Each week Joe and Terry discuss the most recent episodes of Apple TV’s Silo, alternating between our respective sites.

Missed a review? 1.01-1.02 / 1.03 / 1.04 / 1.05 / 1.06

Spoilers follow for Episode 5, “The Janitor’s Boy”.

Episode 5 “The Janitor’s Boy”:

JOE

Well, this is an interesting one, Terry. Typically when a series creator or showrunner steps in to contribute an episode, it’s a big deal. With “The Janitor’s Son”, series creator Graham Yost returns to write the teleplay and the result isn’t a stand-out episode so much as a soft reset that lays down the foundation for the back half of the season.

We’ve already spilled a considerable amount of digital ink on the show’s unorthodox tendency to switch up its protagonists. That structure continues here, as Deputy Marnes (Will Patton) is declared dead immediately when the episode begins, and the rest of the episode is spent solving his murder while the power structure within the silo shifts once again.

It’s clear by now that Judicial’s Sims (Common) and IT’s Bernard (Tim Robbins) are mainstays of the series, though whether they’re friends, foes or something in between for Jules (Rebecca Ferguson) is unclear. Clearly neither can be fully trusted, though; they’re jockeying for position as whispers of rebellion continue to build across the various levels.

And that’s interesting, particularly as Yost and his creative team further expand the (historical) mythology of the show. Here that takes place in discussions about The Pact, the legal document that binds the citizens together as a community, but is also clearly a legal doctrine that leads to things like Cleaning.

Late in the episode, when Jules finally returns to the Deep Down under the guise of collecting her belongings and saying goodbye to friends, Martha (Harriet Walter) identifies two persistent mysteries about the Pact. 1) No one is allowed to use mechanical assistance to go up or down the levels and 2) they are not allowed to use magnification above a certain level.

The first is an obvious class divide. Throughout the episode we see a Porter deliver a message, and we’re reminded (again) of the time and energy it takes to climb the levels when Deputy Hank (Billy Postlewaithe) comes to visit. By keeping the top levels of the silo separate from the bottom, you reinforce division and class systems, thereby removing (or maybe encouraging) the possibility of upwards or downwards mobility within the workforce. Hell, Sims provides verbal proof of this in his story about how his father, a lowly janitor, somehow accrued the power to get Sims’ childhood bully relocated to a worse level.

The second mystery is more perplexing, but it is likely tied to the rebellion, the lack of historical memory of the citizens, and the relics that are legally dangerous. Magnification would allow individuals to build more complicated machines, but it would also allow them to explore the inner workings of the current system. When Jules pulls out the Pez dispenser hidden away in George’s secret hideaway, deep in the bowels of the silo, there are circuits visible.

The same applies to the camcorder that Martha hasn’t repaired. Not only does it include magnification capabilities courtesy of its (zoom) lens, but the women don’t yet know that it is a recording device. In this way, the audience is one step ahead of the characters, though we can only suspect the secrets that people like Sims and Bernard keep hidden.

But Terry, I’ll turn it over to you to unpack the “case of the week” as Jules quickly and efficiently solves Marnes’ murder case. What did you think of her deductive abilities? Did you like the arc of her relationship with Sandy (Chipo Chung), the Sheriff’s assistant? What are your first impressions of Paul Billings (Chinaza Uche) and Judge Meadows (Tanya Moodie)? And how great was Jules’ chase of Douglas Trumbull (Henry Garrett) during the Race to the Top event?

TERRY

Goodness. Silo isn’t messing around, Joe. Each episode has had a significant death (or, at the very least, when discussing our initial protagonists Holston and Allison, a disappearance). I was shocked when it’s just casually announced that Marnes is dead. So much for his banter with Jules and intertwining their individual murder mysteries.

I was sad to see him go, if only because I enjoyed their burgeoning relationship and I wanted him to be able to find some kind of justice.

But no. Silo dispatched him with the same sense of casual disregard that Game of Thrones was famous for.

It’s genuinely exciting because it doesn’t feel as if anyone is safe and it continually destroys any foothold Jules can get in the power structure. By the end of “The Janitor’s Boy”, she’s left without her assistant Sandy and her only true ally in Marnes. In their place is a seemingly-shady new Deputy Paul Billings.

Speaking of which, that chase sequence between Jules and Trumbull was fantastic. It gave us a good look at the production design as the racers ran to the top and Jules and Trumbull chased against the tide. But it was also genuinely exciting. I gasped when Jules ended up going over the edge, only to grab onto the ledge and dangle thousands of feet in the air. I know deep down that she’s the protagonist of the season/show, but Silo has viciously offed a number of people who could have been the protagonists, so I was genuinely afraid for her.

The political machinations keep churning in Silo and while we’ve discussed the way in which this story plays with noir conventions, it also feels like a small town murder mystery. 10,000 people sounds like a lot, but it’s really no different than a small town. We’ve seen a lot of TV and movies that showcase the rot and the horror hiding behind small town politics (*cough cough, readers go subscribe to Anatomy of a Scream Pod Squad where we’ll cover Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks soon*).

Take away the sci-fi tropes and setting, and “The Janitor’s Boy” could easily fit into a Lynch narrative, or any similar small town murder mystery. It was very condensed and quick moving–I like that you referred to it as a “case of the week” since that’s exactly what it feels like–and I’m actually thankful that the mystery was wrapped up pretty easily.

Plus: Jules continues to be an intriguing character; someone who’s been undervalued by everyone.

That includes, for instance, Sandy, who leaves with an uneasy truce but still differentiates her family’s position in “The Mids” from Jules’ “Deep Down” (“Our kind don’t eat babies,” she wryly repeats). I don’t think this is the last we’ll see of Sandy and I’m curious if her reassignment to Station 105 will add to the mystery later. But the people in power–namely Sims and Bernard–also underestimate Jules’ abilities, which is surprising considering Sims’ story about his own past.

If anything, the fact that the series’ initial mysteries are somewhat solved pushes the narrative towards bigger questions, like what’s down below the Deep Down and what is the situation with the zoom on the camcorder.

When Martha explains that they aren’t allowed to use magnifying lenses, my thoughts immediately turned toward the supposedly outdoor camera and the scenes that are played in the cafeteria, Joe. Would having the ability to zoom in on the image potentially show something that The Founders don’t want people to know?

Silo continues to keep that huge image of the outside in our minds each episode, most recently by having Jules pass by it and notice Lukas (Avi Nash) taking notes and studying it. My initial thought was that he was investigating stars–a foreign concept to all of them–and the zoom on the camera might eventually come together to dispel the potential illusion that keeps everyone stuck in the silo.

You brought up Judge Meadows, someone people have discussed (“Judge Meadows doesn’t care about the truth,” Sandy tells Jules at one point), but we didn’t really learn too much from her physical introduction. She seems to be a formidable foe, though.

But back to you, Joe. From the title of the episode to Sims’ monologue, Episode 5 put a lot of the focus on Common’s character. What did you make of his story about his upbringing? Did it sound as if Sims knows what’s actually going on in the silo and do you think The Truth lies behind the janitor’s door? What do you make of Lukas, the man who has been charting the stars’ progression on the video feed? And speaking of dubious people…where do you think Bernard’s loyalties lie?

JOE

I had forgotten Lukas until you reminded me of him, but you’re right that what he saw is another mystery and undoubtedly one that will play a significant role in the future. The “illusion” of the outside - whatever it may actually be - is undoubtedly complicated. Yes, we saw a lush, vibrant green oasis when Holsten went out in the second episode, but I still don’t entirely know what to trust. The silo uses fairly antiquated technology, but that doesn’t mean that this isn’t some kind of social experiment a la Divergent, where people are surrounded by old tech and studied by people with, say, holograms or something.

I’m spiraling, Terry. Silo is exceptionally good at moving the narrative forward at a fast, but even pace, so much so that I sometimes feel like a character on the show: I’m keeping up, but the pace is breakneck enough that I’m unable to linger on details or elements that might illuminate the truth.

So speculating about what could be behind the Janitor’s door feels like a Herculean task. If I had to venture a guess, it’s either some kind of surveillance system (a given, considering Sims’ job), Relics and/or advanced tech (they could, after all, be one and the same). We’ve never seen what happens to the confiscated Relics, or why this society is so terrified of them. Hiding one will get you sent out to Clean, but what secrets are folks like Sims afraid the general population will discover?

After all, a Relic by itself can’t inspire rebellion. That takes people.

As for the man himself, Sims remains quite the enigma. Someone like Judge Meadows strikes me as relatively straightforward: that woman is an out and out villain.

Sims, by comparison, is more complicated. He takes the time to deliver an elaborate monologue to lull Trumbull into a false sense of security before Sims pushes him over the ledge. That’s calculated and cunning. The fact that Sims’ gumption and his agency matches his father’s from his story proves that this is a man who is willing to do whatever it takes to “keep the silo safe”, even when that means killing people like Trumbull (and likely George).

Terry, do you have a different read on Sims? Were you surprised when Trumbull was dispatched so quickly? And elaborate for me why you think Billings is shady? He’s definitely playing both sides, but, to me, he simply reads like Jules’ future confidant.

TERRY

You basically hit the nail on the head with why I find Billings shady: he’s playing both sides, sure. But the way he quickly ran to Sims with an excuse of eating lunch just reeks of a power play. This is a man who thinks he deserves to be sheriff and is seemingly able to tow the company line. I’ve seen people like him before, and they are the ones you need to watch out for.

Would I be surprised that the things he learns as he and Jules discover more will eventually lead him in the direction of a confidant? Absolutely not. But right now, I think he’s more of a loose cannon who’s jockeying for her position.

As for Sims, I think you’re right on the mark. He’s very calculating and he doesn’t take losses very well. The moment Trumbull screwed up, I knew he was a goner. It only became more evident while Sims was monologuing about needing to do anything to keep the silo safe. That anything was, of course, a loose end that needed to be tied up. Of all the deaths in the series so far, this one was the least surprising for me.

We’re officially halfway through the series and I’m curious to see what is around the next turn. Silo has been a mix of highs and lows for me, but I’ve appreciated the very micro level that the narrative is focused on so far. I’m curious how the show will continue to balance the big mythology and the smaller character moments.

We’ll see when we go back to Queer.Horror.Movies next week.