How come I never realized how similar Silo and Fallout are?

As a huge fan of both shows, I started watching Silo and Precipitation as soon as they debuted, but I’m only now realizing that they share a very similar premise. Both have many of the same facets of a specific type of science fiction show, but there were also enough differences that it took me until now to make the connection between the two projects. With Rebecca Ferguson leading the Silo cast and Ella Purnell playing the lead role in the Precipitation cast, the strength of both protagonists is just one of many parallels.

Science fiction is by far my favorite genreso I’m happy that the category has experienced a huge resurgence in recent years. It never completely disappeared, but other genres definitely received more attention than science fiction until very recently. Fortunately, this type of program doesn’t seem to be going anywhere for now. For example, Apple TV+’s impressive library of science fiction shows continues to grow, with Silo being just one of many shining examples. However, other platforms, such as Prime Video, also follow the same trend.

Silo and Fallout are dystopian sci-fi shows that involve underground bunkers

Apple TV+ and Prime Video have an unintentional rivalry

Apple TV+ Silo started in 2023telling a post-apocalyptic story of Rebecca Ferguson’s Juliette Nichols being thrust into the role of sheriff in the underground bunker she calls home. His continued interest in what is happening on the planet’s ravaged surface permeates Silo season 1, eventually taking her to the top to discover firsthand why her community is confined to Silo 18. Take away the title of Sheriff, and Ella Purnell’s Lucy MacLean has an initially similar arc in Prime Video’s Precipitation TV.

I have never seen them side by side, as Precipitation the first season premiered just under a year later Silo season 1. However, when compared directly, I think the similarities between Silo and Precipitation are impossible to miss. Not only are the two main characters discouraged from leaving their respective homes behind, but their curiosity is also rewarded with a macabre reality when they reach the surface. Of course, there are differences between the programs, but that doesn’t allow me to forget the numerous parallels now that I’ve discovered them.

Silo and Fallout origins explained

Both shows started out as different forms of media

None Silo nor Precipitation are original concepts, as both were adapted from pre-existing source materials. The Apple TV+ program began as a series of books and Silo made several changes to Hugh Howey’s novels. These changes aren’t uncommon when a story jumps from one medium to another, so it’s a pretty traditional reworking. On the other hand, Amazon took a very different approach to adapting Precipitation.

THE Precipitation Video games were used as the basis for the show. While Silo is a direct adaptation of Howey’s book series, Precipitation made the unconventional decision to place the show in the same continuity as the games. In other words, everything that happened in the source material is also relevant to the original plot of the series. The creative choice resulted in certain Precipitation Moments in the show only make sense because of the rules of the games. I still think it’s a strange move, but I’m also sure that such a brilliant decision is what helped the show stand out.

Why Silo and Fallout are worth watching (for different reasons)

Silo is much darker than Fallout (but Fallout does its own thing brilliantly)

For anyone wondering if they should just pick one Silo or Precipitation to watch, I highly recommend not choosing, and just enjoying both. Sure, they’re not entirely different, but they’re not identical either. Both shows have very different tones, allowing for separate takes on what is, at its core, a pretty depressing premise. While Silo leans towards the misery and danger of living in such a world, Precipitation somehow finds humor in almost every situation and offers a much more hopeful future for Lucy than Juliette would seem to have in mind. Silo.

One of the biggest differences is that if Silo continues to adhere to its source material, the story will have a natural ending. Precipitation does not necessarily have this limitation, as it simply uses the world of Fallout as a kind of narrative sandbox, allowing you to continue crafting original plots that don’t rely too much on games. From a purely aesthetic point of view, Precipitation also maintains the bright, vibrant aesthetic of the source material, while Silo it leans back into the dark, brooding feel we would normally associate with a story of this nature.