Summary

Collider’s Steve Weintraub talks with Common and Alexandria Riley for Silo Season 3.

The pair tease their characters’ new responsibilities and roles this season and which episodes to keep an eye out for.

They also promise heightened stakes, faster pace, and more action in the show’s final Season 4.

Apple TV’s sci-fi masterpiece, Silo, is officially back for its penultimate Season 3, and according to Collider’s Tania Hussain, it “sets a new standard for what prestige sci-fi can be.” We return to the silos’ dystopian society, where Silo 18 is rebuilding after their rebellion, under the direction of their new mayor, Rebecca Ferguson’s Juliette Nichols. Parallel to that, we’re also exploring the “Before Times,” revealing the silos’ origins from centuries earlier. Recently, Collider’s Steven Weintraub had the pleasure of chatting with two of Silo’s stars, Common and Alexandria Riley, who play Robert and Camille Sims in the series. This season, the couple holds more weight than ever before, with Robert’s newly appointed position as judge, and Camille stepping into the role of head of IT. “Man, this is the most I’ve had to do,” Common tells us, with Riley adding, “I was scared.” She laughs. “She’s now responsible for 10,000 people, as well as trying to save her marriage and look after her son. It was a lot.” Don’t miss the full conversation in the video above or the transcript below, where Common and Riley discuss their characters’ new responsibilities, as well as their own on set, and tease which Season 3 episode they’re most looking forward to viewers finally seeing. Plus, they tease what to expect from the fourth and final season, calling it “the highest level [they’ve] reached.”
Common and Alexandria Riley Feel ‘Silo’ Season 3 Is Their Most Prominent Outing Yet

“Man, this is the most I’ve had to do.”

COLLIDER: Silo is one of my favorite shows, and Season 3 is spectacular. It is just a flawless season. It’s one of those where every storyline just works. What was it like reading the Season 3 scripts for the first time? Because you’re both asked to do so much, and we get to see another side of both of your characters. COMMON: Steven, it’s funny you said we were both asked to do so much because when I initially read it, I was like, “I don’t have as much to do.” I was thinking. But then when I read it, and we got into it, I was like, “Man, this is the most I’ve had to do,” and in the best ways, because the quality of the scenes and just the storyline of Robert Sims is just so rich. Man, it just was fresh to me. I don’t know how Alex felt, but obviously her character became really prominent in Season 3. ALEXANDRIA RILEY: I was scared. [Laughs] I was really scared, because first of all, it was the excitement of the challenge to dig into the character a bit more and see what her abilities were with those emotions stretched as far as she could. But also, it was like, “Oh, I don’t have my teammate anymore.” So it’s like she was going it alone, and I was wondering what elements that was going to be putting onto my performance, but also her as a character and the path that she went down with navigating the fact that she’s now responsible for 10,000 people, as well as trying to save her marriage and look after her son. It was a lot, but it was something that I think every actor thrives for. You want to get your teeth into something. It was really enjoyable.
‘Silo’s Fourth and Final Season Moves “at an Extremely Fast Pace”

“In Season 4, everything is heightened.”

I don’t get to say this often, but you’ve already filmed Season 4, so it’s a little early, but what can you tease people about Season 4 as compared to the previous seasons? COMMON: Listen, Season 3, man, when I saw Season 3, seeing some of the episodes, I was like, “Man, this is a really stellar season of work. I feel great about Season 3.” When I read Season 4, and we had a quick teaser trailer before we left filming, I was like, “Oh, this is the highest level we’ve reached.” So I think it’s great when you can say that the show is evolving and the work is evolving, and you can see that on the screen. I think in Season 4, everything is heightened. It’s our last season, so things are heightened. Obviously, I can’t give you any plots. RILEY: The pace, though, and the action, everything picks up at an extremely fast pace. COMMON: Yeah. That’s one thing I’ll say, there is more action there.
Common and Alexandria Riley Tease Their Favorite Episode of ‘Silo’ Season 3

“It’s the pinnacle of intensity.”

I’m counting the days until I get to see Season 4. For people who are about to start Season 3, which is the episode number that you cannot wait for them to see? COMMON: What would you say? RILEY: Oh my gosh. I know what you’re going to say. COMMON: Yeah. You know what I’m going to say. RILEY: Five? COMMON: Yeah. For me, it’s 305 because that was the most work I had to do on Silo, as far as in an episode. There are so many different dynamics, and so much is revealed. Man, it was just fun. When I say reveal, reveal within the work that I had to do, like the character. Yeah, man, I love that. That’s one of my favorites that I’ve ever been able to do on the whole series is 305. So, I would say five. What would you say? RILEY: I think [Episode] 9 for me. It’s the pinnacle of intensity, and the same as you, the work, and just how difficult and challenging that was. So I would say look out for that one.
The Final Day of Filming ‘Silo’ Season 4 Was One of Common’s “Best Days of Filming”

“The scenes went great. The celebration was great. The speeches we gave just were heartfelt.”

Rebecca Ferguson sitting at a desk observing an object in ‘Silo’Image via Apple TV

Now that you’ve finished filming and this chapter of your life has ended, what was it like for both of you on the final day of filming Season 4? I don’t know where and when that is, I don’t want to know, but I’m curious, did they purposely give you an emotional scene for that day, knowing it would be easy to tap into those emotions? COMMON: For me, my final day was one of my best days of filming. I just enjoyed it. Obviously, I was emotional just knowing all the faces and people that I’ve been around for the past four years, I wouldn’t see as often. Some you don’t know when you’ll see them again. But, man, the scenes went great. The celebration was great. The speeches we gave just were heartfelt. I don’t know, man, it was one of the most beautiful days I had filming on Silo. I was just thanking God that it ended in that way, because when I don’t end things in a good way, I’ll be mad. I’m like one of them basketball players that gotta hit the shot before you leave out of the gym. You want to hit a shot in a certain way. I wanted to deliver on that last day, and I felt good, like we did. RILEY: It was emotional. It was emotional, but it was right. Everything that day did seem to have a little bit more weight and a little bit more meaning. So yeah, it definitely tapped into those heartstrings, I think. When did you both realize, “Wait, people really love this show?” Because I’ve never met anyone who watches the show and doesn’t think it’s good. Everyone I know who watches is like, “That’s pretty fucking awesome.”

COMMON: I love that. We love that. It’s funny because you don’t know how many people may be watching. We don’t get numbers and stuff like that to know. But funny enough, I was in London going to get an iPad or something in the Apple store, and I don’t know if it was just because it’s an Apple show, but so many people came up to me in London like, “Man, Silo, I miss the silo! Yo, what’s up with your character on Silo?” Just recently, I was working on this indie project, an indie film, and a lot of the producers — this is before the trailer came out for Silo — they were like, “When is Silo coming out? Yeah, I’ve been wondering!” Those are the days that I’m like, “Wow, this show is getting to certain people.” So, it’s a good feeling, man, because we put our hearts and souls into it. So for people to enjoy it, to be interested, to wonder what’s going on… The only person I’ve got to convince is my mother. She’s like, “Yeah, it’s a little complicated. It’s getting too…” RILEY: [Laughs] She’s keeping you grounded. COMMON: Yeah, exactly. What about you? RILEY: I think it was whispers on the set, really, because me, personally, I try to keep eyes off things when I’m in the middle of the project. I just want to focus, and things like that. But you saw Graham [Yost] coming in very happy every day, and then you heard whispers from execs. Then, I think this was even during Season 2, I was on the tube or something, and I saw a few eyes, and then they came up, and like, “You’re in Silo!” And then they wanted to talk about it. I didn’t realize that it was having that reach at all, but the fact that it all seems to be really positive, that’s a gift. That’s incredible. COMMON: Yeah, grateful. Silo Season 3 is streaming on Apple TV now. New episodes premiere every Friday.

Release Date

May 5, 2023

Network

Apple TV

Showrunner

Graham Yost

Directors

Morten Tyldum, David Semel, Michael Dinner, Aric Avelino

Writers

Graham Yost, Hugh Howey, Jeffery Wang, Lekethia Dalcoe