Silo on Apple TV+ continues to amaze the audience with its various twists and turns. The sci-fi dystopian series is set in a world that is too toxic to live in, and hence, people have started living in underground communities.
However, there is much more to these silos than what meets the eye. The communities have a proper hierarchy of power, with the head of the Judicial being, Judge Mary Meadows, played by Tanya Moodie, who enforces various laws for the citizens.
However, Judge Meadows is removed from her position in the second season by the head of IT, Bernard Holland, played by Tim Robbins. Meadows is eventually killed due to mistrust by Bernard, and the Judge’s position is given to Robert Sims, the head of Judicial security, played by Lonnie Rashid Lynn, aka Common.
**Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.**
Judge Meadows dies in Silo season 2, and has to be replaced
Judge Meadows is introduced in season 1 as the head of Judicial, a department that enforces the rules in Silo 18. At first, she seems to be one of the most powerful people in the Silo as citizens believe she controls everything, being at the top of the authoritative chain.
However, as the series progresses, it is revealed that Bernard Holland controls the actual power behind the scenes. He has a grip over Silo’s operations and keeps some secrets about the outside world hidden from the citizens.
Meadows has a complicated past with Bernard. Before becoming a judge, she worked closely with him as his right hand, known as the ‘shadow.’ Due to her role, she learned hidden truths about their world, but the weight of this knowledge overwhelmed her.
She left her position as Bernard’s shadow and became a judge, which gave her the ability to still have some influence without being worried about IT’s secrets. However, Meadows struggles even after becoming a judge. She turns towards consuming alcohol to cope with her sense of helplessness, and dreams of being free from the Silo.
Meadows reaches a breaking point in season 2. When citizens begin to question the Silo’s rules after Juliette’s escape, Bernard turns to Meadows for help. However, the Judge wants to leave the community and rejects Bernard’s request.
Meanwhile, Robert Sims schemes to have Meadows impeached, hoping to gain power for himself. However, his plan backfires and Bernard blames him for Meadows’ troubled emotional state.
Eventually, Bernard decides to remove the Judge entirely. He poisons and kills Meadows, while still blaming Sims for her death. Meadows’s absence creates a power vacuum in the community, and Bernard is forced to find her replacement.
Robert Sims replaces Judge Meadows in Silo Season 2
Robert Sims ultimately succeeds in his endeavor as he is chosen as Meadows’ replacement as the Judge. Earlier in season 2, he tries to convince Bernard to make him his new shadow, but Bernard favors Meadows at the time.
After Meadows is gone, Bernard finds Sims too valuable to be dismissed, and hence, makes him the new Judge. However, Sims is not able to get the power he dreamt of as the real control still lies with Bernard. Meanwhile, he also loses access to the surveillance vault that lets IT monitor the entire community.
Sims’ wife, Camille, is also frustrated by the situation, as she had hoped Sims would rise to a more influential position. At the same time, his strained relationship with Bernard might have larger consequences in the future.
Though the two are working together, they do not trust each other, and one might turn against the other at any point. Interestingly, this plot point is a significant change from the show’s source material, Hugh Howey’s book series, as Meadows’ downfall and Sims’ rise to power are not featured in the novels.
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Silo season 2 airs new episodes on Apple TV+ every Friday.
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