The Flamekeepers

### **IMDb**

**The Flamekeepers** is the seventh episode of the Apple TV+ series *Silo*. Written by Jessica Blaire and directed by Bert & Bertie, the episode aired on June 9, 2023.

## Synopsis

*Bernard seeks Juliette's cooperation as he grows increasingly concerned about the silo's security. Juliette asks her father for a favor.*

## Plot

Gloria Hildebrandt sits on a beach, watching her husband and daughter play on the sand with the ocean spread out before them. A nurse approaches, and it becomes clear that what Gloria is seeing is a hallucination or dream. Gloria tells the nurse she needs to get back, and asks where the water has gone. The nurse injects Gloria with something and leaves.

In her apartment, Juliette Nichols continues to read the book given to her by Regina Jackson. On the inside cover, a name of one of the previous owners stands out: Gloria. Juliette checks her files and finds the one for Gloria Hildebrandt and leaves her apartment, taking the book with her. On her way out, she pauses briefly as she notices the fallen flower pot no longer in front of her mirror. In the surveillance room, the two technicians report to Robert Sims and ask if they should detain her. Sims tells them to track her progress.

In her office, Juliette looks up Gloria's records to find that she is in long term medical care. Paul Billings arrives and they exchange small talk before Billings passes on messages; Maintenance is apologizing for breaking the vase in Juliette's apartment and they will replace it, and Mayor Bernard Holland wants to see Juliette first thing. Juliette tells Billings to acknowledge receipt but she will have to reschedule because she needs to go to the Mids to deal with something. As she leaves, Deputy Molly Karins calls Billings on the radio.

Juliette goes to the long term care ward to see Gloria. The nurse says she is suffering from hallucinations as a result of advanced vascular dementia and says things that have no meaning or sense. Some of the things Gloria says prompt Juliette to ask if she wants to go for a walk, but the nurse cannot allow that despite the Sheriff having authority as Judge Meadows issued an order to keep Gloria in the facility.

Billings receives a visit from his wife, bringing lunch to him. As he starts to take her for a coffee and spend time with his daughter, a Porter arrives with an urgent message for the Sheriff. Billings tries to radio Juliette but she turns off her radio as she demands to see Judge Meadows although she is not in her office and she is out sick with a cold. Billings races down the stairs, calling all deputies to Level 26. As they arrive, they are confronted with a mass brawl of civilians. Billings and Karins intervene and begin subduing the rioters.

Juliette arrives in the Sheriff's office to find deputies locking up rioters and the place a hive of activity. Billings angrily confronts Juliette about the situation after a bar got trashed on the level and the entire floor was ready to explode. People are scared and in need of their sheriff, and Billings was forced to lie to Bernard to cover for Juliette's absence. He wants to know what is so important that Juliette is neglecting her duties and dishonoring the badge she is wearing. Juliette tells him George Wilkins was murdered, and that everything is connected to that - the murders of Ruth Jahns, Sam Marnes, and Douglas Trumbull, and the cleanings of Holston Becker and his wife Allison. She wants Billings to look the other way while she investigates. Using his knowledge of The Pact, Billings gives her an official way to reopen the investigation into George's death, using the Relic of his found in Trumbull's apartment as a factor.

Juliette stops in the Cafeteria when she sees the lights in the sky. Lukas Kyle arrives and they talk, where she learns that he is a systems analyst in the IT Department. They talk, and Lukas kisses her. Juliette pulls back and leaves as Lukas tries to apologize. In her apartment, Juliette reads the book and finds a page on constellations.

Juliette meets with Bernard, who reveals that he has been threatened by Judge Meadows for supporting the Sheriff. She sent Sims to deliver the warning that she would find a way to use The Pact to remove Bernard. Bernard tells Juliette that he made a conscious choice years ago to stay out of Meadows' way but he does not want her to gain control of IT's servers. While Juliette believes the generator to be the most important part of the Silo, Bernard points out that the servers control where the power goes to power actions such as watering crops, sending messages, and circulating the air. If Meadows was to get control of that, Bernard if afraid of what she will do. Juliette agrees to help him find a way to box Meadows in and prevent that.

Juliette goes to judge's apartment based on information from Billings, delivering her breakfast. Meadows' apartment is full of Relics, and she does not appear to be as sick as claimed. Juliette wants to know why the medical order is on Gloria, and wants the Judge to lift it for a few hours so she can talk to her without Gloria being drugged. If she does, then Juliette will be back in Mechanical by the end of the week. Meadows says she cannot lift it because "they" will not let her. Juliette begins to realize that Meadows is not in charge, and as long as she keeps quiet she is allowed to live in a good apartment with many Relics in comfort. Sims is watching their meeting, and asks the technicians to replay the conversation Juliette had with Gloria in Medical, only to find their camera is obscured by flowers.

Juliette goes to see her father, Dr. Pete Nichols. He has no idea what to say to her after so long, but Juliette cuts to the chase saying she wants a favor and then she will leave. Pete doesn't want that, but Juliette says all she needs is his help in getting Gloria out of long term care long enough for the drugs to wear off so she can talk to her. Pete says it is dangerous and can't be done so Juliette tells him she should have known that he wouldn't come through for her. As she is about to leave, Pete tells her to wait.

Pete goes to long term care and takes Gloria to the nursery in a wheelchair to meet Juliette. Gloria is under the affect of a sedative that could take five or six hours to flush through her system. They don't have that long, so Pete says he can give her something that might work but it has potential side-effects. Juliette convinces him to administer it, but Gloria has a seizure which reminds Juliette of her own experiences with her brother as a child. The seizure abates and they wait for Gloria to wake up.

Sims enters the monitoring room to find the technicians have list Juliette on cameras. They last have her in medical, but she entered a blind spot since the technicians have been reappropriating the cameras for years to replace more important ones. Sims angrily tells them to find her.

Gloria wakes and is disorientated as Juliette begins asking her questions. Pete tries to help, but she is agitated by him since he was her doctor and Gloria believes that she was the reason she never had a baby because he works for "them." Juliette tells Pete to leave while she tries to get answers from Gloria. Juliette shows Gloria the book, revealing a cascade of information. She was part of an organization known as the Flamekeepers, a group dedicated to remembering and preserving the past. But they were opposed by the Silo, who put something in the water to cause memories to fade and erase the past. The Relics are meant to help them remember. After Gloria and her husband Henry were unable to have children, because "they" wanted to ensure the Flamekeepers died out, Gloria gave the book to George's mother, Anne. Gloria realizes that Juliette is Hanna Nichols' daughter, and that Anne was helping her with a magnifying device and that she was surprised that Hanna was allowed to have children. Juliette asks if her mother was a Flamekeeper; Gloria says she had the same curiosity.

Juliette talks with Pete, and she is angry that he lied to his patients about removing their birth control implant. Pete tells his daughter that he did not have a choice, when they came to him to order this it was to prevent genetic disease from running rampant and ensuring the long-term survivability of the Silo's population.

Sims and the technicians watch as Juliette wheels Gloria back to her room, confronting medical staff that Gloria was found wandering on the stairs by a deputy. Sims angrily tells the technicians to find out where they came from and to keep track of the sheriff.

Gloria returns to her room, asking to see the book for one last time. She tells Juliette to keep it safe. Looking around she sees her flowers are gone and remembers that Sheriff Becker came and put them there in front of the mirror. Juliette begins to realize a connection between this and the flowers in her own apartment as she checks the mirror in Gloria's room. Juliette realizes that they can see them through the mirrors, and asks Gloria if Holston said or did anything else while in the room. Gloria tells her that he paid attention to the vent in her room. Covering the mirror, Juliette opens the vent and finds a bag with George's hard drive in it. Sims, realizing that she knows about the cameras, sends a Raiders to Medical. Gloria tells Juliette that she is the last Flamekeeper now, and asks her if she knows why her mother killed herself.

As the raiding team enter Gloria's room, asking where Juliette is, Gloria just stares back at them.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Rebecca Ferguson as Juliette Nichols
* Common as Robert Sims
* Chinaza Uche as Paul Billings
* Avi Nash as Lukas Kyle
And
* Tim Robbins as Bernard Holland

### Guest Starring

* Sophie Thompson as Gloria Hildebrandt
* Tanya Moodie as Judge Meadows
* Caitlin Zoz as Kathleen Billings
And
* Iain Glen as Dr. Pete Nichols

### Co-Starring

* Angela Yeoh as Deputy Molly Karins
* Aleah Aberdeen as Ginny
* Akie Kotabe as Diego
* Brendan Howley as Watcher #1
* Taj Kandula as Judge's Secretary
* Jacqueline Berces as Long Term Care Nurse Amy
* Elizabeth Bagnall as Daughter
* Billy Bagnall as Husband
* Jarren Dalmeda as Flustered Man
* Rowan Vickers as Night Nurse Tim

## Appearances

**By type**

Characters

* Allison Becker (Mentioned only)
* Holston Becker (Mentioned only)
* Kathleen Billings
* Paul Billings
* Carl (First mentioned)
* Diego
* Ginny (First appearance)
* Henry
* Gloria Hildebrandt
* Bernard Holland
* Regina Jackson (Mentioned only)
* Ruth Jahns (Mentioned only)
* Molly Karins
* Lukas Kyle
* Sam Marnes (Mentioned only)
* Meadows
* Hanna Nichols (Mentioned only)
* Pete Nichols
* Juliette Nichols
* Robert Sims
* Tim (First appearance)
* Douglas Trumbull (Mentioned only)
* Anne Wilkins (Mentioned only)
* George Wilkins (Mentioned only)

Events

Locations

	+ Level 1
		- Cafeteria
		- Level 1 Sheriff Station
			* Sheriff's Office
	+ Level 14
		- Judicial Offices
	+ Level 15
		- Manager's Row
		- Judge's Apartment
	+ Level 26
	+ Level 52
	+ Level 62
		- Mids Medical
			* Long Term Care
			* Nursery
	+ Pete Nichols' Apartment
	+ Sheriff's Apartment

Organizations and titles

* IT Department
* Judicial
	+ Raiders
* Medical
* Maintenance
* Mechanical
* Sheriff Department

Weapons and technology

* Camera
* Radio

Miscellanea

* Cleaning
* Relic
	+ "Amazing Adventures in Georgia: A Travel Guide for Kids"
	+ Hard drive
	+ PEZ dispenser
* The Pact