The original short story, Wool, is very good. The second short story is also very good and maybe even the third. What little you've described sounds like those first two short stories. After that the short stories crash headlong into a personal bugaboo of mine where the stories degenerate into character A goes into room B and does thing C, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. It's nothing but descriptions of locations and actions. It doesn't work for me. I bounce off it so hard that I almost stopped reading your review as soon as you mentioned this was based on Wool. So I really hope the TV show is better and that it is enjoyable.
Apple’s genre shows (think Severance, Foundation, Silo) have a definite look to them. I also have a soft spot for production design that stretches a stingy budget (BSG, the Syfy years of The Expanse), but Apple money sure does make it spiffy.
Never heard of the book, for which I'm grateful. To each his/her own, but I prefer stumbling across new stories rather than seeing something I loved in one form of media re-worked into another. The book is almost always better than the movie (or TV show), because we do the casting, production design, and cinematography in our own heads -- and each of us knows best what we like. That said, more power to your partner: she's getting an endorphin-laced twofer, which is a very good thing.
I watched the first ep, and although I'm not hooked in the way that "Last of Us" grabbed me by the throat, I liked it enough to go back for more. The show has a "medieval village with modern technology" feel that mostly works. I'm trying to ignore wondering why those who had the tech and smarts to build the silo in the WayBack didn't include a few elevators in the design... but that's just one of those things a viewer has to accept.
I'm not a binger, though, so will be taking my time with this one.
I totally agree. I am hooked (and I didn’t know anything about it beforehand). A TV author once told me the success of a show is very much determined by the way it is lighted. I think here the rule applies: despite it being and underground silo the light is used in a way you don’t feel buried.
My wife gave it a 30 min test. "Uhh- this show is ridiculous and the characters are archetypes, I'm out." This might be one I will have to watch alone on my iPad. She is not a fan of science fiction to begin with and this show was kind of stretching it.
This is the first time (on this substack) that you’ve reviewed something I already watched...
Your review is spot on and the only thing I’ll add is this reminds me of “The Island” a Michael Bay movie that a lot of people hated that I thought was underrated...
I’m all in on “The Silo” and hope there will be further discussions...
One note: EVERY time I watch Apple+ or a show gets discussed I’m reminded of your analysis waaaayyy back when Apple announced they’d even be getting into the content game. You said they HAD to be taken seriously simply because they had tons of money to burn and throw at ANY project...
This show doesn’t look cheap, and neither do any of the other shows on Apple+ and you definitely called that one right...
Silo sounds great, something i’d really enjoy, I haven’t even heard of it. But since it’s not likely I’ll be invited to your house to watch :) I’ll have to re-subscribe to Appje+ again, darn it.
I was on the fence about "Silo" but the mere fact that it involves Yost (and "Justified" is on my short list of all time best TV) was all I needed.
And I know the 2-ep-test works when I wish ep3 was also available instead of having to wait a week.
"Drops Of God" was not on my list until you put it on your list and what I think I like most about it is the multi-lingual-ness of it (yes, the show is also interesting in a way I hadn't expected it to be, especially since it revolves around wine which I'm not really passionate about).
"Silo."
The original short story, Wool, is very good. The second short story is also very good and maybe even the third. What little you've described sounds like those first two short stories. After that the short stories crash headlong into a personal bugaboo of mine where the stories degenerate into character A goes into room B and does thing C, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. It's nothing but descriptions of locations and actions. It doesn't work for me. I bounce off it so hard that I almost stopped reading your review as soon as you mentioned this was based on Wool. So I really hope the TV show is better and that it is enjoyable.
Apple’s genre shows (think Severance, Foundation, Silo) have a definite look to them. I also have a soft spot for production design that stretches a stingy budget (BSG, the Syfy years of The Expanse), but Apple money sure does make it spiffy.
Never heard of the book, for which I'm grateful. To each his/her own, but I prefer stumbling across new stories rather than seeing something I loved in one form of media re-worked into another. The book is almost always better than the movie (or TV show), because we do the casting, production design, and cinematography in our own heads -- and each of us knows best what we like. That said, more power to your partner: she's getting an endorphin-laced twofer, which is a very good thing.
I watched the first ep, and although I'm not hooked in the way that "Last of Us" grabbed me by the throat, I liked it enough to go back for more. The show has a "medieval village with modern technology" feel that mostly works. I'm trying to ignore wondering why those who had the tech and smarts to build the silo in the WayBack didn't include a few elevators in the design... but that's just one of those things a viewer has to accept.
I'm not a binger, though, so will be taking my time with this one.
I totally agree. I am hooked (and I didn’t know anything about it beforehand). A TV author once told me the success of a show is very much determined by the way it is lighted. I think here the rule applies: despite it being and underground silo the light is used in a way you don’t feel buried.
Way to bait the hook...
My wife gave it a 30 min test. "Uhh- this show is ridiculous and the characters are archetypes, I'm out." This might be one I will have to watch alone on my iPad. She is not a fan of science fiction to begin with and this show was kind of stretching it.
This is the first time (on this substack) that you’ve reviewed something I already watched...
Your review is spot on and the only thing I’ll add is this reminds me of “The Island” a Michael Bay movie that a lot of people hated that I thought was underrated...
I’m all in on “The Silo” and hope there will be further discussions...
One note: EVERY time I watch Apple+ or a show gets discussed I’m reminded of your analysis waaaayyy back when Apple announced they’d even be getting into the content game. You said they HAD to be taken seriously simply because they had tons of money to burn and throw at ANY project...
This show doesn’t look cheap, and neither do any of the other shows on Apple+ and you definitely called that one right...
Silo sounds great, something i’d really enjoy, I haven’t even heard of it. But since it’s not likely I’ll be invited to your house to watch :) I’ll have to re-subscribe to Appje+ again, darn it.
I was on the fence about "Silo" but the mere fact that it involves Yost (and "Justified" is on my short list of all time best TV) was all I needed.
And I know the 2-ep-test works when I wish ep3 was also available instead of having to wait a week.
"Drops Of God" was not on my list until you put it on your list and what I think I like most about it is the multi-lingual-ness of it (yes, the show is also interesting in a way I hadn't expected it to be, especially since it revolves around wine which I'm not really passionate about).
We are watching Silo. Wife loves, I like.
"the last time a book I can remember loving got made into something I was desperate to see on the screen was"... L.A. Confidential!!