How Kennedy’s Reluctance to Go Outside Made Silo Feel Real

For the whole of Silo Season 2, Kennedy made a lot of noise about going outside.

He even gathered a group of people to join him in the cause.

All that came from watching one cleaning video that suggested it was beautiful outside, and, of course, he wanted to see it.

Yet when he was allowed to go out during Silo Season 3 Episode 7, he was initially reluctant, which was one of the most relatable aspects of his character.

Kennedy Has Needed Something to Hold On To

When you look at Kennedy’s backstory, he’s a man who is somewhat lost in the silo.

During Silo Season 1, we learned that his wife had died. Yet, it seems like barely anybody knew.

After Deputy Sam Marnes was almost poisoned, he blamed it on Kennedy’s wife, Doris, only to find out the truth.

There’s a weight that Kennedy has felt, living with that grief with nobody to turn to, and it was no wonder that he started searching for someone or something.

So, finding the cleaning video and seeing the world outside gave him that thing.

After years of darkness and life in the silo, he naturally wanted to stretch his wings.

He wasn’t the only one to see that video and have the same thoughts and hopes. Silo started with Allison seeing that same clip.

After years of questions and uncertainty, there was something that she could cling to.

Only Allison was more determined to get out. She made it clear that she wanted to go outside, and saying the words was all it took for her to execute her plan and go out to clean.

Instead of following a similar path, Kennedy gathered others in a rallying cry. Because we all know that there’s safety in numbers.

He knew that by saying “I want to go out” or “Let me out,” he would be sent out to clean. Would Bernard really want to send out a larger group of people in the middle of a rebellion?

That was his safety net, making it clear that part of him doubted that video.

When Juliette returned, he wanted to hear the truth from her and to know more about that video.

Kennedy’s Reluctance Is Relatable, Not Cowardice

I know when I’ve felt certain in a decision, there’s always been a niggling doubt at the back of my mind about things, too, and that’s where this scenario feels relatable.

My decisions aren’t quite as life-changing as the one Kennedy has had to make on Silo Season 3, but that’s where one can identify with the characters’ plight and the human emotions that drive their choices.

I’ve never had to place my life on one video I came across that I was never meant to see. After all, I’ve never lived in this apocalyptic world.

I may never have been in Kennedy’s position in this apocalyptic world, but his thoughts mirror what mine would be in such a situation.

While you think the video is real, you always have that thought: “What if the video is a lie?”

Plenty of people are telling him that the world is desolate, and he’s just learned that there’s some safeguard in the silo to kill them all.

He’s learning about the memory-wiping drugs, and everything that he was so certain about has become a question mark over his head.

The idea of going outside is one thing. It’s just a dream. There’s plenty of room for speculation and hope.

Once he gets that chance, the fear steps in. He becomes grounded in its reality, and suddenly he has to put his life on the line.

Wouldn’t we all do that? Wouldn’t we all take a second to take in everything that could happen?

If the world outside is beautiful, why does he have to put on a cleaning suit?

It becomes clear that everything he has hoped for has been the big lie.

Juliette has her memories back, and suddenly, he’s second-guessing absolutely everything he hoped to be true.

This doesn’t make him a coward. Fear is healthy, and even the bravest of soldiers are filled with fear.

He still goes out. In fact, his initial plan is to get Lucas to Silo 17 and then explore.

Of course, the fear that the cleaning video is a fake becomes a reality once he’s out there.

Yet he shows his bravery by walking forward, and we learn at the very end that he reaches Silo 17 thanks to the radio message to Walker.

How that happens remains unclear at this point, but he is alive and has gone through with the mission.

I questioned for a long time whether it was right to tell Kennedy secrets, but he’s proven to be a grounding force for Silo in a way no other character could, and I appreciated the writing of his character in the previous episode.

This episode only reinforced that sentiment.

You made it to the end — and that means a lot.
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