Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Snowpiercer episode "Access Is Power." Read at your own risk!
The mystery and intrigue only grows as Snowpiercer rolls on through Episode 3. The TNT drama has raised the bar yet again with another dense episode, but it seems there are only more questions to ask with every answer given.
I guess when a show goes out the gate revealing the head person of the train might actually be a farce, one has to expect even deeper mystery! "Access Is Power" certainly revealed more about the hierarchy of the chain, but in terms of Andre Layton and the death of Sean Wise, I still have a lot of questions I'm gonna need some answers to.
What Will Josie Do With That Biometric Key?
At the episode's beginning we see a small capsule pulled from a severed arm. That capsule is passed around at the episode's beginning and exchanged as a commodity amongst people, but at the end of Snowpiercer is revealed to be in Josie's possession. She pulled the capsule from her mouth after a passionate kiss with Andre, and seemed to ponder the object now in her possession. She now has a key that, if used properly, will let her in just about every door on the train. Will she use it to advance the Tailees' interest, or exchange it for something else she needs?
What Does Nikki Know?
Nikki, the innocent person brought out of sleep that looks like a living zombie, seems to have a secret. That secret is presumably damaging to the Folger family, as the family's bodyguard took out a couple people just to speak with (and possibly kill) her. My assumption is she doesn't know a lot because that deep sleep process seems to have fried her brain, though maybe that's just the addiction to the sleep substance she was on that had her looking so out of it most the episode.
Is Miles Safe?
Though he was living in the tail, I get the sneaking suspicion that Layton's child friend Miles is less safe now that he's gotten an apprenticeship in the upper cars. His advancement on the train feels like a means of keeping Layton from jumping back with the Tailees anytime soon, and a way to keep him in line if he continues to press on issues "Mr. Wilford" doesn't want him looking into. Melanie has held this ship together so far despite some major catastrophes so far, and I can't imagine she's done that for so long without learning the value of leverage.
Who Knows Melanie Is Mr. Wilford?
As a general Snowpiercer question, I've been a bit hung up on who exactly knows Jennifer Connelly's Melanie is Mr. Wilford. At first I thought it was a matter of how high ranking you were on the staff, but it just seems like a random assortment of staff know and others don't. I'm also curious as to which members are aware of Melanie's deception but not because she told them. Personally, I think Layton is closing in on her, and may already even suspect it even if he isn't exactly sure.
Did Mr. Wilford Actually Exist?
Layton asked Roche if he had ever met Mr. Wilford before, and the lead brakeman surprisingly said he had. Apparently the two met before the train took off, but that he hadn't seen him since then. I'm wondering if there was a time when Mr. Wilford was a real person, and something happened to him at some point in the past 7 years. I'm also wondering if this guy has just been a farce from the start, and Roche lied to Layton about meeting him. Surely we'll find out eventually!
Can't The Train Produce Problem Be Fixed With Human Waste?
The Snowpiercer is supposedly going through some real issues thanks to losing its cattle in Episode 2. The loss of cows was supposed to impact a lot of different areas, such as the manure they provided for the produce. This week, I'm kind of wondering why the train isn't already using the waste of its thousands of human passengers to create more nutrient rich soil to grow food. I get that the thought is gross, but is it really any worse than eating food that grows out of cow poop?
Will The Tailees Act Soon?
Layton took on this job in order to learn the ins and outs of the train, and ultimately help the Tailees gather information for their rebellion and work for more rights. His delivery of the chip to Josie means he's planning something, though good luck trying to advance any major plans with the lot who remains in the Tail. Layton is gone, as are most of their movers and shakers after the failed first attack. I'm curious to see what Josie will do with that chip, and whether we see some meaningful action from the Tail in the coming weeks.
Will Someone Else Act Before The Tailees?
Layton learns the janitor Terrence has also been planning a revolution of sorts on the Snowpiercer. Meanwhile, the upper class is having conversations about severing the Tailees from the train, so there's a lot of moving pieces here. There's a lot of opportunity for the Tailees to advance if someone from the other lower classes starts a riot before them. That said, obviously all their planning would be for naught if their cars are detached from the rest of the train before ever getting that opportunity to break further into the train. Layton better make sure they're ready with some plan in either case.
How The Hell Did This Train Last For Seven Years?
With all the drama we've seen in the opening episodes of Snowpiercer, it feels like nothing short of a miracle everything has existed in relative harmony for this long. This isn't the first time this train has faced adversity, some shortage, or even a murder, but you wouldn't know from everyone's response right now. I guess as Layton said, this is only notable to Mr. Wilford because there's something sensitive "he" fears has gotten out via his informant, which may be why the stakes feel so much higher.
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