Warning: Spoilers ahead for “Silo” Season 3, Episode 4, “Whatever You Do, Don’t Go Home.”
“Silo” has succeeded in large part due to its ability to understand what made a show like “Lost” so great at its peak. Sure, viewers can’t resist getting sucked into fan-theories and speculation over the next major plot twist or the latest cliffhanger ending that promises to change everything. But, at its core, there’s just no denying the fact that the characters keep audiences coming back week in and week out. Rebecca Ferguson’s stubborn Juliette Nichols is as great a lead as it gets, but even a hero is only as good as their counterpart. “Silo” provided one heck of a villain in Tim Robbins’ Bernard Holland, but the hated Head of IT seemingly met a grisly end at the end of Season 2 and the beginning of Season 3 in that incinerator.
But Season 3, Episode 4, “Whatever You Do, Don’t Go Home,” just rewrote everything we thought we knew. The twist that Bernard is actually alive is a perfect example of the Apple TV show putting character at the forefront of the action … but it inevitably comes with some question marks as well. Much of the early momentum in Season 3 came from the fact that so many familiar characters were missing, forcing creator Graham Yost and his writers to work even harder to keep things fresh. More than anything else, however, the (presumed) death of Bernard and Juliette’s memory problems helped reinforce the high stakes of this story and the feeling that, yes, the things that happen actually matter.
Does Bernard’s return from the dead undo that completely? Is this one twist too many, sidestepping one of the biggest consequences in the entire series? We have some strong feelings about that.
Season 3’s Bernard twist brings back one of Silo’s best characters
Apple TVWhen “Silo” Season 2 ended with both Juliette and Bernard trapped in that incinerator, it was easy to imagine the show spending a large chunk of the next season dealing with the inevitable consequences of this event. Juliette’s survival (thanks to that handy firefighter suit) was tempered by her amnesia, forced upon her by the new Head of IT Camille Sims (Alexandria Riley). But the complete absence of Bernard has certainly left its mark so far, depriving the story of a character who knew far more than he ever let on and robbing us of a true mustache-twirling villain.
But maybe the only thing better than the satisfying downfall of a villain is the idea of forcing them to live with the fallout of their actions, and “Silo” Season 3 appears to be well on its way to doing just that. While we’ll have to wait and see exactly what role Bernard has to play moving forward, let’s just say that his reappearance in the digger void — the bottommost chamber in the entire Silo, even below the Mechanical level — provides a serious hint. Considering that the last thing we saw of Bernard was Robert Sims (Common) putting him in a body bag following the accident and (apparently) choking the life out of him, it’s logical to assume that Sims had something to do with faking Bernard’s death. Only our good guys know about this hidden location, so it’s equally likely that Juliette’s old pals have kept him safe and secure ever since.
So, what’s next? Perhaps a sudden change in allegiance is in the cards, or maybe he’ll finally have to take accountability for his misdeeds. Either way, it’ll be a treat to have Bernard back.
Is Silo Season 3 setting up another big twist?
Apple TVOf course, now that Bernard Holland is back (though with some heavy scarring and a hoarse-sounding voice), our attention must next turn to the circumstances behind his reappearance. Episode 5 will obviously have some explaining to do, but enough breadcrumbs have been laid down for us to wonder about another character entirely: Robert Sims. Bernard’s former right-hand man and attack dog memorably had some differences of opinions with his boss towards the end of Season 2, which is why it was so easy to believe that Sims killed him and stuffed him in that body bag, as implied in the Season 3 premiere. But only Sims could’ve had the means and opportunity to squirrel Bernard away from prying eyes, and now we have to question whether another twist is coming.
Is Sims about to become a good guy? While that might be going too far, the evidence is compelling enough. We’ve seen Sims balk at how far his wife Camille is willing to go in order to save the Silo from the Safeguard Procedure, whether it be dosing Juliette with those memory-wiping pills or threatening to do the same for the entire population writ large. Sims has repeatedly shown how protective he is of their son Anthony (Oscar Coleman). While Camille is similarly protecting him in her own way, could this prove to be a major breaking point between husband and wife? The fear of having Anthony forget his parents ever existed is a deeply unsettling one — perhaps allying with Juliette’s band of rebels and even using Bernard to further their cause is Sim’s one last card to play.
The possibilities are endless. Fortunately, the wait is not. New episodes of “Silo” Season 3 stream on Apple TV every Friday.
