Silo (Apple TV+) - Premiers May 5th

[F250 29,201]

10 hours ago, wild_turkey said:

I’m also getting increasingly annoyed with how the greater population of the silo can be influenced and manipulated so easily. Last episode, Bernard gives a shitty speech and at some point the entire crowd flips from hating him to supporting him. This week, everyone is on edge and then Common tells them the people from mechanical murdered Meadows and the mob instantly redirects.

It’s like a bunch of elementary children. Or perhaps it’s like a surly game thread that got morphed into part of a TV series.

Manipulation of the population seems to be one of the major themes of the show. Their education is severally limited, exposure to certain technology is forbidden, a strict social order is enforced, and people that raise questions are removed.

The mob was upset because mechanical was visiting the upper decks. Apparently a strong prejudice against mechanical is built into the rest of the population. Knox pointed out that mechanical always gets blamed according to the writings on the walls. Mechanical seems to be designed to be a scapegoat.

Considering how easily the population in an open society is easily manipulated I don't find a population controlled from conception to death being easily manipulated very surprising.

[Js1 87,189]

2 minutes ago, F250 said:

Manipulation of the population seems to be one of the major themes of the show. Their education is severally limited, exposure to certain technology is forbidden, a strict social order is enforced, and people that raise questions are removed.

The mob was upset because mechanical was visiting the upper decks. Apparently a strong prejudice against mechanical is built into the rest of the population. Knox pointed out that mechanical always gets blamed according to the writings on the walls. Mechanical seems to be designed to be a scapegoat.

Considering how easily the population in an open society is easily manipulated I don't find a population controlled from conception to death being easily manipulated very surprising.

Yeah, this is literally the whole point.  The population of the Silo is easily controlled - they lack education outside of their job, there is no technological advancement, there is full deference to Judicial running the show and everyone knows the punishments for stepping outside of the strict order (hard labor in the mines or cleaning). 

The Pact is very clear - harbor an upper- and mid-level resentment towards Mechanical and blame them if order breaks down. If the top levels of the Silo are against Mechanical, Mechanical cannot rebel and make it to the doors without significant resistance. 

[gofuckyourself 9,088]

The whole "The world is a sphere" dialogue seemed a bit absurd.

But I'm guessing at some point the drugs mentioned earlier that wipe out memories were used on the entire populace so that full generations of knowledge were lost, and then the whole Pact and folklore and mass "re-education" were instituted.

Maybe that's all already obvious but I don't always pay close attention to each episode.

Regardless, it's still entertaining and I'm enjoying the show. 

[zman13 185]

On 12/5/2024 at 10:19 PM, Js1 said:

Shit is getting good

Common is godawful though 

I'd like to just restate that Common is a horrible actor. It's bad enough that it becomes a distraction. 

Who keeps on casting him? What dirt does he have on casting directors?

[F250 29,201]

1 hour ago, zman13 said:

I'd like to just restate that Common is a horrible actor. It's bad enough that it becomes a distraction. 

Who keeps on casting him? What dirt does he have on casting directors?

He is a terrible actor. It seems like he isn't even acting, he just says his lines as Common and doesn't attempt to be the character. His scenes pull you out of the show and it seems like you are just watching some contemporary dude interact with the characters, it's very distracting.

He was the same in Hell on Wheels. It was like some rando appeared off the street in modern America and popped up in a Western.

[aggie08 21,825]

1 hour ago, zman13 said:

I'd like to just restate that Common is a horrible actor. It's bad enough that it becomes a distraction. 

Who keeps on casting him? What dirt does he have on casting directors?

Do you think "street"--but still incredibly safe and nonthreatening--black actors grow on trees, mister?

[rage-a-holic 4,736]

2 minutes ago, F250 said:

He is a terrible actor. It seems like he isn't even acting, he just says his lines as Common and doesn't attempt to be the character. His scenes pull you out of the show and it seems like you are just watching some contemporary dude interact with the characters, it's very distracting.

He was the same in Hell on Wheels. It was like some rando appeared off the street in modern America and popped up in a Western.

Yep, he fucking ruined HoW.

[bschoolprof 6,343]

I still don't see the point of meadow's story, which wasn't in the book apparently. I see why.  

Bernard: Meadows, stop drinking, I need you.

Meadows: Ok, you should do X. And I want to escape.  

Bernard: Great, I will do Y.  And get you a suit. And you are now apparently disposable.  Want to come over for dinner?

[Js1 87,189]

40 minutes ago, bschoolprof said:

I still don't see the point of meadow's story, which wasn't in the book apparently. I see why.  

Bernard: Meadows, stop drinking, I need you.

Meadows: Ok, you should do X. And I want to escape.  

Bernard: Great, I will do Y.  And get you a suit. And you are now apparently disposable.  Want to come over for dinner?

He should have at least banged her before he murdered her. 

[The Dude 1,263]

On 12/8/2024 at 10:44 PM, wild_turkey said:

I’m also getting increasingly annoyed with how the greater population of the silo can be influenced and manipulated so easily. Last episode, Bernard gives a shitty speech and at some point the entire crowd flips from hating him to supporting him. This week, everyone is on edge and then Common tells them the people from mechanical murdered Meadows and the mob instantly redirects.

It’s like a bunch of elementary children. Or perhaps it’s like a surly game thread that got morphed into part of a TV series.

You really think this is a stretch?

[Scary Stranger 1,726]

2 hours ago, F250 said:

He is a terrible actor. It seems like he isn't even acting, he just says his lines as Common and doesn't attempt to be the character. His scenes pull you out of the show and it seems like you are just watching some contemporary dude interact with the characters, it's very distracting.

He was the same in Hell on Wheels. It was like some rando appeared off the street in modern America and popped up in a Western.

I've said it before, he gets work because he looks cool and can glower menacingly with the best of them.

[Macanudo 13,328]

8 hours ago, Js1 said:

He should have at least banged her before he murdered her. 

You're assuming he didn't.  Pre or post death.

[sidis 10,018]

On 12/8/2024 at 10:44 PM, wild_turkey said:

I’m also getting increasingly annoyed with how the greater population of the silo can be influenced and manipulated so easily. Last episode, Bernard gives a shitty speech and at some point the entire crowd flips from hating him to supporting him. This week, everyone is on edge and then Common tells them the people from mechanical murdered Meadows and the mob instantly redirects.

It’s like a bunch of elementary children. Or perhaps it’s like a surly game thread that got morphed into part of a TV series.

 

[Ted Lange 16,417]

 

[bschoolprof 6,343]

I'm glad they are not drawing it out.

Honestly, this season has been a bit meh to me.  Notice there's not much discussion of the episodes on this thread.  There's not much really to discuss.  It's painfully slow at times.

• Am I supposed to really care about these mechanical characters? They seem 2 dimensional and just thrown out at us.  Meh.  If they die, they die.  
• the deus ex machina, particularly on the stairs, is annoying and frankly insulting
• Sims is a shit character and actor and needs to be offed.  

I actually think the show would benefit by less focus on characters that we don't care about and more on the intrigue of the silo, not just in its origin story, but also how it works to maintain order, hierarchy, and custom.  It's a fascinating world and we see little of the institutional details. Take for example the porters, who are just convenient backstabbers in this episode.  But they are critical to the movement of good across the silo. And the grappling hook would presumably make them obsolete (and allow for quicker flow of information), which the founders can't have for many layered reasons.  I find this much more interesting and thought provoking than whether the head of mechanical makes it or not.  

[LCHorn 2,751]

55 minutes ago, bschoolprof said:

And the grappling hook would presumably make them obsolete

Also, I don’t understand how/why judicial can’t fast-rope down.  That’s low tech.  

[Js1 87,189]

59 minutes ago, bschoolprof said:

I'm glad they are not drawing it out.

 

This.

Very glad they seem to have a plan and a conclusion.  Not every show needs to be 8 seasons, where it goes downhill after season 5/6. 

[henrygandorf 29,227]

9 minutes ago, Js1 said:

This.

Very glad they seem to have a plan and a conclusion.  Not every show needs to be 8 seasons, where it goes downhill after season 5/6. 

you can just say "seinfeld".

[Js1 87,189]

4 minutes ago, henrygandorf said:

you can just say "seinfeld".

or Game of Thrones. 

[bschoolprof 6,343]

1 hour ago, LCHorn said:

Also, I don’t understand how/why judicial can’t fast-rope down.  That’s low tech.  

Because presumably then everyone else will want that tech. Or, at the beginning, at least want it to be used to transport goods ("why not make our lives easier??").  But then information will travel more quickly.  And porters will become obsolete, so a whole slew of new jobs will have to be found for them in an economy that is constrained in obvious ways.  This will only snowball, leading to all other sorts of downstream (or upstream?) consequences that are hard to anticipate for central planners.  Innovation and progress are very "bad" for the silo's order.  

It's better to let the people enjoy some low level relics as a form of rebellion rather then let them get a taste of what actual creative destruction might look like.  

Edited December 16 by bschoolprof

[Js1 87,189]

22 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

 

Also worth noting Ferguson confirmed 3 and 4 are filming back to back and season 3 filming started in October. So it should not be huge waits between seasons

[YChang 3,570]

Cool, now I can binge through all the episodes of this season right?

[Red Five 41,745]

I'm struggling with this show now. Ferguson/Zahn now feels like a minor subplot. And I don't really care much for the rest of it anymore.

[aggie08 21,825]

Yeah, making the best actor and most compelling character a side plot is certainly a choice. I get that they have to advance her silo's storyline, and there's only so much pump fixing and suit scavenging they can show before she inevitably goes back outside, but it's been pretty boring.

[RomaVicta 30,602]

The show is losing me pretty quick. I saw mention of the books being good. Is that so? I really liked the first season and the world that has been created. This second season is a lot of profound worry dialogue and the plotting is pretty dumb.

[Red Five 41,745]

5 minutes ago, aggie08 said:

Yeah, making the best actor and most compelling character a side plot is certainly a choice.

Yet another cameo from Rebecca Ferguson. Through six episodes she probably has about 15 minutes of actual screen time. Wonder if her availability was limited due to other projects (Dune). 

[Rex Kramer 1,537]

This show isn’t good. I’ve tried to like it. 

[Red Five 41,745]

4 minutes ago, Rex Kramer said:

This show isn’t good. I’ve tried to like it. 

It's like they're trying to stretch about two episodes worth of plot into an entire season. Most of this week's episode involved moving the barricade from one floor to another. Riveting stuff.

[TexasHooch 5,202]

This show is frustrating the hell out of me.  I don't give a shit about Mechanical Vs IT.  They're trying way too hard to make this an ensemble cast, like Walking Dead.  But most of these actors are not good at acting, and their characters are two dimensional (the sheriff is a notable exception).  I fast forward through every scene Common is in, and it hasn't made one bit of difference.

Season 1 was good because they highlighted the mystery.  There's plenty more of that to be explored in Season 2, yet they've decided to fill it with the tired old "fight the power" narrative.

I'm not going to bail, but it's pretty much a hate watch right now.

 

[Js1 87,189]

It definitely needs to pick up the damn pace 

[Rex Kramer 1,537]

42 minutes ago, Red Five said:

It's like they're trying to stretch about two episodes worth of plot into an entire season. Most of this week's episode involved moving the barricade from one floor to another. Riveting stuff.

This week as in the one released today?

[Red Five 41,745]

2 minutes ago, Rex Kramer said:

This week as in the one released today?

Thursdays at 8.

[Rex Kramer 1,537]

Thought it dropped on fridays. Well, great. Can’t wait for tonight. Maybe I’ll take a 10 mg hybrid to make it more interesting. Been more focused on The Agency anyway. 

[Js1 87,189]

41 minutes ago, Rex Kramer said:

Thought it dropped on fridays

Apple shows always drop the night before at 2am GMT, which is 8pm central time. 

[Red Five 41,745]

52 minutes ago, Rex Kramer said:

Thought it dropped on fridays. Well, great. Can’t wait for tonight. Maybe I’ll take a 10 mg hybrid to make it more interesting. Been more focused on The Agency anyway. 

Get ready for excitement. Some people walk up the stairs, whereas some people walk down the stairs. 

[Rex Kramer 1,537]

58 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Apple shows always drop the night before at 2am GMT, which is 8pm central time. 

[bschoolprof 6,343]

I didn't think episode 6 was horrible.  Not great, but I was expecting worse.  

[Radical Larry 28,822]

[wild_turkey 3,297]

Episodes without Juliette are not great. Aside from Rebecca Ferguson being the best actor and a beautiful woman, Juliette’s situation is the most interesting and they need to move that plot forward every single week. That’s what will most likely reveal answers to some of the biggest mysteries.

The rest of the show with the mayor and judicial and IT and the sheriff and mechanical is boring by comparison. It can’t stand on its own. It’s like a Christmas dinner with only mediocre sides. It’s like a LOST episode that focused on Michelle Rodriguez. No one wants it.

[Texzilla58 4,792]

On 12/16/2024 at 12:28 PM, Js1 said:

This.

Very glad they seem to have a plan and a conclusion.  Not every show needs to be 8 seasons, where it goes downhill after season 5/6. 

I think when this show concludes after 4 seasons we will be here saying they could have done the whole fucking thing in 2 seasons.  So slow.