The Hugh Howey novel of the same name served as the inspiration for the Apple TV+ original series Silo. The series, which is helmed by Morten Tyldun and David Semel, takes set in a dystopian future in which the earth has become inhospitable and the only place where mankind can live and thrive is inside a massive man-made building known as Silo. Sheriff Holston Becker is depicted as being troubled and in deep consideration as he informs Deputy Marnes of his decision to leave. He claimed that he should have made the decision to leave the Silo three years earlier but did not because of very good reasons (which we shall address in more detail in this post). According to the law, as soon as someone spoke the words they desired to be heard outside the Silo, it was assumed that they had entered into a legally binding agreement with the state, and they were dispatched to clean the lens through which those within might see the outside world. Deputy Marnes implored Becker to hold off on saying those things, but Becker was already determined and nothing would stop him now. Without further ado, let’s talk about the in-depth summary of Silo Episode 1.
Warning: Spoilers
Allison Gets Permission To Have A Baby
Back in the past, it becomes clear that Sheriff Holston and his wife Allison had been trying to conceive for a very long period. Every woman who resided in Silo had a contraceptive implant placed inside her body, and the residents had to obtain permission from the authorities before they could become pregnant. Every couple was given a one-year window after the implant was removed to try to conceive. If the women were unable to conceive within that time, their license to have children was canceled, and they had to reapply. Because Silo was a very tiny hamlet, word quickly spread, and as Allison went outside to have breakfast with the sheriff, people began applauding them. Observing how people reacted, we came to the conclusion that not everyone would have been granted this right to procreate, which is why people were praising the couple as though they had accomplished something. Just then, a senior citizen appeared out of nowhere and invited Allison to visit her if she offered reproductive counseling. The sheriff recognized the elderly woman from previously, and we could tell from the annoyed expression on his face that he didn’t particularly like for her. After asking the elderly woman to leave, the sheriff warned Allison to avoid the woman at all costs because she was a con artist who deceived others.
When Was Silo Created?
It’s possible to compare Silo to a city; it’s a big, enclosed building that was built when the Earth ceased to be habitable for people. Silo was constructed below ground level and contained more than 100 storeys for habitation. The residents of Silo had no idea how this location came to be or what was outside their airtight windows. A few rebels started a fight against the government some 140 years ago because they wanted to unlock the doors to the outside world so they could explore it. The revolt was put down after a protracted battle, and that day became known as Freedom Day. The proof that told the locals specifically how the earth used to be before the atmosphere became toxic and the air got so polluted that it was hard to breathe in it, and how the founding fathers constructed a place like Silo, had been completely destroyed by the rebels.
There was no way to know how things were before the disaster because the drive, the books, and anything else that could have taught the people about their history were destroyed during the revolt. There was no way to tell if the leaders were telling the truth or fabricating a story for their own gain at this stage, so they had to be taken at their word. Relics from the pre-apocalyptic era were frequently discovered inside the Silo, and it was customary for them to be turned over to the appropriate authorities right away. In contrast to her spouse, Allison had a strong desire to think that there was more to the world than their concerns prevented them from discovering.
What Had George Wilkins Found?
Every time a resident made a formal request, the IT staff employees would come over to fix computers. In the first episode of Silo, Allison went to see George Wilkins, who she discovered to be a major fan of her writing and who, shockingly, had made the request simply to meet Allison in person. George was in possession of a relic: a drive with videos, plans, and pictures on it. The storage initially appeared to be full, but George was unable to locate any anything inside. Allison understood that the drive needed to be password-protected and encrypted. George thought that the drive, which was 140 years old, held information that the Silo dictatorship didn’t want people to know. Allison was ultimately able to unlock it after much trial and error, and she discovered that the drive was filled with data that was nothing short of a treasure. Allison developed paranoia because she was aware that what she was doing was illegal and that if the authorities found out, they may take harsh measures against her. She advised George to get rid of the disc if he wanted to be secure, whether by burying it or destroying it. George made the decision to carry the drive around with him till he discovered what was on it since he believed the information on it would reveal to them information about their history that had been forgotten.
Why Had Allison Decided To Go Out Of The Silo?
Even after a year, Allison and Holston were unable to conceive a child despite their best efforts. When the elderly woman, who had earlier identified herself as the fertility counselor, informed Allison that the authorities didn’t want a woman like her to have children, a seed of doubt was sown inside Allison. Although Allison followed the rules, in her heart she was a rebel. The elderly woman believed that even though the physicians had told her that the contraceptive implant had been removed from her body, it was still inside of her and that was why she was unable to become pregnant. She wasn’t hesitant to question the authorities if she thought something was silly or nonsensical. Allison was becoming restless and wondered if the whole story—her entire life—was just one big fiction concocted by the powerful. She returned to George Wilkin’s home and quickly browsed the drive’s contents. When Allison was about to leave because she hadn’t found anything useful, she noticed a file with the title Jane Carmody Cleaning. They were taken aback by what they saw in that film, and for a little period of time, they were unable to process and respond to what they had seen. A video showed pristine blue skies, lush greenery, and soaring birds in the distance. It served as evidence that life existed outside of Silo’s confines. For some reason, they didn’t want the people to leave the community because it was evidence that the state had been deceiving them.
Allison missed her doctor’s appointment the following day, and when Holston went looking for her, he discovered her sitting on a chair with a bleeding leg and seemed confused. Allison insisted that the doctor had never removed the implant from her body, and to back up her assertions, she had a body piercing and removed the device herself. Allison informed Holston that she had proof that the individuals in charge would prevent them from having a child, even if she couldn’t share her sources. She explained to her husband that ever since the Silo was built, they had been fed lies and that anything they had been seeing out the window was actually some type of computer-generated screen.
While Allison caused a scene in the cafeteria, Holston hurried to bring the doctor. People were quick to accept the explanation that she had developed hallucinations as a result of her infertility. Allison was in no mood for reconciliation, despite Holston’s best efforts to soothe her. According to Allison, because people were aware of her nonconformist tendencies and willingness to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the acts taken by the authorities, they were afraid that her unborn child would follow in her footsteps. Deputy Marnes was forced to take her into custody and make plans for her to leave after she indicated that she wanted to go out. After Allison cleaned the window’s lens so that the residents could look outside, she collapsed as if she had been poisoned and was unable to breathe.
Deputy Marnes appeared to Sheriff Holston near the conclusion of Silo Episode 1 and informed him that George Wilkins had perished in an accident and that an engineer called Juliette had claimed that Wilkins had been murdered. Hank, the local deputy, and Holston and Marnes went to meet Juliette to find out what evidence she had that led her to make the confident allegation that George Wilkins was murdered. We shall learn who killed George, whether Allison’s theories are accurate, and whether the outside world is indeed habitable in the future episodes.
