Silo season 2 episode 2 (Image via Apple TV+)

Silo season 2 episode 2 ending explained: What lie did Bernard tell the people about Juliette?

Modified Nov 22, 2024 19:00 GMT

Silo season 2 episode 2 dropped on Friday, November 22, 2024, on Apple TV+, bringing a different perspective after Juliette Nichols left Silo 18. The previous episode showed more about what happened to her after crossing the hill of her home silo. She went to the abandoned neighboring Silo 17, where she found only dead bodies except one.

In the second episode, the story follows the same timeline as episode 1, but the camera shows what happens in Silo 18 Juliette's departure. The uprising starts after the people see Juliette cross the hill without dying and Mayor Bernard lies to the people to help quell the growing rebellious movement.

He names Juliette a hero of Silo 18, lying about her supposedly testing the new tape developed by IT and that she died after crossing the hill. Episode 2 of Silo season 2 teases Bernard finding a new alliance, but there's a catch: she wants the same freedom that Juliette had.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Silo season 2 episode 2. Reader's discretion is advised.

Mayor Bernard lies about the tape and Juliette Nichols' fate in Silo season 2 episode 2

While Silo season 2 episode 1 mainly featured what happened outside after Juliette left the silo and the crater, episode 2 focuses on the chaos and brewing rebellion in Silo 18 after her departure. People have seen her walk across the hill, and everyone wonders how she could do what others before her couldn't.

Bernard in Silo season 2 episode 2 (Image via Apple TV+)

People start freaking out because if Juliette didn't die outdoors, it means the atmosphere is no longer as toxic as they believe. It means they can safely go outside and escape the confines of the silo. What they don't know is that there are hundreds of remains from the people in the neighboring silo, a sight that Mayor Bernard saw in Juliette's footage before the signal broke.

Bernard sees that it is not safe out there and because Juliette didn't manage to clean up the external camera, as seen in Silo season 1 episode 1, he checks his trusty The Order book for what to do. The protocol says that if someone fails to clean the cameras, they have to prepare for war. Meanwhile, rebellion is brewing, and to keep it from causing even more trouble, such as the extinction of Silo 17, Bernard calls an emergency announcement.

He knows that most of the Silo 18 citizens will have questions about how Juliette survived far longer than any others who went outside. So, in Silo season 2 episode 2, he lies and tells them that they intentionally swapped the old heat tape with a new one developed by IT. He does so to appease the people and stop them from questioning even further.

Meadows and Bernard team up (Image via Apple TV+)

Bernard tells the citizens that it was some experiment to test the quality of the new tape and that Juliette Nichols volunteered for the testing, trying to portray her as a hero. He explains it was how she lasted longer outdoors. Bernard even honors Juliette for the sacrifice, but some hecklers point out that Juliette could be alive.

He then lies again, implying that while the new tape helped Juliette last far longer than other cleaners, it still wasn't good enough and that she still died. Bernard lies to the citizens because he's trying to control the narrative instead of letting rumors spiral out of control and cause civil unrest. He's trying to prevent the same rebellion that led to the extinction of Silo 17 and the war mentioned by The Order early in Silo season 2 episode 2.

What does the "JL" graffiti mean at the end of Silo season 2 episode 2?

Despite what Mayor Bernard implies in his speech about Juliette's fate in Silo season 2 episode 2, not everyone believes it, as there is no evidence that she died. While he manages to sway most of the citizens to focus on the fact that IT is making headway into developing a better tape that can ensure everyone's safety outdoors, some people are quietly working against him.

'JL' graffiti on the wall (Image via Apple TV+)

At the near end of Silo season 2 episode 2, Bernard can be seen walking along a hallway, and after passing some guard, he sees a "JL" graffiti. He mentions to Judge Meadows later that he saw the same graffiti three times. JL means "Juliette Lives," a belief that some people have about the former sheriff.

While the episode didn't reveal who was making the graffiti, it is likely someone who believes that Juliette is still alive outdoors, like Shirley. She theorizes and holds secret meetings to find the truth about Juliette and what happened to her. At one point, she talks to Walker about Juliette being alive out there.

Also read: What is The Syndrome in Silo?

Judge Meadows wants to go out of Silo 18

Silo season 2 episode 2 sees Major Bernard forge an unlikely ally with Judge Meadows, who has decided to stop drinking whatever had impaired her senses. Before his announcement, Bernard goes to Meadows, asking her to back him up publicly. He wants them to join forces and present a united front to the citizens.

Bernard asks Meadows for help in Silo season 2 episode 2 (Image via Apple TV+)

However, Meadows has one condition if she does decide to help Bernard—she uses the Wizard of Oz analogy to tell him that she wants her freedom. This is not the first time she asks Bernard about freedom because she does it again at the near end of Apple TV+'s Silo season 2 episode 2.

When Bernard tells her that he wants her to become his shadow because she's the only person he will listen to, Meadows accepts the offer. However, she tells him that once everything settles down, she wants her freedom—the same freedom Juliette had when she went out of the silo.

Meadows tells Bernard to sneak her some of the better quality tape from IT for the same. She feels like a fraud, implying that despite being the head of the Judicial, she was merely a puppet. Like the rest of the citizens, she doesn't hold much power, and freedom is all she desires now.

Catch Silo season 2 episode 2, now streaming on Apple TV+. The previous episode of the dystopian sci-fi drama can also be watched on the platform with a subscription.