Apple TV’s science fiction series Silo has received a divided response from critics and audiences following its season three premiere. According to ScreenRant, the latest season currently holds a perfect 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes but a significantly lower 58% audience score.
Based on Hugh Howey’s (“Wool,” “Shift,” “Dust”) novel series, Silo stars Rebecca Ferguson (The Greatest Showman, Dune: Part One, Mission: Impossible – Fallout) as Juliette Nichols, an engineer living in a massive underground silo where thousands of people remain sheltered from the toxic world outside. Throughout the series, Juliette investigates the truth behind the silo and the secrets surrounding humanity’s underground existence.
Season three alternates between past and present timelines, creating a new storytelling approach for the series. The past storyline follows United States Congressman Daniel Keene, played by Ashley Zukerman (Succession, Manhattan, Apple Cider Vinegar), and investigative journalist Helen Drew, played by Jessica Henwick (The Royal Hotel, Love and Monsters, How to Make a Killing), as they become involved in a global conspiracy connected to the creation of the silos.
Meanwhile, the present-day storyline continues following Juliette, who has become mayor of Silo 18 but has lost her memories of the previous three months. The storyline represents a significant departure from Howey’s second novel, “Shift,” which primarily takes place in the past and features Juliette only briefly.
According to ScreenRant, critics have largely praised the season’s new direction and the mystery surrounding the past timeline. However, some reviews have criticized the season’s pacing and slower beginning. Audience reactions have been more divided, with some viewers criticizing Juliette’s memory-loss storyline and arguing that it prevents both her character and the residents of Silo 18 from moving forward following the events of season two.
The series also stars Common (John Wick: Chapter 2, Wanted, Suicide Squad), Tim Robbins (Mystic River, The Shawshank Redemption, The Player), Harriet Walter (Sense and Sensibility, The Young Victoria, The Last Duel), Chinaza Uche (A Good Person, Dickinson, The Terror), and Avi Nash (The Walking Dead, Learning to Drive, Black Mirror).
Created by Graham Yost (Justified, From the Earth to the Moon, Speed), Silo is executive produced by Yost alongside Ferguson, Howey, Morten Tyldum (Headhunters, The Imitation Game, Passengers), Nina Jack (Better Call Saul, Lodge 49, Breaking Bad), Fred Golan (Justified, Boomtown, Roswell), Ingrid Escajeda (Justified, Griselda, Empire), and Rémi Aubuchon (From the Earth to the Moon, Falling Skies, The Running Man).
Silo season three serves as the penultimate installment of the science fiction drama. The series has already been confirmed to conclude with its fourth season, with seasons three and four filmed back-to-back to adapt the remaining novels in Howey’s trilogy.
New episodes of Silo season three are released Fridays on Apple TV.