PremiumSnowpiercer Season 3 Episode 2 review: Wilford’s plan to stop Layton’s train dead on the tracks goes up in smoke
There’s a cry for battle at the end of episode 2, as Wilford with his 1023-car long train and Layton’s pirate train attempt to reconnect.
Last Updated: 03.14 PM, Feb 01, 2022
Story: The new passenger aboard the pirate train is Asha, a nuclear scientist, who survived on the power plant. After six months of scouting locations where humanity can possibly recolonize, while also searching for Melanie, the pirate train is low on supplies, which means, they’ve got to reconnect with the rest of Wilford’s train and fast. But the satellite’s not picking up any sign of the train, until, of course, an EMP burst alerts Layton and co of the location of the other and they set course for it on the parallel track.
Turns out, the EMP device was meant to be Wilford’s ace against Layton, to stop the pirate train dead in its track. But a last-minute intervention by Ruth, who gave herself up to Wilford, allowed Pike and gang to throw it off the train just in time.
Review: After last week’s relatively slow start to the season, episode 2 picks up steam and how! Wilford knows that Layton’s pirate train will be back at some point, and he’s prepared to take them on with one final blow – an EMP device that he’s fitted in the last car of his train, where the other has to reconnect. Wilford wants to fire it full blast at the pirate train and stop it dead in its tracks, which will allow him take charge. But Ruth and the rest of the resistance will have none of that; all of this as Wilford throws a party to celebrate the wedding of LJ and Oz. More on that later.
This episode offered up a lot to process – Asha’s backstory; the disappointment that the earth is not warming as fast as Layton and co. hoped for, with their last hope at a location in the Middle East; the Loyal Wedding, which LJ hopes will help her move up the ladders again and give her control of the train some day; and the reunion of Big Alice/Snowpiercer and the pirate train. But the absolute highlight was Ruth’s arc. Since being thrown in to work in compost with Layton at the end of Season 2 and then presumed dead or aboard the pirate train, Ruth has been living off the grid, helping people in the tail and gathering intel on what Wilford is up to. Holed up in a dingy space near the disbanded first class, she sees engineer Javi test a device and figures Wilford is up to no good.
Pike hopes that Lights can disarm the device, but in the process, they accidentally end up arming it at full blast. To give them enough time to get rid of it, Ruth gives herself up to Wilford, who, in turn wants to exact his pound of meat – cut off her hand by exposure to the cold and high up that she can’t have a prosthetic. It’s in those moments, as Wilford explains why she deserves said punishment that Alison Wright, as Ruth, has some of her finest moments. Thankfully, just as her arm was to be stuck into a hole on the train designed for the purpose, the pirate train appears. To the battle stations, says Wilford. Next week’s gonna be one helluva reunion; what say?
Verdict: There’s a promo out for next weekend’s episode and by the looks of it, the writers/makers of Snowpiercer have really stepped up the game. Bad enough that we get to watch the episode hours after its telecast on TNT when it drops on Netflix, but can we get to Tuesday already?