Broadcast on: Apple TV+
Episodes viewed: 9 out of 10

After that cliffhanger last year, Silo finally returns to Apple TV+ with a second season which, fortunately, rewards the wait. The first season established a gripping foundation: based on Hugh Howey’s trilogy of books, it traced the aftermath of an apocalyptic event, which forced thousands of people to coexist in a strictly regulated underground bunker known as the Silo . This second part — which adapts certain parts of Howey’s books Wool And Change – further fleshes out the mythos while introducing fascinating new additions.

Creator and showrunner Graham Yost instantly turns up the heat in this pressure cooker of dystopia. Following the banishment of Jules (Rebecca Ferguson) from the silo, tensions quickly flare between Mayor Bernard Holland (Tim Robbins) and his cronies. Where the first season took a more procedural route, revealing the slow-burn central mystery, this second season takes a more action-packed approach, although it maintains the machinations, power plays, and shock twists.

What also remains is this timely social commentary. With politicians and public figures seeking control through massive manipulation of the truth, inciting mob mentality in the name of “order” and class warfare, it is a counter-topia close to our own. . As the enlightening mayor, Robbins excels, with the series delving deeper into the shifting power dynamic between him, Judge Meadows (Tanya Moodie), and Robert Sims (Common). It’s pleasantly shocking to see how far these characters will go in the name of “protecting the silo”; Simms and his wife Camille (Alexandria Riley), in particular, seem to channel a Macbethian opportunism.

It can certainly be frustrating that all of this intrigue often comes at the expense of Jules’ arc. The budding silo rebellion sometimes takes precedence over the (arguably more gripping) events at the mysterious new silo, with the parallel narrative not always entirely balanced. But Ferguson shines once again in this role, coming to terms with its intense physical and emotional demands. It also benefits from a calmer but touching dynamic with Steve Zahn’s mysterious but extremely endearing new addition, Solo.

The world they occupy is also extremely impressive. Production designer Gavin Bocquet’s immersive environments are just as stunning as last season, filled with stunning detail and craftsmanship, and the newly added second silo appears to feature even more practical elements and moving parts. This, combined with a deeper dive into the fascinating mythology of the silos, a welcome glimpse into another community’s history, and fascinating flashbacks, all make for another atmospheric and tense underground journey.