Warning! Spoilers ahead! I have not read the book series this show is based on, so this is a highly speculative review and summary.
This episode goes all in on character depth and development. We see our beloved Deputy Marnes deal with emotional loss and thereby awaken his slumbering giant. We see more from two enigmatic figures the previous IT director and now Mayor at large Bernard and Sims. Both introduced in the previous episode with obvious choices for whom the new sheriff should be (not our protagonist, Juliette Nichols). We see more from Juliette Nichols and her father Dr. Pete Nichols, and we learn more about the depth of relationship between Juliette and Martha Walker.
Lets talk about how our understanding of the characters have changed:
- Deputy Marnes - Up until now a very simple character who accepts things and simply moves on, with the death of his friend Sheriff Holston, Holston's wife and now, what is pushing him over the edge, the death of his love, former Mayor Jahns. He is almost at a level of vigilante justice looking for who may have done this heinous act, thinking he himself was the target fueling self-blame and grief.
- Mayor-at-large (Previous IT Director) Bernard Holland - His intentions are still unknown but rather than taking extremes, he seems to be more of a follow the book and rules type of character, extremely pragmatic, even if he disagrees with what is occurring. I have a feeling that although we have a lot of suspicion for him, he will eventually turn out to be someone redeeming whom we cheer for.
- Robert Sims - extremely enigmatic but leans towards more of the darker side, likely the indirect but not ultimate person behind the murder of Mayor Jahns. He has a strange way of obtaining and delivering knowledge of whats going on behind the scenes but also seems to show right before a character undergoes a major event.
- Sheriff Jules Nichols - had the most character development of all, as it should have been, whether subtle or more direct. Her background as a child shows the tough emotional distress she endured with the loss of her mother and brother and a father that could not be there for her. Having to take things into her own hands at home, she was left to fend for herself with only her thoughts which frequently turned to her losses. She takes matters into her own hands and poorly forges a note to go to the engineering/mechanical level of the Silo where she finds purpose and distraction. This of course emphasizes to us her traits of ingenuity and willingness to bend the rules. My favorite part of this episode was showing how she was a little on the colder side, in contrast to Deputy Marnes.
Overall this episode. does a better job of making her more of an intellectual, the daughter or two physicians, who is cool, calm and collected rather than "a jock badass" like the previous episode. In the end, she is still very much alone, but does have a support system in Martha Walker.
Plot advancements and speculation
I was awaiting for the intro scene to change to represent changes in the story and plot, similarly the way that it did in Game of Thrones, but the intro scene for this episode remained the same.
The interaction between Mayor-at-large Bernard, Sims and Deputy Marnes is interesting. Sims comes to Deputy Marnes with "good news" from Judge Meadows that if he signs a document they can overturn the decision and have their preferred candidate Billings to be the new Sheriff. It seems to me at the moment that Sims is either the person behind or someone carrying out orders for the murder of Mayor Jahns and (attempted murder?) Deputy Marnes. Both had short little awkward visits from Sims before their ordeals. What is interesting about the scene between Deputy Marnes and Sims is, when they toast, Deputy Marnes does have a strange smirk on his face, as if he knew who the killer is. Of course, this may not matter if he is now dead.
Progress on the video camera that Martha Walker is working on advances as the light turns on, surely symbolic of things to come, and relevant in an episode named "Truth"
The papers on Jules's ex-lover George Wilkins turns up, hidden in the vent shaft of the Sheriff's abode. We remember from first scene in episode 1 that Sheriff Holston made a point to tighten the bolt on the vent before declaring his desire to go out of the Silo. It comes together now. However there still is a matter of a missing hard drive that details the blueprints of the Silo as well as other videos.
If Deputy Marnes is murdered, it would remove the only unlikely that Jules was able to obtain so far, though I suspect Mayor-at-large Bernard may become an ally. It would also further isolate Jules in her new role "up top" and far from her lower level crew and customs she is familiar with.
Personally, I like Deputy Marnes and would love to see him stay on as sort of a stabilizing figure and I will love to see how this unfolds.
Trivia for fun's sake: The combination on the safe in the sheriff's office: 45-13-83.
The note in the sheriff's office says "Double the flowers in front of the mirror."
I will leave you with this: The reddit discussion on the topic is rife with theories which is fun to read and explore. Otherwise, last week's review and analysis can be found here.
Review of other episodes:
Episode 1 and 2 - Freedom's Day and Holston's Pick
Episode 3 - Machines
Episode 4 - Truth
Episode 5 - The Janitor's Boy
Episode 6 - The Relic
Episode 7 - The Flamekeepers
Episode 8 - Hanna
Episode 9 - The Getaway
Episode 10 - Outside