Who is Knox in Silo? Character role explored

Based on Hugh Howey's best-selling trilogy of novels, Silo has brought two seasons of the hit dystopian sci-fi drama to Apple TV+ so far, with two more seasons coming sometime in late 2025 to 2026. It tells the story of the last remaining citizens living inside an underground bunker complex in a post-apocalyptic world.

Most of the plot revolves around Juliette Nichols, the engineer who rebelled against her authority and discovered that there are dozens of other bunker complexes like theirs.

However, the series also tells the story of the citizens who started a rebellion after Juliette left. One of the key characters in the series and the rebellion that shaped the second season is Knox, played by Shane McRae.

Knox is the head of Mechanical in Silo 18. He was one of the main characters responsible for making the rebellion successful at the end of season 2.

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What happened to Knox in Silo?

Knox was a recurring character in the first season of the Apple TV+ post-apocalyptic drama as the head of Mechanical. He was born and raised in the Down Deep, and he knew about the secret cavern with the wall of names written on it, although he didn't know what it meant then. When Juliette first arrived in Mechanical from the mids, she was assigned to shadow Knox.

He was promoted to the main cast in the second season because he was going to be one of the key characters who would lead the rebellion, which was the main arc of Silo 18's story in season 2. Knox was the leader who held Mechanical together when the unrest grew after Juliette left and refused to clean.

People wanted answers, but the authority, headed by Mayor Bernard Holland, wouldn't give it to them.

With Mechanical's demand for the truth about what happened to Juliette, Knox worked closely with Shirley Campbell, played by Remmie Milner, to meet Mayor Bernard at the Up Top. However, Bernard used Knox and Shirley as the scapegoats for his killing of Judge Mary Meadows.

However, Knox, Shirley, Walker, Billings, and the rest of the deputies outsmarted Bernard in the end. With the help of Juliette's father, Dr. Nichols, they successfully bombed the stairs without Bernard knowing, as seen in the Silo season 2 finale.

While the rebellion was successful, the mass extermination, aka The Safeguard, didn't happen because Juliette returned and stopped people from opening the vault and going outside.

At the end of season 2, Knox was one of the surviving Silo 18 citizens, who is expected to return in the anticipated season 3.

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Shane McRae played Knox in the series

Gainesville, Florida-born Shane McRae is a familiar face on television as he's starred in numerous TV shows before he was cast as Knox in Silo. Since he started acting in 1998 with an episodic role in Promised Land, he went on to guest star in Hack, One Life to Live, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent before starring as Bobby in the comedy series Four Kings.

McRae also landed starring and recurring roles in The Following, Paradise Lost, Alaska Daily, and Sneaky Pete. There are also a handful of film projects in the actor's repertoire, including One Small Hitch, which earned a Best Actor Award in the 2014 Naperville Independent Film Festival.

He also starred in Still Alice alongside Hollywood veteran Julianne Moore, Modern Persuasion, Lanksy, and Midday Black Midnight Blue.

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Catch Silo season 1 and season 2 only on Apple TV+.