Snowpiercer Episode 9 And Episode 10 Review And Recap- Icebreaker, Mr. Wilford, And Melanie’s Daughter

Snowpiercer Episode 9 and 10 set the stage for a family reunion and the return of a pissed off Mr. Wilford.

If the first half of the series felt a little slow, the last half was anything but. The last two episodes of Season 1 of Snowpiercer were everything we could have hoped for from the freshman series. They were action-packed, emotional, revelatory, and left so much room for Snowpiercer Season 2. Here’s everything you need to know about Snowpiercer Episode 9 and 10.

The Rebellion Is Victorious!

The Tailies and Third have won. That win cost them dearly, however. They left 147 people, including several important POW’s, seven cars, and all of the Jackboots. In the wake of the rebellion, Melanie and Layton have formed an uneasy alliance. He still distrusts her. She didn’t tell him he would have to choose to sacrifice the prisoners to win the train. War always comes at a price. She knows it, and he is learning it. To gain control of the train, Layton and Melanie disconnected the train into three sections at a critical turn allowing the middle part to veer onto another track and freeze to death. The engine would then reconnect to the remainder of the train and continue.

Originally Layton was going to give himself up after Pike told him he could save the whole train, including his unborn child. Commander Grey, who is more ruthless than smart, planned on gassing the entire train if necessary, damn the workers. Layton is willing to sacrifice himself for the group and his child, but Melanie arrives just in time with a plan. Kudos to the writers for developing such strong female characters. Bess Till(Mickey Sumner) and Miss Audrey(Lena Hall) are Layton’s confidants. They are his inner circle and the ones he respects the most. Both will be back in Season 2. Sumner’s Bess, in particular, has become a fan favorite.

Daveed Diggs(Layton) finds himself acting as a Founding Father in a second show. Fans of Hamilton(and who isn’t) know Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson were both played by Diggs. Once again, the gravelly-voiced man is playing a shaper of civilizations. This time his Layton is hoping for democracy on board the Snowpiercer. Life aboard the Snowpiercer was poised to change, but the arrival of a second train leaves that in flux.

Who Died?

Commander Grey, L.J.’s parents, a handful of other First Class passengers siding with The Folgers, all of the Jackboots, and a large group of the Rebellion who had been captured in the last episode were in the seven cars disconnected. Basically, its a lot of people we don’t care about excluding Grey(Timothy V. Murphy), who was turning into a fantastic villain.

What Was Really Going On In The Drawers?

We still don’t know. Some are affected profoundly like Strong Boy, and others wake up exactly the same. Strong Boy has retained all his physical skills, including quick reflexes, and appears to have his memories. He also now speaks Mandarin. There has been no explanation given, but you can bet Season 2 will delve into that. Jinju and Melanie may be experimenting on brain development or something more sinister like uploads similar to Altered Carbon.

The Women Of Snowpiercer Continue To Kill It.

Layton may be the protagonist, but he is standing tall next to several women who are his equal. In large part, that is due to excellent writing that retains the collective feminine edge of Till, Cavill(Jennifer Connelly), Ruth(Allison Wright), L.J.(Annalise Basso), and Miss Audrey while highlighting their strength. They all are compelling characters in their own right. Sumner and Hall are steely resolve, Connelly is fierce intelligence, Basso is off the wall insanity, and Wright is desperate loyalty. The ensemble cast has been the lifeblood of this season, and even the addition of Sean Bean’s Mr. Wilford can not change that.

Is The Second Train Icebreaker?

In the final moments of Snowpiercer Episode 10, a second larger train connects to Snowpiercer, and Alexandra Cavill greets the welcome party. She is acting on behalf of Mr. Wilford, who is in charge of the second train. Bennett and Melanie call the train Big Alice, but it is unclear if that is just the engine name or the entire train. Regardless of whether it’s called Big Alice, Icebreaker, or The Big Chill, it’s Wilford’s train and its big trouble. Alex inquires about her mother, who, of course, elected to play hero alone again and fell off the train when it stopped. Since the trains are stopped in theory, Melanie should be able to reboard without any problem. Mother and daughter have some catching up to do.

Layton And Melanie Have Opposite Parenting Styles.

Melanie’s greatest regret now that she has time to reflect is neglecting her daughter Alexandra. Rowan Blanchard, who you last saw in The Goldbergs and A Wrinkle In Time, plays Melanie’s commanding daughter. If Melanie is anything to go by, her daughter will be equally icy, intelligent, and calculating. Coupled with the fact that her mother effectively chose work over her and you can bet she’s a little resentful too. Layton, on the other hand, was willing to die for his child, who he hadn’t even met yet. With Melanie’s kid back in the fold and his baby on the way, that difference should bring plenty of conflicts.

From The Ashes Of War Rats Thrived.

Pike, Terrance, and Osweiler look poised to do well in the new world order regardless of who’s in command. They are all opportunists who have connections and a penchant for survival. Now that L.J. and Osweiler have hooked up, the morally grey drug dealer has a crazed enforcer at the ready. L.J. is a rudderless ship without her bodyguard/lover and her family. Osweiler is just the sort of person perfect for filling that void. Unfortunately, he is not a quality person, so once again, she will be led astray. She is more than he bargained for, however, as she is an actual killer.

Snowpiercer Episode 9 and 10 ended with a heart-pounding screech. Game of Thrones’ Sean Bean is about to board the train. If Melanie is telling the truth, he is an elitist pig that will not want anything to be fair. He will also be harboring a grudge against Melanie. With seven years of anger and a cavalier attitude towards humanity’s survival, these two trains will definitely clash. Catch up on all our Snowpiercer coverage here, and until next season see you around.

Stray Thoughts:

• Why can’t the people aboard Snowpiercer come up with more clever names for their punishment? Lung Of Ice, although accurate, is less than elegant. How about Blizzard Breath or Frozen Icy Exhalation?
• Melanie lied and maintained an order that was detrimental to lots of people, but she had one spectacular drop the mike moment when she bluntly says, “I saved humanity.” She made some bad decisions, but I think we can cut her a little slack.
• I love Roche. When Bess told him to fight for his lunchmeat, and that swayed him, I busted a gut. Evidently, he knows what’s worth fighting for, and it is Pimento Loaf.
• Minus 121.9 degrees Celsius is 185.8 degrees Fahrenheit for those metrically challenged.