However, before ending its run on a high note, Silo season 2 leaves viewers clueless about Juliette and Bernard's fate after the two end up getting trapped in Silo 18's airlock. The show also hints at a significant shift in hierarchy in Silo 18 by showing that the Algorithm chooses Camille for a mysterious role. Before its credits start rolling, the story in Silo season 3.

The Flashback In Silo Season 2's Ending Explained: Who Are Helen & The Congressman?

Helen & The Congressman's Story Is Connected To The Silos

In Silo season 2, Bernard reveals the silos were built 352 years ago. This suggests that it has been over three centuries since the apocalyptic event forced many human survivors to find shelter in the titular underground structures. Owing to this, it would be fair to assume that Silo season 2's ending flashback, featuring a meeting between Helen and the Congressman, unfolds over 300 years before the show's present events.

Related

Silo Season 1 Ending Explained

Apple TV+'s Silo season 1 introduces many mysteries and nagging questions in its dystopian drama and waits till its ending moments to resolve them.

Posts 2

While Helen is revealed to be a journalist for The Washington Post, who wishes to know more about the United States' plan of action after a suspected attack by Iran, the Congressman (Donald Keene from the books) introduces himself as someone who serves the people of Georgia 15th. The Congressman initially assumes he is on a date with Helen, but the journalist soon makes her intentions known by asking him about his views on the "dirty bomb" attack. The Congressman seems to know something she does not but chooses to stay quiet and eventually leaves.

Although the two Silo characters' conversation does not reveal what happened to the world and why the silos were built, many subtle details from the flashback could serve as crucial clues. For instance, before the Congressman enters a pub to meet Helen, a guard checks him for radiation levels, hinting the United States is dealing with a radiological threat. He also has a pamphlet in his hand with a hazmat suit and the words "The New Normal" printed on it, suggesting that he is either directly involved with the radiological event or helping the US retaliate against a hostile nation.

What Is The "Dirty Bomb" Helen & The Congressman Talk About

A Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) Is Referred To As A Dirty Bomb

Radiological Dispersal Devices, used to deliberately release radioactive material to harm people, are referred to as "dirty bombs." The fact that Helen questions whether the "dirty bomb" event even happened suggests that other than government officials like the Congressman, most people know nothing about the truth. This is similar to how things work in the silos, where the citizens are merely expected to follow the rules without questioning anything.

While radiological warfare could explain what might have happened to the world before humans accommodated the silos to protect themselves, Helen's conversation with the Congressman suggests there is more to things than meets the eye. Both Silo seasons have established that the outside world is unsafe for humans to inhabit, which seemingly confirms that human-induced radiological disasters turned the world into a wasteland. However, it is hard not to question whether that paints the full picture.

The Duck Pez Candy Dispenser's Significance Explained

The Relic Has ed Down For Generations

After learning about Helen's intentions, the Congressman decides to leave. However, before he steps out, he leaves her a Duck Pez candy dispenser, claiming that he impulsively bought it at a gift store. Since Helen studied journalism at the University of Oregon, where "The Oregon Duck" is a mascot, the Congressman's gift is a subtle nod to her background. It serves as a sweet gesture from his end but means a lot more in the show's overarching story.

Related

Silo: The Flamekeepers & What Happened To Them Explained

Silo's episode 7 introduces the Flamekeepers and even suggests Juliette could be one - here's a breakdown of who they are and what happened to them.

Posts

In Silo season 1, George Wilkins gifted the same Pez dispenser to Juliette with a message describing what he had found in Silo 18's lower levels. This could mean that Helen was one of Wilkins' ancestors in Silo 18 and ed the dispenser down as a symbol of rebellion against the silo's authority. She might have been among the early Flamekeepers from Silo 18 who questioned the world they lived in, just like she questions the Congressman in the flashback.

The Safeguard Procedure Explained: How It Can Be Stopped

Solo Reveals How Juliette Can Stop The Safeguard

In "The Algorithm" in Silo season 2's subtitles, warns him that if he tells anyone about what he is going to learn, the Safeguard will be implemented. In the finale, Solo suddenly recalls the Safeguard procedure before Juliette leaves, claiming that it involves the release of poison in a silo through a pipe connected to an outside source.

He also tells her that the procedure can be stopped by blocking the pipe before it releases the poison. Since Solo confirms the Safeguard pipe is at level 14 in his silo, it should be at the same location in Silo 18. In Silo season 3, Juliette will likely try to find the Safeguard pipe and attempt to shut it before it kills the people of Silo 18.

What Lukas Tells Bernard In Silo Season 2's Ending (& Why It Makes Bernard Decide To Go Outside)

Lukas Tells Bernard The Truth About The Founders' Purpose

Although Silo season 2's ending does not explicitly reveal what Lukas tells Bernard, Salvador Quinn's letter provides some answers. The letter mentions that "the game is rigged" and implies how, even though all silos believe they are the "chosen ones," no silo is safe. The details from the letter and the Safeguard procedure suggest that the Algorithm can destroy any silo at any given moment. While the survivors and leading figures of the silos were always led to believe they were chosen to sustain humanity, the founders never cared about them.

Here are the lines Lukas decodes from Salvador Quinn's letter in Silo season 2:

If you’ve gotten this far you already know the game is rigged.

We think we’re the chosen ones, but we’re only one of many.

The founders didn’t build a single silo.

They built fifty.

And they created the safeguard...

If you don’t believe me go to the very bottom of the silo.

Find the tunnel! You will get confirmation there.

Lukas learns that the founders would not think twice before terminating an entire silo using the Safeguard procedure and seemingly tells that to Bernard. This makes Bernard question his compliance with the system and the rules that governed his actions. Like Salvador Quinn and Judge Meadows, Bernard loses his sense of purpose as Silo 18's leading figure when he grasps the truth and decides to step out to be able to experience a few moments of freedom from the corrupt system he promoted all this while.

What Happens To Juliette & Bernard In Silo 18's Airlock

Juliette & Bernard's Fate Remains Unknown

Before Bernard can step outside, Juliette enters Silo 18 and gives him hope that they can still save their underground city. She tells him about how the Safeguard can potentially be stopped, but before the two characters can finally see eye-to-eye, they find themselves inside Silo 18's airlock. The airlock's decontamination flames engulf the entire chamber as Bernard and Juliette drop down to save themselves. Silo season 2's ending does not reveal their fates, but since Juliette is the main character of the series, she will survive.

In the original Hugh Howey Silo books, Bernard intentionally attempts to burn himself in the airlock after learning the truth about the founders' motives. Juliette assumes he is Lukas and tries to save him with a fire blanket. However, Bernard eventually dies in the airlock, while Juliette sustains severe burn injuries. The show seems to be heading in a different direction, hinting at a potential team-up between Bernard and Juliette in Silo season 3.

Why The Algorithm Sends Robert & His Son Out Of The Vault

Camille Might Become Silo 18's Next Leading Figure

Robert Sims heads to Silo 18's vault with his wife and son after Lukas prompts him to. To his surprise, the Algorithm in the vault asks him and his son to leave and only orders his wife, Camille, to stay. This suggests that the Algorithm has been keeping a close eye on all the strings Camille has been pulling from behind the scenes to gain more political prowess in the silo. It recognizes that Camille's hunger for power would make her a great leading figure in the silo's oppressive system.

Even if Bernard ends up being alive in Silo season 3 after the airlock incident in season 2's ending, he will not the founders' vision after learning the truth. The Algorithm understands this, explaining why it chooses Camille as the new leader. Unlike Robert, Camille knows how to manipulate situations to her own advantage, which would help her to maintain control and order in the silo. However, after Juliette's return in Silo season 3, Camille might face some stiff competition since most citizens would want Juliette as their new leader.

The Mechanical's Real Plan & Dr. Pete Nichols' Sacrifice Explained

Knox Effectively Tricks Bernard In Silo Season 2's Finale

Knox realizes Walker is Bernard's informant in Silo season 2's episode 9. However, instead of confronting her, he visits her in her workshop and claims the Mechanical is planning to use the remaining gunpowder to plan an attack. Bernard watches the two through a CCTV camera in Walker's workshop, believing he knows what the Mechanical is up to and falling for Knox's trap. Little does he realize that Walker and Knox secretly use hand gestures to communicate with one another.

Related

Silo Season 2: Mechanical's Rocket Plan & IT Message Explained

The people from the Mechanical create an elaborate plan to fight back against Bernard and expose the IT in Silo season 2 episode 7's opening moments.

Posts

As Silo season 2's finale confirms, Knox and his people placed fake bombs in the generator room to set up a ploy against Bernard. They knew that Bernard would send all the raiders to stop the generator room attack, which would give them the opportunity to trap all raiders in the lower levels. Bernard and the raiders fall for the Mechanical's plot, believing they are evading a major threat. However, it is soon revealed that the Mechanical planned to use the gunpowder to blow up the stairs on one whole level to prevent the raiders from coming back up.

The Mechanical's plan almost fails when the timer on their bomb gets detached, preventing them from blowing up the stairs. However, Juliette's father, Dr. Pete Nichols, steps up and manually detonates the bomb by connecting its circuits. With this, the Mechanical's plan is successful, but Dr. Nichols sacrifices his life before being able to see his daughter again.

Why Silo 17's People Did Not Initially Die After Stepping Outside

Silo Season 2's Biggest Mystery Remains Unsolved

Solo claims that his father made provisions to make the outside safe before the people of Silo 17 stepped out. He even says that the people of Silo 17 were initially fine when they stepped out before a gust of "dust" killed them. While the show has not yet revealed how the dust outside killed the people, Solo's claim suggests that even the outside world is not what it seems. The people are led to believe that the air is toxic, but, according to Solo's recollection, the "dust" that killed the people could be more than just a natural hazard — it might be a controlled element.

How Silo Season 2's Ending Sets Up Season 3

The Show Has Only Scratched The Surface Of The Story's Full Scope

Although Apple TV+'s Silo has introduced many major book changes in its first two seasons, it stays true to the essence of the original Hugh Howey story. Silo season 2's ending roughly aligns with the ending arc of the first book, Wool, in the original Silo trilogy. This suggests that with confirmed seasons 3 and 4, the Apple TV+ show will cover the next two books: Shift and Dust.

The second book, Shift, primarily unfolds a spin-off/prequel, walking through the origins and the purpose of the silos. Silo season 2's ending gives a glimpse of its story beats by featuring characters like Congressman Donald Keene and Helen in the final flashback. This paves the way for season 3 to feature a new set of characters and backstories exploring the silos' history, while the show's present timeline will focus on the new political conflicts inside Silo 18.

Silo

TV-MA

Science Fiction

Drama

9/10

273

9.1/10

Release Date

May 5, 2023

9/10

273

9.1/10

In a dystopian future, men and women reside in a vast underground silo governed by strict regulations, believed to shield them from the hazardous world above. The series delves into the complex social order within the silo and the mysteries surrounding their subterranean existence.

Cast

Rebecca Ferguson, Common, Tim Robbins, Chipo Chung, Caitlin Zoz, Matt Gomez Hidaka, Angela Yeoh, Olatunji Ayofe, Khairika Sinani, Will Patton, Akie Kotabe

Showrunner

Graham Yost

Directors

Morten Tyldum, David Semel

Seasons

2

Story By

Hugh Howey

Streaming Service(s)

AppleTV+

Powered by

Expand Collapse