Bernard Holland is one of the main characters in the Apple TV+ series Silo. He is the head of Silo 18's IT Department, and later interim Mayor. Bernard is portrayed by Tim Robbins, first appearing in the episode "Freedom Day".
Official Biography[]
The head of IT for the Silo who is very protective of his territory.
Biography[]
Prior to Year 118 AR, Bernard Holland took up the post of the head of the IT Department and appointed Mary Meadows as his shadow. At some point in Year 128 AR, Meadows disappeared for four days and when she returned, she stepped down as his shadow, telling him that she did not want to be tethered to him for the rest of her life.[3] For twenty-five years, Bernard did not appoint a new shadow, Meadows having set a high bar.[4]
In Year 139 AR, Bernard did not like that Allison Becker had put up a post on the BBS about recovering deleted files. He took the post down, and reminded her that the IT Department had procedures and posts like that had to be approved by him.[1] Following Sheriff Holston Becker's decision to leave the Silo, Bernard counseled Mayor Ruth Jahns that accepting Judge Meadows' candidate, Paul Billings, would be a good idea. After learning that Juliette Nichols was Holston's named successor, he told Jahns that she was a thief who stole heat tape from IT.[5]
In the wake of Mayor Jahns' death, Bernard became the interim Mayor of the Silo. He officially swore Nichols in as Sheriff, and backed her investigation into finding the murderer of Jahns although he insisted it be kept quiet to avoid creating unrest in the Silo. Bernard later swore in Juliette Nichols as the new Sheriff, suggesting a fresh start between himself and Nichols for the theft of the heat tape.[2] Following the subsequent death of Deputy Sam Marnes, Bernard approved a plan to bury Jahns and Marnes together, concocting a story of the two finding love in their golden years. Walking the Silo at their age, and the tale of forbidden love would be a cover for the truth of their deaths, something for the Silo to talk about as a distraction. He also approved a Race to the Top in Jahns' memory as another way to placate the residents with an excuse to drink beer and yell.[6]
Jahns and Marnes were buried in the Farms, with Bernard presiding over the service. Despite the Race being a good tonic, Bernard agreed with Sims that they needed a Forgiveness Holiday as well. In a meeting with Juliette, he told her that he would support her as much as possible during the few months that he would be mayor.[6] A short while later, during an investigation into Judicial agent Douglas Trumbull who was responsible for the deaths of Jahns and Marnes, Bernard was called up to the Level 1 Sheriff Station by Robert Sims. A Relic had been found in Trumbull's apartment, and Sims refused to believe it was Trumbull's since it was last registered in the possession of George Wilkins, a known associate of the new Sheriff, Juliette Nichols. Bernard asked Sims if Trumbull had been on the team that searched Wilkins' apartment shortly before he died; Sims reminded Bernard that those names were classified, but Bernard pointed out that if he was on the search team, there was the possibility that he took what he believed to be a harmless curio.[7]
Bernard met with Sheriff Nichols after siding with her in the Trumbull matter. He told her that he was paid a visit by Sims who made it clear that Judge Meadows was not happy with his actions and that if he obstructed her again, then every effort would be made to find a reason through the Pact to remove him from office. While Nichols wanted to put a security detail on him, Bernard refused but did want the Sheriff to find something they could use as leverage to counter the judge's actions.[8]
Bernard met with Sheriff Nichols on the Stairwell as she attempted to pass a Judicial security checkpoint. Bernard challenged their authority as the Mayor and escorted Nichols through the checkpoint, taking her to the Farms to talk privately. Nichols had arrested Sims and now there with Judicial checkpoints everywhere, and Bernard wanted to know what was happening. In the farms, Nichols told him that Sims, not Meadows, was really running Judicial. Bernard wondered what they were looking for with all the searches, and then mentioned the hard drive. Realizing what he said, Bernard dropped the facade and Nichols came to realise that Bernard, not Sims, was in control. Sims arrived with a Judicial Raider team and backed up Bernard when he said that he had clearly heard that Nichols had wanted to go Outside. Nichols attempted to run, but was captured by the Raiders.[9]
After Nichols escaped, Bernard oversaw the hunt for her, directing Sims to use necessary resources to find her. Discovering that she had met with Lukas Kyle, Bernard met with the systems analyst and interrogated him, learning that the hard drive in her possession had an 18 inscribed on it. Heading to the Watcher Room, Bernard ordered the watchers to search for the hard drive with serial number 18. While waiting for the results, Bernard admitted that he had been negligent in appointing a Shadow, and was aware that Sims considered himself the best person for the position. However, Bernard learned that at a time of crisis, Sims had used Judicial assets to protect his family rather the Silo, leading Bernard to question his judgement. The hard drive was found, plugged into a computer in Robert Sims apartment, and later, it was registered as being on Level 98 although Bernard was aware that it was a spoofed signal.[10]
Bernard continued to lead the hunt for Nichols in the watcher room; when Nichols and her associates were found on Level 126 they linked screens across the Silo and broadcast a signal of a green and lush outside world. Bernard immediately ordered all the watchers to close their eyes and turn away from their screens, including Sims, then shut down the entire system. He instructed everyone in the room to forget what they saw. Bernard figured out that Juliette was using the trash chute to move around, and eventually she was cornered and captured in Mechanical.[11]
After destroying the hard drive, Bernard cut a deal with Nichols; in exchange for telling everyone that she did not want to go Outside, and waving her rights to a hearing, Bernard would not punish her friends in Mechanical. Nichols amended the deal by wanting to know what happened to George Wilkins, which Bernard agreed to. He escorted Nichols to the watcher room, and showed her footage of George on the night he died. Knowingly stopping in front of a camera, George took his own life to prevent Judicial torturing him and forcing him to talk. Later, in Holding 3, Bernard and Nichols talked and Bernard learned about the existence of a metal door at the bottom of the Silo, prompting him to investigate whether or not the hard drive could be salvaged.[11]
As Mayor, Bernard oversaw Nichols' exile as she was sent out to Clean. Although she refused to clean, Bernard was confident that the toxic atmosphere would kill her soon. Nichols did not succumb, lasting longer in the Outside than anyone else and moving up the hill. Bernard realised that she knew something, and hurried to the IT Offices.[11] Entering the server room, Bernard entered through a locked door into the vault. Inside, he watched a live feed from Nichols' helmet that showed her finding the remains of thousands of bodies who had opened the airlock from Silo 17. Bernard consulted The Order, which told him that in the event of a failed cleaning, he should prepare for war.[4]
Outside the IT offices, Bernard met with Sims who had called in all off-duty and reserve Raiders since he couldn't find the mayor. Bernard ordered an eight pm curfew to go into effect, and the deputies in the Sheriff Department were placed under Sims' temporary command. He also ordered Nichols' father to be watched but not harassed, and for Martha Walker and Carla McLain to be detained for questioning. Bernard also announced his intention to make a speech to the silo to explain what had happened. Bernard then went to see Mary Meadows; as she had been his shadow decades earlier, he sought her out for advice and to ask her to support him when he made the speech to the silo later that day. Bernard admitted that The Order did not outline a scenario for what to do if someone simply walked out of sight, and he surmised it must have been the heat tape that allowed her to do it. Wanting Meadows support, he offered her anything she wanted—bigger space, pick of the relics, a larger staff, anything. Meadows likened the situation to the character of the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz who got into a hot air balloon at the end of the story and flew away. She wanted that, and unless Bernard could provide that, he should leave.[4]
Assembling the silo for his speech, Bernard praised Nichols as a hero, claiming her survival long enough to go over the hill was due to a new form of heat tape that had been developed, and that Nichols had agreed to test. Meeting with Sims after, the Judicial agent reported that everyone was heading back to their homes, no incidents reported, and that all watchers were keeping an eye on known troublemakers. Sims attempted to broach the issue of Bernard not having a shadow, but Bernard told him that he needed Sims where he was and that the speech had bought them a few days at most. Meeting with Meadows again, Bernard thanked her for showing up at the speech. She agreed to help him, but she had one condition; she wanted what Nichols had. Meadows told him that she wanted to go Outside.[4]
Bernard met with Meadows in the vault, where she advised him to know follow The Order to the letter. Where The Order called for essentially uniting the silo against Mechanical and blaming them for any unrest, Meadows told him to show mercy after learning a Mechanical worker had been arrested for spreading "Juliette lives" graffiti. Despite Meadows advice, Bernard arranged with Sims to set up a staged shooting in Mechanical. Bernard later visited Meadows, telling her that he would grant her request to go Outside, and the plan to do it. He would arrange for the cameras in the cafeterias and Sheriff's Office to be shut down, and operate the Airlock himself, giving Meadows five minutes to get over the hill and out of sight before the cameras turned back on. Because they needed to keep it a secret, Bernard took Meadows' measurements for her Containment Suit, claiming it was being made for a prospective shadow. During the measurement taking, Meadows questioned Bernard about his involvement in the Mechanical shooting, since it came straight out of The Order playbook. Bernard assured her that he would not lie to her, but Meadows told him that he already had by stating that Juliette Nichols had asked to go out.[12]
Shortly after, Sims was worried that Judge Meadows had agreed to meeting with a delegation from Mechanical, afraid that they would attempt to storm the airlock. Bernard wanted them to air their grievances with the hope that the situation would cool down, and pointed out that two of the delegation were old women. Sims told him Meadows had also agreed to meet Lukas Kyle over his sentencing; in private, Bernard asked Meadows what she was doing since he believed both meetings were a bad idea. After Meadows met with Lukas, a group of residents began to display banners calling for Meadows' impeachment. She confronted Bernard about it, wondering if it was his idea. Bernard believed it was arising out of the people's fear of a group of Mechanical workers ascending to the upper levels. Meadows informed him of the content of their letter, asking to build better suits and explore outside; all of which was prohibited by The Pact, but something that she would kill with bureaucracy. Bernard apologised, and invited her for dinner that night before the Mechanical delegation arrived.[3]
Cooking dinner for Meadows, Bernard poisoned the mushrooms to intentionally kill the Judge. As she realised what he had done, Meadows asked why. Bernard told her that her death would unite the silo. With minutes to live, Bernard tried to find out why she had stepped down as his shadow all those years ago, and Meadows admitted that she would have happily spent her life with him. But she knew what was on the hard drive, and a letter from a previous head of IT, one Salvador Quinn, that had been partially written in code. As Meadows died, Bernard produced a VR headset for her to use, showing her a virtual environment of the Costa Rica forest and pointing out the various wildlife in the simulation.[3]
With Meadows dead, Bernard called Sims and gave him instructions to take the Judge's body to her office and stage a murder scene. When the Mechanical delegation arrived, they found the Judge's dead body and realised they were being set up for her murder. Bernard allowed them to flee, giving them a head start before announcing their "crime" to the silo.[3]
Appearances[]
- Season One
- "Freedom Day" (First appearance)
- "Machines"
- "Truth"
- "The Janitor's Boy"
- "The Relic"
- "The Flamekeepers"
- "Hanna"
- "The Getaway"
- "Outside"
- Season Two
- "Order"
- "Solo"
- "The Harmonium"