Graham Yost, creator and showrunner of Apple TV+’s sci-fi drama Silo, discusses season 2’s changes from the original book trilogy. The series follows engineer Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) in a dystopian society confined to a massive underground silo, where humanity is sheltered from a world filled with toxic waste. At the end of Silo season 1, while attempting to unravel the mystery around the silo's unknown history, Nichols faces exile for defying authority figure Bernard (Tim Robbins) and is forced outside to confront the poisoned landscape she had long feared.
In an interview with TVLine, Yost discusses how Silo season 2 will deviate from the book. The first season, praised for its atmospheric tension, left the audience with searing questions. With Silo season 2 on the way, Yost has shed light on how it will differ from Hugh Howey's book trilogy while still honoring its core elements. Read the full quote here:
It’s funny – sometimes it’d be just a beat, a little plot turn is revealed one way in the book, and we decided to do it a different way. But as will be made clear in the trailer, there are two stories running this season. There’s Juliette’s story, and then there’s back in her home silo, Silo 18, with Bernard (Tim Robbins) and Simms (Common) and her friends down in Mechanical — Knox and Shirley and Walker. I would say that our version of what happens in 18 holds close to what Hugh [Howey] has in the book. Basically, Season 1 is the first half of the first book [Wool], and Season 2 is the second half. But Juliette’s stuff, yeah, there are some changes. In Season 1, we had to build out a whole thing with the mystery of the death of George; that was one line in the book, and we made a season out of it, because we needed to give Juliette a drive. But Season 2, especially the Juliette story, is close to what happens in the book.
What Silo Season 2's Story Changes Mean
The Changes Could Bring Fresh Twists to a Familiar Tale
The decision to alter aspects of Howey’s trilogy for Silo season 2 highlights Yost’s intent to deepen the show’s character development and amplify suspense further than the source material. The second season introduces parallel storylines: one focusing on Juliette’s journey as she uncovers more truths outside the silo, and another exploring the dynamics back in Silo 18, where the political tension continues to escalate.
The 2023 Apple TV+ series is based on a trilogy of books that collectively outline all the background information explaining how the silo came to be.
"It’s a little more 50-50," Yost notes, explaining that the TV series will spend more time on the conflicts within Silo 18 than the book. Yost’s mention of adapting the single line about George’s death from the book into a full storyline in season 1 illustrates the creative liberties he's willing to take to add emotional depth and motivation to the characters. For viewers, these changes mean a richer exploration of the silo society’s oppressive leadership and the individuals who struggle under it.
Our Take On Silo Season 2’s Deviation from the Book
Silo’s Adaptation Choices May Strengthen Its Narrative On Screen
As Yost suggests, the upcoming season will stay closer to the book’s plot while still expanding certain scenes and elements to suit the episodic television format. His approach to Silo season 2’s adaptation offers faithfulness to the original material with enough flexibility to keep things fresh and surprising. This mix is likely to satisfy both longtime fans of Howey’s books and viewers who are new to the story. By expanding on certain characters and narrative threads, Yost and his team can maintain the intrigue that defines Silowhile exploring themes of control, survival, and truth on a greater scale.
Based on Hugh Howey's Wool novel series, Silo is a sci-fi drama series created for Apple TV and follows an engineer named Juliette, who lives in a dystopian future. With the surface poisoned and the world all but ruined, the residents live in a silo deep underground. When the community sheriff breaks protocol and leads to the death of several residents, Juliette begins to discover the dark truth of the silo.
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