One of my favourite shows across the best streaming services right now is Silo, which is exclusive to Apple TV+. But, if you’re not a subscriber, Apple has just put the entire first episode for you to view on Twitter for free. You can even watch it right here on this page (below).
The timing of this act of generosity is because the finale of the first season is only three days away, and it’s attracted good reviews and good word of mouth too. By giving non-subscribers the opportunity to watch the superb first episode, Apple is hoping you’ll want to sign up. And you probably will - it's that good.
3 days until the #Silo finale. Here’s the entire first episode. pic.twitter.com/lIcTXCQ9D6June 27, 2023
I’ve really enjoyed most of Silo so far: with the exception of one episode that felt phoned in, it’s been what one Rotten Tomatoes reviewer described as “intensely watchable, peerlessly silly sci-fi”. At its best it’s really gripping, and the underlying mystery is, well, mysterious.
What is Silo about?
Silo is based on the best-selling books by Hugh Howey that began with the mega-hit Wool. It’s set in what appears to be a future version of America after some indescribable and unknown catastrophe, a catastrophe that’s so bad everybody has to live in a massive underground silo. It’s unclear whether there are any other silos, and nobody appears to know what event put everybody underground in the first place. But what we do know is that if you go outside, you’ll die almost immediately.
At least, that’s what we think we know.
The show focuses on reluctant new sheriff Juliette, played spectacularly by Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Dune). Given the job after the previous Sheriff goes outside, she begins to discover that all is not what it seems – and that everything she knows about the silo could be wrong.
It’s great stuff, and lots of people agree with me: the critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes is a good 87%. The acting is great, the production design is spectacular and Tim Robbins is in it, which makes it a must-watch for me irrespective of anything else.
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It’s not completely perfect, but it’s one of the best sci-fi shows on TV just now, and it’s definitely worth checking out the first episode.
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).