Silo’s Shocking Character Return Explained By Actor After Massive Book Change

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Silo season 3, episode 4, “Whatever You Do, Don’t Go Home.”A character previously believed to be dead returns in Silo season 3.

In the new season, Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) is told that Bernard Holland (Tim Robbins) died in the airlock fire when she returned. A flashback shows that despite being badly burned, he survived the fire, but was seemingly killed shortly after by Robert Sims (Common). However, Silo season 3, episode 4’s ending reveals that Bernard is still alive and has been hidden in the Digger Void.

In an interview with Radio Times, Robbins addressed his shocking return to the series. Beyond the character’s physical changes, he explained that Bernard is now morally, mentally, and spiritually transformed. He also teased Bernard’s upcoming redemption arc and the double-edged sword that comes with carrying so many secrets. Check out his comments below:

What season 3 offered me was a way to play a different Bernard who has been physically altered in such a significant way, but also morally and mentally and spiritually altered in a profound way.

Everything he thought was the truth turned out to be a lie, and now he is on a mission to rectify his sins from the past and make things better for himself and for others — and to make amends to the culture that he has betrayed. What a beautiful challenge as an actor to be given that opportunity.

The great thing about this character is he’s full of secrets. He possesses information that no one else possesses. It’s something that gives him power, but it’s also something that tortures him.

Bernard’s survival is not only a plot twist for the show, but is a massive change from the Silo books written by Hugh Howey, where the character dies during the airlock fire. In the source material, he is never redeemed, dies as a villain who never stopped oppressing the people of Silo 18, and Juliette does not get a chance to speak with him after her time spent outside and in Silo 17.

By keeping Bernard alive after the fire, the Apple TV adaptation gives Bernard the chance to earn redemption, expose important secrets, and further the stories of Juliette and Sims. Another change from the books is Juliette’s memories being suppressed after her return to Silo 18, and while some of them have started to come back, Bernard can help fill in the missing gaps by sharing what she’s forgotten, in addition to secrets she never knew about before.

As for Sims, he is the reason that Bernard survived and has stayed hidden in the first place, which was confirmed in an episode 5 clip shown at Apple TV’s San Diego Comic-Con panel. Between this and Sims having chosen the nurse who helped Juliette start to get her memories back, he is also on a redemption arc and searching for the truth, all while his wife, Camille Sims (Alexandria Riley), is the new head of IT.

Bernard lost all hope and faith he had in the system he dedicated his life to after learning about the Safeguard Procedure, which is an entire silo being lethally poisoned all at once. Now that he is past the point of despair, and, per Robbins’ comments, determined to make things better for everyone, Bernard is poised to be a major threat to the powers that exist outside of Silo 18. Along with Juliette and Sims, they are a formidable force to be reckoned with that has the potential to deliver meaningful answers and change.

Due to the significant change from the source material, not even book readers know how long Bernard will survive now. This can make the rest of Silo season 3 more unpredictable for all viewers, and even more so if he stays alive heading into the show’s fourth and final season. If Camille or the Algorithm learn of his survival, though, he may not make it that long.

Silo season 3 releases new episodes on Fridays on Apple TV.

Release Date

May 5, 2023

Network

Apple TV

Showrunner

Graham Yost

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  Rebecca Ferguson

  Juliette Nichols

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