Silo season 2 episode 9 ending explained: Did Lukas find the tunnel at the bottom of Silo 18? The Algorithm’s safeguard explored
Silo season 2 episode 9 dropped on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 10, 2025. The penultimate episode, titled The Safeguard, brought a tense prelude to the dystopian sci-fi drama's finale with a series of hidden truths within the Silo and its citizens getting uncovered.
Lukas Kyle took the center stage as he delved into the Silo's secrets by following his own curiosity for the truth and Salvador Quinn's messages. Silo season 2 episode 9 saw him go to the Down Deep in search of the tunnel Quinn had mentioned earlier. Lukas found the tunnel after jumping right down to the water underneath Silo 18, a risky jump since he didn't know if the water was shallow or deep.
Meanwhile, in Silo 17, Juliette Nichols was uncovering layers of deception as well, including the fact that Solo was not the only survivor there and that he was never the IT shadow.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Silo season 2 episode 9. Reader's discretion is advised.
Lukas Kyle discovers the tunnel underneath Silo 18 in Silo season 2 episode 9
Silo season 2 episode 9 kicked off with Lukas Kyle slowly discovering the layers of secrets that governed the Silos since its inception. He found out from transcribing Salvador Quinn's coded message that Silo 18 wasn't the only Silo, which was contrary to initial beliefs that it was humanity's last hope of survival.
He found out that there were a total of 50 Silos. But when he told the mayor Bernard Holland about all this, the latter informed him that there were, in fact, 51 Silos. Bernard's admission referenced Silo 1, which was supposedly the HQ where the leaders of the Silos controlled everything.
However, Lukas Kyle's search for the truth didn't end there. He deciphered more of Quinn's message, which brought him to the Down Deep. It read:
"...reason to be damned. If you don't believe me, go to the very bottom of the Silo. Find the tunnel. You will get confirmation there."
So, Lukas went to the Down Deep. Shirley helped him reach the bottom of Silo 18 in exchange for telling her what he knew about Juliette. When they arrived at the lowest level of the Silo, Shirley said that there was no tunnel and the bottom was filled with water, and no one knew how deep it was.
Lukas, however, was determined, so he blindly jumped right down. Thankfully, the water was shallow, and he easily found the tunnel Quinn was talking about.
When Lukas tried to access the tunnel in Silo season 2 episode 9, the Algorithm called his name and told him to step back. He told the Algorithm that he was sent by Quinn, to which it replied that only three people, Quinn, the late Judge Mary Meadows, and George Wilkins, reached the door before him.
They were all given the exact same instructions, except for Wilkins, whom the Algorithm didn't talk to—not to speak about the tunnel and what happened there, or else "The Safeguard" would be initiated.
When the Algorithm asked Lukas Kyle if he knew what "The Safeguard" was, he said that he did. Back in the coded message from Quinn that he successfully deciphered, it mentioned that the founders created 50 Silos and they also made "The Safeguard."
Also read: What is the syndrome in Silo season 2?
Silo season 2 episode 9 title The Safeguard: Meaning explored
Silo season 2 episode 9 ended teasing about "The Safeguard" but it didn't clarify what it was or what it did. However, with the warning from the Algorithm, it implied that the safeguard was kind of a big deal and serious, a threat where the rest of Silo's citizens were concerned.
So far, there were still some missing phrases from Quinn's code. Silo season 2 episode 9 only showed the first few parts of the series, where Quinn revealed about the 50 Silos, and the last few phrases about Kyle going to the tunnel. The phrases before "reason to be damned," which Lukas already deciphered, were never shown in episode 9, which felt ominous.
That said, with the threat from the Algorithm, the safeguard protocol didn't appear to be something to keep the citizens safe. It could be designed to do the opposite, the founders' way to safeguard themselves if the people of a Silo got out of control, or perhaps to curb a rebellion.
Read more: Silo season 2 complete release schedule
Silo season 2 episode 9 reveals Solo's real backstory
Silo season 2 slowly depicted Solo's backstory, although plenty of what he told Juliette in the series had been a lie. Moreover, whenever Juliette tried to grill him about his identity, that he was claiming to be someone he was not, Solo would get angry and violent. However, Silo season 2 episode 9 revealed Solo's childhood story.
It turned out that Russell Conroy was the head of IT in Silo 17 long before the rebellion happened. Solo was Russell Conroy's son, his real name was Jimmy, and he was only 12 years old during the rebellion.
The last thing his father told him before he died was to stay inside the vault and never open it for anyone. It explained why Solo believed that he was the IT's shadow, aka his father Russell's shadow because safeguarding the vault fell into his hands, which should have been the IT shadow's job.
Silo season 2 episode 9 explains the Silo 17 survivors' POV
The three youngsters in Silo 17, introduced in Silo season 2 episode 8, were Rick, Audrey, and Eater. Rick and Audrey were the kids of the two dead bodies which Juliette found outside of Solo's vault early in the season. Tess was Rick's mother, and Chase was Audrey's father, then, Tess and Chase got together, and they had a kid, Benny. This suggested that Benny would be Rick and Audrey's half-brother.
Rick and Audrey also got together and welcomed a baby. Eater, on the other hand, was not related to them, but her mother left her with Tess and Chase. So, there was Rick, Audrey, their baby, Benny, and Eater, who were living in Silo 17, besides Solo and Juliette. Rick, Audrey, and Eater, who were Solo's attackers, appeared to be no older than 18, and Eater confessed that she wasn't born during the rebellion.
What happened was that, years ago, Tess and Chase were looking for food and shelter. Solo's recollection of the past was hazy, but he said that Tess and Chase shot him while he was sleeping and that they were able to open the vault. When he woke up after he was shot, they managed to get into the food vault. That's when he locked them in, causing them to suffocate and die.
Solo opens the vault for other survivors in Silo season 2 episode 9
When Solo learned that Rick and Audrey had a kid in Silo season 2 episode 9, he finally changed his mind about not letting anyone inside the vault. He opened the vault to everyone, and it was the same vault where Bernard brought Lukas Kyle in Silo season 2 episode 7.
The room was full of relics, which the rest of the survivors enjoyed, including the drums and the sewing machine. Solo also gave them ice cream to eat before he finally gave Juliette her protective suit.
Also read: What is Silo series based on?
Catch Silo season 2 episode 9 now streaming on Apple TV+. The complete installment of Silo season 1 and the previous eight episodes of the second season can also be watched on the streamer with a subscription.
