Silo is far from your common post-apocalyptic sci-fi tale and that is, in part, due to Common.
As Sims, the head of Judicial Security within the massive 144-level, subterranean compound of Apple TV+‘s outstanding, intricate drama, the rapper-actor has established his character as one not to be messed with. But this week, we get a hint that there is even more beneath the surface after Sims steps in to change the Silos’ power structure following the death of its main law-enforcement officer.
“That was one of the things I was super-excited to dig into as an actor with Sims,” Common says. “Because he is a guy who is about protecting the people of the Silo…and what is that duty? As an audience member, you may not know what it is that is driving him, but you know it’s something else.” Indeed, as the episodes play out, we do begin to see that, as he puts it, Sims “isn’t the stereotypical character you would normally see as ‘the heavy’” in other TV projects.
“It’s not just that he wants to be a follower of the [society’s bible], The Pact. He has to believe in something greater.”
One thing Sims doesn’t believe in is the Silo’s potential new sheriff, Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson). In the above exclusive clip from Episode 3, “Machines,” we see Sims approach Mayor Ruth James (Geraldine James) and Deputy Marnes (Will Patton) with a sweet treat that is more of a message than a meal. Apparently, Sims’ boss at Judicial is not into the idea of an engineer like Juliette stepping into such a key gig. Especially since they have something (or really, a lot of things) to hide.
Based on Hugh Howey’s bestselling Wool trilogy, the instantly fascinating series has already thrown viewers a slew of curves, including the shocking deaths of two major characters (no spoilers), the murder of a third, and Juliette’s discovery of a possible conspiracy at the end of Episode 2. And while, yes, the entire thing is happening in a grungy, low-tech underground bunker, safe from the radiated, scorched Earth outside, Common agrees that Silo‘s story of power, politics and class systems would work in any environment.
“It doesn’t feel like an outer-space, futuristic thing…it feels almost like a town you’re dealing with,” the John Wick 2 vet offers. “As much as it’s sci-fi, it’s a mystery. It’s a thriller. It really is a new approach to what people are talking about when it comes to post-apocalyptic stories.”
Silo, Fridays, Apple TV+
