As the train moves inexorably towards the point of no return, Melanie and Layton once again find themselves on opposite sides of a war that threatens everything, with Wilford the rogue element in the mix.

I wasn’t surprised by the fact that Melanie’s return was complicated in terms of what it meant for the train. I was even less surprised when the factions started to form once again, nor to learn that Wilford was once again quietly moving to re-establish his own dominance. But by the end of this finale to what has been an incredible third season of the show? Oh yes, I was plenty surprised indeed.

Melanie and Layton are locked in a conflict with no apparent resolution. Layton wants to lead the passengers to what he sees as their best chance of re-establishing a normal life outside the train – of course first he has to contend with the small matter of having lied to everyone about New Eden. Melanie, by contrast, wants to take the path of caution. She’s an engineer, and maths and science are her guiding stars. She cannot accept the level of risk involved in taking everyone off the train. And she’s willing to do anything to get her way.

With Wilford loose, and hatching plans of his own, Melanie makes what she perceives to be the only possible play, confident in her ability to manage her old boss, in a way which suggests that she hasn’t realty been paying attention at all. Wilford gives her the tipping point she needs in terms of support from various parts of the train. Layton and his own followers aren’t prepared to just sit back and allow themselves to be under the combined bootheels of Melanie and Wilford once again. Violence is imminent, and Wilford has his own ways of helping Melanie get what she needs, distasteful and abhorrent as they may be.

And then… well, then the show goes into all sorts of unexpected directions which it would be remiss of me to spoil here for those yet to see it. Blood is spilled. Faiths are tested. Unexpected alliances are formed. Welcome resolutions occur. It isn’t a perfect ending in the sense of happiness, but it is a perfect ending in the sense of where the show needed to go.

Whereas on the one hand it would have been easy to have this be the very end, instead the way things tie up set things in place nicely for the fourth season. And once again I am gratifyingly surprised that a show which seemed at first to have the energy and direction for one season at best has me genuinely excited to see what they do next.

Verdict: An unexpected ending to the best season so far. 9/10

Greg D. Smith