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Apple TV + has kept viewers on tenterhooks to the very edge of their seats regarding the gripping tale in its show Silo, and for season 2, episode 9, what's added another layer of tension is the "safeguard." The events of Lukas Kyle's journey below the surface within Silo 18 come into play after discovering a cryptic code left for him by the ex-head of IT, Salvador Quinn.
The safeguard, which is indicated by the robotic voice Lukas hears, is such a deterrent to the potential disclosure of forbidden knowledge in the silo. What the lives of Silo 18's residents are about to enter the arena hangs in the balance at this juncture. Its activation can certainly bring disastrous results.
And that can further serve to highlight why there is strong control over what is known by those in the silo. So, what precisely is the guard? How does it relate to the larger mystery of the silos?
Showrunner Graham Yost told Collider,
“Episode 9 ends with, ‘Do you know what the safeguard is, Mr. Kyle?’ ‘I do.’ Well, we don’t know what it is, but we’re going to get an idea in the next episode, and it’s not good. It’s not a good thing. It’s a big, bad thing.”
The Safeguard and its role in Silo 18
The safeguard was first mentioned during Lukas Kyle's time with a mysterious voice while investigating the lowest levels of Silo 18. The voice further explained that the safeguard is a protocol that would set off if Lukas discloses anything about their conversation or anything he has seen regarding his descent. As the voice explained, "We will have no choice but to initiate the safeguard."
This ominous system that Salvador Quinn talks about in the coded letter, which is very connected to the survival of Silo 18, is alluded to. This safeguard seems to maintain control and secrecy, especially when it comes to the hidden truths that could easily destabilize the tightly controlled environment of the silo.
This is not the first time the safeguard has been indirectly mentioned. Judge Mary Meadows, who solved Salvador Quinn's code 25 years ago, was severely impacted by her discoveries. Her behavior afterward, marked by secrecy and heavy drinking, points to the terrifying nature of the safeguard and its implications.
Who is in charge of the Safeguard in the series?
The voice speaking to Lukas Kyle brings up another mystery: its origin and authority. In Season 2, Episode 9, the voice claims to have communicated with only three other people: Salvador Quinn, Mary Meadows, and George Wilkins. This points to its limited interactions with important figures who have accessed the silo's deepest secrets.
The voice may be that of an artificial intelligence since it sounds robotic. As the subtitles in the episode describe, it refers to itself as "The Algorithm." This AI probably serves as a central control that oversees the silo's key functions.
Alternatively, the voice may symbolize a person in another silo due to the discovery at the beginning of the series that there are 51 silos in total. This would imply the possibility of a more central governing system controlling all of the silos, and Silo 18's safeguard is part of an even larger control matrix.
The inference of the Safeguard
The safeguard represents more than just a threat—it symbolizes the extreme measures in place to preserve order within the silos. According to the series, the safeguard could involve catastrophic actions, potentially sacrificing Silo 18 to prevent its secrets from spreading to the other silos.
The episode indicates that Lukas Kyle is cognizant of the destruction capacity of the safety mechanism. The nervous confession also emphasizes the seriousness of disobedience. The 51 silos that are referred to between Lukas and Bernard show that losing one silo would not affect the entire system.
Rather, it seems that it was planned as a safeguard for the preservation of the whole network of silos. The chilling effect is evident in its history. The details of which Salvador Quinn felt obligated to encode. Mary Meadows' reaction when she cracked the code may be a heavy burden that truth carries.
These details suggest that it is not a deterrent but an enforcement tool powerful enough to make sure the secrets of the silos are well buried.
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In a nutshell, the safeguard in the series is a high-stakes mechanism meant to maintain control and secrecy within the silo system.
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