Snowpiercer 2×03 Review – ‘A Great Odyssey’

‘A Great Odyssey’ helped Melanie reconnect with Alex only for the two to say goodbye. It also warned Layton to prepare for what’s coming.

The main task in ‘A Great Odyssey’ was for Snowpiercer and Big Alice to work together to successfully travel the dangerous route toward the research center near the Rocky Mountains. The climax put a lot of pressure on Alex because Wilfred handed her the control over Big Alice. He was testing Alex’s resolve. We know she didn’t want her mom to leave her again. However, I was glad to see her making the right decision when it counted the most. Alex had to let Melanie go because Melanie’s the only one capable of collecting data from the research center to help figure out how humanity could survive outside the train.

Wilfred’s onto Alex and Melanie warming up to each other. I’m glad the writers didn’t drag out the drama between Alex and Melanie. I enjoyed the scenes where Alex opened up to Melanie and even took mother to see her bunk. The two have a lot in common. Melanie even taught Alex how to listen to the train and determine what might be wrong by feeling the vehicle’s vibrations.

It’s a good thing the two know Wilfred’s not to be trusted. Even though he raised her, Wilfred doesn’t love Alex. For him, Alex is a tool to use against Melanie. That’s why I can’t wait to see Alex play a role in taking Wilfred down.

With Melanie off the train, it’s time for Wilfred to focus on Layton. It was clear he didn’t appreciate Layton getting the upper hand during their discussions about trading between the two trains. Kevin telling Layton that the passengers of Big Alice have limited food, in the previous episode, is information Layton isn’t afraid to use against Wilfred. And, of course, Wilfred hates Layton for doing so. Ben told Layton that the only thing Wilfred ever gets jealous of is others having more power than him.

From what I can tell, Wilfred’s going to try and defeat Layton by using the secret Wilfred loyalists inside Snowpiercer. Bess and Roche’s interrogation of the Breachmen showed us that the entire unit has been waiting for Wilfred to return. Also, we still don’t know who attacked Lights. The thought of Wilfred having allies in Snowpiercer is scary. Bess and Roche are understandably worried.

And even though she’s no longer on the train, Wilfred’s not going to forget about Melanie. I don’t know about you, but I think the experiments being done on Icy Bob are connected to Wilfred’s plan. I think he will be sending Icy Bob after Melanie to stop her from collecting data (by killing her).

Josie’s another player who has reentered the game. She’s not happy about what Melanie did to her. She’s also not a fan of Layton and Melanie working together. According to Josie, revolutionaries don’t make good politicians. She can sense people starting to lose their trust in Layton. I think she also doesn’t fully trust him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Josie stands up to Layton. I doubt she’ll side with Wilfred. But let’s see.

Other thoughts and questions:

• I liked the conversation Melanie had with Layton about not lying to Ruth. If Layton’s able to keep Ruth on his side, she can serve as a very useful ally.
• I also liked Melanie and Ruth mending their friendship.
• Do you think Melanie will survive the events of this season? I want her to stick around. Sacrificing her life to protect important data about Earth getting warmer would make sense for such a character. But still, I hope she continues to live.
• Melanie telling Alex not to feel guilty about the stuff Wilfred expects her to do (including wanting Alex to kill people) made me laugh considering Melanie herself forced Layton to kill more than 30 of his crew during the first season. Wilfred taught her well.

What did you think of ‘A Great Odyssey’?

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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