Warning: Reviews of Silo season 1 will contain spoilers.

What is a relic, and what makes it so dangerous? Why are those in charge of the Silo so judicious about what makes an acceptable relic and what’s grounds for prison time – or worse? From what Silo has given us so far, it’s similar to a 1984 scenario, where anything contrary to the narrative of the Silo can lead to conflicting opinions and, eventually, rebellion. The Relic is another episode where the overarching narrative of the season doesn’t advance tremendously, but it fills in the cracks of the politics within the Silo in a fascinating way.

It would be the easiest thing in the world for the show to make the relics as some sort of clue about the Silo conspiracies, but that’s not the case. Obviously the Silo inhabitants have no idea what the Pez dispenser, much less what its branded name is, so they can’t use it as a key or some kind of coded message. But that doesn’t make it any less dangerous, and it sets off a kind of Cold War between Sims and Judge Meadows in Judicial and the Sheriff’s office as they continue the murder investigations. 

Juliette’s quick adaptation to her role as Sheriff has been impressive, given how reluctant she was to accept it from the beginning. But her willingness gets put to the test in The Relic after she comes across Regina (Sonita Henry), George’s official girlfriend. (If I haven’t said it already, it’s a great element that the Silo leadership has to give their stamp of approval for people to date.) Juliette’s primary motivation when accepting the Sheriff role was to solve the murder of the man she loved, so what happens to that motivation when she discovers he may not have actually loved her?

A decent amount of the episode is flashbacks to George and Juliette’s time together in their hideaway, as they muse on their outlooks on life in the Silo. True to her nature as a mechanic, Juliette is a pragmatist, never considering life outside. To do so would be to neglect her duties, which keeps people alive. George is more curious, always questioning the nature of relics and why the Silo was built in the first place. Episode writer Aric Avelino gets to the heart of each character without underlining their ideals, and directors Bert & Bertie position them as kind of yin and yang.

The Pez dispenser may be considered dangerous in the eyes of Judicial, but the real danger comes in the form of the pre-Silo relic that Regina gives Juliette. We have no idea what kids learn in school about the pre-Silo world, but based on Juliette’s expression, it certainly looks like it’s a shock to discover simple things like rivers and beaches and forests. It’s a huge revelation, but perhaps not as big as the revelation that comes right after. Who is the Man Who Knows Everything, and how much danger is Juliette in? Only four episodes of the season remain, and it’s safe to say I’m fully on board for whatever the show has yet to come.