"Silo" is based on a very intriguing and well written first book, WOOL, of Hugh Howey's trilogy of the same name. Originally, the books were to be adapted to the silver screen with director Ridley Scott at the helm. However, the project was shelved due to scheduling and I believe the third book was still being written. Yet it's for the best as a miniseries format works well given the dense material, allowing it to breathe. Creator Graham Yost and author Hugh Howey have worked hard at adapting the material with Morten Tyldum directing much of the first series. The mini-series is expanding on characters and side plots that are merely brief mentions in the original material as they play important roles while bridging some aspects from the other two books into the first season, smoothing out timelines and giving audiences information that is relevant to the "Silo" series world. Overall, the changes work and in some cases are improvements.
Yet as a book reader, it pains me to read some of the negative reviews. There are explanations for things that may initially confound viewers, such as Juliette jumping into the steam with water that should have been boiling hot and seemingly physically fine. Some have complained Rebecca Ferguson's character isn't likable - well, that's the point. She plays a guarded, rough, hardworking mechanic out of her element who is now in charge of thousands of lives, pushing her out of her characters comfort zone as she's not a people person. However, she evolves and her journey is the centerpiece to a story about the human spirit in times of great uncertainty in which a simple mistake could crash the entire system. Elevators were specifically not included to keep people separated and communication limited. The suits worn outside will be further explained as to why people die so quickly and the helmets are intentionally difficult to remove which is one reason why people don't take them off before cleaning. The cleanings aren't just a form of punishment or a method of psychological conditioning. As another mentioned, many cities are powered by geothermal sources and the damage to the generator was a simpler fix in the book yet the miniseries explains how they're powered which ultimately lead to the necessary jeopardy another reviewer claimed was unnecessary. We're only 5 episodes into the first season which only covers half the first book. There's much more information yet to be revealed that accounts for complaints by some viewers, give it time. Stories don't reveal everything upfront as there would be no mystery, suspense, character development, intrigue - it may as well be a tweet or Wikipedia entry.
Some have complained there aren't any hints as to what's happening and I've read some comparisons to "Lost". Let me assure you, there are MANY hints to the overall story. In fact, this weeks episode 5, "The Janitor's Boy", has a rather glaring tell towards the end which isn't in the book and surprised me. Certainly, hindsight is always 20/20, yet stay with it as the oddities and seemingly unrealistic events all tie into each other and are well explained.
Watching the series, I can understand some viewers finding it corny or silly; a society that doesn't remember the past, is forbidden from remembering it, cannot possess any items from the past, and has customs and traditions similar to our own yet very different. Religion being a big one as citizens praise the Founders instead of deities, burial practices that are odd at best, and not knowing about camcorders or electronics beyond what is only necessary for maintaining life in the silo all have explanations.
Give it a chance. It's not "dumb" Sci-Fi (yet do not forget this is still Science FICTION) and the events of the past that lead to the world they are in are very much a frightening and real possibility if we are not careful. As the idiom goes, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions".
Yet as a book reader, it pains me to read some of the negative reviews. There are explanations for things that may initially confound viewers, such as Juliette jumping into the steam with water that should have been boiling hot and seemingly physically fine. Some have complained Rebecca Ferguson's character isn't likable - well, that's the point. She plays a guarded, rough, hardworking mechanic out of her element who is now in charge of thousands of lives, pushing her out of her characters comfort zone as she's not a people person. However, she evolves and her journey is the centerpiece to a story about the human spirit in times of great uncertainty in which a simple mistake could crash the entire system. Elevators were specifically not included to keep people separated and communication limited. The suits worn outside will be further explained as to why people die so quickly and the helmets are intentionally difficult to remove which is one reason why people don't take them off before cleaning. The cleanings aren't just a form of punishment or a method of psychological conditioning. As another mentioned, many cities are powered by geothermal sources and the damage to the generator was a simpler fix in the book yet the miniseries explains how they're powered which ultimately lead to the necessary jeopardy another reviewer claimed was unnecessary. We're only 5 episodes into the first season which only covers half the first book. There's much more information yet to be revealed that accounts for complaints by some viewers, give it time. Stories don't reveal everything upfront as there would be no mystery, suspense, character development, intrigue - it may as well be a tweet or Wikipedia entry.
Some have complained there aren't any hints as to what's happening and I've read some comparisons to "Lost". Let me assure you, there are MANY hints to the overall story. In fact, this weeks episode 5, "The Janitor's Boy", has a rather glaring tell towards the end which isn't in the book and surprised me. Certainly, hindsight is always 20/20, yet stay with it as the oddities and seemingly unrealistic events all tie into each other and are well explained.
Watching the series, I can understand some viewers finding it corny or silly; a society that doesn't remember the past, is forbidden from remembering it, cannot possess any items from the past, and has customs and traditions similar to our own yet very different. Religion being a big one as citizens praise the Founders instead of deities, burial practices that are odd at best, and not knowing about camcorders or electronics beyond what is only necessary for maintaining life in the silo all have explanations.
Give it a chance. It's not "dumb" Sci-Fi (yet do not forget this is still Science FICTION) and the events of the past that lead to the world they are in are very much a frightening and real possibility if we are not careful. As the idiom goes, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions".
