Silo: Judge Meadows Replacement Explained & Why Bernard Specifically Chose The Person

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Silo season 2's episode 5.

Although Silo season 2 introduces many political developments in the central underground city, one of the most intriguing ones appears in episode 5 when Bernard finds his replacement for Judge Meadows. Despite being based on Hugh Howey's Silo books, the Apple TV+ sci-fi show has been significantly drifting away from its source material's stories. As shown in Hugh Howey's first Silo book, Wool, Juliette's journey completely revolves around finding a way to return to Silo 18 before it is too late.

However, when it comes to the shifting power scales in Silo 18, Silo season 2 has completely changed the stories presented in the original books. From portraying Meadows' tragic fall from grace to walking through Sims and his wife's hunger for power, Silo season 2 has introduced many intriguing plot points that are not a part of the original books. Bernard also finds a replacement for Judge Meadows in Silo season 2's episode 5, which again changes the source material and raises many questions surrounding how the show will unfold in future episodes.

Bernard Picks Robert Sims As Judge Meadows' Replacement In Silo

The Decision Comes After Judge Meadows' Death

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Sims was deadset on becoming Bernard's shadow in Silo season 2's early episodes. He even tried to directly propose the idea of becoming Bernard's shadow in season 2's opening moments, but Bernard refused to have him for the position because he had his eyes set on Meadows. Given how Sims is the only character, other than Meadows, who Bernard trusts in Silo 18, he would have been Bernard's choice if circumstances were different. However, Bernard starts questioning whether he trusts Sims when Sims sets up a ploy to get Meadows impeached.

Related Silo: What It Means To Be Someone's Shadow Silo's shadows are an integral part of the story, and plenty can be discovered about the position by watching the show and reading between the lines.

Although Bernard kills Meadows primarily because she wanted to leave the Silo, he blames Sims for Meadows' death because his plan to get her impeached would have turned the Silo's upper-level folks against her. Sims' cheap tactics to rise in the ranks in Silo 18 bother Bernard. At the same time, Bernard also realizes that Sims is too valuable to be completely discarded from the Silo's political hierarchy. Therefore, he decides to have him as the new the Judge, gives his Head of Security role to someone else, and does not make him his new Shadow.

What The Judge Role Means For Sims In Silo Season 2

The Role Seems To Be A Downgrade For Sims

If seen through the eyes of the Silo's regular citizens, the Judge ranks higher than anyone else. However, most citizens do not realize that there is more to Silo 18's power distribution than meets the eye. As established in Silo's previous episodes, the Head of IT seemingly ranks above everyone else and secretly pulls all the strings from behind the scenes. A Judge seems to merely hold the illusion of power to ensure the citizens remain ignorant about who is controlling them.

In Silo season 2, Judge Meadows compares herself with the Wizard of Oz because, much like the enigmatic figure in the classic story, she only maintains an illusion of control and power.

This explains why Juliette is disappointed when she approaches Judge Meadows for help in Silo season 1 but discovers that she barely controls anything in the Silo. Owing to this, even though Sims seems to have been promoted to a better position in the Silo's power structure, his responsibilities and sense of authority have dwindled. Since he is not the Head of security anymore, he has also lost access to the vault in Silo 18, which is used to keep a close eye on all Silo citizens through CCTV footage.

Long before Sims became the Judge, Meadows used to be Bernard's shadow and closely worked with him to potentially become his replacement. However, after she decided to step back from the position, Bernard made her the Judge to ensure she was still a part of the Silo's political structure but lacked the power to make any major decisions. This explains why Sims and his wife, Camille, feel frustrated when Bernard makes Sims the new Judge.

Do Bernard & Sims Still Trust Each Other In Silo?

Sims & Bernard's Relationship Is On A Decline in Silo Season 2

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The more Silo season 2 has progressed, the more Bernard and Sims' relationship has declined. In season 1, Sims was Bernard's right-hand man, ensuring that nothing threatened Silo 18's safety. However, with his wife's guiding voice in his ear in season 2, Sims is driven by a completely different purpose: leverage the chaos and gain more power in the Silo. There is a clear conflict of interest between the two characters, which could lead to dire consequences for both.

...Since Sims is more fixated on becoming the Head of IT's next shadow and his wife, too, has joined the political race, his relationship with Bernard is broken beyond repair.

If the two do not start working together, the brewing rebellion could ultimately destroy their Silo altogether. If that happens, Sims' rise to power would not mean anything, while Bernard's efforts to maintain control would also be futile. However, since Sims is more fixated on becoming the Head of IT's next shadow and his wife, too, has joined the political race, his relationship with Bernard is broken beyond repair. It would interesting to see how this would eventually lead to his own and Bernard's downfall in Silo's future installments.