Ryan Shoots First: Snowpiercer (S1 Ep7) “The Universe is Indifferent”
Welcome back to Melanie’s hero story where she keeps a bunch of whiny ungrateful people alive. This with LJ providing the narration that the universe doesn’t really care what we want and Snowpiercer is the manifestation of that. Melanie is consulting with her engineers that Layton knows the truth and is on the run. Melanie knows he won’t tell anyone until he figures out the best way to use it… she’s so smart. As is the custom when someone important dies they name they’re replacement. Melanie chooses Miles cause she is all about giving people opportunities. This of course shocks Josie and Layton who are too busy doing the nasty to care for their Tail-son. Melanie starts her own investigation to find Layton… and I bet it won’t take her 3 episodes like it took him to solve his mystery.
Layton gets smuggled in to meet Audrey and Bennett visits to take Miles away, he’s given a real orange and alllll the kids are jealous. To be fair cuties are delicious. Bennett is talking to Miles and he suddenly starts throwing up and is taken away to quarantine as the rest of the class PUTS ON MASKS again with this Snowpiercer??? Timing is everything and this show unwittingly nailed it’s timing. After Commander Grey does some knacking on Ruth, Bess finds out that Layton is out and Jinju questions her if she had anything to do with it. Audrey and Layton brood at each other about how much they care about revolution and Layton tells her to gather people she trusts to “tell a story”.
Miles is taken to the Dr. and it is Dr. Pelton, Josie is disguised as the nurse and she gets a chance to see her son but Bennett is watching closely. The teacher is doing what she can to distract Bennett it appears she is in on it by the look she gives the doctor. Josie is able to get a message to Miles to be ready when the time comes and slip out before Bennett catches her. Ruth and Grey are enjoying their date and reminisce about meeting Mr. Wilford and joining the SnowPiercer. Grey says the date is not the only reason he met with her. The Folgers walk in and tell Ruth Melanie has too much control over Mr Wilford, they want her to take over. Rich people Mutiny! Melanie confronts Zarah about Andre’s whereabouts and threatens her unborn child telling her having a baby on the train is a privilege that can be revoked.
Layton gets his meeting with the consortium but is reluctant to give up the juicy details. Meanwhile in the tail Melanie shows up in the tail and threatens them that they will fail and brings in Zarah, she tells them who Josie is and she is hauled away. They lead her to a room where Melanie sends Bess outside and she is not comfortable with it. Josie does the smart move of telling Melanie she knows the secret, then she tells her Miles is her daughter. We don’t know that Melanie knew that…Josie would be awful art poker. Melanie realizes she won’t talk, hooks up some sort of hose that blasts cold air and she slowly freezes Josie’s finger. She then hammers it off. Home girl don’t play. Like a pro though she keeps her composure and throws up once she is in private. Bess decides to get in there to see what has happened and asks Josie what she can do after seeing her predicament. Josie tells her there is nothing she can do but that she is one of them now essentially. She cant help but promises to get a message to Layton that Miles is ready. Ruth tries to tell Melanie about the Folgers but Melanie snaps at her. I suppose that Mutiny is sounding pretty good right about now to Ruth. Melanie heads in and tells Josie she has to pick between Miles on Andre but discovers Josie has frozen her entire hand meaning she can shatter it to escape her shackles. She attacks Mel and the two wrestle to the ground. Josie manages to get the ice gun and instead of blasting Melanie right in the faces opts to try and choke her out with it. Like Thor she should have gone for the head. Eventually the hose comes undone and Melanie escapes leaving Josie to freeze to death in the interrogation room.
Bess shows up distraught to inform Layton of the news he does not take it well as you may imagine as Melanie meets up with Miles to see if he is ready to step through the engineer door. During Audreys performance LJ is told her “experience” is ready but she gets more than she bargained for in the form of crazy eyed Andre who asks her if she would like to know the dirtiest secret on the whole train. When I say crazy eyes I mean caraaaazy eyes.
Melanie continues to be the most interesting and the best character on the show as this week we see some of that dark side come out and just how far she is willing to go for the sake of the train. The things she tells herself to justify it all and the walls are closing in around her. Her performance seemed to have subtly when needed and every line is delivered with purpose and precision. Diggs’ Andre on the other hand is hit or miss. Sometimes it feels like he is playing tough guy based on what he’s seen other tough guys in genre movies do. I just can’t seem to get behind him maybe it’s because his best work was on stage where you need to overact and sell for the people in the back row. On TV it comes off as a bit much. His crazy eyes at the very end of the episode made me audibly laugh at a moment the show was trying so hard to make him seem to be a broken husk of a man. Still the show is picking up steam and as long as Melanie is there I’ll keep tuning in.
