Common reveals the power struggle driving Robert Sims in Silo season 3

Season 3 is flipping the script as the show’s most conflicted villain heads for a redemption arc that could upend every alliance.

The Sims Family Power Shuffle

Last season hit us with one of those classic Silo twists: Juliette saves the day in Silo 18 after unearthing the true, bleak history about the outside world—and the ill-fated rebellion in Silo 17. But while all that chaos played out on the top decks, the real game of thrones was happening elsewhere.

Enter Robert Sims (played by Common), the man who always fancied himself a player, not a pawn. He spent much of Season 2 jostling for more access, keen to get deeper into the Judicial and IT’s inner workings; essentially, whatever corridor of power still had a door open. You’d think after all that scheming, things might work out for him. Instead, he ends up in the classic position of the ambitious—outwitted at the last hurdle.

• Power vacuum: The unrest in Silo 18 leaves room at the top.
• Sims promoted: Bernard picks Sims as his new shadow in IT (for about five minutes, anyway).
• Algorithm's curveball: Sims, confident he’s finally 'in', takes his family to the vault as the rebellion heats up. Instead of a coronation, the Algorithm lets through only his wife, Camille—blocking him at the door and making it very clear who's actually trusted to hold the keys.
• Trust broken: Sims, knocked back, has to swallow the bitter pill, watching the place of power and safety go to his wife while being told—quite literally—to 'get out of the room'.

Sims and Camille: Same Team, Different Game

Up until now, Robert and Camille Sims have been portrayed as that relentlessly ambitious couple—united and determined to climb every rung together. Except, when the Algorithm made its pick, Camille was the one who proved her worth. She’s shown she can keep Silo 18 ticking, slickly handling both the IT systems and the awkward politics. Meanwhile, Robert, ever the tough guy, could never quite do the diplomacy part. Maybe that’s why he ended up literally stuck outside the vault.

Speaking to MovieWeb, Common gave a pretty telling summary:
'The powers that be gave that position to Camille and told me to get out of the room. Now you find Sims in a place where everything that he has been believing in his whole life, everything he’s worked for, has been kind of taken away.'

The TV vs the Books: Sims Gets Promoted

Here’s where things get interesting for the book readers: in Hugh Howey’s novels, Sims is basically background noise—more Bernard’s henchman than a proper character. The TV series has decided to take his arc and run with it, giving him the sort of depth and internal crisis that make for good telly. Watching a loyal enforcer discover he’s expendable is a classic twist, but it’s handled well enough here, especially with the added weight of him losing his trust in the so-called 'powers that be.'

Looking Ahead: Sims vs the System?

The show teases plenty in the Season 3 opener—the mysterious Founders are hinted at, and the real master Silo is still out there, somewhere off-stage. If you’re wondering where Sims goes from here, expect him to start digging into the real structure of Silo 18’s government and who’s actually running the shop. That’s inevitably going to cause friction with Camille, now officially his boss as well as partner at home.

Common’s described Sims as the classic insider who’s suddenly started to get suspicious. He pointed out the real-world parallels, saying it’s like when people start questioning what the government or the news is actually telling them. When everything you believed starts to wobble, you either double down or start looking for the real story. Sims feels like the latter.

Silo Season 3 is streaming now on Apple TV+.