Summary
“The Janitor’s Boy” begins slowly but gathers momentum by the midway point. There’s plenty of tension and further world-building in this installment as Juliette investigates yet another murder in the Silo.
We recap the Apple TV+ series Silo Season 1 Episode 5, “The Janitor’s Boy,” which contains spoilers.
The Silo seems to have a serial killer in its midst, as a second high-profile citizen is killed in a matter of days, with three people now murdered overall. “The Janitor’s Boy” follows Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) as she investigates this third murder with new deputy Paul Billings.
Silo Season 1 Episode 5 Recap
Juliette is informed of Marnes’ death, receiving a note via a porter. The letter insinuates a possible homicide. Juliette heads to yet another crime scene and is soon introduced to her new chief deputy Paul Billings.
Sims is annoyed that Juliette didn’t order security to watch over Marnes, who was paranoid as it was. Although Juliette defends herself, stating that Marnes didn’t want it.
After the men have departed, Juliette inspects Marnes’ apartment alone. Noticing that a drawing of Jahns is suspiciously missing. Adding to that, Marnes has a list of names in his pocket.
The Silo is in a state of disarray after the Mayor’s death. Bernard (the interim Mayor) wants to keep Marnes’ death a secret for as long as possible. He debates his next move. Sims wants to create a holiday to distract the public, while Juliette suggests burying the bodies together as lovers.
READ: Silo Season 1 Review
Bernard likes the love story angle and proposes a race to distract the citizens in the meantime. In a cinematic segment, Marnes and Jahns are buried together in a scenic wooded area. Each guest at the funeral bites into an apple and then throws the rest into the open grave. It’s a rather distinct and compelling ceremony.
After the funeral, Juliette gets to work on solving the murder. Assistant Sandy believes an innocent bystander will be framed if Juliette doesn’t hurry.
Meanwhile, the public prepare for a grand race up the main spiraling staircase.
Juliette inspects Marnes’ list. There is one name circled, Doris Kennedy. Juliette goes to visit Doris’ widower Patrick. She breaks into the address on the paperwork and finds the missing drawing stashed with rat poison. Juliette thinks Patrick’s being framed.
Who is Doug Trumbull?
Elsewhere, Paul Billings heads to Judicial. He finds Doug Trumbull, a member of Judicial security, sitting with Sims. Doug is auditioning to be Sims’ new shadow. He looks suspiciously similar to the man who attacked Marnes the night before. Have we found our killer?
After an eventful lunch break, Juliette and Paul reconnect. Paul explains that the Judicial is doing its own investigation and they have its own suspect. Juliette isn’t interested. She knows they are setting Patrick up. They have their patsy.
Juliette finds Doug outside Patrick’s home, waiting to arrest him. She points out that Patrick has moved houses. Juliette knows that they planted evidence in the wrong apartment. Doug realizes he’s been caught and runs.
Juliette chases after Doug through the Silo’s very own foot race. The contestants head up the stairwell while Doug and Juliette descend it. Doug collides with the racers but manages to trick Juliette. Coming out of nowhere, he pushes her over the edge.
Juliette dangles from the railings of the stairwell from a dizzying height. Thankfully, the crowd spots Juliette hanging over the edge and comes to the rescue before she falls to her death. Juliette wastes no time in gaining an arrest warrant for Doug.
The killer happens to be with Sims, though. He’s aware that Doug has failed to frame Patrick or kill the only person who knew the truth, Juliette. Sims talks about his own past. His father was a janitor, yet he may have had a secret calling, which Sims calls the most important job in the Silo.
Sims mentions Doug’s other failings, implying that Doug messed up with George’s murder as well. Sims and Judicial seem to be the ones calling the shots, instigating both of these murders and maybe more.
Who is the killer in the Silo?
After accepting Doug as his new shadow, Sims pushes Doug over the edge to his death. The killer could not be trusted, he was a liability, and Sims needed to cover his and Judicial’s tracks too. Juliette takes her theory to Judge Meadows. They all agree that Doug was the killer. He killed Marnes and George. It’s a strong possibility that he killed Jahns as well.
Silo Season 1 Episode 5 Ending Explained
Bernard is impressed with Juliette’s work; he asks her if there is anything she needs. Juliette asks for two days off to pack up her things from the down deep. Next, she reunites with Martha, who is concerned about her friend. Martha has heard about Juliette’s recent brush with death.
As the episode ends, they discuss the camcorder that Martha has been working on. She worries that she’ll be arrested for owning such an illegal item. On top of this, Martha fears that Juliette will be killed next, as all the high-profile citizens are being murdered individually. Of course, Juliette can’t stop now. She needs to find out why George was killed.
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