‘Silo’: Who Is Martha Walker? Is She a Flamekeeper?

Juliette Nichols has little in the form of family and support in Apple TV+’s Silo, but Martha Walker has always had her back. Not only does Martha act as her therapist, but she is also her relics consultant and basically the only true friend Juliette has in the show. With no one to turn to after Bernard Holland and Robert Sims found a way to get rid of her, Martha Walker and the rest of Mechanical were Juliette’s last hope. So, who is Martha in Silo, and why can’t she ever step outside?

On the surface, Martha Walker is just a mechanic in charge of the electronics workshop in the down-deep. However, she secretly works with Juliette and other Flamekeepers to uncover hidden facts about The Silo. She also suffers from a long-term mental disorder that makes her afraid of going outside. Flashbacks show a 13-year-old Juliette being informed that she hadn’t left the workshop in years.

She agrees with Juliette’s ambition to find out the truth about The Silo, but she is also a mother figure in Juliette’s life and therefore encourages caution. Unlike Juliette’s father, who is afraid of asking questions, Martha is brave enough to ask them and opposes the many oppressive rules in The Pact. Her friendship with Juliette and other workers in Mechanical is key in keeping Juliette alive when she is eventually sent to clean, so let’s look at why she will save Juliette’s life.

Who plays Martha Walker in Silo?

Martha Walker is portrayed by the British actress Harriet Walter, known for many roles, including Caroline Collingwood in Succession.

Walter started her career with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1980s, starring in plays like Three Sisters, for which won her the Olivier Award for best actress.

She has also appeared in many popular movies and TV shows in her 5-decade career, including Star Wars: Force Awakens, The Young Victoria, A Royal Affair, and Killing Eve.

Silo is one of her biggest sci-fi roles, and her talent and experience over the years made her a natural fit.

Not only does she bring out the mother in Martha, but she also perfectly captures the effect of years of staying in the dark on her.

Portraying the sense of love and care in a dystopian atmosphere where very little love is expressed makes Martha one of the best-played characters in Silo.

Despite appearing old and frail, Martha is actually very wise and one of the most experienced mechanical engineers in The Silo.

Martha’s grumpy appearance with a constant frown proves that she has suffered a lot and hasn’t had anything to smile about in a long time.

She makes the perfect mother figure for Juliette to look up to as she encourages her to follow her dreams and not trust anyone in the higher-ups.

Martha’s words were the final push Juliette Nichols needed to go ahead and find answers despite the dangers involved.

Harriet Walter brings out the grumpy but loving motherly figure perfectly, portraying Martha as a true survivor of The Silo’s worst moments.

Martha’s relationship with Juliette explained

Juliette met Martha when she moved to Mechanical aged just 13 years old, and while still mourning her mother’s death.

Martha’s tough love clearly played a big role in turning Juliette into the person she is in Silo because Martha seems to understand her inside out.

Martha is also a motherly figure to other younger residents of the Downdeep, having lived in the electronics workshop for years.

Her friendship with Juliette grew stronger as Juliette leaned on her for counsel and comfort after her boyfriend, George Wilkins, was killed.

Martha understood her suspicion that he was murdered and was willing to help her get the answers.

Juliette took the relics collected by George to Martha’s workshop, hoping to get to the root of his death, but she was made sheriff before she could get all the answers.

Despite moving to the higher-ups as sheriff, Juliette gave Martha a radio that allowed them to stay in communication, which is why they had planned to meet before Juliette was arrested.

Is Martha Walker a Flamekeeper?

Although the show doesn’t identify Martha as a Flamekeeper, she is obviously one since she is a believer in another reality other than what the higher-ups tell Silo residents.

Gloria Hildebrandt didn’t name Martha as a Flamekeeper either, but she made it clear to Juliette that some Flame Keepers still exist.

Despite hating the higher-ups and handling illegal relics, Martha has maintained a low profile by keeping her circle tight.

For some reason, Holland and Sims had no idea that she was a rebel, just like Juliette, and IT didn’t have surveillance on her apartment.

There are many theories for why Judicial doesn’t see Martha as a threat, but our working theory is that she is just so good at keeping a low profile that she escapes the circle of suspicion.

Why doesn’t Martha Walker go outside in Silo?

Martha Walker suffers from agoraphobia, a condition that makes her afraid of walking around in the open.

Flashbacks to when Juliette joined Mechanical revealed that she was already confined to her workshop when Juliette was 13.

Going by Juliette’s current age, Martha could have been confined to her workshop for over two decades.

The exact cause of her condition has not been revealed, but it might have something to do with the trauma that she experienced at the hands of the police state.

Her condition might also be the reason why IT never got the chance to plant cameras and microphones in her workshop since she never leaves.

However, the condition has also affected her health, especially her feet, as revealed in the eighth episode of the show’s first season.

She looks old and sick, which might explain the reason why Robert Sims doesn’t consider her a threat making her the perfect ally for Juliette.