Silo returns with a triumphant second season

Just over a year since the first season came to a close, Silo returns with a stronger, more complex second outing that proves the series was worth the initial hype.

It picks up right where the first one ended with Juliette marching over the hill and out of view. After the discovery that her silo isn't the only one in existence, Juliette is shocked to find a field of corpses surrounding the entrance to the nearest neighboring one. Whatever happened here resulted in the deaths of all ten thousand dwellers. As she descends into its depths, Juliette begins to suspect that she may not be alone after all.

Meanwhile, back at Juliette's silo, tensions come to a breaking point as the mechanics down below feel Juliette's actions were the spark of a much-awaited rebellion. In IT, Bernard (Tim Robbins) works to keep an iron grip on the situation, while his former right-hand man, Sims (Common), endures a crisis of faith between his pragmatism and idealism.

As the world of Silo expands, the stories become more, ahem, siloed themselves. In season 2, everyone finds themselves alone in one way or another. Whether it's Juliette in a literal sense, Sims with his confidence towards his work, or Knox with the weight of the growing rebellion on his shoulders.

At first, this change of pace feels jarring, especially if you're coming directly off the intense first season, where the cramped walkways and apartments of the silo highlighted Juliette's growing suspicion that something was amiss. Left alone, the entire first episode sees her solving one puzzle after another in complete silence. Yet once the season gets going, it picks up the pace to a breathless degree. By the end, I couldn't get enough, and the season was over before I knew it.

As ever, this is Rebecca Ferguson's show, and she's as hypnotic as ever. Juliette's intensity is matched only by her desire to know and fix things, and it's a tremendous joy to see such a capable and driven character on screen. Her frustrations are palpable, and at every turn I wanted for her to succeed.

Equally good is Steve Zahn as Solo, a mysterious figure Juliette encounters in the depths of the neighboring silo. His presence is an enigma for much of the season, yet Zahn plays the unreliable and broken man with deep empathy and warmth. This is a performance that could easily come off as pantomime and clumsy, yet Zahn finds a grounded reality in someone who was left alone years ago, and who found solace in fantasy.

Robbins and Common, likewise, are fantastic as ever. Both with rich and complicated parts as men who strive to control a world neither fully understands. Common is superb as Sims, especially in the quiet moments between his family, where his gentle nature feels almost alien compared to the harshness in the world outside.

For his part, Robbins could easily play Bernard as a moustache-twirling villain, yet there's something deeply sad about how isolated and calculating he is. As if he can only see the world in binary, and everything that breaks apart from that equation must be stamped out.

Silo was one of the best series of its year, and season 2 continues that streak. This is smartly written, mature sci-fi for audiences who yearn for rich world building and characters.

While it does depart from the novels, it does so eloquently and keeps the audience guessing in the best possible way. By the end, it's clear that we've only begun to explore the depths of this mystery. I hope we'll continue to dive into this world for many years to come.