(It’s clear from the start you’re better off not asking questions in the Silo.) It’s the sheriff who recites the mantra we’ll hear every time someone in the Silo makes the request to go outside, which is tantamount to a self-imposed death sentence: “We do not know why we are here. The pilot episode focuses on David Oyelowo’s Sheriff Holston and his wife Alison (Rashida Jones), a tech whiz with a dangerously inquisitive mind. For generations, a society of some 10,000 people has existed in an underground silo think of a giant, rather grimy but functional high-rise beneath the surface, complete with agricultural levels, a common cafeteria, a medical center, a sheriff’s department, a mayor, individual apartments for the residents, annual celebrations and rituals, and strict adherence to the laws as laid down by the Founders and enforced by the all-powerful Judicial Department. “Silo” is set in an undefined era at least 140 years after the Earth has been rendered uninhabitable: stripped of all vegetation, devoid of life, the air filled with some kind of toxic element that will kill you within a matter of minutes.

(The good news is that a second season is already in the works.)įirst two episodes available now on Apple TV+, with a new episode premiering each Friday through June 30. From the mystery-laden opening few moments to a season finale that unveils a shocking reveal while leaving more questions open than answered, each episode of “Silo” leaves us eager for more. What makes “Silo” so fascinating is the shifting points of view, the intriguing characters on all sides of the moral compass, and the slow and intense build of the storyline.īased on the popular series of sci-fi books by Hugh Howey, brought to stunning visual television life by showrunner Graham Yost (“From Earth to the Moon,” “Justified”) and running for 10 gripping episodes on Apple TV+, this is a well-staged, claustrophobically effective Sci-Fi Noir story with a myriad of intriguing characters, some hauntingly effective twists and turns, and strong performances by the ensemble cast. The world of “Silo” is gritty and dark and violent, with the people struggling to grind it out every day while a largely unseen government keeps an eye on their every move. You know that’s not how it works with these dystopian series and films such as “The Last of Us” and “Station Eleven,” “Dune” and “Blade Runner” et al. In the post-apocalyptic world of “Silo,” the air is fresh and clean, the waters are clear and blue, the unpolluted sky stretches to the unblemished heavens, the government is benevolent and serving the interest of the people, and the citizens of the world wear brightly colored clothes as they embrace education and enlightenment and enjoy the fruits of a society that values work but puts the highest premium on family.Īh come on.

Silo trilogy