Who takes control of Snowpiercer and who ends up in the great trainyard in the sky? It’s not who you expect!
This is a review and recap for “Snowpiercer” Finale – Season 3 Episode 10, “The Original Sinners.” Spoilers below!
Choosing Sides
After a short prologue, we see the contenders for train leadership building their bases. Melanie has Roche, Javi, and Ruth, but Layton has Till, Josie, Ben, and Alex.
After the shortest speech ever, Layton convinces the Tail to ally with him too. His point is pretty simple: living on the train under Melanie would suck for the Tailees, so their safest option is with Layton outside of it.
Meanwhile, Wilford has his cape back and shows up in the Nightcar, surprising Audrey and Oz (neither of whom have any loyalty left for Wilford). Wilford reveals a surprise ally: Boki (whom we assumed died in the aquarium explosion in season 2)! He was the one whom Dr. Headwood had been working on as their new Icy Bob. 
Roche attempts to parlay, and Wilford agrees that anyone who wants to leave him can. Oz takes him up on the offer and is given a hefty throw across the room by Boki. At Oz’s departure, LJ is upset. Did I feel bad for the sociopath?
The Battle
Layton decides to fortify his position by taking over the greenhouses, sending his Tailees to create a barricade.
Melanie asks Roche to get the Tailees out using force, but he refuses. While less heavy on the action that I expected, this episode was interesting in showing how much people have changed since the first season. Mel decides the best way to solve the problem is an unholy alliance with Wilford. Ruth, who, rightfully so, has “worked very hard to redeem herself,” leaves in disgust.
Mel goes forward with her plan to ally with Wilford, offering him his “good living” if he uses his military force to take the Tailees down and garner her the train.
Meanwhile, Ruth locates Lights in the tunnel, and various information is exchanged between the other parties. There’s a lot of talking in this episode, quite frankly.
Finally, Layton calls Melanie. They agree that the train will run with blood or be controlled by fear, neither of which is preferable. In truth, I guessed what would happen, but I didn’t imagine the result!
Melanie approaches Wilford, saying she needs help to take Layton down. He offers to do something vague with Liana (likely a kidnapping). Melanie agrees, but it turns out to be a trap for Wilford. Ruth locks the door on Boki before he can enter, trapping Wilford inside with Layton, Melanie, Roche, and Till. Boki chases Ruth, only to be knocked out by a ceiling panel! It’s Lights, pulling a John McCain in the vents.
Meanwhile, in what I consider the stupidest move in the history of Snowpeircer, instead of just killing Wilford or even locking him in real jail (not the library), they spend time and effort to secure him in the scaler. Are they James Bond villains? It has to be evident to everyone that he will get out. Then again, who knows, maybe in season 4, they’ll open’er up and we’ll get a Wilford corpsicle.
Resolution
In a surprising lack of violence, Layton and Melanie decide to let the people decide what to do! They have six hours to choose whether to stay on the deteriorating train or risk the trecherous track to New Eden.
This turn of events does make sense. It seems we have reached the end of the line for how many stories can take place inside a train (but you’ll never see the end of my train puns!). Also, I might add … THE TRACKS ARE DETERIORATING. Finally, someone heard me and has addressed track maintenance! Thanks, Alex. I knew I liked you for a reason.
Of the main cast, who chose to stay, and who chose to go?
Staying on Snowpiercer:
- Audrey
- Ben (who reunites romantically with Melanie)
- Miles
- LJ
Going to New Eden:
- Till
- Roche and Carly
- Josie (who clearly decides Layton deserves her now, given their kiss!)
- Oz
- Alex
- Ruth
- Zara and Liana
- Javi
Correction! At the last second, Till decides she wants Audrey more than getting off the train. I guess Audrey really has changed (at least, I hope so for Till’s sake).
New Beginnings (and an Ending)
As Big Alice heads down the new track, a storm looms. In a pretty exciting scene, the train slams down the tracks, and as it reaches a rickety bridge, the wheels begin to fail. They push on, unable to stop. Thankfully, the train makes it to the other side, though not without partially derailing. Is Big Alice no more?
Even if Big Alice has gone to the eternal trainyard, not all hope is lost for the passengers … the temperature readings indicate it’s warm outside! So they exit to find a small lake and withstandable weather.
Presumably, they will build a life here, which I am excited to see. Will they repurpose the train as houses?
Back on Snowpiercer, we find out that LJ does not indeed “survive” as she so claimed. While she has her dad’s eyeball in her mouth (weirdo), someone jostles her, sending it down her throat. She chokes and presumably dies in an alley, alone. A fitting end for such a terrible person.
Three Months Later
And to get us even more hyped up for Season 4, there is one final twist. As Melanie drives Snowpeircer, a rocket shoots into the air, sending down pieces of an exploded bomb. Unless it’s Skynet, Asha was not the only survivor out there.
My theory? Because we know that two new cast members are signed up for season four (Agents of SHIELD’s Clark Gregg and The Americans star Michael Aronovtwo), I’m wondering if Wilford, before putting himself in suspension in the scaler, sent a message to some cronies hunkered down in a bunker somewhere. But will these new people be friends or foes to Melanie?
We’ll have to wait for Season 4 to find out!
