The series ultimately stands apart from standard post-apocalyptic fare thanks to its ability to deftly pull the audience’s focus from one point of curiosity to another, keeping us fully absorbed in the details of this strange world all the while. In one episode, the climax centers on whether or not a character will clean off the grime-covered security camera that faces the apparently barren outside world, and the payoff is somehow one of the show’s most emotional moments. In another, an illegal “relic” from our present-day serves as the gateway to a different world. Much of yet another episode involves a grueling attempt to repair a massive generator, and as the back-breaking, high-stakes action unfolds, “Silo” briefly starts to feel like an episode of “Chernobyl.” The show works like the gears of that generator — each piece is crucial to the function of the whole, even if some are more dazzling than others.
“Silo” isn’t a perfect sci-fi series, but it’s a perfectly compelling one, loaded with enough intrigue, existential dread, and well-executed world-building to keep viewers hooked through its 10-episode first season and, hopefully, beyond.
The first two episodes of “Silo” stream on Apple TV+ on May 5, with subsequent episodes dropping weekly on Fridays.
