Original air date: March 29, 2021
Layton and Ruth manage to escape, infiltrate and take over the Engine with Alex’s help; Javi coordinates with Bennett to make the return trip for Melanie with Bennett subduing and capturing Sykes. Layton and Ruth are smuggled back to Snowpiercer, but the plan goes awry after LJ catches on to their deceit and warns Wilford; Javi is mauled presumably to death by Wilford’s dog Jupiter and Wilford is able to prevent them from picking up Melanie. Escaping to Snowpiercer, Alex proposes creating a ten car pirate train by breaching the Aquarium car, allowing them to go back for Melanie and plan how to save everyone else away from Wilford’s control; however, Zarah chooses to remain behind as she feels it will be safer for her so Layton keeps Audrey as a hostage. An attempt by Bojan to disconnect the cars is foiled by the Jackboots, but Josie is able to destroy the Aquarium from the outside, successfully separating the train; Layton’s crew includes Bennett, Till, Josie and Alex while Ruth is inadvertently left behind after being delayed by Kevin. Layton and Alex reach the research station only to find Melanie gone and her data preserved by the last of her power; the data reveals several areas of the Earth that are warming while a final message from Melanie reveals that she walked into the Freeze to die after expending all of her resources and ensuring that her data would survive to give humanity a future.
* * *
[soft dramatic music]
♪
I was ten when the world became a train.
♪
Wilford said he was my family now.
Daddy Dubs.
And I would lead the train with him.
♪
Leaders were lonely.
You couldn’t trust anyone.
♪
So I was the island of Alex, and no one ever came ashore.
♪
Until we finally caught up to Melanie…
♪
And I saw Snowpiercer and met her people.
♪
That’s when Dubs got weird.
♪
Do you know what an oubliette is?
A French dungeon.
A special dungeon underground with a tiny hole in the roof.
They just drop you in forever. It means forget.
Melanie, Layton, drop them all in the oubliette, eh?
You don’t want me to forget them.
You want me to renounce them.
Uptrain when you’re ready.
At first, I thought my mom and her people were stupid and disorganized, but now I think freedom probably has to be messy.
Over there, I saw Layton lead by listening to others.
Ugh.
I saw women with power.
And I saw them keep my mother’s dream alive.
Our friend is quite careful.
Yeah.
Well, our way out is through him.
Tonight, if we’re gonna have any shot of getting back to Melanie.
Qualities that got us this far won’t get us past Wilford.
To best a man like that… you need to be utterly ruthless.
We’ve both done terrible things.
Not terrible enough.
Well, I’ve got a foul and murderous plot to get us out of here, if you’d like to start there.
I would.
I’ve watched Wilford.
Seen him take it right up to the edge of killing us all, so the question is not,
“Are you willing to sink to his level?”
♪
It’s, “Are you willing to risk everything?”
♪
For Snowpiercer and for Melanie…
Everything.
♪
[grunting]
One day, I’ll break the cycle… and we’ll walk away from Snowpiercer together, 1,034 cars long.
[screams]
[dramatic music]
♪
[heavy banging]
Tray!
[soft dramatic music]
♪
Can I have some more?
Please?
♪
[suspenseful music]
♪
[straining]
[grunts]
♪
[screaming]
Shovel, it’s good in the trenches.
You can bring it with you.
Let’s go find Javi.
[eerie music]
♪
Where is everybody?
Oh, this is the engine.
Now we need to go one more up.
Ruth?
Oh, my God.
Alex.
We’ve just found out. Your mum, she’s alive.
[gasps]
I knew it. I knew it.
She’s there. She’s waiting for us.
We’re gonna steal Big Alice and go get her.
With a shovel?
Well, any assistance would be appreciated.
How about the engine has a secret entrance to Wilford’s bedroom?
All right, she’s in.
We’re crossing the Rocky Mountain Test Track today.
We need both engines to make that turn.
Okay, so we’ll need Ben too, but let’s get you out of here first.
No, I can get myself out of here.
Wilford wants me to kiss the ring.
I can get Kevin to take me to him.
Okay.
So about the secret entrance?
Audrey?
Audrey, am I the only one working today?
You’re an early riser, though, aren’t you, Bess?
And a night prowler. I like that in an advisor.
I’m not your advisor if you won’t listen to my advice.
Is Zarah coming around?
She physically rejected dinner and threatened me with a fork.
What if we offered her Voice of the Train?
You’re not gonna buy her with Layton in your gulag.
Well, she’d do it with convincing. I’d happily slap her.
Huh?
What?
Now, why did I do that?
Hmm?
Poor impulse control?
And because pregnancy comes with privilege on Snowpiercer.
Exactly.
Zarah’s privileged.
She has that ineffable royal Layton jelly.
Kevin, we want some of that.
Royal jelly.
My mistake, sir, of course.
What’s going sideways now, Joe?
Hair of the dog, Audrey.
Time to play doula.
Ugh, Zarah.
Keep going.
Wait a minute.
I don’t trust them.
They’re kind of crazy.
Stay with the little guys.
[mouthing words]
[soft dramatic music]
♪
[mouthing words]
[screams]
[screams]
[grunts]
[breathes deeply]
♪
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Calm down.
Oh, my God.
Deep breath.
It’s just hospitality killing a man.
You called us, yeah?
Holy shit, it worked.
You guys got the note?
We did it. Ugh, you smell like crap.
Yeah, we know.
Where are we?
We’re two hours from the turn.
We have got to make that turnoff.
Alex is with us too.
She’s running interference on Wilford uptrain.
Here.
We need to let Ben know we’re ready to pick up Melanie.
Great, okay.
How do we do that?
Just give me a moment.
Please.
Oh, this is gonna be bad.
Look at all of this, eh?
It’s a nice life Mr. Wilford’s got for himself back here, eh?
His own little palace.
[gasps]
Christ almighty.
[soft dramatic music]
♪
After you, Ruth.
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
And then.
Mm-hmm.
Now wag it.
Easy.
Okay.
Rock and roll.
Now wrist spin.
Yeah.
Okay, yeah, you’re getting pretty good.
[chuckles]
[chuckles]
Do you think it’ll work outside?
It’s designed to.
They say you’re the new Icy Bob.
I was nearly killed in the cold.
When it happened I felt my skin crack, and stretch, and, yeah, I was really scared.
But now?
[dramatic music]
Now, I want to go out there, want to see what I can do.
Melanie left on a fool’s errand.
Again?
She was a fool to leave.
Her team deserved her punishment, and so did I.
Does she sound sincere to you?
I believe so.
I am sorry, Joseph.
I shouldn’t have said that stuff at dinner, and I’ll make sure to apologize to Miss Audrey, as well.
Oh, you’re back.
Yes.
Yes I am, LJ, and I was hoping that you could forgive me too.
[tense music]
♪
Okay.
I brought some treats from third class for breakfast.
Oh.
[whispers]
Layton is coming,
and we’re seizing the engine.
♪
Sykes is with him every minute.
Okay, so what’s code for “we’re stealing the train?”
I’ve spent eight years with the guy.
He should be able to figure me out by now.
Snowpiercer, this is Big Alice.
Come in, Big Alice.
Busy day, Ben, huh?
Is it?
It will be.
You’re gonna get bumpy up there.
Lidar’s showing track obstructions at north 52 degrees, 58 minutes, 35 seconds, west 119 degrees, 25 minutes, 28 seconds.
[soft dramatic music]
I have to check something.
Yes, double-check please.
♪
Calling Big Alice.
Coordinates have been noted.
Good, good.
Just know we’ve got control back here okay?
All right.
We’ll prepare to brace.
Affirmative.
Prepare to brace.
I’ll get back to you on approach.
He got it. I know he did.
You ready to dig in, Javi?
I can hold it long enough.
You’re a brave man, Mr. De la Torre.
Don’t say that.
It makes me nervous.
Still, we’ve got our friends at the border that need to get you uptrain.
Thank you.
Good luck.
[suspenseful music]
♪
All aboard?
Hold fast.
♪
Look, a double yolk.
[chuckles]
Breachman Boscovic, what a welcome sight.
Oh, thank you.
Hey, man.
It’s good to see you, bro.
How’s the Tail?
Still hanging on to the neighborhood.
Do you believe this?
Me with Tail because son of a bitch Wilford?
Well, son of a bitch Wilford is gonna blow a head gasket.
Is this a carnival?
We’re going back for Melanie.
You want to take Rocky Mountain Test Track.
That’s bloody right.
Can you secure a cold lock mid-train?
Da.
Oh.
Oh, perfect. We can bring Melanie back here.
We can put her on the public address,
and the whole train will know she’s alive.
Okey dokey, let’s go make coup.
You heard the man.
Let’s go make coup.
♪
I’d offer you one, but I’d never hear the end of it.
Joseph thinks one sip would turn the fetus into a tadpole.
He’s taken an interest in you.
You should see that as a good thing.
I don’t even recognize you.
I am trying to help you.
You think you have leverage, but you don’t.
He doesn’t need you, Zarah, just your womb, and the Headwoods can take you right out of the equation.
Audrey, you don’t have to be his pawn.
Oh, Christ.
We are the same as we always have been.
Survive, survive, survive.
[knock at door]
What do you want?
Oh, shit.
Bess?
Layton’s coming.
I think we’re seizing the engines.
What?
Help me.
Come on.
[computer beeps]
Come on.
I need to get some maps.
I need to get some maps.
Since when?
Use the satellite.
Well, no, the reception’s degraded here.
I need to get some paper. Please can I just get the map?
Now, don’t do anything stupid, all right?
I don’t want to hurt you.
You ever used one of those?
It’s a bat.
I’ll show you.
Ow.
[suspenseful music]
Ah.
♪
Ah, ugh!
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
Javi, it’s done.
We made the turn.
Buena suerte, Ben.
♪
Snowpiercer engine, come in.
Layton, we’re climbing up to the pickup location.
Should reach the research station in about ten minutes.
We’re in position in the cold lock.
Standing by.
You don’t think Wilford’s gonna notice you made that turn?
Be quiet.
It’s test track.
It’s rough. He’s gonna feel it.
Javi, I’m accelerating for the climb.
Nice and easy.
Mmm.
Thank you.
[train rumbles]
Alex?
I’ll check with the engine.
[soft dramatic music]
Hello, engine.
Wilford would like to check your status.
Hello, Alex.
Is he watching you?
Affirmative.
Keep him occupied.
We won’t be much longer.
Roger that.
Avalanche debris. Nothing to be worried about.
You know, I saw your mother do that.
♪
Call ahead to the engine.
A ruse.
[somber music]
♪
You, send men to both engines ready for forced entry.
I’ll command from Big Alice. Bring her with us.
[dramatic music]
♪
[alarm blaring]
He knows.
It’s too soon.
[metal thudding]
Here they come, Javi.
Now we just gotta hold them off.
Yeah, It’s easy for you to say.
Your door’s thicker than mine.
Whatever happens, you are one hell of an engineer, my friend.
[metal thudding]
Top three in the world, right?
♪
Get her out of my sight!
[hip-hop music]
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
[chuckles]
Come on.
♪
Get a cutter.
And fetch my dog.
We’ve passed the pickup location.
There’s no sign of Melanie.
We’re not exactly on time.
Give her a chance. She’ll be here.
Okay, I’ve slowed down to 25 kilometers an hour.
I’ll slow further once you reach the pickup location.
[soft dramatic music]
Keep your eyes peeled.
Oh, come on.
[upbeat pop music]
[soft dramatic music]
♪
Good girl.
[upbeat pop music]
♪
Come on please.
Come on please. Come on please.
Snowpiercer, do you hear me?
[dramatic music]
There!
There she is!
It’s not too late. I see her!
Okay, okay.
Oh, come on.
[barking]
No!
[upbeat pop music]
Yeah.
♪
Stop, stop!
[coughs]
[laughs]
♪
You can’t kill me.
You need engineers.
♪
Attack!
[barking and snarling]
Stop.
[train rumbles]
We’re speeding up.
You need to slow your roll.
Do you hear me?
Stop!
Javi, slow down.
You’re going too fast.
Javi.
Javi, do you read me?
Javi!
No, Bennett.
It’s me.
[chuckles]
You can brake all you want, son, but I’ve got more torque, and I’ve got momentum.
[dramatic music]
♪
Just push you over that crest and let gravity do the rest.
[screams]
Stop, stop, stop!
The brakes can’t handle this. We’re overheating.
Come on, Alice.
I can’t hold her!
He’s gonna push us over the crest.
Mom!
Mom!
Mom, no!
See ya.
Mom!
[somber music]
♪
Mom!
♪
Mom!
Please turn the train around.
She survived, and she has the science.
Ah, yes, let’s do pretend this is all about science.
The people deserve to know what she discovered.
It’s a folly, a fantasy!
She could not accept the truth that I saved her life, and yours, and everyone’s!
It breaks my heart to see you fall for her games, but after everything,
you’re so much more her than me.
That’s not true.
I’m both.
No, no.
You’re just a tool I collected on the way.
Don’t say that!
A handy little lever to pry your mother out, and you did your job.
[dark music]
Now you can join her trackside.
♪
You could never be the leader she is!
Oh, oh.
[beleaguered breathing]
Hey, hey, whoa, oh.
Here we go.
Take it easy.
Take it easy.
Get up. Get up.
Get up. Here we go.
We need to disinfect the wound.
All right.
Okay.
Just staunch the bugger.
Let’s have a look.
Have a look.
We’re gonna stitch this up.
Let’s take the hand down.
Good, now, we’re gonna…
Try to stay very still.
It’s all right.
Good, good.
Ah, oh, God.
Okay, okay, there.
There you go, okay.
Mm.
[dramatic music]
♪
Ah, Jesus!
Oh!
Oh, it’s you.
You made it back.
We’re going to find Ruth to figure out what to do next.
Layton, there’s still a way to save Melanie.
Tell us on the way.
You want to cut Snowpiercer’s head off?
Alex.
Well, we’ll take the engine along with a string of cars for Melanie.
We’d be quick, and we would bring her back to reconnect.
And just leave everyone?
Big Alice has enough juice for systems to survive.
Wilford’ll be hobbled.
That’s a big, slow train we can outmaneuver.
Right, but we can’t decouple on lockdown.
Da, J-links are fixed closed, but we have one car with manual override.
The aquarium… a weak point designed to be jettisoned even on lockdown.
Break it there, we got a ten-car pirate train.
♪
All right, all right.
There we are. There we are.
[soft dramatic music]
Form up at the border.
Move!
Yes, sir.
We’ll search the train back to front.
♪
Go, woman. It’s your big day.
You’re gonna get me my engine back.
I want you to go forward, breach the car, and freeze Ben’s balls solid.
Sir, she is nowhere near ready for that.
She’ll never survive a walk of that…
Then why did we make her?
Get her uptrain…
♪
And lock the hatch.
If you want back in, it’s through the engine.
Right away.
If we don’t make a play for New Eden right now, that’s it.
It’s gone. It is Wilford’s world.
We’d be leaving everyone at his mercy.
We’ve got insurance.
Oh, great.
Audrey’s the hostage?
Are we bringing anyone we actually want?
Yes, Ben, Alex, Boki.
That is two Engineers and a Breachman, and Ruth is meeting us at the aquarium now.
You’re way off-book.
Yeah, I am.
I’m sorry, but I’m all in right now.
[soft dramatic music]
Oh, shit.
I am too.
♪
With our child, Andre, I’m not.
I’m safer here…
Zarah.
With the devil we know.
Wilford knows.
I’m gonna go get Audrey ready.
I’m sorry, Zarah.
I can’t leave you here, not like this.
Please, you have to come with us.
Wilford wants me on a pedestal.
I can survive him.
And you’re gonna need me here when you come back.
♪
I’m coming back for you, Zarah.
♪
Now, remember your breathing.
Stay calm and move slow.
Wait, wait, wait!
No, no, no!
Please, you said that I’m not ready.
Just follow Wilford’s orders.
Breach the engine and come back in.
We will be here to patch you up.
What’s that?
Pneumatic breach pike.
Charge goes in here. Arms like so.
Triggers on impact. You’ll be fine.
I’m sorry.
♪
It’s in your hands now, Josie.
♪
[wind whooshing]
[computer beeps]
Someone’s going outside.
That’ll be Wilford’s cold woman.
The Tailie that he’s been working on.
You mean Josie?
[dramatic music]
♪
She’s coming to breach the engine.
She’s gonna kill us both.
♪
She’d never do that.
♪
Josie. Josie, do you read me?
Who is this?
I’m the head engineer of Snowpiercer.
I have control of the engine.
We’re gonna need your help.
[tense music]
♪
Stop.
All right.
Where’s your famous army?
I’m not here to fight.
No?
This your conversation axe, is it?
♪
Engine, unlocking first override.
[computer beeps]
Copy, Boki.
Layton will hold them off as long as he can.
Oh.
[electricity crackles] [gasps]
I thought I smelled compost.
♪
We are going back for Melanie.
[laughs]
You missed your chance, son. Melanie’s long behind us.
Ah.
You’re not coming.
No, no, I’m not.
♪
All right, go on.
Go on. Go on.
♪
Let me out.
Give me the teals, or we do it the hard way.
All right, all right, you win.
[soft dramatic music]
[sniffs]
Oh!
Oh!
[screams]
Ah!
Ah, no!
Ow!
You’re gonna behave yourself while we’re gone.
No vengeance. No reprisals.
You keep your hands off these people.
[muffled grunting]
[sighs]
Audrey.
[muffled sobbing]
You’ve sealed your fate, Bess Till.
Not the first time.
Ruth never made it.
She’s our guarantee that Zarah stays safe.
Step back!
Everyone get behind the link!
[soft dramatic music]
♪
[muffled sobs]
My God, back.
♪
Alex knew all about the J-link here.
♪
Who’s downstairs with the lug wrench, eh?
♪
Boki, come in.
Boki, do you read me?
[exciting music]
♪
Boki!
Boki, do you read me? What’s going on down there?
♪
[people shouting indistinctly]
You think I’d let you uncouple my engine?
Get back, or I’ll kill her!
Then do it.
No!
Do it before God and all the fish.
What?
It’s all right, darling.
We all know by now it’s not who he is.
[dark music]
♪
[glass thuds]
You’re doing great.
Keep going.
That’s it, Josie. Breach the whole damn car!
♪
[crumbling]
[muffled screams]
[gasps]
[dramatic music]
♪
Shit.
♪
[both panting]
All right, it’s just weather.
It’s just Chicago weather.
With mountains.
Thank you, Alex.
Yeah, with mountains.
How do you feel about volunteering now, Layton?
Too late to come back and let you?
‘Fraid so.
He said, “Afraid so.”
We found Melanie’s trail.
Just going for a walk, Layton.
Just out for a stroll.
Could it get any hotter in here?
We’re a Ferrari now.
We’re gonna run hot.
Great.
We’re almost there.
Melanie!
Mom!
It’s minus-97 in here.
[eerie music]
♪
Mom?
[soft dramatic music]
Ah.
It’s warmer in here.
Wow, there’s power.
♪
[sobs]
Oh, it’s just her data.
She kept the drives warm.
She’s gone.
♪
Hey.
Let’s pack this stuff up and get it on the sled, okay?
It’s what she wants. She did it for us, Alex.
♪
[sobs]
♪
I had nothing here to return to.
I’m only human, so of course I used up my resources.
♪
Ate my rats to extinction, and the cold crept in.
There isn’t enough power to keep me alive more than a few hours, but on a trickle charge, the drives could last months for you.
[Etta James’ “Stormy Weather”]
♪ Walk in the sun once more ♪
♪ Oh, I can’t go on
I knew when the train blew past in sparks and flame, Snowpiercer braking and Big Alice pushing, that Wilford was sabotaging it all somehow.
♪ Me and my daddy ain’t together ♪
But you were there in the window, Alex.
♪ Keeps raining all of the time ♪
I knew you’d come back.
I can feel you reading this, as I write, so now I can put on my helmet and walk into the white at peace.
♪ Oh, yeah
You are my hope, Alex.
♪ Yeah, raining all of the time ♪
Learn to love the people that got us this far, and together, one day, you will build a better world.
♪ Yeah
♪
She did it.
She did it.
[hopeful music]
These are warm places.
She did it so we could survive.
♪
[laughs]
Oh, my God. It’s beautiful.
Absolutely beautiful.
[computer beeping]
Heads up.
We’ve got weather approaching.
♪
Let’s go get our train back.
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
