Who is Solo in Silo season 2? Devastating episode 9 revelation explained

Introduced in the early episodes of season 2, Solo initially seemed to be a danger to Rebecca Ferguson's Juliette, threatening to kill her if she opened the door to the vault where he was hiding out in Silo 17.

But it soon became clear that Solo was a sole survivor of the rebellion decades ago in Silo 17, and had been living on his own ever since.

With the release of season 2 episode 9 came answers about Solo's identity - and about his parents.

Here's everything you need to know.

Who is Solo in Silo season 2?

Solo's real name is Jimmy Conroy. He was the son of Russell Conroy, the IT shadow for Silo 17.

Despite Solo blaming himself for the deaths of the people in Silo 17, Juliette realises that he was only 12 at the time and couldn't have been responsible.

Juliette jogs Solo's memory, to find out that he was asleep when the attack happened and that he was shot in his sleep, with the scar to prove it.

He recalls locking himself in a vault as the sheriff held a gun to his father's head, and seeing his father being shot in front of him.

But Juliette reminds Solo that his father told him to lock himself in the vault - not to protect the silo, but to protect his son.

Later on in the episode, Jimmy brings Juliette to a suit that she could potentially use to step outside Silo 17.

We were first introduced to Solo/Jimmy in the final scenes of season 2 episode 1, which show Juliette realising she's not alone in the new silo as 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 attempts to open it, only for Solo to peer out of a slit in the vault door.

He says: "Hey! Good 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 understand. The thing is, you do that again, and I'm gonna kill you."

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 emotion, how we function in society, those things were gone for him. They don't exist. And so he had to develop as a human being with books and pictures and things.

"So it's a really fascinating character to dive into and then to play opposite this other person [Ferguson as Juliette] who's so different, but they both want something from each other and need something from each other, in that process, it becomes really interesting relationship."

So, how did Solo get to this point? While the show could very well deviate from the novels, we do find out Solo's true identity in the books. This is your last spoiler warning for content from Hugh Howey's trilogy, which will likely be used for the show in future!

Who is Solo actor Steve Zahn?

Zahn has had varied roles across film and TV, from his early credits in movies like 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, the father of Greg Heffley, in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series.

Zahn is also recognisable for his TV roles, from Davis McClary in HBO's Treme to Mark Mossbacher in The White Lotus season 1.

Silo season 2 is streaming on Apple TV+. Season 1 is available to stream now – you can sign up to Apple TV+ here. Hugh Howey's Wool Trilogy is available to buy now.

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