Rebecca Ferguson breaks down Silo finale ending, teases season 2: 'Most perfect cliffhanger ever'
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Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Silo season 1 finale, "Outside."
If you've read Hugh Howey's Silo book series upon which the Apple TV+ show is based, you obviously knew what was coming in the season 1 finale, "Outside." But for anyone who hasn't read the books, the episode's title was a massive spoiler, as Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) finally uncovered the vast conspiracy surrounding the silo... and went outside.
Unlike all the others who left the silo before her and were doomed to death, Juliette survives, thanks to one of her friends in Mechanical making sure her suit would keep her alive. She figures out that the display showing lush nature and birds flying by is the real lie, refuses to clean the sensor, and walks away into the barren unknown, finally learning the truth: Silo 18 is not the only silo out there.
"I think it's the most perfect cliffhanger ever," Ferguson tells EW. "There couldn't be another season break. Talk about putting all of the suspense on the top of a ridge."
Below, Ferguson breaks down that finale ending, teases season 2, and more.
Apple TV+ Rebecca Ferguson on 'Silo'
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What did you think of how this season ends for Juliette when you read the finale script?
REBECCA FERGUSON: I've read the books, but I also know that we deviate a bit from the book to be able to create the narrative that we need to do the show, so I wasn't sure where [showrunner] Graham [Yost] was going with it. Once I got to that, my head went, "And then what?" I called Graham and went, "Season 2, what's happening?" He was like, "I haven't pitched it yet to Apple." I was like, "I don't care. What's happening?" I'm always 10 steps ahead. But I'm in it right now. We're shooting [season 2], so I'm very excited.
What was it like filming the final scene, where Juliette discovers the display is the real lie?
I remember thinking we filmed it in such a funny way. We took the screen out of the helmet, so it's just my face, and the screen is put on later to be able to get a close up and be inside the helmet. And I'm walking in one place, so I'm standing still, but pretend walking, so my head is basically just thinking, "I look so silly. I feel really, really stupid. And is this really what we wanted to see at the end of the grand finale of season 1?" [Laughs] Everything just sounds quite unsexy. I never, ever, ever look at my takes [on the monitor], but I remember running back to look at this one to see if this actually worked, and it was fine. It was good.
When you were preparing to film that scene, what did you think was going through Juliette's mind in that moment?
It was just visualizing everything that she has been through. The biggest task for me is to act an emotion that I live with every day, which is that of being outside. These people have never experienced the height of skies, horizontal views, depths, gravel, stones. They obviously have fields and corn, but this is completely different ... it's flabbergasting just to be able to stand in that moment. And then on top of it, you put the journey of the lie, the screen is the lie, and the bodies, and walking up a hill, and what you see. There's a lot to bring in there.
That's why season 2 is so interesting, because everything has been flipped upside down. The growth of the character is so interesting. This thing on Instagram came up yesterday, oddly enough — there was a chimpanzee, a research monkey, that's been locked inside a cage its entire life, and they let it out for the first time. And the way it looked, the way it ducked for the sky, the way it ran out on the field, the curiosity and feel of what was out there, you could see it, and the joy obviously, the breathing just through the chest. Everything is different, the air. I thought about that chimpanzee a lot. It's also just really f---ing sad. It's kind of the same for Juliette. And once you leave, then what? We don't know what happens to her. She doesn't know. She's standing there by herself, that really f---ing scary moment, which is also oddly exciting and new.
Have you read all the scripts for season 2 yet?
Yes, of course. I'm producing it, and we had all of the script changes and everything prior to the strike so that we're able to continue to do it, thanks to all of the preparations that we did. I'm full in. I'm soul, heart, and body in this project, and it's really f---ing good. I think season 1 was very, very good, but it's nothing compared to what we're doing now. We've done the introduction. We know the characters. Now it can go dark. Now things can happen.
You're having a really big year, between Silo, Dune: Part Two, and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. What are you most excited for fans to see from all of these big franchises?
Mission's going to hit the screen soon. I'm very excited about that, but I've done most of the promotion, and I've seen it three times, so I'm excited, but now I'm leaving it for the audience. Dune I'm really excited about, because I haven't seen it yet, and I think it's going to be absolutely exceptional. I've seen some of the footage, and we've done ADR (additional dialogue recording), and it's just phenomenal. Our [DP] Greig Fraser and [director] Denis Villeneuve are masters. And then we've just started [Silo] season 2. I'm weirdly really lucky right now. I'm loving every single project that I have.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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