Apple TV released the trailer for Silo season three today, and it offers some hints at major pieces of the sci-fi series’ lore. The show, which is based on Hugh Howey’s Silo novel trilogy, takes place in a post-apocalyptic society where a community cut off from the rest of the world—if there even is a rest of the world—lives in a giant underground silo. Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson), one of the silo’s residents, begins to question what she’s been told about the world outside and investigates what’s really going on.
The question of what happened to the world outside loomed over the first two seasons of the show, and, at the end of season two, we finally got an indication that answers were coming. Season two ended with a flashback to the past showing journalist Helen (Jessica Henwick) trying to pry information from congressman Daniel (Ashley Zukerman) about some sort of “radiological weapon attack.” The season three teaser trailer also hinted that the new batch of episodes would focus heavily on the past storyline, just as Shift, the second book in Howey’s trilogy, did. The official trailer doubles down on that, with more scenes featuring Helen and Daniel and the tagline “the truth lies in the past.”
We also learn that Juliette survived the incinerator in which she was trapped for three minutes at the end of season two, though she has lost all her memories as a result. There are hints that she is being manipulated, though, and shots of mysterious pills and an even more mysterious note telling her not to take the pills. Combined with shots of the “safeguard procedure” (poison gas meant to kill all the residents of the silo) being deployed and Carla (Clare Perkins) saying that the silo has only a little time left, it looks like Silo season three will significantly step up the pace from its first two seasons.
Midway through season two, Apple TV announced that it had renewed Silo for two more seasons, with the fourth season being its last. Seasons one and two combined covered Howey’s first book, so it seems like seasons three and four will cover the second and third books, respectively. That could be a benefit for the show, given that season two suffered from a meandering and stretched-out plot. It could also hamper the series if the books’ plots aren’t reworked in a satisfying or cohesive manner. But, right now, the season three trailer seems like a return to form for the series’ excellent first season.
Silo season three premieres July 3 on Apple TV.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
