Warning! This article contains spoilers for Silo season 2 episode 2.Bernard calls Juliette a hero while addressing her during his speech inSiloseason 2’s episode 2, raising many questions about his true intentions. UnlikeSiloseason 2’s episode 1, which primarily focuses on Juliette’s journey outside Silo 18, episode 2 focuses on the events inside the central Silo. Owing to this, it does not featureRebecca Ferguson’s Julietteat all and highlights how Bernard tries to reduce the damage caused by her departure.
In the episode’s opening moments, Bernard skims through his handbook, “The Order,” to look for the protocols he must implement to prevent a rebellion in Silo 18. To his shock, the handbook says, “In the event of a failed cleaning, prepare for war.” Since the handbook mentions nothing about a citizen surviving in the outside world and walking up the hill, Bernard is left to his own devices. However, instead of panicking, he formulates a well-thought-out plan to ensure a rebellion does not erupt in the Silo.
Bernard Called Juliette A “Hero” To Control The Narrative In Silo Season 2
Bernard Knows Exactly What His People Want To Hear
Since many people in Silo 18 saw Juliette defy the cleaning rule and climb up the hill, Bernard realizes he cannot convince them that what they saw was unreal. Therefore, when he addresses the incident in a speech, he claims that Juliette survived outside longer than anyone else from their Silo because they intentionally sealed her suit with a new kind of heat tape. Portraying her as a hero, he says she agreed to have the new heat tape on her suit and sacrificed her life to help them understand how they could eventually leave the Silo and survive in the outside world.
Bernard also realizes that if the people find the truth about how Juliette survived outside, the people would turn against him for lying about the heat tape.
After Juliette’s exit, Bernard understands that her acts of defiance against the authorities and surprising survival outside the Silo have convinced many she was a hero. He knows that if he tried to antagonize her,his people would hate him even more, which would further encourage them to start a rebellion. Bernard also realizes that if the people find the truth about how Juliette survived outside, the people would turn against him for lying about the heat tape. Therefore, he creates a narrative that not only sheds a positive light on Juliette’s action but also keeps the citizens compliant.
Why Bernard Planted Hecklers During His Speech About Juliette
He Wanted To Control The Narrative By Only Addressing The Questions He Could Answer
Many people revolt against Bernard as he delivers his speech inSiloseason 2’s episode 2, and two men even question him. One man even claims Juliette is still alive, voicing the belief held by many other citizens. However, Bernard calmly answers their questions and even assures the people that, as much as he wants Juliette to still be alive, it is not possible for her to have survived the outside world’s harsh conditions. With his collected answers, Bernard manages to suppress the brewing rebellion and convince his people that he has their best interests in mind.
Silo: How Did Juliette Survive Outside When No One Else Did?
The outside world has proven to be fatal to almost every Silo character, which begs the question of how Rebecca Ferguson’s character survived.
Interestingly, however, Meadows later praises him not only for giving a convincing speech but also for planting hecklers in the crowd. Bernard confirms thathe did, indeed, hire hecklers to ensure he had full control over the situation. If it wasn’t for the hecklers, other citizens could have caught him off-guard with questions he did not have answers to or lacked the authority to answer. By ensuring he was only asked what he could answer, he convinced his people he knew what he was talking about and, in turn, gained their trust, albeit temporarily.
Will Bernard’s Juliette Plan Work?
His Plan Seems To Have Delayed The Rebellion, But Not Extinguish It
Bernard’s speech seems to significantly suppress the growing rebellion but does not extinguish it. This is proven when he notices similar “JL” graffiti in many parts of the Silo. As the episode reveals,“JL” stands for “Juliette Lives,“highlighting the voice of the rebellious people who trust Juliette was onto something before she left the Silo. While some rebels are sure Juliette is alive despite leaving Silo 18, others believe she lives through the hope and inspiration she sparked through her defiance against the Silo’s leaders' tyranny.
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Towards the episode’s ending moments, Bernard, too, agrees that he has only delayed the inevitable rebellion by lying to his people. After noticing the “JL” graffiti, he realizes that he must do something and find a worthy shadow before it is too late. Only time will tell whether Bernard will emerge victorious or Juliette’s supporters will manage to overthrow his rule inSiloseason 2’s future episodes.
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.
