Silo The Harmonium Review: Class Struggles and Power Dynamics

TL;DR – Today, we hit the point of no return.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Apple TV+ service that viewed this series.

Judge Mary Meadows analyses.

Silo Review

Fundamentally, what works so well about Silo is that even though it is a post-apocalyptic sort of sci-fi story about people living in a heavily class-stratified society under a quasi-fascist government with a veneer of democracy to make it palatable. That is not the focus; the people are the focus, and that is why I check in each week to see what happens next.

So, to set the scene, at the end of Solo, Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) discovered that her no cleaning might be the catalyst for her entire Silo getting killed because that is what happened in Silo 17. But her suit is destroyed, and any replacement is now deep underwater. Well, until Solo (Steve Zahn) reminds here that a fire suit might be able to be adapted for the job. The only problem is that the only fire station left is still underwater, but only by one floor. So, there is hope, only if they can find a way to pump air down to her. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Silo: Solo Review – The Battle of Flexibility vs. Rigidness

TL;DR – Today’s episode is all about the tension between flexibility and rigidness, and it was a fascinating discussion.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Eyes peer out behind a door.

Silo Review

In the first two episodes of the season, The Engineer & Order, we got to catch up on what was happening in both of the Silos. Now that we have our grounding, it is time to start propelling the narrative forward. Well, that is what we will explore today.

So, to set the scene, back in The Engineer, Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) managed to survive cleaning and walked through a valley of corpses to the next Silo over. In it, after much exploration, she finds the one person left alive in Silo 17 called Solo (Steve Zahn). The only problem is that Juliette discovers that the fracture point for Silo 17 was when someone didn’t clean, and that caused the rebellion and deaths. And then it dawns on her, this is what she just did to Silo 18. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Silo: Order – TV Review

TL;DR – We get to see a society on the brink of collapse, where years of lies have come home to roost

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Apple TV+ service that viewed this series.

Juliette Lives Graffiti.

Silo Review

While the opening episode, The Engineer, was all about what happened to Juliette, I wondered if we were just going to keep following their story. However, the casting list showed me that we were still going to stay linked to the Silo from the first season in some capacity. Well, today, we see just what those links will be.

So, to set the scene, after being set up by Bernard Holland (Tim Robbins) and Robert Sims (Common), Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) was forced to go outside and ‘clean’ in the season finale. However, she does not clean and just walks away, breaking centuries of tradition. Also, Nichols was well-liked in many sectors of Silo, and people were upset and asking questions. The whole Silo is on the cusp of rebellion. Everyone just saw Juliette walk over that hill, and everyone, especially those down below, wanted to know what that meant. Is it safe? Can they all leave? What else is management lying about? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Shadow and Flame & Season 2 – TV Review

TL;DR – The season ends on a high note as war comes to Middle Earth

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this episode.

Durin’s Bane

The Rings of Power Review

Well, we have flown by, and before we knew it, we hit the end of the second season of Rings of Power. There have been highs and lows along the way this season, and some stories have triumphed while others have tried to tread water and failed. Today, we will take the time to see if the finale stuck the landing and then reflect on the season as a whole.  

So, to set the scene, things are dire for the good people of Middle Earth. The Orcs have entered Eregion, as Adar (Sam Hazeldine) has subdued Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and captured one of the Elven Rings of Power. Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) might have escaped with the Ring for Men, but it still seems like Sauron (Charlie Vickers) is controlling everything as one of the great elven cities burns. The dwarves could not come to help because they were dealing with a King who was so focused on greed that he might unleash an untold horror. Even out in the East, The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is faced with growing darkness and a choice that could lead to the death of those he loves. Is there any hope for Middle Earth? Only time will tell. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode and season as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Where Is He? – TV Review

TL;DR – While frustrations remain, you can feel the momentum of the series shift as we start getting to the pointy end.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this episode.

Sauron smirks.

The Rings of Power Review

We are getting to the pointy end of the season, which means things need to start rolling towards the conclusion. Orcs are on the move, evil beings are manipulating, and calamities abound. But as we rush to the end, manipulations get stronger, allies become odder, and fractures become profound.

So, to set the scene, Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) is hot on the heels of the orc band that cut their way through the forest, angering the Ents in Eldest, but when he catches up to some deserters, he is shocked to see that they march on the Elven city of forges. Meanwhile, in that very city, Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) is showing more signs of instability as he cannot get the rings for man to work, and he has started forgetting things. This alarms his smiths, but what they don’t know is much of his current disposition has been influenced by Annatar/Sauron (Charlie Vickers), who has slowly twisted the grand forger’s mind. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Eldest – TV Review

TL;DR – It does still feel like we are spinning our wheels a little bit, but this episode did work a bit better, if for no other reason than the return of old friends.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Amazon Prime service that viewed this episode.

Lindon on a map of Middle Earth.

The Rings of Power Review

For most of the start of the second season of The Rings of Power, I was riding on a high. It was just such a joy to be back in this world and exploring Middle Earth again. However, last week’s The Eagle and the Sceptre put a slight pause on the festivities as it bogged down in storylines that didn’t help push it forward. The question we look at this week is: Was that just a blip in the road, or was it the start of a trend?

So, to set the scene, after hearing worrying silence from Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), a party of elves has been sent south from Lindon to see what might have happened and to make sure Sauron (Charlie Vickers) has not established influence there. Spoiler alert: he already has. However, it is not Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) who leads this expedition; it is Elrond (Robert Aramayo) who is profoundly suspicious of the ring that now lives on Galadriel’s finger. He fears that it will be a source of evil, but it might just be saving their lives. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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