'Snowpiercer' Episode 9 Review: A tale of choices and consequences and an unlikely alliance
Spoilers for 'Snowpiercer' Episode 9 'The Train Demanded Blood'
Life is all about choices and sometimes harsh ones need to be made for the greater good. This is a lesson Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs) learns the hard way as he forms an unlikely alliance with Melanie Cavill (Jennifer Connelly) as they hatch a plan to rid themselves of the immediate threat. The move comes at a grave cost, however, it is a moral victory for the tailies and another lease of life for Melanie as the TNT series hurtles toward an explosive finale.
The episode sees Pike (Steven Ogg) coming to Layton with the plan to surrender and the aftermath would see things return to normal rather than the death of the tailies fighting for survival. For Layton, it's also about considering the future of a pregnant Zarah Ferami (Sheila Vand). In the meantime, Melanie is about to be executed and in the final minutes, help comes in the form of a loyalist who breaks her out. Melanie makes her way to the tailies camp and joins forces with Layton.
The deal is simple: The tailies win and Layton takes charge of the Snowpiercer. She also reveals the main purpose of her existence was to ensure the train carrying lives would run for eternity, it was never about power. The immediate plan was to rid themselves of Commander Grey (Timothy V Murphy) and his Jackboots by uncoupling a portion of the train and then re-link without his carriage. Bennett Knox (Iddo Goldberg) and Miles (Jaylin Fletcher) work in tandem to help Layton and Melanie.
While part of the storyline gets predictable, the episode makes up for it with the raw emotions Melanie, Cavill and Bennett bring to the table. The concept of choice and consequences ripple throughout the episode. The plan is a success, but it also renders Layton helpless as he watches his tail family slowly disappear into the ice. While much of the episode actually comes across as a finale, it could rightly be considered a prelude to the already announced Season 2.
'The Train Demanded Blood' may have seen the revolution to be a success, but the evil in the train is far from over. 'Snowpiercer' has managed to replicate the success of the film and with Season 1 well on its way to staggering success, the expectation for Season 2 will just be sky high and only time will tell how this pans out.
'Snowpiercer' airs on Sundays at 9 pm ET on TNT.