S01.E03: Machines

[oompa]

Air Date: May 12, 2023

In her hunt for a new sheriff, Mayor Jahns clashes with Bernard. Juliette strikes a deal to keep the generator running.

 

[Mr. R0b0t]

Jules is lucky she didn't boil in that water.  Cant wait to see what's on/in the camcorder/relic.  Assuming the mayor was poisoned....how?  I need to rewatch the episode and see if someone besides the deputy had her water bottle at some point.  They kept making a point of showing them drinking.

[Zaffy]

Mayor and Deputy were drinking from each other's bottles... so maybe the deputy was the target?
The moment the power was off, the window landscape at the cafeteria changed to green/blue sky for a second and people seemed to noticed... 
I wonder if this will make them  start questioning what is going on..

[go4luca]

2 hours ago, Zaffy said:

The moment the power was off, the window landscape at the cafeteria changed to green/blue sky for a second and people seemed to noticed... 

I SAW THAT OUT THE WINDOW TOO!!!  Thanks for letting me know I wasn't having a mushroom flashback!

Episode 3 "Machines" planted a lot of seeds. It's going to be a long wait until next week's follow up. I'm happy to report I'm still very much enjoying this show.

Edited May 12, 2023 by go4luca
typos r us

[marinw]

I’m liking the music. We also got an engineering lesson. The technology feels literally Steampunk.

Best episode so far. So 😬 tense. I was expecting Cooper to die.

The new Sherrif has her first case!

Edited May 12, 2023 by marinw

[Zaffy]

2 hours ago, marinw said:

I’m liking the music.

It reminds me a lot of the Westworld soundtrack, especially the titles theme

[go4luca]

8 minutes ago, Zaffy said:

It reminds me a lot of the Westworld soundtrack, especially the titles theme

You are not alone.  There's a quick write-up about the similarities:

Silo’s Haunting Theme Song Strikes a Nostalgic Chord with Westworld Fans

Edited May 13, 2023 by go4luca

[ribboninthesky1]

I didn't quite understand why Jules had to physically enter that steam chamber.  Totally get cooling it down to give the team time to fix the generator, I'm just not sure why she couldn't have just held the hose and directed the water from outside the steam chamber.  

In any case, kudos to the director and actors for dramatic tension.  And hey, Jules dealt with her fear of water, so when it's time to plunge into the murky, watery depths of George's former abode, she can!   

I've not read the books, yet I assumed someone would be dead by the end, expecting it would be Cooper or someone else on the mechanical team. Did not expect the Mayor. But thinking back, I wonder if that strawberry dessert was poisoned.  Then again, Common (don't recall the character name) did take a bite of a strawberry.

One thing about the temporary darkness, it gave someone cover to poison her.  I'm thinking it was the deputy canteen as well, and it had to be during or after the generator shutdown.  She seemed fine most of the episode.  Shame too, the mayor/deputy were a cute couple.  I wonder if they were sanctioned, or whatever it is called. Or would it not matter if they're beyond reproductive years?  

10 hours ago, Zaffy said:

The moment the power was off, the window landscape at the cafeteria changed to green/blue sky for a second and people seemed to noticed... 

I noticed the brief flicker as well.  Based on the scene, it appeared only a few people noticed, like the two women the camera lingered on. 

I thought the episode was good, but I was still more curious about the outside. Hopefully, we'll get to back to that next week. 

[blixie]

I was very confused by the Mayor's poisoning, because I got the impression she did it herself, she looks at him sadly like she's not really going anywhere with him and she does that after making sure to enshrine Juliette as Sheriff. Maybe I'm reading more into the actresses expressions than intended, but also why'd she lock the door? I can't think of any good reason for her to commit suicide, and murder makes way more sense in mystery box show, but huh. Also didn't he give a big speech about "poison" in figurative sense?

I totally missed the flash to the world outside being green, I was going to say I guess it's possible the air could be poison even though the world looks green, but if they are on earth that wouldn't make sense. So yeah the suits are poisoned and now the Mayor. I'm really interested also in why Juliette chose to leave the "mids" for a working class life. I wish I could of seen anything that was happening in the generator scene but like this streamer is like all the rest of tv/movies lately coated in dull darkness to the point of being visually illegible. 

[Zaffy]

6 hours ago, blixie said:

I was very confused by the Mayor's poisoning, because I got the impression she did it herself, she looks at him sadly like she's not really going anywhere with him and she does that after making sure to enshrine Juliette as Sheriff. 

I initially thought the same, but why kill herself before Juliette be the Sheriff so she can help her adjusting? And why with (apparently) such a painful way? I guess she has the means to get a large quantity of painkillers and well "leave" without facing an agonizing death.

Also, and this is a general comment about 99,99% of TV/Movies with a similar scene: When you see someone being in such condition and you are not in a crowded place, how on earth it helps to just start screaming "help, somebody help"?? I mean you are the deputy, you have a radio go and call for help. Go outside to see if any other deputy has returned to the station to ask for help. But it is almost always "somebody please help, somebody please call an ambulance" like if "somebody" is always available :D
 

[marinw]

I’m  still wondering about an elevator! Maybe it’s a Big Bang Theory situation where the elevator is out of service for a hundred years. From what I can tell, the Silo technology seems to have stagnated and new things can’t be built. Maybe the “revolution” was in fact a failed attempt not at a new type of government but rather some new technology.

[Zero260]

41 minutes ago, marinw said:

I’m  still wondering about an elevator! Maybe it’s a Big Bang Theory situation where the elevator is out of service for a hundred years. From what I can tell, the Silo technology seems to have stagnated and new things can’t be built. Maybe the “revolution” was in fact a failed attempt not at a new type of government but rather some new technology.

I’ve wondered that too but have a theory … It’s forced exercise. The only sure-fire way to keep everyone in good physical condition. 

[marinw]

I was about to post the exact same thought! Nobody thought about putting in a gym somewhere. Various characters have expressed a concern over lack of physical fitness. 

[ribboninthesky1]

14 hours ago, blixie said:

I was very confused by the Mayor's poisoning, because I got the impression she did it herself, she looks at him sadly like she's not really going anywhere with him and she does that after making sure to enshrine Juliette as Sheriff. Maybe I'm reading more into the actresses expressions than intended, but also why'd she lock the door? 

Maybe locking the door is habit? Can't imagine there's a lot of privacy in the silo.

Suicide didn't occur to me because of the scene the deputy and mayor shared before the generator was restored.  She seemed eager to retire and spend more time with him, not saying goodbye.  I watched the scene before she goes to the bathroom, and she appeared queasy.  I interpreted as whatever poison it was starting to take effect.   

14 hours ago, blixie said:

I wish I could of seen anything that was happening in the generator scene but like this streamer is like all the rest of tv/movies lately coated in dull darkness to the point of being visually illegible. 

This is why I watch the show in the late evening or at night with blinds closed and low natural light. I agree with you with the trend of dimly/no lit scenes.  I vaguely recall reading somewhere that either directors or other crew leads LOVE shooting in low light. Can't remember why, but I remember thinking how dumb that is, especially for TV and in this era.  If many (most?) people are watching at home, they're not watching in complete darkness, so they'd like to see what's happening.  I also think sound mixing has gotten worse over time, but maybe I'm just getting older.  

1 hour ago, Zero260 said:

I’ve wondered that too but have a theory … It’s forced exercise. The only sure-fire way to keep everyone in good physical condition. 

I can see this, but my question is: what if someone is born disabled or has an accident? So if you're in a wheelchair or on crutches (permanently or temporarily), you're just SOL?

Edited May 13, 2023 by ribboninthesky1

[go4luca]

Found this on Reddit for those who missed the landscape change during the episode.  It was so fast, just a flicker.

https://imgur.com/a/8x1Bt7h

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by go4luca

[Rickster]

I keep getting sidetracked by the mechanics of how this place works after 100 years or more. What do they eat? How do the farm it for 10,000 people? What happens when a lightbulb breaks? What about medical supplies? How do they get the material for clothing? Ink for pens? Etc., etc.

[marinw]

They have shown the farm a couple of times. I’m assuming there are factories somewhere. But as I mentioned above, everything looks old and they are always repairing old stuff. So the ability to make new things is limited. New clothes must be rare because growing food takes priority over cotton or other fibres. 

@Rickster, those questions are exactly the same questions I ask while watching Snowpiercer or The 100. 

The late Mayor had nicer clothes than anyone else. 

[marinw]

I kept thinking of the Biosphere 2 experiment of the 90’s. In a closed environment the inhabitants soon became malnourished and could not get enough oxygen. In the case of the Silo they show cattle and milk is mentioned. Interesting that they would allocate space for livestock instead of going completely vegan. And those cattle emit methane which could also be a problem in a sealed space.

I am thinking about this too much.

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by marinw

[Zaffy]

I dunno if they explain the lack of elevators in the books, but my theory is they did this  to keep the various classes as  much as possible apart from each other and make controlling much easier.
If, for example, the lower decks start a rebellion they have to go up through the only way there is, the stairs.
Another theory would be that elevators would consume too much energy and need spare parts quite regularly.
But really, I am not sure how realistic is the whole Silo thing anyway to manage to accommodate 10.000 for 140+ years. 

[Rickster]

12 hours ago, marinw said:

They have shown the farm a couple of times. I’m assuming there are factories somewhere. But as I mentioned above, everything looks old and they are always repairing old stuff. So the ability to make new things is limited. New clothes must be rare because growing food takes priority over cotton or other fibres. 

@Rickster, those questions are exactly the same questions I ask while watching Snowpiercer or The 100. 

The late Mayor had nicer clothes than anyone else. 

I was struck by the variety of clothing more in the first episode, which was set more on the upper levels of the silo. Maybe it has something to do with social class.

[marinw]

The Mayor rejected the strawberry tart that was offered, so I think she suspected someone was trying to poisin her.

[BeckyThatcher]

It only the steam containment chamber  had a release valve, perhaps a button to push every 108 minutes.

[hurrrz]

On 5/12/2023 at 8:48 AM, Zaffy said:

Mayor and Deputy were drinking from each other's bottles... so maybe the deputy was the target?
The moment the power was off, the window landscape at the cafeteria changed to green/blue sky for a second and people seemed to noticed... 
I wonder if this will make them  start questioning what is going on..

It doesn't look like you can see the bodies in that version! It it's all a sham! 

[Joimiaroxeu]

That spinning top was a bit on-the-nose. Inception?

Seems like Nichols' apprentice Coop has a fear of heights and he's rather slight. He might be in the wrong line of work.