Published Jun 30, 2026, 7:29 PM EDT
Michael Hein has been covering entertainment, fandom news, and trending topics since 2016 on outlets including **Rogues Portal, PopCulture.com, **and ComicBook.com. He has provided live coverage of red carpet premieres, conventions, and up-fronts, and has interviewed major stars including **Charles Dance, Patrick Stewart, **and Chloe Sevigny. An avid fiction reader and writer, Michael has been diving deep into all the biggest book-to-screen adaptations of the last decade, from ***Game of Thrones **to *Foundation.
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If there was any doubt left that Apple TV is the premiere destination for streaming science fiction, ***Silo ***Season 3 put it rest. The new season premieres on Friday, July 3, but critics who have gotten an early look are already raving about the new episodes. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season already has a 100% Fresh rating, with nine reviews from trusted critics accounted for so far. This is a great sign for *Silo *fans, but it also says a lot about Apple TV’s investment in prestige sci-fi dramas in general. The streamer has built a brand on this genre, and unlike its competitors, Apple has stayed the course rather than relying on big hits to carry the whole brand. The result is a rising tide that lifts all ships.
*Silo *was not exactly a guaranteed hit when Apple TV first picked it up. The TV series is based on a trilogy of self-published novels by Hugh Howey, though even those books began as a short story that grew in the telling. Unlike most book-to-screen adaptations, the *Silo *TV series is longer and more involved than the books. The creators have added a lot of material to expand the story and setting, where most TV crews end up cutting material from books to streamline them.
From the studio’s perspective, this approach was risky. However, while other streamers were cutting down run-times on established franchises, Apple TV showed complete faith in projects like Silo. The result is a broader trust from fans, who now see Apple as an overall destination for sci-fi — not just the home of one great show. In addition to Silo, Apple has another season of ***Foundation ***on the way, along with Murderbot, Severance, and Pluribus. The hit sci-fi drama For All Mankind even got a spinoff titled Star City. Taken all together, these payoffs are greater than any one-hit wonder another streamer might boast about.
*Silo *really embodies the strength of Apple TV’s approach, and its Season 3 reviews are the latest payoff. The series is not designed for a quick hit that will pay all the bills at once, it’s a slow-burn mystery that requires time to build momentum through word-of-mouth reviews and anticipation. Apple did not rush the series to hit some success metric, and it didn’t punish the series by cutting its budget along the way. The result is a perfect Tomatometer score heading into Season 3, and more fan engagement online than most series dream of.
A similar creative approach is at play for Foundation, which is now filming its fourth season. The TV series is based on one of the most iconic sci-fi epics of all time written by Isaac Asimov, but again, the TV creators have added and expanded material to make it more cohesive for streaming. The show may not have done Stranger Things numbers right out of the gate, but Apple TV gave it time and allowed audiences to find it organically.
The upside is that when audiences *do *find these hits on Apple TV, there is already a full catalog waiting for them with rich worldbuilding to delve into. It’s an especially strong approach for fans of sci-fi, who are often completionists prone to deep-dives and obsessions. By comparison, many commenters online still hold grudges against other streamers for canceling sci-fi shows prematurely. Just look at the still-grumbling *Sense8 *fandom for an example.
Much like the underground shelters in *Silo *were built to last for thousands of years, Apple TV’s science fiction shows are created to stand the test of time. Other streamers have taken a lot of criticism in recent years for cutting corners on expensive productions, and some critics have even questioned whether sci-fi and fantasy are sustainable on the current streaming model. Some predicted that the “streaming bubble” would “burst,” and that shows with CGI dragons and space travel would suddenly fall by the wayside.
So far, Apple seems to be immune from this problem. *Silo *may not have a lot of special effects to deal with, but the series has spared no expense to look great. The elaborate subterranean sets are immaculate, and every shot is cinematic. It manages to evoke the same authenticity as the space-faring Foundation, inviting fans to look closely without any fear of seeing the seams that hold it all together.
‘Silo’ is cementing itself as one of the most defining sci-fi dramas of the streaming era.
Of course, the lynchpin to fans’ confidence in these shows is that they are reasonably certain shows will get renewals if they deserve it. Apple TV doesn’t have the same track record of broken hearts that its biggest competitors do. That may have a lot to do with luck and timing, but there’s something to be said for keeping an eye on the bigger picture. Other streamers may not have let *Silo *get this far to find its rhythm and earn a 100% rating.
Hopefully, Apple TV is paving the way for sci-fi and for streaming in general when it comes to investing in creators and giving audiences time to find them. *Silo *Season 3 kicks off on Friday, July 3. Howey’s novels are available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.