It’s time to return to the world of Silo. Apple’s sci-fi masterpiece packs a punch in 2026, simply because the real world has caught up to it. In Silo, a war between the United States and Iran turned nuclear, plunged the world into a horrific apocalypse. Silo deals with the survivors, who eke out a living in a series of underground silos – and who have completely forgotten their history. The first two seasons drip-fed key revelations, which means you really need to keep an eye on everything if you’re going to make sense of Season 3’s inevitable reveals.
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This is all the more important given Silo Season 3 is about to get a little “timey-wimey” (as another iconic sci-fi TV series once put it). We’re finally about to learn secrets of the “Before Times,” the world before the silos and the catastrophic events that led to their creation. Meanwhile, Silo 18 sits on the brink of destruction – and it seems we have an amnesia plot for Juliette Nichols, which means the odds aren’t great when it comes to averting disaster. Here are the five biggest things you need to remember ahead of Season 3.
After Two Seasons, Silo is Finally Showing the Before Times
Silo Season 2 ended with a shocking flashback to the Before Times, the world before the silos. It revealed a couple on a date in Washington, D.C.; a Georgian politician named Daniel (Ashley Zukerman) and a journalist named Helen (Jessica Henwick). The dialogue revealed a dirty bomb had just exploded on U.S. soil, with Iran taking the blame for the attack. It was clear setup for World War III, and the nuclear apocalypse set to create the silos.
Most intriguing of all, though, Daniel gave Helen a random gift of a duck PEZ dispenser. It riffs on her being alum from the University of Georgia, but viewers immediately knew the real connection: that PEZ dispenser is one of the few relics from the Before Times to survive all the way into the days of Juliette Nichols, and it’s been seen repeatedly. That presumably means Helen and Daniel will be involved in the founding of Silo 18, and even that they may some of the people sent there. Silo Season 3 is confirmed to continue this story, so we can expect to see so much more.
We Learned the Silo Program’s Darkest Secret
Silo Season 2 revealed the silos are secretly maintained by an artificial intelligence, known as the Algorithm. This sophisticated program is the true threat, architect of Silo‘s dystopian civilization, and it holds the power of life and death over all inhabitants. Worse still, the Algorithm has an endgame superweapon; a Safeguard Procedure it can use to wipe out everyone in a silo, in the event of a major uprising. The Algorithm releases poison gas from a pipe in Level 14, and it’s programmed to trigger this should the citizens ever learn too much about their own past.
This definitely raises the stakes for Silo Season 3, because this silo is clearly on the brink of outright rebellion, and some people are perilously close to learning the truth. Juliette would be aware of the threat after her time in Silo 17, but she’s been rendered amnesiac. That means this poison gas hangs like the Sword of Damocles over Silo 18 – an especially dangerous problem now the Algorithm seems to have chosen Camille as its new agent.
Bernard Has Lost Control of the Silo
Bernard served as a recurring antagonist in Silo‘s first two seasons, a manipulative figure who worked hard to maintain the status quo. He appears to have been reporting in directly to the Algorithm, and taking orders from it, but learning of the Safeguard Protocol broke him.Realizing all his sacrifices have been for nothing, Bernard declared his desire to go Outside, after appointing Sims as his Shadow. Instead, he winds up confronting Juliette (more on that later), and faces apparent death in the incinerator.
Bernard’s story is that of a man who has lost all control. He believed himself the master of his fate, but that illusion has gradually been stripped away. If we’re following the pattern of the books, then Silo Season 3 will reveal he’s dead; however, we already know this season is going to deviate from the source material in some ways. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Bernard’s story continues.
Juliette Nichols Returns to the Silo
Juliette caused chaos at Silo 18 when she left, only to discover Silo 17 and its one survivor (again, more on that later). Season 2 divided its time between Juliette’s story and that of the uprising she inspired, gradually revealing the scale of the threat. Now, she’s made history by actually managing to return home after going Outside. Unfortunately, that arrival turned into a head-on confrontation with Bernard, one that ended with both of them in the incinerator.
We have absolutely no idea how this leads to Silo Season 3’s Juliette plot, which will apparently see her amnesiac. It will be fascinating to explore what a loss of identity does to someone so driven and focused as Juliette, especially given the secrets she knows are key to her people’s survival. Juliette has a complex web of relationships around her, all of whom will be profoundly affected by her return – and even more so if she can’t remember them.
Silo Season 2 Introduced Solo
Finally, Silo Season 2 introduced Solo, the last survivor of Silo 17. Deeply traumatized, he’d been living alone since a rebellion that took place when he was just a child; his father was the Head of IT at his silo, and told him to stay in the Vault when things all kicked off. Solo proved a useful source of information, revealing to Juliette that there are 50 silos, and his confused memories led Juliette to realize history was repeating itself at her own silo.
Solo is a fascinating, confused character who often struggles to tell the difference between reality and hallucinations. He became Juliette’s ally during her time in Silo 17, helping her get back home (after many stumbles and moments of chaos). We know the character is set to return in Season 3, which may mean we revisit Silo 17 – or, potentially, will mean he finds a way to Silo 18. If the latter happens, he’ll be the first visitor that silo has ever seen.
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