Snowpiercer 2×01 Review – ‘The Time of Two Engines’

The premiere of Snowpiercer season 2 got right to business as it let everyone know that things have drastically changed. Will Melanie, Layton, and Wilfred survive the upcoming battle? Also, I am offering you the chance to win the complete first season of Snowpiercer on Digital.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment sent me a free copy of Snowpiercer: The Complete First Season Blu-ray I have reviewed in this blog post. The opinions I have shared are my own.

The first season of the Snowpiercer TV series ended with Wilfred attaching the 40-car Big Alice to Snowpiercer’s tail. ‘The Time of Two Engines’ opened with Layton narrating how the portion of Snowpiercer that housed the Tailies has now become the border and thus, incredibly important.

With the folks of Snowpiercer having just won a war (with numerous casualties), they aren’t keen on fighting Wilfred’s people. However, Layton doesn’t see another option. Layton hasn’t met Wilfred yet, but he knows Wilfred’s not to be trusted. The residents of Snowpiercer will need to make a stand and quick.

In my opinion, the change in Layton’s behaviour was quite interesting to see. His promises of making Snowpiercer into a democracy is what led to the passengers supporting him. And now, because of Wilfred, Layton’s forced to place the entire train under martial law. Of course, such a decision doesn’t sit well with the public. I wouldn’t be surprised if certain individuals try and take power away from Layton or defect to Wilfred’s side.

Seeing Zarah, due to being pregnant, not facing any consequences of ratting out Josie (and causing her death), isn’t helping win points for Layton. With Ruth asking Zarah and Layton to stay in one of the First-Class rooms, Layton will need to do something to mend his image.

Similar to the first season, the writers continue to showcase interesting choices about politics and how easy it is for power to corrupt. And I’m here for it!

As for Melanie, I enjoyed seeing her share scenes with Wilfred. The two share a complicated history. Wilfred was Melanie’s mentor. He’s the one who gave young Melanie the money and support to build Snowpiercer. I liked how he tried to assert his dominance. But it didn’t work on Melanie. She’s changed over the years. And we know she isn’t above killing someone to get what she wants.

I am looking forward to more scenes between Melanie and Wilfred as they both try to size each other up and think of ways to take control.

Melanie’s single weakness is her teen daughter Alex. Wilfred took care of Alex. So, it’s understandable she has animosity toward Melanie. However, there’s also a sense of curiosity. Alex hasn’t seen her mother in years. And after the stunt that Melanie pulled (near the end of the episode) to have Snowpiercer and Big Alice be permanently connected, I wouldn’t be surprised if the mother and daughter duo bond over their love of engineering.

Also, while Melanie was outside the train, she realized it was snowing (which wasn’t possible before due to the extremely low temperature). She was able to pocket a sample of snow before boarding Big Alice. The planet is warming up. Melanie isn’t going to let this go. If there’s even a slight chance that humanity will be able to leave Snowpiercer in a few more years, she’s going to work toward such a goal.

But due to Wilfred having a God complex, I think he’s going to stop Melanie from examining the temperature outside. He wants to keep everyone on the train and rule over them. Wilfred’s interested in science, too. But more on the crazier side. ‘The Time of Two Engines’ introduced us to two unhinged doctors who are clearly up to no good. We also got to see a muscular man who has been experimented on to become resistant to extreme cold. How many other human experiments is Wilfred waiting to release on Layton’s army?

We also got introduced to one of Wilfred’s people named Kevin. Going by this show’s track record of queer representation, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kevin is another queer character. Talking about queer characters, I wonder what the writers have planned for Oz. He looks very aimless right now.

With how things concluded in ‘The Time of Two Engines’, I can’t wait to see Layton finally meeting Wilfred.

It’s going to be amazing.

Also, fans of Snowpiercer will be glad to know that the complete first season was released on Blu-ray and DVD today.

The video is represented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The English audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The video is clear and crisp with the audio giving no issues (as expected from WBHE releases).

Along with the ten episodes (you can read my episode reviews here), the Blu-ray comes with extra features for fans to enjoy.

The bonus content includes:

• Overview (HD, approx. 3-mins): You get to know about the concept behind this series as well as short interviews involving the cast and crew.
• Class Warfare (HD, approx. 3-mins): Politics is a big part of Snowpiercer. This bonus video explains the class-divide system and how such themes are handled in the main narrative.
• Jennifer & Daveed Behind the Scenes Interview (HD, approx. 2-mins): You get Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs talk about their involvement in such a series.
• The Train (HD, approx. 6-mins): You get a tour of the Snowpiercer, taking in the set design and everything that went into making such a construction a reality.
• Behind the Curtain: Art of the Frozen World (HD, approx 4-mins): Get to know about the hard work that went into creating the fictional world Snowpiercer is set in.

As a big fan of Snowpiercer, I appreciated the behind-the-scenes look offered by the extra content accompanying the Blu-ray home release. The production is quite impressive for a TV show.

Now, it’s time for me to tell you all about the Snowpiercer: The Complete First Season (Digital Version) giveaway!

This giveaway is open for U.S. residents only who have access to Vudu or Movies Anywhere. Head to The Geekiary YouTube channel to read the simple instructions.

The giveaway will end on January 30, 2021, at midnight PST. Only 1 Winner will be selected at Random (on February 1, 2021).

Good luck!

Feel free to share your thoughts about ‘The Time of Two Engines’ with us.

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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