Why Victor makes the darkest decision in Silo season 3 finale, according to the showrunner

*Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Silo season three ending*

Silo’s season three finale was packed with huge revelations, but one of its darkest moments came courtesy of Victor – and the showrunner has now explained exactly what was going through his mind.

Episode 10 picks up after the nuclear explosion that separated Daniel (Ashley Zukerman) and Helen (Jessica Henwick), jumping 350 years into the future to reveal what became of Daniel after he entered Silo 1.

Now known as Troy, he is repeatedly woken up from cryosleep to deal with problems across the silos, with his memories of his former life seemingly wiped – but flashes of Helen keep coming through.

In this particular moment in time, he’s awoken to deal with the Silo 17 rebellion, and what happens is one of the most disturbing moments of the Apple TV show. Despite pushback, Daniel – aka Troy – orders the mass extermination of thousands of people, including children.

While watching them being destroyed, Victor (Matt Craven) looks horrified, but it appears to have no emotional impact on Troy, who’s sent back to his cryogenic slumber shortly after.

The episode then jumps forward 35 years as we catch up with Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) and the rebellion unfolding in Silo 18.

And that’s when one of the biggest twists is confirmed: the mysterious Algorithm isn’t AI after all. Instead, the voice is coming from people in Silo 1. We find this out as Camille (Alexandria Riley) speaks to it, only for Victor to be revealed as the person on the other end.

Camille manages to stall Victor long enough for the rebels to disable the pipe and save everyone inside, setting the stage for a showdown between Silo 18 and Silo 1 in season four.

But Victor won’t be around for it. He orders Troy to be woken up again, before looking at relics including a photograph of his daughter, breaking down in tears, and taking out a gun. The next time we see Victor, he’s taken his own life.

When Troy wakes up, he discovers Victor has left behind a final video message. In it, Victor admits that when the attempt to use the Safeguard against Silo 18 failed, “more than anything I was relieved.”

He also finally gives Troy the answer to the question that has haunted him every time he’s woken from cryosleep, revealing that the woman he keeps remembering is Helen Drew.

Silo showrunner explains why Victor took his own life in the season 3 finale

Speaking to The Wrap, showrunner Graham Yost revealed Victor’s decision was something the writers discussed extensively.

“Victor’s thing, we kept on talking about well, why did he kill himself? And we finally landed on: If you’ve ever known anyone who’s taken their life, there’s never really one answer,” he said.

“There’s often a lot of answers. The constellation. For Victor, when he says he was relieved, I think that’s key.

“But Matt Craven, just watching him look at Daniel/Troy as he’s killing Silo 17, and just the look on his face, seeing this guy that he always liked do this thing, I think half of his life was gone with that. And then Juliette comes along, and Camille and all of that.”

And if you thought that was as brutal as it’s going to get, prepare yourselves for season four. Speaking to the Radio Times, Yost said, “I will say, in season four, there’s people you love who don’t make it. It’s a harsh season, but it’s emotional.”

The good news is that there’s not long to wait, as Apple TV just dropped a surprise sneak peek and a release date for the fourth and final chapter: July 9, 2027.

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Featured image credit: Apple TV