Could a TV show help save our world?
Today I was scrolling through Apple TV when I came upon a show called Silo. Now, I had briefly heard of this show being described as being by Amari and Lucas days before, but let me tell you, I was not prepared for how all-consuming it would be.
This show takes place in a dystopian world where they all live underground. It seemed like a surface-level idea, but while explaining the plot to my mom and dad over dinner tonight, I realized the show was like an onion. There were so many layers.
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At one point in the third episode, there was a problem with the generator, and the main character had to fix it. I was captivated while watching it. I mean, I had never paid so close attention to a maintenance worker in my life. My nails were gripping into the edge of the couch as Rebecca Ferguson showcased a remarkable performance rivaling her role in Mission: Impossible.
What I would say is the most interesting thing about this show is how it so reflects our real world. The characters are forced to go into the silo because of what can only be assumed is global warming. In the silo, there are problems with burning history and writing it. There are also problems with abortion and government control over who can and can’t have babies. There is also a class system based on how close you ared ot eh surface. As I watch it, I can see the mirror to our own world, and that is what makes it so enticing. Instead of looking into a fantasy as you watch, the show forces you to think that this could really happen, that it is happening in our world in some form.
That is also why I think this show is powerful. Because more people watch TV shows than they do the news, and this forces them to consume something political even though it doesn’t take place in our own world. It forces them to burst the bubble around their lives and think to themselves: How do I stop this from becoming our future?
As I continue watching Silo, I hope to feel more connected to the show, as it continues to draw parallels between our world and the one they live in. I hope this show changed me for the better, as it burst my own bubble.
