Ryan Shoots First: Snowpiercer (S1 Ep6) “Trouble Comes Sideways”

Grungy voiceover narration seems to be a favorite of Snowpiercer as the episode starts with someone who looks to be throwing up. The stomach bile begins shorting out electrical systems as it trickles down into the trains underbelly… gross. Meanwhile many on the train in third class are planning to go on strike and stop working at one time all together. This has serious ramifications and Melanie responds by claiming she will crush them. Again Snowpiercer is either the luckiest show or they saw the future for the current events currently playing out. 

Layton wakes up with Zarah after coming out of hibernation. He’s a little hysterical and the two get in a fight as Melanie heads into third class and reminds them if they don’t work they lose their place on the train and how there is a tail full of people that would kill for what they have. Josie then makes her way to Layton and plans to get him out of there. On their way out we see a poster for Mezmerize the Master of Mystery. Where is he? I’m sure he could do something but this plays zero into the story they just seemed to oddly position it in the frame. Anyway Layton tells Josie about Melanie’s secret but tells her not to tell anyone until they find a way to use it. 

Back down at the electrical issue from the opening the techs discover something very important and vital sparking and stuff. Josie takes Layton to the nurse who recognizes his symptoms as he is agitated and is trying to find out why they are keeping people in the drawers. She doesn’t know why but reveals there are a bunch of cars with people under for all kinds of reasons, mass incarceration, human experiments, all kinds of stuff. The doc is fed up and ready to flip sides. She shows Layton that every passenger has a profile and some have a red X on them. She suspects this is designated for people who are a threat to the train as Layton has one as well as Josie and herself as of 2 weeks ago. 

Melanie manages to get a look at the electrical issue that has caused the brakes to seize up. Back from the break we catch back up with the Breacher who is a pretty cool character. He is terrifying a bunch of children and telling them about what the breachers do. Melanie shows up and recruits him for the brake job but not before checking in on young Miles who is quite the prodigy. In the night car Zarah is pleading with Audrey to call off the strike and it’s revealed Zarah is pregnant, I suppose with Laytons baby. Layton escapes the medical train as he is kinda tripping out. Ruth vents to Melanie about Mr. Wilford losing his touch…yea that’s not a good move, know your audience. On her way to the guys working on the brakes Layton grabs Melanie. While he is lecturing her a big accident happens at the repair job that causes an explosion and sends the whole train rocking uncontrollably. Layton gets back in control and Melanie tells him the stasis is not a prison but that the train is dying, the stasis is a selection to preserve people to survive after the freeze is over and to start the new world. I have to give it to Jennifer Connelly’s casting, she does a great job playing all the sides and I kinda see where she is coming from. The job she has is stressful balancing all the stuck up snobs and downtrodden free loaders on the train. The show has yet to really unveil anything diabolical from her to make her this big villain. Sure there are jerk offs all over the train but little has stuck to her and you can kind of see where she is coming from. Layton must as well as he lets her go to fix the train. Melanie rolls her sleeves up metaphorically of course cause it’s murder cold outside, and sets outside to fix the issue, they are coming up on a canyon and if they don’t fix the issue the train will derail. 

Ruth comes over the intercom to sooth the passengers and prepare them for what could be the end of the train. Layton makes it back to Josie to spend their last moments together. After a pep talk Melanie is able to cut the blue wire and defuse the bomb at 1 second left. She fixes the train and saves the day as the train makes the bridge. Again who is the hero of this story cause it really seems to be Melanie. Everyone rejoices and celebrates their survival. I will say that the worst part about this show being on TNT is the sheer volume of commercials. I swear that entire segment was no more than 5 minutes before we went back into break. In 2020 it’s infuriating and TNT’s On-Demand app does not allow fast forwarding. Breach and Bennet are greeted as heroes Bennett delivers a great speech and Melanie the REAL hero slips in unnoticed and gets ZERO credit. Again am I supposed to not like her? Dr. Pelton sets up Josie and Layton in her suite which looks like any 70’s grandma apartment complete with that same giant couch with brown on brown printed upholstery, you know the one. They do what many on the train will be doing resulting in a pretty big population boom in 9 months that our hero Melanie will probably have to figure out as well! Her work is never done. At the end of the episode she brings in young Miles and tells him Mr. Wilford needs something from him. I’m sure she just wants to encourage his young mind and will do absolutely nothing wrong to him. Melanie is good, Melanie is great. All Hail Melanie!