Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) only three episodes in The beast Season 2, and he’s already had a rough ride. Bad news? He is trapped in an abandoned, flooded cell surrounded by corpses and a poisonous atmosphere, completely isolated from his friends and family with the threat of death looming at every turn. The good news? You’ve made a new friend!
But who exactly is Solo (Steve Zahn), the apparent survivor of Monster 17? Why is he the only one alive? And why is he so determined to stay hidden in the basement?
Let’s recap episode 3 and see what we know so far.
Who is Solo?
After meeting Solo at the end of episode 1, Juliette gets to know more about him in episode 3. Unfortunately, the news he has for her is not what she wants to hear.
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“My name is Solo, Solo, because I am alone here,” he says. “Then I am Solo. And no one forced people out. They chose to leave. And when they came out, it was a beautiful day. Everyone was smiling. And then the dust started to blow again. And I think the poison was gone. It went away slowly, but it came back – and more of it and that’s when they all died there.
Solo continues to tell Juliette a story about Ron Tucker, a man who wanted out but refused to clean, instead writing “Lies” on the camera lens before disappearing around the corner.
“Two days later they painted on the screen – ‘Lies’, more than what he had written,” continued Solo. “That’s when the fight started. So Russell put me in here. Russell was the head of IT, and I was his shadow. And Russell told me that you can— no matter what – don’t let anyone in the room. Always.”
Solo is determined not to leave the airport.
Credit: Apple TV+
Is Solo telling the truth?
At first glance, Solo’s story sounds believable enough. We’ve seen the bodies outside of King 17, and we know we’re doomed. His tale of people who rebel and go outside, die, makes sense. Being a Solo Head of IT reputation would also make sense, given that only the Head of IT and their reputation can access the vault.
On the other hand, there are also gaps. When Juliette asks Solo about the bodies outside the vault that are “as old as the others,” he refuses to answer. He also avoids some of her questions, and when he recounts the day when everyone went outside, his eyes leave Juliette’s just before he says, “It was a good day.” It seems like there are things he is not telling her.
Then there is the question of those bodies outside the vault. Towards the end of the episode Juliette finds the words “WE’RE GOING IN SOON OR LATER” scrawled on the door opposite Solo’s watch necklace, which means that people have tried to get inside the basement. The question is why does Solo not want to help them? And if he’s telling Juliette the truth about what happened in Monster 17, why does she react so badly to some of his questions? Looks like there’s something going on here…
How to view: The beast is streaming now on Apple TV+ with new episodes every week.
