Warning! This article contains spoilers for Silo season 2.Siloseason 2’s opening episodes make it hard not to believe that Bernard may not actually be a villain. After initially maintaining some ambiguity surrounding Bernard’s true motives,Siloseason 1 established him as the show’s primary antagonist. It revealed that while the Silo’s citizens believed they were governed by the Judicial, the head of the IT, Bernard, was pulling all the strings from behind the scenes. Even towards theending moments ofSiloseason 1, Bernard called the shots and was responsible for Juliette’s departure from Silo 18.
Since the show’s beginning, he has shown zero tolerance towards the defiance of Silo 18’s rules and has ensured anyone who goes against him and Silo’s laws is punished. However,Siloseason 1 revealed nothing about why Bernard behaved the way he did.Siloseason 2’s episodes 1and 2 finally shed some light on what is happening in the outside world, disclosing the real reason why Bernard has been so ruthless in his enforcement of order.
His Actions Are Questionable But Driven By A Solid Purpose
Siloseason 2’s episode 1 features a flashback in its opening moments, highlighting what happened in another Silo after a rebellion broke loose. It shows that even though the rebels in the new Silo eventually overpowered the conformers, everyone died after defying the Silo’s rules. In season 2’s episode 2, Bernard gets a glimpse of the neighboring Silo’s entrance through the camera on Juliette’s helmet as she makes her way inside it. He is horrified after he sees how the path leading up to the Silo’s entrance is marred with several corpses, reminding him of what could happen in Silo 18.
While it is wrong that many people from Silo 18 lost their lives because of his inability to be transparent with his people, Bernard only wishes to protect them from catastrophic consequences.
These early moments fromSiloseason 2 highlight that even though Bernard has blatantly lied to his people and enforced unfair rules on them,his actions are driven by good intentions. He understands that if he fails to maintain order and control in Silo 18, its citizens might meet the same fate as the ones from the neighboring Silo. While it is wrong that many people from Silo 18 lost their lives because of his inability to be transparent with his people, Bernard only wishes to protect them from catastrophic consequences. This makes his motives ambiguous, but he is not morally bankrupt.
Bernard Carries An Unimaginable Burden In Silo Season 2
Only He Knows The Truth About The Consequences Of A Rebellion
After watching Juliette enter another Silo in theApple TV+ sci-fi show’s season 2’s episode 2, Bernard skims through his handbook, “The Order,” to look for answers about what he should do next. To his horror,the book says, “In the event of a failed cleaning, prepare for war.“The book’s quote serves as a stark reminder for him that if he does not suppress the growing rebellion in Silo 18, a war will erupt and potentially kill everyone. The line of corpses outside the neighboring Silo also shows him what exactly could happen to Silo 18’s citizens if he does not take immediate action.
Why The Tape Is So Important In Silo Season 2
After being a primary driver of Juliette’s narrative in Silo season 1’s ending, the heat tape continues to play a crucial role in season 2’s story.
These developments fromSiloseason 2’s early episodes highlight that Bernard carries the burden of knowing a little too much about the grim reality of the world they live in. While he, too, does not seem to know everything, he understands that defiance of the rules written by the creators of the silos could lead to anarchy, death, and complete destruction of their carefully controlled society. A part of him probably wants to seek freedom like Juliette and other rebellions. However, he seems to know far too much about how powerful the higher-ups are in their dystopian world.
Bernard’s Moral Ambiguity Confirms There Are Bigger Evil Forces At Play
Bernard Only Seems To Be Following Someone Else’s Orders
Like most naive citizens of the Silo, Bernard, too, seems to be just another cog in the intricate machine that ensures humanity’s survival in the dystopian world. He knows little about the world outside and the events that led to its destruction but fears that something terrible will happen if he dares to break the rules set by his superiors.
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While only time will tell who else is above Bernard in the Silos' hierarchy, it is hard not to see Bernard with a more empathetic lens afterSiloseason 2’s episodes 1 and 2. He comes nowhere close to being as heroic as Juliette, but his actions suggest he himself is trapped in the Silos' oppressive system.
Silo
In a dystopian future, men and women reside in a vast underground silo governed by strict regulations, believed to shield them from the hazardous world above. The series delves into the complex social order within the silo and the mysteries surrounding their subterranean existence.
