Silo Season 2 Episode 9, “The Safeguard,” is a riveting penultimate outing for the show. Steve Zahn turns in a nuanced, heartbreaking performance. He’s the season MVP for me. “The Safeguard” sees the narrative seeds planted earlier in the season finally blooming as we barrel headfirst toward the finale. It’s a gratifying payoff for multiple threads. Our patience hath been rewarded, folks. I can’t wait to see where next week’s conclusion takes us (and what it means for the next two seasons).
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Silo, “The Safeguard”
We open with Rick (Orlando Norman) drinking water in the camp he shares with Audrey (Georgina Sadler), their baby, Benny (Reggie Absolom) and Eater (Sara Hazemi). While Audrey shoots arrows at a makeshift target, the group hears distant clanging. They assume it’s Eater. We see Eater watch Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) from afar right after she arrives from Silo 18. Audrey and Rick also observe her, wondering if she’s “Killer.” They decide to take Juliette out before she discovers them.
So, Audrey cuts the rope while Juliette clings to the rope (as seen in the Season 2 premiere) and attempts to swing onto the side with the vault. After Juliette crashes into the waters below, though, Rick throws her something to keep her afloat. I love that we’re viewing these scenes through a different lens.
Killer
Eventually, they spot Solo (Zahn), who they call Killer. Audrey asserts they must remove him from the board. Remember when Solo helps Juliette repair the water pump? Rick attacks Solo while Juliette makes her ascension post-pump fix. Audrey cuts the rope on Solo’s pulley system and damages Juliette’s breathing apparatus. Rick and Solo have a scuffle before Audrey fires an arrow at him. They knock him unconscious and carry him off. Rick believes they should keep him alive since he knows the code to access the vault. They’re in dire need of food.
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Later, Eater reveals she left her blood at the scene of Solo’s kidnapping to throw Juliette off the scent. Rick insists they could use Juliette to their advantage. With Solo in danger, she might help them retrieve the code. Audrey shuts him down, citing it’s too risky. She declares they scare Juliette off if she gets too close. Then, they kill Solo as initially planned.
After Audrey storms off (with Rick hot on her heels), Eater devises a new plan. She dons raider gear and pretends to be dead on the bridge. Once Juliette encounters her, Eater attacks. During their struggle, Juliette removes Eater’s helmet. Juliette glances up to find Audrey training an arrow on her. Audrey reminds Juliette that she buried an arrow in Juliette’s shoulder; the next one will pierce her heart.
There Are 50
Juliette knows Solo is alive. Audrey claims the contrary, but Juliette explains if Solo were dead, they would’ve dropped his body at her feet as a warning. Juliette begs the trio to take her to Solo.
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Meanwhile, in Silo 18, Lukas (Avi Nash) tells Bernard (Tim Robbins) what he learned from Salvador Quinn’s code-within-a-code. The Founders built 50 Silos. Bernard claims he already knew this; in fact, there are technically 51 Silos. Every IT and their shadow knows this. He urges Lukas to keep looking. Lukas asks if Juliette is still alive. Bernard reveals that she was alive when the camera feed in her helmet cut out; however, there’s no way she survived in Silo 17. It’s no longer functional.
After Bernard leaves, Lukas holds up his translation of the code. It says, “If you’ve gotten this far, then you already know the game is rigged. We think we’re the chosen ones, but we’re just one of many. The Founders didn’t build a single Silo. They built fifty. And they created the Safeguard.”
Team Mechanical
Elsewhere, Paul (Chinaza Uche) and Kathleen (Caitlin Zoz) discuss their position in the rebellion. Kathleen understands that it goes against The Pact and everything they know, but don’t they deserve to learn about their origins? About the Before Times? Kathleen holds the Blue Ridge Mountains page from the Georgia book.
Later, Paul tells Shirley (Remmie Milner), Knox (Shane McRae) and Hank (Billy Postlethwaite) that he’s officially Team Mechanical. Bernard and Robert have been lying to him from the get-go. They didn’t want him to be sheriff because he was the most qualified; they promoted him because he was the most obedient.
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Initially, the others are hesitant to recruit Paul to their cause. What can he do to make a difference? Plus, his telling Bernard he plans to open an investigation into Meadows’ murder cut off all radio communication. However, Hank reminds them that Paul has friends Up Top. He could send a message through the barricade. Paul has an idea of who could be the recipient of that message. Knox states that Paul could help them find a second traitor. After all, someone tipped off Judicial about the Supply raid.
Find the Code
Then, Eater volunteers to accompany Juliette as the latter tries to figure out the code to access Solo’s vault. Eater gives Juliette some backstory. The bodies near the vault are Tess, Rick’s mom, and Chase, Audrey’s dad. After the other parents died, they had Benny. When Eater’s mom got sick, she brought Eater to Tess and Chase, asking them to take her in.
However, Eater insists she was “just another mouth to feed.” Chase and Tess died trying to break into the vault. Audrey and Rick call her “Eater” and blame her for their parents’ deaths. After this, Kathleen tends to Patrick’s (Rick Gomez) wound. They discuss the truth and what else the establishment hides from them. He asks Kathleen if she saw the footage Juliette released to the public before her Cleaning.
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When that example doesn’t resonate, Kathleen reminds her about what Sheriff Holston’s wife, Allison, said before declaring she wanted to go outside. “The display is a lie.” The page from the Georgia book? Perhaps that’s how things are now, not how things were. Meanwhile, Lukas decodes another section of Quinn’s letter. “If you don’t believe me, go to the very bottom of the Silo. Find the tunnel. You will get confirmation there.”
Who’s the Traitor?
So, Lukas asks Amundsen (Christian Ochoa) if he’s seen Bernard. Initially, Amundsen refuses to give Lukas anything. Then, he discloses that he has orders not to disturb Bernard until that evening.
Next, Knox visits Walk (Harriet Walter) in her shop. You know, the one she’s under instruction not to leave until the rebellion is over. (Thanks, Bernard!) Walk makes an excuse for not leaving, claiming she’s too broken up over Carla’s capture. Well, it’s essentially the truth. She doesn’t see the point. Knox reassures Walk that they’ll get Carla back. Why? Because Mechanical has the sheriff on their side. They plan to take control of the Silo, and the first thing they’ll do is free Carla.
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Knox urges Walk to rest before leaving. Bernard watches the interaction from his Watcher Room. Bernard sends Walk a message on her computer. “Time to talk,” he says. Walk talks to the camera, reminding the mayor that he overheard her conversation with Knox. “He said they have a plan. What is it?” Bernard asks in another message. Walk replies that she doesn’t know because she’s shackled to this room. Bernard not-so-subtly threatens Walk, stating the camera must remain on and she must stay in her shop if she wants to see her wife again.
Keep It Safe
Later, Lukas visits his mother (Lolita Chakrabarti). As it turns out, Lukas lied to Juliette about caring for his mom. His mother is surprised to see him. She thought he was sent to the mines. Lukas reveals he’s free but doesn’t have time to explain much else. He asks his mom to keep Salvador Quinn’s copy of The Pact safe. His mother scolds Lukas for getting into trouble instead of finding peace in the unknown.
Meanwhile, Juliette and Eater continue searching for the code. They rummage through Russell Conroy’s apartment. Eater discovers Russell had a son after finding a lunchbox marked “Jimmy.” Juliette stumbles upon something exciting in Russell’s closet but doesn’t divulge to Eater what she found. Eater shares that Chase and Tess kept track of the combinations they created for the vault, but she’s unsure how they did so. This gives Juliette an idea.
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The pair head into the classroom, where Juliette realizes the combinations scrawled on the chalkboard are from Tess and Chase. This is how they kept track of the combos they tried to use to access the vault. The duo discusses surnames when Eater discovers the cubbies labeled with student names. Why do they have two names? Eater reveals her mom only gave her one name, but it’s not important anymore. Aw, this makes me sad.
The Down Deep
Then, Lukas manages to break past the barricade as he descends to the Down Deep. Those on the other side attempt to send him back until he reveals he knew Juliette and that her boyfriend was George Wilkins. Elsewhere, Bernard meets with department heads to discuss next steps. He updates them on the rebellion, and that the rebels are pinning the blame on Paul. Oh, and they plan to get more gunpowder from Supply to blow up the door to the outside world.
As such, Bernard is stripping Paul of his badge and leaving the sheriff’s position vacant until further notice. Bernard also plans to assign all deputies and support staff to the cafeteria on that level to convert it into a holding cell. Sandy (Chipo Chung) is confused. Earlier, Bernard told them not to do anything related to the rebellion. Bernard reveals that circumstances have changed.
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Juliette tries a few combinations on the vault. She fails to open it. Juliette only gets three attempts for the day. Eater reassures Juliette that she has one more try; however, if that doesn’t work, they’ll be locked out for 24 hours. Juliette recalls past conversations with Solo, realizing he’s not who he says he is. She must ask him for the truth (along with the vault code). She also realizes that Solo was only a kid during the rebellion. They were in his old classroom earlier.
Jimmy Conroy
Juliette and Eater return to said classroom. They discover Solo’s real name: Jimmy Conroy. He’s Russell’s son. At the same time, Shirley meets Lukas near the barricade. The Down Deepers have restrained him. Lukas insists he’s there to uncover the truth. He thinks Juliette could be alive. Shirley asks how he knows this, but Lukas plans to withhold this information until Shirley removes his restraints.
Meanwhile, Paul learns that his message made it through the barricade. The recipient is waiting for him. Hank asks Paul if he and Knox should accompany him as a show of strength, but Paul wishes to go alone. After Paul leaves, Knox tells Hank he knows who betrayed them.
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Later, Juliette and Eater return to the camp. Eater gives Rick his mom’s bracelet, which she found on one of the bodies in front of the vault. Rick allows Juliette to chat with Solo, who’s not in good shape. Audrey barges in with an arrow at the ready, furious Juliette is here. The group learns that Audrey and Rick’s parents shot Solo once they broke into the vault.
The Truth
Then, Solo adds that they gained access to the food vault. So, he broke off the handle on the door from the inside and shut it. It was sealed — they eventually ran out of oxygen. Solo insists he didn’t mean to kill them. Juliette shows the gang Solo’s scar, proving Tess and Chase shot him. We see a flashback to when Solo first entered the vault. Russell urges Solo (well, Jimmy) to remain in the vault and not open it for anyone. However, the sheriff demands Solo open said vault while holding a gun to Russell’s head. The sheriff kills Solo’s father in front of him.
Juliette reassures Solo that he did the right thing. He obeyed his father’s orders. Russell wanted to save his son. Rick gently urges Audrey to lower her bow. Initially, she insists she must kill him to avenge their parents. However, she eventually lowers it as Rick embraces her. Solo finally agrees to give them access to the vault. This scene is so moving. Zahn and Ferguson are compelling together.
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Later, Paul meets Robert (Common) at the barricade. He hands Robert the Blue Ridge Mountains page. Paul admits he wanted to see Camille since she helped Knox and Shirley escape, but Robert will have to do. He does have an ask for Robert, though. Elsewhere, Shirley and Lukas arrive at the bottom of the Silo, where George and Juliette used to spend time together. Lukas tells Shirley about trying to kiss Juliette and how he wishes he would’ve done more to help her.
Gunpowder and Rebellion
Then, Lukas tells Shirley that he doesn’t believe the water at the bottom is that deep. Otherwise, this whole space would be full of water. There are pumps that Mechanical doesn’t know about. Meanwhile, Knox tells Walk that Teddy’s mother is the traitor. However, he won’t hold it against her because she was trying to protect her son. Knox gives this knowing look — he’s well aware that Walk is the betrayer but must understand that Bernard’s watching. Knox admits they must change the plan now. He reveals they’ll use the rest of the gunpowder from Supply. Bernard smirks.
Next, Solo unlocks the vault for everyone. He gives them ice cream before showing them the library. They all look at their surroundings with delight. Solo shows Juliette the suit he’s been hiding. She reveals she found a Cleaning suit in Russell’s closet. Solo explains that the Head of IT gets a suit in case the airlock is breached.
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Solo apologizes for not telling her. Juliette jokes that it’s all gravy — she almost drowned and got an arrow to the shoulder, but that’s just a normal day that ends in “y.” Solo wonders why Juliette didn’t leave upon finding the suit. Juliette doesn’t respond; however, it dawns on Solo why she stayed. He gets emotional as he puts a hand on her shoulder. Oof. This moment broke me. So beautiful.
Blue Ridge Mountains
Before Lukas makes his descent to search for the tunnel, he tells Shirley that the camera in Juliette’s helmet stopped working, but she was still alive. Well, at least that’s what he was told. After Shirley departs, Lukas clambers down the rope.
Meanwhile, Robert shows Camille (Alexandria Riley) the Blue Ridge Mountains page. Camille believes they should pick a side. If Robert does what Paul wants, the rebels might win. And when they do, they’ll need a leader. She nudges Robert in that direction. Robert claims they see him as the enemy, so Camille volunteers to do it. Robert reveals there’s something else he can do. Bernard has a key with the number 18 on it. The key lights up and buzzes when it all goes pear-shaped, and Bernard vanishes into the Server Room. Robert plans to get access to the Server Room to find out what’s in there.
The Algorithm
Lukas falls from the rope into the waters below. As it turns out, he was right. The water only comes up to his waist. He finds the tunnel. There, the Algorithm, a disembodied voice, addresses him by name. The Algorithm asks why Lukas is here. Lukas explains that Salvador Quinn gave him instructions.
Before Lukas, only three people had reached this tunnel and door: Salvador Quinn, Mary Meadows and George Wilkins. While the Algorithm didn’t speak with George, they did chat with Judge Meadows and Quinn. Those two were given the same directive Lukas will now receive. If Lukas speaks to anyone about this conversation or what he’s seen down here, the Algorithm (or, rather, “we”) will implement the Safeguard. The Algorithm asks Lukas if he knows what the Safeguard is.
“I do,” says Lukas. (And just like that, they were wed. Kidding.)
Silo drops new episodes every Friday on Apple TV+
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