For fans of Fallout, Silo is undeniably another thrilling dystopian series that captures viewers’ imagination. Based on Hugh Howey‘s bestselling Wool, Silo is set in a post-apocalyptic world of mystery where a community survives in a giant underground silo with 144 levels. For those waiting impatiently for Fallout’s return in 2026, Silo is the perfect substitute, It’s built on a similar idea as Fallout, but adds its own unique spin.
Silo follows Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson), an engineer determined to investigate a suspicious death only to uncover a web of lies that could unravel their entire society. With a stacked cast that includes Rashida Jones, Common, and David Oyelowo, Silo serves up a masterclass in character depth. In addition to its two critically acclaimed seasons, Silo has been renewed for a third and fourth season, which comes as no surprise at all.
Why ‘Silo’ Is the Best Substitute for ‘Fallout’
Silo debuted in 2023 with Rebecca Ferguson as the lead actress — it was her first lead TV role in nearly a decade. As mentioned earlier, the show adapts Hugh Howey’s dystopian book series, which details the lives of citizens who live in an underground silo after the world becomes uninhabitable. The first season covers the first 30 chapters of the book “Wool,” and Season 2 covers the remaining chapters of the book and introduces characters from the second book, “Shift.” In the second season, Juliette’s time in Silo 17 and her attempt to return to Silo 18 to warn its inhabitants is explored. Both Silo season one and two are centered on class divisions, which adds depth to the narrative. Alternatively, Fallout explores survivors living in different vaults and being used as experiments. With Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) in the lead role, characters attempt to leave the bunkers in search of the truth. Whether in an underground silo or a fallout vault, they all share the fight: survive or perish.
Both Silo and Fallout revolve around survival in a dystopian setting, where underground bunkers are essential to human existence. In each series, characters go into the outside world, defying warnings that it is too dangerous to inhabit. However, both series have different approaches as regards storytelling. Silo presents a society governed by strict rules, where residents are led to believe the outside world is toxic. Despite these similarities, Fallout strays further into sci-fi with elements like Ghouls and Mutants. Silo is more grounded in a more realistic portrayal of societal collapse and human behavior that shows how a dystopian world could be misinformed and control shapes people’s perception of reality. Fallout blends humor with its dark settihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZYhuvIv1pAg, offering a more optimistic outlook on survival. Interestingly, Silo stands out for its strong character development, gripping world-building and mystery-driven storytelling. With two seasons released, Silo promises a continuous and engaging layered mystery and slow-burn suspense of a post-apocalyptic experience, making it more like an expansive universe for Fallout.
‘Silo’ and ‘Fallout’ Are Similar but Distinct — and It’s Perfect That Way
Image credit: Amazon Prime Video
While Silo and Fallout have tons of wires crossing when it comes to their themes, they come from two distinct sources. The latter is based on Hugh Howey’s novels, however, it doesn’t particularly stick to the script as they made some massive changes for TV. For instance, they expanded Juliette’s backstory and shifted major key plot points for dramatic effect. Regardless of all that, it does stick to the book’s serialized storytelling style. Fallout, on the other hand, is adapted from a video game that has multiple storylines at play. Since each game tells its own story, the show has a fresher approach to it that wouldn’t be there if they were adapting one specific game.
Eventually, both shows offer compelling takes on post-apocalyptic survival, making them must-watch for sci-fi enthusiasts. Whether drawn to Silo’s gripping mystery or Fallout’s dark humor, fans of one series will likely appreciate the other. The Apple TV+ show released the ten-episode first season in May 2023 and the second season in November 2024. The two seasons have received positive reviews from critics, hence the renewal for both a third season and a concluding fourth season.
To witness society collapse in these post-apocalyptic hellscapes, Silo is currently streaming on Apple TV+ while Fallout is available to stream on Prime Video.
