Graham Yost & Rebecca Ferguson Explain Silo’s “Before Times” and Its Real-World Parallels

‘Silo’ season 3 is pushing deeper into its past timeline, and the show’s creative team is opening up about how the “Before Times” storyline connects everything together. The Apple TV+ sci-fi series continues to expand its world in ways that link present-day Silo 18 with events that happened hundreds of years earlier.

In the current storyline, Juliette returns to Silo 18 but with no memory of what happened to her. She survives the incinerator room incident with Bernard, though Bernard’s fate is still unknown. Despite her condition, early footage from season 3 shows Juliette stepping into a leadership role, with hints that she becomes the new mayor while trying to piece her past together.

Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Juliette, reflected on the experience of filming the series and the emotional weight of wrapping this chapter of production. As reported in interviews around the show’s promotion, she said, “The biggest memory is sort of leading up to the end of it and realizing how much everything is meant and how much fun we’ve had.” Her comments highlight how personal the production became for the cast as the story moved into its later stages.

A major shift in season 3 is the focus on the “Before Times,” a timeline set long before Silo 18 exists. This new structure allows the series to jump between Juliette’s present-day struggle and the origins of the silo system. According to showrunner Graham Yost, this dual approach was designed to give audiences answers while still preserving long-term mysteries.

Yost explained the creative idea behind the structure, saying, “We really look for the parallels and look for that sense of, ‘Oh, what’s happened to Juliette started 350 years before… and we’re going to get answers.’” He added that the writer’s room intentionally built the season around revealing pieces of the bigger puzzle while still leaving room for future storytelling.

The “Before Times” storyline follows characters like Daniel and Helen, who were introduced in season 2’s flashback sequence. Their story is tied to political tension, global conflict, and early decisions that eventually lead to the creation of the silo system. The show also shifts elements from Hugh Howey’s original books, changing character names and dynamics to fit the television version.

Yost also spoke about how the adaptation gives the creative team freedom to reshape parts of the source material. He noted that shifting character details helped them build a more grounded emotional story, especially in the relationship between Daniel and Helen, which plays a major role in the origins timeline.

Rebecca Ferguson also commented on the real-world parallels within the series, pointing out how some of the story’s political themes feel familiar. She noted that certain elements were written years ago but still reflect modern issues. The cast and crew have acknowledged that while the story feels timely, it was created long before many current global events unfolded.

Yost agreed with that perspective and emphasized that the show is ultimately rooted in Hugh Howey’s original vision. He said the team focused more on storytelling than direct commentary, even if viewers may see similarities to real-world events.

As ‘Silo’ continues its layered storytelling approach, the blend of past and present is becoming central to its identity. With Juliette’s memory loss, rising political tension in the “Before Times,” and deeper connections between timelines, season 3 is setting up major revelations for the future of the series.

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