Episode 7, “Ouroboros,” has Snowpiercer taking a different track than previous episodes.
This is a review and recap for “Snowpiercer” Season 3 Episode 7, “Ouroboros.” Spoilers below!
When this episode first started, I admit I was skeptical at the direction it was going, but I think it’s going to end up being one of my favorite episodes of the season.
If you haven’t guessed, I’m not fond of story arcs that contain prophecies or visions of the future. So every time the “tree” showed up in past episodes, I rolled my eyes. As such, I absolutely loved how this episode ended!
While most of this episode takes place inside Andre’s head, there are a few “real world” plotlines that I’ll touch on at the end.
The Dream
Inside “tropical Snowpiercer,” Andre comes to, only to be abducted by two men. A very dashing Wilford comes to his rescue, and Layton learns he needs to get to the tail but requires all sorts of fake passports and passwords to get there. Wilford is accompanied by Ruth, who looks like she fell out of Commando, and Javi is so badass I didn’t recognize him.
Despite its dips into seriousness at times, this episode was so enjoyable. Alternate timelines are always a welcome diversion from regular episodes (much like the Holodeck on Star Trek). I loved how every character had a new identity – I spent most of the episode wondering how and when each person would show up!
I also loved the aesthetic. The episode was clearly based on 1950s detective stories, and as such, the fashion and iconography are very distinctive. It also, of course, reminded me of Fallout.
After Wilford, Layton runs into Till, who seems semi-aware that he is in a coma. She tries to help him by giving him advice and information. He travels next to Ben, the paper forger, who gets him passage into the next part of the train, despite the suspicions of LJ, the border guard. While in the night car, Javi flirts with Sykes, the bartender, while Layton takes off to find “the cartographer.” She’s none other than Zara, who shows him a schematic of the train (of course, shaped like an ouroboros) and tells him a riddle which is a password to get into the tail.
Wilford comes along and drags Layton to the dining car, where he is meeting with Roche (who is dressed like he’s on vacation). He sets a scrumptious plate of seafood in front of Layton, who devours an oyster with rather disturbing enjoyment. Roche claims that Layton is “always hungry,” which is a reference to the tomato soup and grilled cheese scene in Season 1.
Roche and Wilford exchange two items – the hula girl bobble from the engine and a doll from the tail – when LJ bursts in with her guards and shoots up the place. Layton is arrested and thrown in jail.
Throwing forth some Midnight Mass vibes, Pike shows up as a priest to remind us of Layton’s grief and guilt. After Pike fades away, Audrey arrives to let Layton out, and Layton makes it to the tail. Josie guards it, only letting Layton in when he guesses the correct answer to the riddle. Death.
And this gets us to the point of this dream sequence. Layton enters the tail to find a young woman waiting for him. I knew right away that it was a future version of Liana, condemned to the train forever – Layton’s worst nightmare, especially as it was his fault. He’s still holding the doll from the dining car, which is revealed to be a bomb that explodes.
Andre wakes up in the power plant with Asha, who feeds him tomato soup and grilled cheese. Not only was Layton already obsessed with food (I mean, who wouldn’t be after living in the tail?), but the focus on food (and drink) is another layer of Andre’s fears about the future. How sustainable is Snowpiercer, really?
After fighting off marauders, Andre decides to open a locker Asha told him to avoid. But he needs to know the answer! Everything has led him here! And … drumroll … the “tree” he’s been seeing all the time? He saw it in the power plant on a calendar! His multiple concussions (and likely stress) tricked him into thinking something he saw in passing was, in fact, a vision.
Layton wakes up and cryptically tells Josie the truth.
The Real World
As Layton worked through his coma, we got a few side plots.
Till
As we know, Till isn’t very good with emotions. She doesn’t want to hang out in Layton’s room, so she escapes to one of the viewing bubbles. Audrey is there, and because she’s distraught, Till begs Audrey to use her guided meditation techniques on Layton. Audrey agrees and does so (which is why she arrives in the dream to let Andre out of the cell). Afterwards, Till and Audrey have a bit of a moment, but I wonder how much of it was genuine on Audrey’s part and how much was design. As we know, Audrey is a schemer who wants power. But she doesn’t want to be in charge – she wants to be the First Lady. With Wilford turning a new cheek and Andre unable to be seduced (because he hates her), perhaps Audrey is seeking to ingratiate herself to Till for her protection and/or status.
Love Triangle?
I wasn’t sure what the deal was with Layton and Zara (and I didn’t really care), but this episode clears it up when Zara tells Josie that Andre is not her boyfriend, but they are co-parenting. As Josie’s expression is a bit of a deer-in-the-headlights, Andre never told Josie this. So now she has to choose between Layton and Ben?
Wilford
Then again, maybe not. Wilford calls Alex into the library to show her, after a bit of a run-around, that Melanie might be alive. And in France!
Did you enjoy this episode? Were you as happy as I was that Layton’s “vision” turned out to be his brain playing tricks on him? Let us know in the comments or pop into our Discord!
The next episode airs on March 14 / 15!
