Silo is over, so watch these 5 "unmissable" sci-fi alternatives instead
Silo S3 is over, but these sci-fi shows will keep you entertained until S4
Silo has become a wonderful Apple TV staple – with its third season entertaining weekly every Friday. Well, until now, as that season has just concluded.
Fret not, though, as Juliette and co will be returning to your favourite streaming service next summer. But ahead of July 2027, if you want a sci-fi fix then I've trawled the web for some great alternatives to Silo.
Whether you like your sci-fi with a veil of mystery, or horror, or suspense, these shows – some of which have run their course; others which will return for future seasons – represent 5 great watches to fill that Silo void.
1. Dark
All too often foreign-language shows are overlooked. Dark is a German sci-fi mystery that began in 2017 – running for three seasons and concluding in 2020.
Set in Germany, the show centres around four families who are pursuing the disappearance of two children. In so doing they uncover a time-travel conspiracy – or is it more reality?
If you like your sci-fi to tickle reality, albeit with some supernatural elements, then this head-scratching mystery is a must-watch – and much-loved, with a massive 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
2. Pluribus
Breaking Bad show creator, Vince Gilligan, received heaps of praise for his latest, Pluribus – which put Apple TV firmly on the map and might be one of the best sci-fi shows of a generation.
Critics certainly agreed, with a giant 99% approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes site – a rare accolade, but a worthy one. Not all viewers agreed, but the twists and turns of this wild ride and worth tuning into to make up your own mind.
The show's premise is that an advanced virus has taken over the human race, except for a small number of those immune. The virus offers a hive mind, an apparent utopian life – but faces opposition from some of its immune subjects.
Pluribus is far more than just sci-fi, though, exploring themes of memory, loss, loneliness and the human condition – faults and all – in a fine balance between dramatic and, at times, comedic. It's compelling viewing.
3. Fallout
Perhaps the most similar to Silo, in a way, as the themes here crossover significantly. The source material is wildly different, of course, with Fallout being based on Bethesda Studios' game series, not a series of novels like the former.
In a post-apocalyptic world owed to nuclear annihilation, a variety of vault-dwellers exist, having survived the fallout. They know little of the outside world, but when forced to explore come face to face with its atrocities.
Ella Purnell does a fantastic job in depicting Lucy MacLean, a strong yet naive vault-dweller who goes on an epic journey to seek out her kidnapped father – facing ghouls, monsters, raiders and various factions of the new world in her quest.
Fallout is depicted in an ultra-violent universe, but to the point that it almost adds a layer to its comedy leanings too. Fans love it in particular, as its 96% Rotten Tomatoes score attests.
4. From
Lots of people were very late to the game on this one, as From wasn't always widely available in all regions across the globe. It's finally out from under the radar, though, and about to enter its fifth season next year.
The show is about a small town where, try as they might – residents and visitors alike – remain captive and unable to leave. A sinister force holds them there, which at night causes misery to horror-genre levels.
Not for the faint of heart this one, but still a top sci-fi pick for its mystery, its imprisonment of people with apparent free will – à la Silo – and hugely respected by its critics, with a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score showing that in gusto.
5. The OA
A Netflix Original that had (and still has) huge potential, from the minds of Brit Marling (who stars as the lead) and Zal Batmanglij (who directs), The OA is a sci-fi which crosses into supernatural and even fantasy worlds.
It's as much of a head-turner for its visual moments as it is a head-scratcher for its sometimes profoundly complex themes. But that's exactly why the show – which also explores time-travel and sense of place in the universe – is so gripping. It's also probably why it was cancelled way before its conclusion.
Marling stars as Prairie Johnson, a once blind girl who, after missing for 7 years, returns with sight and calls herself 'The OA'. How did this come to be? Where has she been for all that time? The rabbit hole the show explores is as revealing as it is confounding on this one – but, per its 84% Rotten Tomatoes rating, the audience it did reach were really affected and loved it.
When is Silo season 4 out?
![Silo — Season 4 Sneak Peek & Date Reveal [SPOILER WARNING] | Apple TV - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8Yq7dvVINpY/maxresdefault.jpg)
That ought to be enough to keep that Silo-sized hole full for some time for all those shows' similarities and differences to the Apple TV great.
The fourth season is confirmed, complete with air date of 9 July 2027, as you can see in the above trailer. Don't watch if you're not up to date, though, as it might give a bit too much away otherwise!
