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The Silo Sci-fi Series is a proper sci-fi offering with a simple plot executed brilliantly. It has epic background music, respectable special and practical effects, and a cast that delivers great performances.
Plot
The silo is set in a dystopian world after a nuclear blast wipes out Atlanta in 2052. As the name suggests it has people living in underground siloes in self-sufficient cities with all the necessities of life being provided to the denizens of the settlement. The plot of Silo is about as old as it gets, there's a society in the dark about what's happening in their surroundings. The ruling authority/government is keeping its citizens in the dark about their living conditions so that people don't ask questions. So what happens when this house of cards is disturbed? (Any Noam Chomsky book can tell you) It is basically Bread and circuses repackaged in a new format, as the Romans used to keep the general population distracted from real societal problems. The Roman government gave free food and entertainment ( never enough though ) to their citizens each time they felt a rebellion was on the horizon. It is quite sad though that not much has changed over the centuries when it comes to this aspect of everyday life.
Cast of Silo Sci-fi Series
Rebecca Ferguson plays Juliette Nichols, the engineer who works on the generators of the Silo on its lower levels. She is an intrepid spirit who loves to tinker and fix things while always wanting to uncover the truth about her surroundings.
David Oyelowo as Holston Becker plays a duty-bound sheriff in the silo and Rashida Jones as Allison plays the curious wife of the sheriff who uncovers something she shouldn't have about the silo, and get both of them into trouble.
Tim Robbins as Bernard Holland is the IT Head of Silo 18 fits the role perfectly, always in a nervous haze, as if carrying a profound secret on his aging shoulders.
Harriet Walter's performance as Martha Walker is beyond reproach which might have a little to do with her five Emmys, a SAG, and a few other honors. It's a shot in the dark, but I think this role as the wise old elder in the dystopian world might have been a little easier than a cakewalk for Walter.
Common as Robert Sims plays the security head of the Judicial Department. Somehow I cannot imagine him as anything else other than Steve Carrell's impression of his character in the movie "Date Night" where Carrell says "Get Up" playing up Common's gruff voice.
Ferdinand Kingsley as George Wilkins is a living argument to be made in support of the Halo effect theory, where people seem to associate one aspect of a person such as looks with other aspects such as their character. I mean this outside of the series, not as his character in the series. Kingsley's general appearance and the way he has been presented make it easy for the audience to believe in him being a "good guy."
Remmie Milner as Shirley Campbell delivers a great performance as an engineer in the Silo series who likes her work and loves her friends, especially Juliette Nichols.
Best Elements of Silo Sci-fi Series
The background music from the Icelandic composer Atli Orvarsson for this series is nearly flawless evoking emotions that are relevant to the core plot of this series. It makes you think of a deep and profound mystery that has a hint of danger that might lead to a lot more if prodded.
Visuals in Silo are done tastefully with special and practical effects being only as required and not gratuitous. The lighting is done just right as you would expect in an underground facility.
The wardrobe design is also spot on with everyone in the Silo wearing clothes that would be accessible to people who never see the sun. There are also a lot of scavenged and recycled materials and devices that are used throughout the Silo from the runners ( porter's ) metal frame carrier to the very clothes that are most definitely recycled at least a few times over.
Sounds design for this series is done well with the voice of the silo residents being clear and without any echoes or distortions.
The set design is great, especially considering the bunker homes which need to at least look structurally sound, which they do while also making efficient use of the limited space each person gets in such a dystopian world. The pacing of this series is just right, it doesn't move too fast, nor does it go too slow, it's just right. Such precise control over the plot and the storytelling is rare whether it is in series or movies.
This is a personal favorite, but I like the fact that the Silo residents refer to the period before underground living is called the "Before-Time." Dan Harmon's Rick and Morty pokes fun at this whole genre of content where they use the same term to refer to life before the apocalypse.
Season 1
When Becker and Allison want to have a baby and receive permission from the Silo authorities, things don't go well for the third time in a row. This leads to Allison asking questions about their birth control which was left inside her despite the doctor telling them that their government-installed device was removed in front of them. This is not the only sketchy aspect of the Silo.
Like any organized cult, there are rules that cannot be reasoned with logic, and it is the same in the silo. One of these rules is that if you say you want to go outside ( the silo ) you just have to say it out loud to any other resident of the silo. After you make this statement, you as part of the rule have to go out and clean the external sensors including a camera lens that can only be cleaned from the outside. After Allison cannot resist asking questions about how and why the Silo exists, she makes the statement that leads her outside. She is pleasantly surprised by what she sees in her helmet and cleans the sensors, yet dies, quickly after from apparently being poisoned by something in the air. Becker follows Allison 2 years later, making the same statement and sharing a similar fate as his wife. So the mystery remains despite two people attempting to uncover it to the best of their abilities.
A question that may arise as you watch the series, which is - "Why aren't there any elevators or lift in the silo for vertical transport." The answer is simple and probably a bit unsettling - it is to keep the class system within the Silo intact.
The class system in the Silo is divided into the Upper ruling class consisting of law enforcement and the Judiciary and the lower classes that keep descending all the way to the bottom of the silo. The lack of ready mobility also ensures a restricted assembly of people. Another rule is that in no way are "relics" allowed in the Silo which are devices and technology that was invented and used before people started living in the Silo. This especially refers to communication technology along with devices that offer mobility. This will prevent any future uprisings as any communication and mobility that does not serve the governing authority of the Silo can be quashed with impunity.
Usually, the Judiciary retains control of the populace with the threat of being sent out of the Silo, coupled with the feigned duty of wiping the grime off "external sensors" so that the people inside the silo can see the outside world better. There is also the threat of brute force including imprisonment, violence, and anything related.
[Yes, this does sound similar to the Snowpiercer movie that deals with a similar concept along with Fallout, Soylent Green, and a bunch of other movies that deal with dystopian worlds.] Season 1 sees the baton being passed on to Nichols regarding uncovering the secret of the Silo. All the events that have happened so far have been building up to this period of unrest in Juliette's life which is tied to the fates of several of her friends.
Season 2
Juliette Nichols steps out of the Silo leading to a massive change in her life and also leading to life-changing events for all of her friends in the Silo she left for the outside world. The second season confirms that theirs is just one among several siloes that now exist in isolation.
Nichols goes deeper into the rabbit hole in more ways than one, uncovering the reasons behind Silo living and also the nature of life for the people around her, both like her and different from her. There will be more episodes this month of this amazing series, bringing the story to some sort of stopping point.
Should You Watch the Silo Sci-fi Series? Yes!
Watching this series is a no-brainer for any hardcore fans of the sci-fi genre, people who are curious about it, and just casual watchers. Silo is a great exercise in epic storytelling with enormous scope and brilliant execution.
