‘Snowpiercer’ 1×05 Review – ‘Justice Never Boarded’

Now that we have reached the middle of Snowpiercer season one with ‘Justice Never Boarded’, I think everyone can see that the changes featured in this TV series make sense. This show is telling a different story from the film (and even the book), and that’s a good thing.

I was provided a review screener of ‘Justice Never Boarded’ for free. The opinions I have shared are my own. 

Episode 4 of Snowpiercer focused on Layton helping Melanie capture the murderer and reveal how LJ was behind the killings. The most surprising twist occurred during the closing minutes when Melanie forced Layton into one of the Drawers. He had figured out her identity. So, he had to be taken care of.

‘Justice Never Boarded’ shared three stories. We got to see LJ’s trial in front of the train’s tribunal, Josie trying to rescue Layton, and Layton’s flashback to when the Tailies had to deal with cannibals. I will begin with LJ’s trial and how said plot thread showed that Melanie’s not above promoting injustice as long as it kept the train going.

LJ’s a creepy teen. We can all see that. However, I think the writers failed to make her interesting. I can get behind manipulative murderers if they have layers to them. But LJ, in my opinion, doesn’t have layers. We know she’s rich, spoiled by her parents, and throws tantrums. That’s it. There doesn’t seem to be anything going on beneath the surface.

Anyway, her trial served Melanie with an interesting opportunity. This was a chance for her to do the right thing and show that Mr. Wilford believed in maintaining peace and justice across the train. I have to say that Melanie tried. She took Audrey’s request to create a new tribunal consisting of people from First, Second, and Third Class. The tribunal even declared LJ to be guilty. However, due to LJ knowing that Sean was a spy, Melanie had to play her card (under the guise of Mr. Wilford) to set LJ free.

I feel for Melanie. She’s clearly under a lot of pressure. A serious mistake could bring the entire train crashing down and end what’s left of humanity. For her, keeping LJ silent (and on Mr. Wilford’s side) was the best course of action. Whether it will work in Melanie’s favor or not, we will have to wait and see what happens next.

I like how the Snowpiercer TV show is displaying two rebellions at once. Yes, the Tailies want a revolution, but uptrain, the rich are on the verge of taking control away from Melanie. No one is happy traveling in the Snowpiercer, and I’m here for it. The narrative just goes to show that even people who are leading far better lives comparatively than many others will always find things to complain about if they sense a change in the status quo (especially when it’s a change that threatens their lifestyle).  

The rest of the episode focused on Josie trying to save Layton’s life. She temporarily partnered up with Terrence (the leader of the Janitorial team) to gain access to the Drawers. That’s where she found out what had happened to certain kids that were taken away from the Tail. I like Josie as a character. She gets things done!

With Layton being free of the Drawers, you know he’s going to use all of his knowledge regarding the layout of the Snowpiercer, Melanie’s identity, and his relationships with certain workers throughout the train to ensure the Tail’s victory. The upcoming revolution is going to be fun.

While Layton was sedated, we got a flashback to when Layton killed a bunch of cannibals in the Tail. The flashback helped cement the fact that the bond the Tailies share can’t be broken.  

As for the queer representation portion of ‘Justice Never Boarded’, we got some very cute moments between Bess and her girlfriend Jinju after Bess decided to move in with Jinju in Second Class. I’m incredibly glad the show didn’t kill Jinju in the previous episode (when she was taken hostage by the murderer). Considering how many queer characters are running around in Snowpiercer, this show can easily kill a couple of them. But having said that, I want Bess and Jinju to survive.

What did you think of ‘Justice Never Boarded’? Do you think Melanie will be able to maintain her control when facing two rebellions? Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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