Has any one see the new Snowpiercer series ? It has just finished it's first season and it has been renewed for a second season. It stars Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs of Hamilton fame. I would recommend it to those who have not watched it. It is a good show.
I'm enjoying it also. I haven't finished the series yet (almost there) and for the most part it's engaging and reasonably well-acted. I only recently realised that the musician Gordon Sumner's (Sting of The Police) daughter Mickey Sumner plays Bess Francis Till - one of the Brakemen - and does a great job in a fairly intense role. Although some scenes have been lifted from the movie (which is also worth a watch, IMO), it definitely has a different beat to it - and I'm intrigued to see how this series plays out, beyond season one...
Wait till you watch the last two episodes. They ended the season well. I did not know that the blonde rebel brakeman was Sting's daugther.
I've been enjoying it---about halfway done. I almost did not recognize Jennifer as she is much much thinner than the Jennifer from the 90s/2000s. The opposite is true for me sadly.
Spoilers for the whole season: I loved it. Putting aside the obvious scientific impossibilities utilized as conceits to lay the basis of the show on (which, honestly, is no different from say a warp drive or a TARDIS), I was fascinated by the different sociological developments that arose throughout the thousand car train and how those developments informed people's decisions in life, for better or for worse. I'm glad the show quickly revealed that Wilford was dead (or at least not on board) and that Melanie was running a long con in the belief it was for the betterment of the passengers. I'm also glad that it didn't take Layton long to sniff out the truth...even if it meant making everyone look foolish (although some of it was understandable). I suppose one way of looking at it is the first class folk were slowly hoodwinked about Wilford not being there and Layton was an outside perspective after being in the Tail for so long (and previously being a detective doesn't hurt). Plus, being made a fool certainly explains why Ruth was so furious at Melanie and why it felt like a sense of betrayal despite Melanie's "good intentions." Even though the first season understandably focuses largely on Layton and Melanie (and both are excellent characters), I also really loved Till, Ruth, Jinju, Josie, Zarah, Roche, and even wackadoodle LJ. All of them had great, if more minor, character developments (although it's a shame Josie was killed off already) and I'm intrigued to see where they all go from here. I'm really looking forward to the second season (whenever that might occur), especially after that killer cliffhanger. As soon as Melanie had that mediation conversation (or whatever) with her daughter that she left for dead, I immediately realized that there was a pretty good chance she would show up (and did the math that she would be a teenager if so). And I did figure she was going to show up even before the second train showed because I accidentally read a spoiler for the second season: Spoiler: Who shows up... Sean Bean plays Wilford in the second season. I initially only saw that Bean was going to show and guessed who would play and then accidentally had it confirmed later on, even though it was no surprise. Lastly, I have to say it's refreshing to see everyone in this (albeit short) thread are enjoying. The weekly reviews at A.V. Club (which I normally agree with on television shows) have really been hating on the show. Edit to add: I forgot to mention that I've been holding off rewatching the film (I saw it when it first came out) until I finished the season. I'm curious to see how it compares beyond the obvious changes.
I do agree that while they focused on Layton and Melanie, they also developed the minor characters well. Looking forward to seeing more of the last Australian, Osweilier and Strong Boy.
I remember enjoying the movie, and have been thinking about watching the show since it popped up on Dutch Netflix. Might want to give it a try, after hearing many good things.
Spoilers, please. This is a pretty significant bit of information. I'm not up to the episode where it's revealed, so had that revealed to me in your post. Thanks. Been watching it and while it's interesting in some places, it certainly feels random and chaotic in others, and I'm not entirely sold on it yet. One of my favourite characters so far is the blonde lesbian woman (forget her name), as I find her to be one of the more interesting characters.
I thought it was revealed in the first episode? I'm glad someone finally started a thread for this, I really enjoyed it. It some really well written and performed characters, and the story took a lot of surprising twists and a turns as it went on. Definitely very curious what the new developments in the finale will mean for season 2.
Not necessarily, but it's a running thread of mystery running throughout the season, that there's something odd going behind the scenes in regards to Melanie and Wilford. If it had been revealed early on, there'd be no point in keeping up appearances. I have my own theories as to why this is happening. Spoiler: About Wilford I don't think he exists. I think he's a myth created to keep people in line. You see several clues to this effect such as one of the crew members pointing out she has her badge on upside down, which can clearly represent either Wilford or Melanie. Another big clue, in Episode 5, I think, during the trial intermission, she can be seen playing and replaying one of Wilford's speeches, or at least that's what it looks like. I think she's actually creating it on the spot via speech samples. Another fairly big clue during the same episode is with the message tubes. She's a master manipulator, able to achieve and change the situation to her advantage. I don't think there is any separate Wilford. I think she IS Wilford through an adoption of a different personality. She seems far too invested to be a mere crew member.
Spoiler: About Melanie Over several episodes, Melanie did reveal that she designed and help to build the train while Wilford was the businessman who sold the idea to the wealthy and recruited the workers.
I haven't seen the show and I'm having some trouble with the concept. It's a frozen world and the last of humanity is aboard a big train ... why exactly? It doesn't sound like they're going anywhere in particular? They're just "going". One of the episode synopses mentioned the threat of reducing their speed by 12%. So what? 12% of what, anyway? What's the problem if they stop? Why is it necessary for them to be moving at all? This is a standard-type train with a single aisle running down the center (right??) ... for the length of 1000 cars. You're basically talking about a long, skinny city with one road that is only accessible by foot. I can't imagine a less efficient design. Yeah, I understand that the show features social unrest and so on — but I don't understand how it managed to work in the first place. Every single car is a potential choke point. Imagine if a virulent disease breaks out in Car 500. Suddenly half the train is completely isolated from the other half ... if any trade had been taking place through that area, it's finished. Also, where do they get their fuel, spare parts, food, supplies, medicines, toilet paper? How are they guaranteed the train tracks are always safe to run on? Is any of this addressed on the show? The places I've looked up online don't seem to address it. Am I off base with any of the points above?
If you mean fuel for the engine, you missed a chunk of the story. The engine is a perpetual energy machine.. Second law of thermodynamics, oooo... They f%cked it. The engine is powered by it's own speed. For smaller things, biobdiesel... Which is why they were so worried when the XXXXXX died. Hang on. Someone did the Apocalypse wrong. You missed one.
I think sometimes Asian movies are more about setting up an interesting situation or idea and rolling with it than whether it makes complete logical and logistical sense. Snowpiercer being one example and another one that comes to mind is The Wandering Earth. Bong Joon Ho's other movies like Parasite and Okja have some out there elements as well if strictly trying to have it all be completely reasonable and plausible.
Spoiler I don't buy that entirely. Ok, she may have had a hand in designing the train, but she's acting as if she's the top authority, manipulating events to fit her agenda, even going so far as speaking on his behalf. Part of me wonders if maybe he's/was her father, hence why she's so protective.
I'm not entirely sure, but I think they were already working on the training before the attempt to cool the planet went out of control, so they were just taking advantage of what they already had. It's a perpetual motion engine, so it's powered by it's own movement, and if get below a certain point it won't generate enough energy to keep the power on. It's bigger than a normal train, and there is a whole big undersection, which includes carts that can get you from one section to another faster than walking. We do see some of when things turn violent. I think they do actually address this at some point. , since it's a perpetual motion engine, it doesn't need fuel. I don't think this is specifically addressed. They have a car with plants, at least one with cows, and one with an giant aquarium filled with fish. Spoiler: Finale It's not specifically addressed, but I'm assuming some of the plants in the agriculture cars are probably medical. There is a guy they call Frank (I think) The Papermaker, so if they can make paper, I'd assume they can make toilet paper. Not addressed specifically, although we do see the train blow through the remains of an avalanche. The original idea didn't come from Bon Joon Ho, it's from a French comic book, Le Transperceneige.
Surprisingly, I'm fine with the concept of a perpetual energy engine with a critical lower threshold — although I'd point out the entire population doesn't strictly need to be aboard a moving vehicle for that to work. Yes Guy, I'm aware of the spoiler of when the "xxxxx" died. I suppose for toilet paper, they could just use snow. Anyway, thanks.