Notice! This article contains spoilers for Silo season 2 episode 5.
Although Silo Season 2 features many political developments in the central underground city, one of the most intriguing appearing in episode 5 when Bernard meets his replacement for Judge Meadows. Despite being based on the book by Hugh Howey, Silo books, the Apple TV+ sci-fi show has been moving significantly away from the stories of its source material. As shown in Hugh Howey's first book Silo book, ThereJuliette's journey completely revolves around finding a way to return to Silo 18 before it's too late.
However, when it comes to the changing scale of power in Silo 18, Silo season 2 completely changed the stories presented in the original books. From depicting Meadows' tragic fall from grace to walking through Sims and his wife's hunger for power, Silo season two introduced many intriguing plot points that weren't part of the original books. Bernard also finds a replacement for Judge Meadows in Silo episode 5 of season 2, which again changes the source material and raises many questions about how the series will develop in future episodes.
Bernard chooses Robert Sims as Judge Meadows' replacement in Silo
The decision comes after the death of Judge Meadows
Sims was determined to become Bernard's shadow in Silo first episodes of season 2. He even tried to directly propose the idea of ​​becoming Bernard's shadow in the opening moments of Season 2, but Bernard refused to hire him for the role because he had his eye on Meadows. Given that Sims is the only character other than Meadows that Bernard trusts in Silo 18, he would have been Bernard's choice if circumstances were different. However, Bernard begins to question whether he trusts Sims when Sims hatches a plan to get Meadows charged.
Although Bernard kills Meadows primarily because she wanted to leave the Silo, he blames Sims for Meadows' death because his plan to get her accused would have turned the Silo's upper-level personnel against her. Sims' cheap tactics to rise through the ranks at Silo 18 upset Bernard. At the same time, Bernard also realizes that Sims is too valuable to be completely discarded from the Silo's political hierarchy.. Therefore, he decides to have him as the new Judge, gives up his role as Chief of Security to someone else and does not make him his new Shadow.
What the Judge's Role Means for Sims in Silo Season 2
The role appears to be a demotion for Sims
If seen through the eyes of the Silo's ordinary citizens, the Judge has a higher position than anyone else. However, most citizens don't realize that there is more to Silo 18's power distribution than meets the eye. As established in SiloIn previous episodes, the head of IT is seemingly above everyone else and secretly pulls all the strings behind the scenes. A judge only seems to have the illusion of power to ensure that citizens remain ignorant about who controls them.
This explains why Juliette is disappointed when she asks Judge Meadows for help. Silo season 1, but discovers that she barely controls anything in the Silo. Due to this, though Sims appears to have been promoted to a better position in the Silo's power structure, your responsibilities and sense of authority have diminished. Since he is no longer the head of security, he has also lost access to the Silo 18 vault, which is used to closely monitor all Silo citizens via CCTV footage.
Long before Sims became a judge, Meadows often shadowed Bernard and worked closely with him to potentially become his replacement. However, after she decided to step down from the position, Bernard appointed her a judge to ensure that she was still part of the Silo's political structure but had no power to make important decisions. This explains why Sims and his wife, Camille, are frustrated when Bernard appoints Sims as the new judge.
Do Bernard and Sims still trust each other at the Silo?
Sims and Bernard's relationship is on the decline in Silo season 2
The more Silo As the second season progressed, Bernard and Sims' relationship declined. In Season 1, Sims was Bernard's right-hand man, ensuring nothing threatened the security of Silo 18. However, with his wife's guiding voice in his ear in Season 2, Sims is driven by an entirely different purpose: enjoy the chaos and gain more power in the Silo. There is a clear conflict of interests between the two characters, which could lead to dire consequences for both.
…As Sims is more determined to become the next shadow IT boss and his wife has also joined the political race, his relationship with Bernard is broken beyond repair.
If the two don't start working together, the brewing rebellion could completely destroy their Silo. If that happens, Sims' rise to power would mean nothing, while Bernard's efforts to maintain control would also be futile. However, as Sims is more determined to become the next shadow IT boss and his wife has also joined the political race, her relationship with Bernard is irretrievably broken. It would be interesting to see how this would ultimately lead to his and Bernard's downfall in Silofuture installments.