Who is Solo in Silo Season 2? Steve Zahn character explained

For anyone who may have somehow missed the stunning ending to Season 1, the last episode saw Rebecca Ferguson’s Juliette Nichols step outside the silo, only to discover it’s just one of dozens.

In season 2, she finally enters another silo when she stumbles upon Solo – who immediately threatens to kill her. But there is so much more to Solo than meets the eye.

Read on for everything you need to know about solo and actor Steve Zahn. Alternatively, check out our Season 2 review!

Who is Solo in Silo Season 2?

Warning: This section contains spoilers for Hugh Howey’s Wool trilogy – so potential spoilers for Silo season 2 and beyond.

The final scenes of season 2 episode 1 show Juliette realizing that she is not alone in the new silo when she hears the sound of the song Moon River, sung by Audrey Hepburn, playing in the distance.

Heading towards it, she finds a vault and tries to open it, only for Solo to peek out of a crack in the vault door.

He says, “Hey! Glad you heard the music. I love that song. So one thing—you tried to open the door. I get it, you see a closed door, what’s on the other side? I get it. The thing is, you do it again and I’ll kill you.”

Steve Zahn

Steve Zahn. Max Cisotti/Dave Bennett/Getty Images for Apple TV+

Threatening! But there is so much more to Solo. Speaking to RadioTimes.com recently, actor Zahn said: “Solo is a good name for the guy. He’s been through a lot and his world stopped at a certain point.

“The things we learn from other people: how we communicate, how we express ourselves, how we show emotions, how we function in society, those things were gone for him. They don’t exist. And so he had to develop as a human with books and pictures and things.

“So it’s a really fascinating character to delve into and then play opposite this other person (Ferguson as Juliette) who is so different, but they both want something from each other and need something from each other, in the process it’s going to be a really interesting relationship.”

So how did Solo get to this point? While the show may very well deviate from the novels, we find out Solo’s true identity in the books. This is your final spoiler alert for content from Hugh Howey’s trilogy that will likely be used for the show in the future!

Towards the end of the first arc, Wool, Juliette encounters a man named Solo, who explains that the silo they are in is Silo 17, and he is the last survivor of an uprising decades ago. He also shows Juliette how to communicate with other silos, including his own – Silo 18. From there, Juliette is able to communicate with Lukas (played by Avi Nash on the show) – and the story moves away from Solo.

The next arc, Shift, goes back in time to show when, how and why the silos were built in the first place – but this story is packed with events from the future, in Silo 17 and Silo 18. Among other shocking twists, it’s revealed , that Silo 1 has the power to end entire silos full of people – especially when a rebellion is successful.

This is what happened when the uprising happened in Silo 17 with only one survivor – a boy named Jimmy Parker, who would rename himself Solo.

So while the show may diverge from the events of the books, the novels place Solo as a crucial character who allows Juliette to communicate between silos and helps the truth be revealed about Silo 1.

Who is solo actor Steve Zahn?

Zahn has had diverse roles across film and television, from his early credits in films such as Reality Bites, That Thing You Do!, You’ve Got Mail and the Stuart Little film series.

He also appeared alongside Drew Barrymore in the film Riding in Cars with Boys, as well as playing investigative journalist Adam Penenberg in Shattered Glass, before taking on the role of Frank Heffley, father of Greg Heffley, in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series.

Steve Zahn

Steve Zahn. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for National Geographic

Zahn is also recognizable for his television roles, from Davis McClary in HBO’s Treme to Mark Mossbacher in The White Lotus Season 1.

Silo Season 2 begins on Apple TV+ on November 15. Season 1 is available to stream now – you can sign up for Apple TV+ here. Hugh Howey’s wool trilogy is can be purchased now.

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