S3E2 – The Last to Go
Another Tuesday, another new episode of Snowpiercer! This time around, the POV roles are reversed: Snowpiercer’s the one on the sidelines now, while Big Alice takes center stage.
Aside from the end, nothing particularly exciting happens on the Snowpiercer side of things. Asha, the survivor from the outside, acclimates to the train. Conveniently, she can speak English. Oddly, she also knows about Snowpiercer… why? Do Asha and Mr. Wilford somehow know each other? What business did Wilford Industries have here anyway, running a train line through North Korea of all places?
Layton also ruminates on his near-death visions of a dragon tree. I’m not quite sure how I feel about this… Layton just doesn’t strike me as the spiritual type.
Maybe that’s the point, but still… depending on where the show takes the idea, this new emphasis on prophetic visions could go very badly.
Big Events on Big Alice
Back on Big Alice, meanwhile, Wilford’s doing what he does best: scheming. While the cat & mouse game continues between the Jackboots and the rebels, Wilford’s built an EMP bomb in the hopes of using it to strike Snowpiercer first by knocking out its engines.
Uh… what? Was that just sitting there below First Class the whole time? Did he transport it there somehow? Why would a luxury train car come equipped with an EMP bomb? Did he build it from scratch? Where did he get the resources and manpower, when everyone’s working non-stop just to keep the train alive? It’s cool, sure, but the whole idea just doesn’t makes sense to me… but I digress.
Oz and LJ, neither of whom I like, decide to get married. Wilford being Wilford, he seizes the chance to twist the event into a huge morale-raising celebration, despite Oz’s protests. The rebels, sensing an opportunity, move to try and disable the EMP.
It’s a decent story line, for the most part… aside from one particular scene. You know the one… but just in case, let’s say ol’ Wilford took the phrase “grab life by the balls” a little bit too seriously. First the mango scene, now this? I just… why?
Also, Kevin… you absolute idiot. Check. The. EMP. I know you’ve got your little vendetta against Ruth, but that device is… was your biggest advantage against Snowpiercer, and you know there’s some rebels still sneaking around. Ruth or no Ruth, they aren’t gonna give up just because it’s a bit chilly at the other end. Think, Kevin, think!
Conclusion
I swear, this episode made me lose some brain cells. Kevin’s a terrible person, sure, but he shouldn’t be this stupid. I know they can’t have someone guarding the EMP 24/7, for obvious reasons, but at least send a guard or two up there to make sure the area is clear. It wouldn’t have even changed the plot that much; they still wouldn’t have made it in time, just have them arrive a moment too late to stop the rebels from pushing the damn thing outside. It’d also make for a neat short skirmish before the main event.
Speaking of which… the defusing attempt fails, and the EMP is jettisoned before it goes off at full power. Thus, Wilford’s secret weapon accidentally exposes Big Alice’s whereabouts, as Snowpiercer triangulates their location from the pulse.
I figured the trains would remain separated for at least one more episode, but I’m fine with this development. Next week’s episode should be an exciting one… I hope.
Tyler DeWriter 