone else. Billings is a very different character than Juliette, but he is still just as easy to root for, and that’s thanks to Uche. Most of the time, when he and Juliette share the screen, it is a bit of a softer and comedic break from the serious tone the show takes.

Apple TV+ seems to have another sci-fi hit on its hands, as Silo season 2 is already underway. They have been doing great in the sci-fi genre from shows like the alt-history series For All Mankind to the mystery thriller Severance to the epic space opera Foundation, which has a Season 2 premiere right around the corner. Silo was perhaps a big surprise, thankfully, pulling enough of an audience and growing as the season went on, and getting rave reviews. Season 2 will be coming soon unless more strikes are on the horizon. Still, this is not the last of Silo we will ever see. There is so much more of this mystery to uncover.