Snowpiercer Season 3 Episode 2 The Last To Go Review-A Nuanced And Highly Charged Thriller

There ain’t no sunshine where Ruth is, in a very strong Snowpiercer Season 3 Episode 2 that gave Alison Wright a chance to shine.

I’m never going to complain about a Ruth-centric episode. Snowpiercer Season 3 Episode 2 gave us a glimpse into Ruth’s past that has us wanting more. All of the women of Snowpiercer arguably have more significant impacts on the story than the two men who represent the factions’ leadership. As much gravitas as Daveed Digg’s Layton has and as scene-stealing as Sean Bean’s indulgent, megalomaniacal Mr. Wilford, the backbone of the series is the women. Ruth, Josie, LJ, Alex, Melanie, Bess, and Miss Audrey make for a fascinating group. Now that the mysterious and haunted Asha(Archie Panjabi) has joined the mix, that doesn’t appear to be changing soon.

Asha has been open about how she survived in the nuclear power plant. She is erratic and unpredictable, though. On a train like Snowpiercer with a villain like Wilford, this is an explosive situation that could quickly spiral out of control. Panjabi is a gifted actress who gives Asha a sense of sadness and resolution to every word. She has been alone for four long years, and she saw a lot of violence and loss in the last eight years. Unfortunately, Layton may be asking too much of her.

Layton’s train continues to be disappointed by their findings. The Earth is heating up but not enough to be inhabitable in the five spots they checked so far. They are disappointed, but Layton argues they aren’t returning to reclaim the train empty-handed. He isn’t as manipulative as Wilford, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t cagey. He knows Asha represents hope. Alex may have lost hope in finding her mother, but Asha means anything is possible. We may yet see Jennifer Connelly again.

Ruth continues to be the biggest surprise. In Season 2, she was developing independence from Wilford’s ideals. In Snowpiercer Season 3 Episode 2, that transformation is complete. She is willing to sacrifice herself for the rebellion. She understands Layton needs Wilford’s EMP destroyed and the only way to buy time for that to happen is to give herself up. If that means she is punished using the same arm freezing method she used on others, so be it. She is strong in the face of his ridicule. Alison Wright has created a strong, multifaceted woman with a backstory that I am dying to hear more of.

Thanks to resourceful Lights and Pike, they are able to get the weapon off the train before Wilford can use it against Layton. When the weapon was deployed, it also solved Bennett’s satellite problem. They had been unable to locate Big Alice, but now they had a visual reference for their attack. Better still, Wilford would have no idea they were coming.

Creators Graeme Manson, Josh Friedman, and their team of writers have developed a complex villain in Wilford. Unlike the movie, Wilford is both very real and more deeply complicated. The version of Wilford we saw in Bong Joon Ho’s film is one-dimensional. He is a greedy figurehead for control and elitism. Bean’s Wilford is sadomasochistic and thrives on pain and turmoil. It isn’t just about power or greed. The fight is as important as the win because he is deeply disturbed. It’s no shock that he mentally broke Miss Audrey.

Wilford’s bathtub scene with Dr. Headwood, a deliciously batty and deadly nutter, played to perfection by Sakina Jaffrey and Kevin(Tom Lipinski), is a brilliant turn. Although the scene is hilarious, a deeper look reveals a more unsettling truth. He bathes in front of them because it makes them uncomfortable. His nakedness isn’t a vulnerability but another tool in his arsenal. All of his bath scenes speak to a deep-seated evil in him. His use of bathwater isn’t just a selfish indulgence but belies a hidden truth. There’s undoubtedly some trauma in his past that happened in a tub.

It’s a testament to the writing and incredible performances of Annalise Basso and Sam Otto that the train’s biggest psychopaths are also the sweetest couple. I have a strange fascination with them. Every moment is mesmerizing, reminiscent of Juliette Lewis and Woody Harrelson in Natural Born Killers. It’s like watching a slow-motion disaster. Oz’s proposal is sweet but warped when LJ uses it to curry favor with Mr. Wilford. She thinks it is the perfect time to cement their position of power. Mr. Wilford wants to use their wedding as a spectacle to distract everyone from their misery. It’s Snowpiercer’s form of bread and circuses.

Oz is upset about the wedding and LJ’s conniving and social climbing. Otto is developing a sympathetic character who I forget was abusive and opportunistic just a season ago. That is primarily because of his proximity to LJ, a killer, and Wilford, a monster. The uncomfortable and wince-worthy scene between Oz and Wilford is electric. Wilford is a sadomasochistic. He teaches pleasure is only possible through pain. I wonder how long before Oz’s sensitive side is squashed or he changes teams?

Layton is ready to rejoin the trains. There is only one possible hot zone left, and his pirate train is running out of resources. Even though practical Bess(Mickey Sumner) is worried emotions are guiding him, she is willing to let Layton try one last time. Layton’s mysterious visions continue, and now he has a name for the tree he has been seeing. Thanks to a book in the library, he knows he sees a Dragon’s Blood Tree, which only grew near the Gulf of Aiden, where the last hot zone could be. Armed with hope, Asha, and one last location Layton is ready to take back the train.

The fight for the train has begun. Snowpiercer Season 3 Episode 2 is just the beginning. Wilford may be excited, but Layton is determined. As Ruth pointed out, loyalty without love is meaningless. Wilford loves war, but this is one he’s going to have trouble winning. Man, the battle stations, it’s full steam ahead. Find all our Snowpiercer coverage here.

Stray Icicles

• The problem with mad scientists is they are mad. Dr. Headwood is concerned with science without ethics. That’s a dangerous combination.
• Kevin continues to be unaware of optics or history. Looking like the Manhattan Project is not great.
• It is so painful to watch Javi. His Stockholm Syndrome with the dog who attacked him is exactly the kind of sick thing Wilford likes to do.
• The ceremony from grass to ice, from ice to steel, and from steel to the lights of Snowpiercer is one massive gaslight. This mantra was and is intended as a reminder that Wilford is their savior.
• The Dragon’s Blood Tree is area tree named for it’s red sap. The trees grow in Yemen but are dying out due to climate change and erratic monsoon seasons. In small quantities the berries from the tree are medicinal but are dangerous in larger quantities.