How Season 2's Brilliant Plot Twist Resolves Silo's Floor Levels Dilemma

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Apple TV+'s Silo. Season 1 of Silo captivates viewers with its thrilling science fiction drama set in a dystopian underground world. However, there is one significant plot hole in season 2 that needs to be addressed. Based on Hugh Howey's novel trilogy, Silo season 1 centers around Juliette, a mechanic who becomes the new sheriff after a series of mysterious deaths. As Juliette delves deeper into the mysteries of the underground city, she uncovers unexpected truths while facing numerous challenges and overcoming daunting odds.

In a climactic moment of Silo season 1, Juliette utilizes the trash chute to move between different floors, evading detection by Bernard. However, when Bernard becomes aware of her strategy, she narrowly escapes death as Sims' team hurls large objects at her. While these intense moments highlight Juliette's unwavering determination to uncover the truth, they also expose a plot hole concerning the layout of the silo's floors.

Silo Season 1 Has A Pacing Problem Due To The Floor Level Layout

In episode 10 of Silo season 1, Juliette successfully evades the Silo's authorities by descending almost 100 Silo stories through the trash chute's ladder. However, the show inaccurately portrays how quickly she is able to cover such a significant distance. Despite the events in the finale appearing to unfold in real-time, it is difficult to believe that Juliette could navigate the trash chute arc so swiftly. The immense size of the Silo's floor levels and overall dimensions are incongruous with the amount of time it would realistically take for citizens to travel between them.

In Silo-18, each level's landing is separated by a distance of approximately 40 feet. This means that Juliette would need to climb down a total of 4000 feet through the trash chute. Such a monumental descent would not only require several hours, if not days, but would also leave her completely exhausted. However, in Silo's finale, Juliette shows no signs of fatigue until Sims and his team start throwing objects down the hatch. This disregard for the distance between each floor level and the corresponding time needed to traverse them using stairs is also evident in previous episodes of Apple TV+'s Silo.

How Silo Season 2 Can Avoid Season 1's Time Passage Issue

Given the narrative coherence of other sci-fi elements in Silo season 1, it is imperative for the show to rectify its time passage issue in season 2. To prevent a recurrence of this problem, Silo season 2 should clearly indicate the time jumps when characters move between different floors. Furthermore, in order to remain consistent with the reality of Silo's world where elevators are nonexistent, Silo season 2 must accurately depict the progression of its storyline in relation to the time required to travel between floor levels.