Snowpiercer 2×07 Review – “Our Answer for Everything”

A lot went wrong for Layton in ‘Our Answer for Everything’ as Wilford continued to gain more power in Snowpiercer. A number of passengers are ready to have Wilford back on the train.

Trigger Warning: This review of ‘Our Answer for Everything’ mentions suicide. Proceed with caution.

Due to the previous episode showing the train not slowing down for Melanie to get on, I thought this week’s offering was going to give us a proper explanation. However, ‘Our Answer for Everything’ picked up a couple of days before that particular moment. So, I guess the upcoming episode will link to the emotional scene featuring Alex looking helplessly at Melanie as Snowpiercer continued to move on its track? With only three more episodes left, I can’t wait to see where the writers decide to end the current season.

For those wondering, Snowpiercer has been renewed for a third outing.

‘Our Answer to Everything’ opened with Bess racing against the clock to find out who killed the eight Breachmen on Wilford’s orders. Of course, the first, second, and third-class residents thought the Tailies did it. Bess had to work fast to prevent more casualties from occurring.

I liked how Bess worked with Oz to solve the mystery of the button she found at one of the crime scenes. I have always enjoyed Bess and Oz sharing moments together. Both queer characters have a lot of emotional baggage. And while they aren’t the best of friends, they know they can rely on each other when needed.

After being fired from his job as a Brakeman, Oz hasn’t had a lot to do this season. I have my fingers crossed the writers utilize him in the upcoming episodes and he has an actual arc in the third season. And even though I’m not a fan of LJ, the same holds true for her. LJ is just existing without a purpose. I know it’s tough to get to every character in a limited time, but still, I think LJ and Oz could be handled better.

As for Pastor Logan being revealed as the bad guy, I think it was expected. He had been talking to Bess about Snowpiercer needing a new Shepard. The moment the lady from first-class repeated the same words, Bess knew she had to take him down. I do think Bess shouldn’t have confronted Pastor Logan without backup. Certain stories having the good guys go alone to apprehend dangerous criminals makes no sense to me. Bess should have known better. She should have asked Oz to tag along.

Anyway, now that Bess has solved the mystery, I’m looking forward to what role she will continue to play in the final three episodes. With Pastor Logan taking his own life, it’s going to be hard for Bess to make the second and third-class passengers realize that the Tailies shouldn’t be blamed.

As for Layton, it’s clear he doesn’t have what it takes to keep everyone away from Wilford’s control. Josie had a point when she told Layton rebels can’t become politicians. Layton knows how to lead people during a war to fight for their rights. He just doesn’t know how to handle running an entire community that demands order and structure. The fact he’s not as evil as Wilford is another weakness of his.

If Ruth hadn’t stepped in, the third and second-class folk were ready to freeze and break Layton’s arm. Yes, Layton was willing to sacrifice his arm to save Pike, but again, he could have handled the situation better. As someone who wants to be the leader of Snowpiercer, Layton can’t go around risking his life without thinking of the bigger picture.

As for Ruth, I wasn’t expecting the writers to ever make her address her actions from season one. While working for Wilford (even though it was Melanie who was pulling the strings), Ruth was quite comfortable with making the lives of Tailies miserable. She also took away a number of arms as punishment. Seeing Winnie again made Ruth address her horrible behavior. It’s a good thing Ruth felt guilty about what she did. Her conversation with Roche made it clear she wasn’t interested in the past repeating itself.

Coming to the events taking place on Big Alice, with Audrey back in Wilford’s life, it was understandable for Alex to feel left out. I liked how she confronted Wilford about her feelings. And Wilford’s answer made sense. It’s clear Alex’s loyalties shifted when she met Melanie. So, until Alex decides between Melanie and Wilford, he’s going to keep his plans away from her.

In my opinion, Alex will side with Melanie when it counts the most and will do what she can to take down Wilford.

One of the major storylines in ‘Our Answer for Everything’ dealt with Audrey regaining Wilford’s trust. I’m not really sure if Audrey’s completely on Wilford’s side yet, but I was surprised to see how she decided to help Wilford during a particular task.

Turns out, Kevin was still alive. Wow!

Wilford treated Kevin the same way he did Audrey. Using his psychosexual power over Kevin, Wilford made Kevin take his own life. And after breaking Kevin, Wilford wanted Audrey to fix him. 

The scenes between Audrey and Kevin were quite intense. She could relate to what he had experienced. However, instead of helping Kevin find power in himself, Audrey basically brainwashed Kevin into thinking he should be grateful for the trauma Wilford put him through. I was shocked when Audrey instructed Kevin to lick Wilford’s shoe and he did so without hesitation.

Now, it could be possible that Audrey’s planning something. Maybe she’s making Kevin act in such a manner to get closer to Wilford and strike at the right time? Whatever her reasoning might be, seeing Audrey treat Kevin in such a manner wasn’t a pleasant sight.

Also, the way Kevin licked Wilford’s shoe was quite sexual. I thought Kevin, Audrey, and Wilford were going to start getting naughty with each other. And you know what? Considering the type of queer characters these three happen to be, I wouldn’t be surprised if they got up to something offscreen.

‘Our Answer for Everything’ ended with Roche, his wife, and daughter looking out the window at red lights shining from every part of Snowpiercer. The sight was beautiful yet tense. It served as a sign to Layton that Snowpiercer was ready to welcome Wilford onboard.

What did you think of this week’s episode?

Let us know.

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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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