Warning: Spoilers ahead forSiloseason 2, episode 10, “Into the Fire.“Siloseason 2’s finale, “Into the Fire,” finally has the rebellion reach its tipping point, as the crew from Mechanical carry out a drastic (but brilliant) plan to get what they want. Although the return of Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) at theend ofSiloseason 2could mean all the bloodshed was ultimately for nothing,the genius of Mechanical’s complex plan is impossible to deny. Unfortunately, it may also have caused lasting damage to Silo 18’s physical infrastructure as well as its social hierarchy.
Just like theend ofSiloseason 1,“Into the Fire” ends on a massive cliffhanger. With the departure of certain members of theSilocastand the implied exit of others, the final episode of season 2 is filled with various emotions that permeate the omnipresent tension. Mechanical’s scheme to overthrow Silo 18’s leaders and discover the truth about life outside is filled with red herrings and misdirection that not only fool the audience but also those who the plan was designed to take down. It’s difficult to follow after a single watch, but the detail is stunning.
Mechanical Planted A Fake Bomb To Threaten The Generator In Silo Season 2’s Finale
The bomb on Silo 18’s primary source of power was never intended to go off
One of the biggest weapons in Mechanical’s admittedly limited arsenal is a huge amount of gunpowder. Weirdly, what Tim Robbins' Major Bernard Holland tends to either forget or underestimate is the risk of having frustrated Silo citizens in such close proximity to the society’s ancient generator. Although deactivating or destroying the generator would mean certain doom for everyone in Silo 18,Mechanical is just desperate enough that it’s believablethat they would resort to something as drastic as blowing it up to get what they want. So, those in the Down Deep use this to their advantage.
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The “bomb” rigged up to the generator was never intended to go off. It was a huge bluff, but one that Bernard could not risk ignoring. Instead, he sends pretty much every raider he has to stop Mechanical before they have any chance of blowing up Silo 18’s primary power source. Whenthe raiders reach the bomb and find out it was never successfully wired up, it’s almost a massive disappointment for the audience, but a major relief for Bernard. However, this false sense of security is exactly what Knox (Shane McRae) and the others were counting on.
Why Dr. Nichols Sacrificed Himself To Detonate The Real Bomb
The bomb’s timer fell off in transit
While Bernard and his raiders are reveling in their apparent victory, Iain Glen’s Dr. Pete Nichols uses the lull in focus to sneak onto the stairs with Hank (Billy Postlethwaite). Hank is disguised as an injured raider, which grants them passage. Unfortunately for raiders,the real bomb is also concealed on the stretcher along with Hank. Sadly, it’s something of a hollow victory for Dr. Nichols and his accomplice, as the bomb’s timer falls off the stretcher as they make their way to the stairs. The audience knows this immediately, but Pete and Hank find out far too late.
Hank offers, but he’s met with “absolutely not.”
Without a way of delaying the bomb’s detonation, the realization quickly dawns on the pair that one of them will need to stay behind and set it off manually. Then, whoever it is will be killed in the ensuing explosion.Dr. Nichols swiftly decides he will be the one to make the sacrifice, believing it to be his final duty as Juliette’s father to give the rebellion the best chance of finding out what happened to his daughter after she disappeared over the hill when she was sent out to clean. Hank offers, but he’s met with “absolutely not.”
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What makes Dr. Nichols' sacrifice especially heartbreaking is the fact thatJuliette manages to return from Silo 17 shortly after, with everyone seeing her appear on the viewscreen and warning them that it’s not safe to go outside. If the rebellion had waited just a little longer before making its move, then all the violence would arguably have been unnecessary. Juliette’s homecoming could have put to rest the rumors of the outside being vibrant and full of life. Obviously, the timing of the entire scenario is intentionally tragic, but it’s executed to perfect.
Why Mechanical Wanted To Blow Up A Portion Of Silo 18’s Steps
Bernard’s forces were left stranded in the Down Deep
When the raiders were dispatched to the Down Deep, it may have been slightly ahead of schedule for the rebels' plan, but it didn’t derail the scheme. The riot that broke out was always intended to happen. Although Mechanical appears to fight back, they’re actually trying to get arrested and dragged to the makeshift jail on the upper levels. Then, whilemost of the raiders are still in the Down Deep dealing with the supposed bomb on the generator, the real bomb not only traps Bernard’s people down there but also makes sure the rebels are closer to IT.
Dr. Nichols took out the stairs for levels 90, 91, and 92 when he detonated the bomb.
As an added bonus, the rebels being pulled above the level of the future bombing site contributed to the complex deception that the plan was based around. When Harriet Walter’s Martha “Walk” Walker is giving her little victory monologue to Bernard, the fact that the majority of his enemies were locked up must have seemed like a small comfort. However, in the seconds whenSilo 18’s major thinks the generator will still explode, it must have seemed even more likely that the rebels had intentionally allowed themselves to be jailed to put some distance between themselves and the Down Deep.
How Walker Helped Mechanical Carry Out The Bomb Plan
Walk’s experience with Mechanical hand signals prevented her from being properly spied on
For the first half of “Into the Fire,” it’s still believed by the audience that Walk is working for Bernard in an attempt to rescue her ex-wife. It ultimately turns out to be a false betrayal, but one that is still believed to be genuine by those watching the episode until the moment she shares a huge twist with Benard. She tells that mayor that, although her every move was being watched via the camera in her workshop,the conversation she was having with Knox about the rebellion’s next move was actually a coverfor an entirely different discussion.
“The generator is loud. So, to communicate, you have to yell. Over the years, crews have developed a series of hand signals - mostly done with one hand, and they got pretty elaborate. you may have a whole conversation. And I taught that to the kids. So, in my workshop, when you thought that everything you saw on that camera was all that was being communicated, we were actually having a whole different conversation.” - Walk, to Bernard in “Into the Fire.”
So, the false plan to sabotage the generator was carried out in view of the camera in Walk’s workshop. The real plan was likely formulated elsewhere or at the same time as the fake scheme using hand signals. Either way,Walk still manages to save Carla McLain (Clare Perkins) while also preventing the rebellion from being foiled. The one downside is that Carla was in custody the whole time, so she thought Walk had genuinely betrayed them all until the plan was over - which was only once Walk had distracted Bernard while Mechanical pulled offSiloseason 2’s big finish.
Silo
Cast
In a dystopian future, men and women reside in a vast underground silo governed by strict regulations, believed to shield them from the hazardous world above. The series delves into the complex social order within the silo and the mysteries surrounding their subterranean existence.
