“Citizens of Snowpiercer, we’re back!” Andre Layton triumphantly announces to the passengers of the now reunified Snowpiercer and Big Alice as Layton retakes power. But despite all of Andre’s early lofty intentions for a benevolent democracy that restores power to the people, like Melanie before him, ultimately he too resorts to selling a noble lie to the passengers for the perceived greater good.
“The First Blow” is a bit reminiscent of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in how it treats the two trains as battleships or submarines. This structure forces a more cat-and-mouse form of battle tactics as would be the case if the two trains were simply running alongside each other firing cannons the whole time. Like the Enterprise hiding in the nebula in Khan, Big Alice manages to “go dark” and effectively conceal its location from Snowpiercer.
This submarine warfare approach also serves the episode well by showcasing Layton and Wilford’s different tactical styles. Layton, former leader of the Tailie Resistance, prefers stealth whereas Wilford favors more direct aggression. It’s when Wilford is weakened and forced to operate in a stealthier manner that he becomes more erratic and willing to take more stupid chances. And it’s perhaps that side of him that Layton should now fear most. A desperate Wilford who’s backed into a corner will do just about anything he has to regain dominance.
But with Wilford now locked in a cell and military actions now ceased, politics will likely return as a prominent focus this season. And by episode’s end, perhaps no one displays greater savviness for navigating the shifting political waters than L.J. Folger-Osweiller. If viewers thought Lilah Jr. was truly devoted to Wilford, she surprised even her newlywed husband in her willingness to switch allegiances on a dime.
Their mostly low-profile, working-class jobs in the Night Car and merely being present while Kevin tortured Resistance members for information probably is too little to peg them as willing and eager accomplices to Wilford’s cruelties. Sykes, Miss Audrey, and even potentially Javier make more compelling targets of passenger rage. And in all the chaos, who will remember L.J.’s stabbing Kevin in the throat while loudly declaring, “Long live The Resistance!” moments after Wilford already surrendered?
L.J. certainly has a far better long-term strategy than Layton, who is recklessly risking public trust in him on a stranger. After the hardships of six months under Wilford’s leadership and a likely return to fewer power and heating issues, Layton probably did not need the crutch of his New Eden lie to sway his sham of an election.
Melanie’s original lie that Wilford was on the train and running things as the benevolent dictator is arguably more forgivable because the passengers were satisfied just having someone else making the decisions and were only misinformed as to the actual person making those choices. But Andre’s entire pitch from Day 1 was democracy, and democracy under a deliberately misinformed electorate is no democracy at all in any meaningful sense. Layton cheated to get what he wants where there still is no reason to believe New Eden really exists. It’s a lie built on a house of cards that will inevitably collapse.
Photo Credit: David Bukach/TNT
“The First Blow” delivers a tight and suspenseful hour of television that effectively resolves the finale cliffhanger and acts as a bridge to Snowpiercer‘s next chapter. Where the episode suffers most is the lack of time it gives the human stories.
The writers try to craft a moment between Miss Audrey and Bess Till that awkwardly feels like there’s a contractual obligation not to mention Jinju ever existed. And lest you think a scene between just two women might pass the Bechdel Test, all they have to talk about seems to be that Bess needs to get a man. Okay, to be fair, they don’t specifically say a man, but the only thing the writers thought these two ladies would have to talk about is that Bess needs to find love, which is kind of a bummer, especially since the teleplay is credited to Tina de la Torre, whom I’m guessing is a woman.
Add to that that Zarah continues to be used as nothing more than a prop on this show, Alex has been reduced to just driving the vehicle in this post-Melanie era, and Josie’s role as a mother has vanished since the show stopped acknowledging Miles ever existed.
There’s a real problem with how the female cast is treated on this show. At least most of them. Great material continues to be given to Annalise Basso’s L.J.; indeed, I’d go as far as to say L.J. is the most interesting character on the whole show. Ruth has evolved nicely. And there’s a lot of potential for Audrey now that she’s a pariah and Wilford is behind bars. But it’s incredibly frustrating how many female characters continue to be regarded as afterthoughts. May the track to New Eden usher in better treatment of Snowpiercer’s underserved female cast.
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