The Rebecca Ferguson series comes to a thrilling end.
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR SILO EPISODE 10 AHEAD.
Silo season 1 has come to a dramatic end, solving many of the show’s mysteries but also leaving many questions about the true nature of the Silo up in the air.
Fortunately, Apple TV+ has confirmed the popular sci-fi show will return for season 2, with Rebecca Ferguson leading the cast once again.
But while we wait for more news on the second run and an official release date, read on for everything you need to know about the Silo season 1 finale, including what’s actually outside the silo and how Juliette survives.
Silo ending explained: What’s actually outside the silo?
Throughout the series, one big question has dominated the curious minds inside the silo: does the display on the inside actually reflect what’s on the outside?
We got a big clue when Allison (Rashida Jones) left the silo. Allison believed that the bleak view on the display was false, and that actually the skies were blue outside. She told her husband Holston (David Oyelowo) that if she was right, when she got outside, she would use her wool to clean the display – which she eventually did.
But episode 10 is the first time we see outside for ourselves. As Juliette’s request to leave the silo is granted, she tells Bernard: “I’m not afraid” and steps out – into a world that appears to have green grass, trees, and birdsong.
“The display is a lie,” she says, before turning back to the camera and dropping her wool, becoming the first person the history of the silo to refuse to clean.
She appears to come across Holston’s body, but then stumbles into a rock, with her hand going right through it, making it clear that it’s an illusion of some sort. She places his Sheriff’s badge on the ground, returning it after he left it to her.
As Juliette makes it up the hill, she sees lush grass for miles beyond. In the silo, Bernard rushes to the server room – and Juliette’s view immediately changes to show the bleak landscape she’s been told is out there, proving that the beautiful landscape was actually a false view, not the view in the silo.
That’s not all – as the camera pans upwards, it shows what appear to be countless other silos, with a city landscape on the horizon.
Speaking about what Juliette’s feeling in that moment, author Howey told RadioTimes.com: “Try to put yourself in her place. Of all the things you could expect to see when you get over the hill, what she finds has got to be the very last thing on her list and the heartbreak.
“If you feel like your people have it tough and you get to the top and having that magnified, that mix of terror but also maybe hope and maybe fear.”
How does Juliette survive outside the silo?
As we leave Juliette at the end of season 1, she’s managed to survive longer than anyone else who’s left the silo.
However, she quickly discovers that the view on her visor is a deception, and sees the reality of the desolate landscape, with countless more silos out there.
It’s assumed that Juliette will continue her journey on the outside to discover what – and who – lies within the other silos.
Silo is available to stream on Apple TV+ – you can sign up to Apple TV+ here. Hugh Howey’s Wool Trilogy is available to buy now.
Take part in the Screen Test, a project from Radio Times and the Universities of Sussex and Brighton, to explore the role of television and audio in our lives.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.