Commentary: ‘Silo’ And ‘Severance’ Share Similar Themes
by Frank Martin
Theme is one of the most important elements of storytelling. It provides a foundation for which a story can grow and have meaning behind its plot and characters. The interesting thing about theme is that it can be completely disconnected from the other elements of storytelling. Genre and setting are irrelevant to a theme’s message. This is how two completely different stories can both touch on the same thematic elements, and for two series that just recently had new seasons on Apple+, it’s startling how similar the themes are when the shows themselves are so different.
Silo is a post-apocalyptic story that details a community living in an underground bunker. The higher-ups who run the Silo, such as Mayor Holland (Tim Robbins), have created a false history in order to keep the people in line. Severance is another sci-fi thriller, but it takes place in modern times. The premise: employees must create a completely separate personality that takes over for them when they are at work. Since they have no connection to the outside world, “severed” employees like Mark S. (Adam Scott) only know what the company tells them and are, essentially, slaves.
These shows have completely different plots with completely different characters and exist in two completely different times. And yet, the theme of imprisonment is strong in both. With Silo, the lower-level workers realize that something is wrong and that the people in charge are lying to them. This brews rebellion as the workers attempt to gain answers. Something similar happens in Severance. Fed up with the way they are treated, the severed workers create a scheme to escape their imprisonment and learn the truth about the outside world. These shows both resonate powerful messages in two completely different ways, and it’s probably no coincidence that both are on the same streaming service.
Silo and Severance are now streaming on Apple+.
