Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Silo Season 2, Episode 9.
With just one more episode to go on Apple TV+,Silois about to get a lot more intense and dramatic ahead of its highly anticipated Season 2 finale next week. Following Episode 9’s “The Safeguard,” the stage is set for a high-stakes ending as Solo’s (SteveZahn) past begins to unravel, Walker’s (HarrietWalter) betrayal is at the forefront, and the hidden truths of the silos push Juliette (RebeccaFerguson) to her limit.Adding to the mounting tension is the mysterious Safeguard— a pivotal element of horror that showrunner,Graham Yosthints will set up the finale for a “good episode” that does more than just pique our interest.
In Episode 9, Lukas’s (AviNash) investigation takes a significant turn when he discovers hidden tunnels that somehow connect to the perplexing past of the silo’s origins. As he explores further, he learns only a few have reached this point before — Salvador Quinn, Meadows (TanyaMoodie) and George (Ferdinand Kingsley), who never spoke of it to anyone, not even his partner, Juliette. “In[Episode] 8, we get into that thing with Lukas, tracking down the story of Salvador Quinn andheading towards something that then plays out in [Episode] 9, and frankly, into [Episode] 10,” Yost tells Collider. As the episode builds tension, it concludes on a chilling note that sets the stage for a revelation that will change everything.
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“It’s not good. It’s not a good thing.”
As Episode 9’s “The Safeguard” dives deeper into the puzzles that have been simmering all season, Yost teases how the last few episodes, particularlyeverything in Lukas’s discoveries, have been a precursor to understanding what’s to comefor the Season 2 finale. As the episode brings him to places previously unknown to silo residents, he begins to uncover truths about tunnels, pumps, and the strange history of the silo’s founders. It’s an episode Yost admits is not only his “favorite,” but one that will have fans on edge.
“Episode 9 ends with, ‘Do you know what the safeguard is, Mr. Kyle?’ ‘I do.’ Well, we don’t know what it is, butwe’re going to get an idea in the next episode, and it’s not good.It’s not a good thing. It’s a big, bad thing,” Yost says, admitting fans of the books will know exactly what it is. The safeguard, a term Yost describes as an “anodyne name” that “sounds okay,” is anything but reassuring.
“That’s a new wrinkle that we see in Juliette.”
AsSiloapproaches its Season 2 finale, Yost offers a glimpse into the show’s most significant moments, shaping the fiery conclusion that will ultimately lay the groundwork for what’s to comewhen Season 3 returns on Apple TV+. Reflecting on a key emotional beat, Yost highlights how the revelation of Solo’s true identity as Jimmy and Juliette’s selflessness becomes a defining moment for the pair.
“At the end of [Episode] 9, there’s a moment that’s not so much a story moment, it’s just a simple thing when Solo, now revealed to be Jimmy, andwe now know his whole story,realizes that Juliette could have gotten a suit and gone back to 18, but she stayed. He figures out why, which is, she did it to save him. That’s a new wrinkle that we see in Juliette.”
Beyond this heartfelt realization, Yost teases how the finale resolves some of its most prominent character arcs while introducing some rather dramatic shifts for the silo residents. “There’s more [about the safeguard], but also, a resolve to… Bernard [TimRobbins] and Sims [Common], and it takes a big turn in Sims’ world. I will say that.”
How ‘Silo’ Expands Its World Past the Books for Season 3
“We added stuff to it. We added a little more mystery…”
Yost emphasizes that whileSilocloselyfollowsHugh Howey’s originalWoolseries, the Apple TV+ series has worked to carve its own path with creative additions and expanded narratives. “I tell people everyone should read the book but wait until we’re done with the series because I want to be part of the fun of getting to reveal the answers. But if you have read the books, then you’re playing along at home and that’s also fine.”
He goes on to note the balance between honoring the source material and adapting it for television, stating how “we want to make sure that the big moves are there from the books, not just for the fans, but because Hugh [Howey] did such a good job with structuring this thing.” As Season 2 essentially covers the second half of the first book, Yost says there were a few key changes made to enrich the story this season.
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“In the second season, it’s the second half of the first book, basically. It’s her in Silo 17, just trying to survive and then encountering this guy, Solo, and all of that. We added stuff to it. We added a little more mystery to who Solo is, and other reveals,” he says. The show also expands its focus on Silo 18, deepening character arcs and relationships, admitting there was no Mrs. Sims to start with. “We created that character, Camille, because we wanted somewhere to go with Robert. So, that’s new; therelationship between Knox and Shirleyis new.The relationship between McLain and Walker is new. But still, the big building blocks of rebellion are there.”
While the adaptation takes liberties to build a richer world, Yost assures fans of the books that the series stays true to its core themes and major narrative beats. “Everything heads towards a very similar conclusion to the first book.There’s a big twist in oursthat I won’t get into, but yeah.”
SiloSeason 2 is streaming on Apple TV+ with the Season 2 finale streaming on January 17.
Watch on Apple TV+
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.
