‘Silo’ Finally Returns to Apple TV+ for Season 2
Credit: Apple
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Apple’s hit dystopian sci-fi series Silo is back after a 16-month hiatus, with the first episode of season 2 premiering today on Apple TV+.
Based on a trilogy of novels by Hugh Howey, Silo follows the story of a mysterious community in a giant underground 144-story silo who know little about their reason for being there other than it being unsafe to go outside. The first two episodes tell the story of Allison Becker, an IT specialist played by Rashida Jones, who becomes disillusioned with life inside and is eventually exiled from the silo at her own request, believing that the outside world is not as it appears.
After Becker’s departure, her husband, the silo’s sheriff, follows her into the outer world, and the story moves to the main character, Juliette Nichols, played by Rebecca Ferguson, an engineer who keeps the power generators running and is suddenly thrust into the role of sheriff and faced with untangling the forbidden mystery of why their group came to be in the silo and what’s actually in the outside world. In preparation for the launch of the second season, Apple shared a recap video on YouTube earlier this week (this naturally contains spoilers, so don’t watch it if you haven’t finished season one yet).
Although it doesn’t have the epic fanbase of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, Silo shares a similarity in that it’s another series that other studios tried and failed to translate to the screen. Howey’s first novel, Wool, began development as a film adaptation in 2012 but floundered until Apple TV+ picked it up in 2021. The first season debuted in May 2023 and ran for ten episodes through the end of June, meeting with critical acclaim for its meticulous world-building, compelling story, and Ferguson’s strong performance.
The series was written by Graham Yost, a writer best known for Speed, Broken Arrow, and Hard Rain, and who also serves as executive producer on other Apple TV+ hits such as Slow Horses and Masters of the Air. Season 2 will pick up from the soft cliffhanger on which the first season left off, with most of the original cast returning alongside a few new faces, including Steve Zahn.
Like most television adaptations, the series doesn’t align entirely with Howey’s books. Also, contrary to what you might expect from a series based on a trilogy of novels, season 1 only covers the first half of the first book, Wool; season 2 is expected to conclude that book, while a rumored season 3 (which has been all but officially confirmed) will continue the story into the second book, Shift. However, that book is a prequel, so it’s unclear how Apple will handle this since the main character, Nichols, doesn’t appear in that book. Ferguson has indicated that the entire story is expected to unfold over four seasons; the third book, Dust, which relies heavily on the material from Shift, would presumably be covered in that final season.
Howey is also reportedly working on a fourth book that has yet to be published. There’s no word on whether Apple intends to extend the series to include that or turn it into a spinoff. The company has repeatedly said Silo is based on a “trilogy,” but that’s not carved in stone, and considering the show has become one of the most-viewed dramas on Apple TV+, it’s a safe bet that Apple won’t want to see it end any more than it did with Ted Lasso.
Silo season 2 premieres with its first episode today and runs at the usual one-episode-per-week pace until January 17, 2025, so you may want to wait until the new year if you plan on binging the series since, if it’s anything like season 1, each episode will likely have you waiting on the edge of your seat for the next one.
