'Silo's Final Season Needs To Address These 10 Important Mysteries
Christine is a freelance writer for Collider with two decades of experience covering all types of TV shows and movies spanning every genre. With a particular affinity for dramas, true crime, sitcoms, and thrillers, if it's a top TV show, Christine has likely watched it and is eager to share her thoughts. When she's not furiously writing away, you can find her enjoying the next binge obsession with a glass of wine in front of the TV.
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Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for Silo Season 3.Drones. A battle of wits. A reveal of the truth. The trailer for Season 4 of Silo, which is scheduled for release on July 27, 2027, is epic. It answers some of the most pressing questions we have after watching the Season 3 finale, including if Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) and Daniel/Troy (Ashley Zukerman) will actually meet. (Spoiler alert: the answer is yes!) There are a few familiar faces as well, confirming characters that will be returning.
Despite the cryptic and not so cryptic reveals, there are many questions that the final season absolutely needs to answer to bring the story to a climactic and satisfying end. I'm confident the show will address every last one of them.
Where Is Per Stensen?
One of the biggest revelations of Silo Season 3 was the existence of Per Stensen (Colin Hanks). The Season 4 trailer reveals that Stensen is still very much alive, likely frozen as the others are until he needs to be unthawed to address an issue. Or perhaps he has figured out a way to remain immortal, living for hundreds of years in his same body and mind. Whatever the case, we know he's back, and he's not happy with what he's witnessing.
This suggests Stensen has been running things this whole time and is devastated to see his plans being foiled by this rebellious and resourceful group led by Jules. The question is: What has he been doing all this time and more importantly, why? Did he initially lie to Helen (Jessica Henwick) and Daniel about his intentions for the silos? (Probably). And if so, what is his end goal? Does he simply have a God complex, and he feels he can create a world better than the one before? His ultimate role will be interesting to see play out since he was only seen sparingly in Season 3.
What Happened to Helen?
The last we saw Helen in Season 3, she was very pregnant and sent to tour Silo 18, the same silo where Jules resides in present day, while Daniel was taken to Silo 1. They were looking at one another from across the terrain when a blast erupted, sending them flying. It's revealed in the trailer that Helen survived and was likely taken back into Silo 18, which has led to theories about her current state, who her baby was, if she had more kids, and if there's any relation to Jules' bloodline. They certainly both share a similar spark and determination.
In the trailer, we see Helen being shoved into the silo with others, screaming to be let out. We also see her, presumably later, saying Daniel's name and recalling seeing him right before the blast. This would suggest she was given the forgetting drugs. The question is whether she was frozen as well or if Helen perished hundreds of years ago and only her bloodline, including the bloodline of her child with Daniel, remains today.
What Happens When Daniel Remembers Who He Is Outside of Troy?
Victor's (Matt Craven) parting gift to Daniel before dying by suicide was to reveal Helen's name, the woman Daniel kept seeing in visions. Up until that point, Victor ignored the inquiries, forcing Daniel to focus on his current identity as Troy and forget about his past. The glimmer of recognition on Daniel's face when he hears the name, however, suggests that, as Victor told him hundreds of years prior, some memories are coming back.
At the end of the Season 4 trailer of the masterpiece Apple TV show, Jules comes face to face with Daniel/Troy, and when she asks him who he is, he looks scared and says he doesn't know. It's clear the cold and heartless Troy façade is gone. The real Daniel is back, but he doesn't yet remember who Daniel actually is.
What's the Connection Between Daniel and Jules?
As noted, with Helen still being alive and presumably placed in Silo 18 after the blast, this can't be a coincidence. There must be a connection to Jules. Some theories suggest Helen could be related to Jules. She and Daniel's child could be a descendent, or she could have had other children who somehow relate to Jules.
Another theory is that she could be related to George (Ferdinand Kingsley), Jules' boyfriend whose death kicked off the entire plot. Since George's family was part of the Flamekeepers, a group that aimed to keep memories alive by passing down stories and hidden relics from generation to generation, it's possible he is somehow connected. This could make Jules potentially sympathetic towards Daniel if she learns that he's the only connection she has left to the man she loved.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive? The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you'd actually make it out of alive.
💊The Matrix
🔥Mad Max
🌧️Blade Runner
🏜️Dune
🚀Star Wars
01
You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do? The first instinct is often the truest one.
02
In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely? What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.
03
What kind of threat keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of.
04
How do you deal with authority you don't trust? Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.
05
Which environment could you actually endure long-term? Survival isn't just tactical — it's physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.
06
Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart? The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all? Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they're actually made of.
08
What would actually make survival worth it? Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.
Your Fate Has Been Calculated You'd Survive In…
Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.
The Matrix
You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You're a systems thinker who can't help but notice the seams in things.
- You're drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
- You'd find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines' worst nightmare.
- You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
- The Matrix built an airtight prison. You'd be the one probing the walls for the door.
Mad Max
The wasteland doesn't reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That's you.
- You don't need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
- You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you're good at all three.
- You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
- In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.
Blade Runner
You'd survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.
- You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
- In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
- You're not a hero. But you're not lost, either.
- In Blade Runner's world, that distinction is everything.
Dune
Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.
- Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they're survival tools.
- You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
- Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You'd learn its logic and earn its respect.
- In time, you wouldn't just survive Arrakis — you'd begin to reshape it.
Star Wars
The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn't have it any other way.
- You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
- You'd gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire's grip can be broken.
- You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn't something you're capable of.
- In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
Will Jules Make It to Silo 1?
We know Jules and Daniel eventually meet in a tunnel, though it's unclear where specifically. The question is if Jules ever makes it to Silo 1 and is able to stop the control they have there over the other silos and survivors. If she does, she could come face to face with Stensen, Charlotte (Jessica Brown Findlay), and presumably also Senator Rosalind Thurman (Laura Innes), who is also seen in the trailer.
It's possible that if Daniel recovers his memories and a sense of who he is in this addictive sci-fi show, he could actually help her take down the people who basically imprisoned his mind and body. It would be a wonderful arc, transforming him back to himself from this completely different person who does horrifying things.
Who Caused the Initial Attack?
The presumption is that the blast at the end of Season 3 wasn't a nanobot attack from a foreign nation, but something Stensen orchestrated himself. It was too perfectly timed for the launch of the silos, when thousands of people were there taking tours. It seemed they were strategically divided into silos that Stensen likely wanted them to reside in for various reasons.
It appears his plan was to outfit each silo with a specific cross-section of people to kickstart a new world. Whether he had good or nefarious intentions in the beginning is up for debate. But considering how much control and manipulation has been exerted on these people for hundreds of years, I'm leaning towards the latter.
What Is the Ultimate Goal of the Silo Project?
The actual goal of the silo project remains a mystery. As noted, Stensen said he wanted to circumvent a possible attack from a rival nation by insulating the American population. But it's almost like he was also running his own warped social experiment, seeing if he could rebuild society in a way he felt was better.
It raises major questions about autonomy, control, and the price of protection. Would everyone have been better off living in the real world, keeping a watchful eye out for attacks and dealing with the existence of bad people? Are they really any better off now, living enslaved underground with no control over their lives and constant fear of being obliterated, even if they didn't know about the Safeguard Procedure?
Is It Actually Safe To Go Outside?
It would appear from events in Season 3 that the air is not toxic outside, and it is indeed safe to venture out. No one from Silo 17 died from the toxic air; they were killed by drone bullet attacks, ordered to Troy to rain down on them. Those who have been sent outside to clean have died, but it's possible they are hit with a toxic substance, ordered by Silo 1, to target them and make it look like the air is unsafe. This could include Bernard (Tim Robbins), who went outside without a suit and perished from seemingly some type of substance.
It's a brutal reality for a man who claimed he wanted to save humanity, not destroy it, suggesting that Stensen is more hellbent on control than being a hero. It means so many lives could have been spared and those who went out to clean, convinced the air was fine, may have technically been right. This may be a sci-fi show where humanity is doomed.
What's the Significance of the Duck Pez Dispenser?
The duck-shaped Pez dispenser holds great significance throughout the show with no weak episodes. It was first seen in Season 1 when George gives it to Juliette. It's a relic he has from the Flamekeepers, something that has been passed down from generation to generation and hidden from the authorities. It was later found and confiscated by Robert Sims (Common). He returns it to Jules in Season 3, and it helps her regain her memory as she has flashes of George before other memories come flooding back.
We know from the post-credits scene in Season 2 that this candy dispenser was originally Daniel's. He gave it to Helen after they had their first meeting that he mistakenly thought was a date. This explains how it ended up in Silo 18. It will likely play a role in Season 4 as well. The suspicion is that Daniel will somehow be reunited with it, and it's the relic that will bring all his memories of Helen back. It's the most important non-human character of the show.
What Is the Actual Timeline?
Fans have been furiously debating the timeline of the show and if it's all a ruse. Viewers and those in the silos have been led to believe that the current story takes place from the years 2302 through 2352, while the original Daniel timeline was 2049 through 2052. And while there has definitely been a passage of time, is it possible that it hasn't been 300+ years like we have been led to believe?
There are some things that confirm the timelines, such as Jimmy (Steve Zahn) being 30+ years older since the Silo 17 rebellion. But the timeline before that, between when the silos were built and when this all happened, is murky. Even if the timeline is real, the question is still what happened in the years between when the blast occurred, the stories of the mysterious Salvador Quinn who first used the forgetting drugs in the water supply, and when we first see Troy unearthed to obliterate the people of Silo 17. The gaps need to be filled in, even if the timeline is real.
Silo
- Release Date
- May 5, 2023
- Network
- Apple TV
- Showrunner
- Graham Yost
- Directors
- Morten Tyldum, David Semel, Michael Dinner, Aric Avelino
-
Juliette Nichols
-
Robert Sims
- Writers
- Graham Yost, Hugh Howey, Jeffery Wang, Lekethia Dalcoe
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Seasons
- 4
- Producers
- Aric Avelino, Jessica Blaire, Matthew Bird, Ben Brafman, Katherine DiSavino, Joanna Thapa
- Creator(s)
- Graham Yost
- Story By
- Hugh Howey
- Streaming Service(s)
- AppleTV+
- Executive Producer(s)
- Graham Yost, Joanna Thapa, Rebecca Ferguson, Remi Aubuchon, Fred Golan, Hugh Howey, Nina Jack, Morten Tyldum, Michael Dinner, Ingrid Escajeda
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