As Wilford maintains his iron grip on Big Alice and the majority of Snowpiercer’s carriages, but finds that even his authority isn’t enough to destroy the Resistance. On Snowpiercer’s engine, the motley crew led by Layton continue to search for evidence of a habitable world outside.

To be entirely honest, it’s been so long since I watched the season finale of the second series of Snowpiercer that I had quite forgotten almost all of what had happened at the end, beyond a lasting impression of having enjoyed it. What doesn’t help is that the show doesn’t give us any kind of recap, simply going straight in at the deep end six months after the events that split the train and left hostages on either side. Thankfully, context helps to get those like me up to speed fairly quickly and therefore enjoyment isn’t impacted.

Layton, Till, Alex, Josie and Ben are still roaming the globe desperate to find some evidence to back up Melanie’s theory of a ‘new Eden’ somewhere out in the wasteland of the world. This involves a lot of stopping and starting, something with which the perpetual motion engine was not well designed to cope. As if that wasn’t enough, Ben manages to get himself into some trouble out on the ice, prompting a rescue mission by Josie and Layton while Alex and Till try to keep the engine from destroying itself.

Their job isn’t made any easier by the fact that they have here hostages to keep an eye on, two of whom are reasonably co-operative and one of whom is Miss Audrey, locked securely in a cage you instinctively feel won’t hold her forever. She’s off the deep end now, a full on Wilford fanatic, and you sense that she’s going to be more trouble than she’s worth before the end.

Meanwhile back on Big Alice, Wilford continues to rule with his usual iron fist. The Resistance remains alive, hiding in the shadows and deluding his best efforts to decapitate it as Ruth stays hidden and leads what little is left. It’s great to see this character development and I dearly hope that Ruth continues on this path.

Some of what we see here is truly awful – Wilford has lost none of his sadism or depravity for all that he cloaks it in faux politesse, and the methods he uses to enforce ‘discipline’ remain as barbaric as ever. I was gently surprised to see one person on Big Alice I was sure had died last season, but it’s fitting that Wilford would treat them as he has.

What’s clear is that the status quo, in so many ways, can’t be maintained. Layton and his friends have too few resources and too much at stake to keep going as they are. And Ruth and the resistance can’t escape the attentions of Wilford’s enforcers forever, especially when they have to contend with those within the train who know of their activities and are happy to betray them. A confrontation is coming once again for sure.

Verdict: A solid start which suffers only slightly from a lack of recap. 8/10

Greg D. Smith