Snowpiercer Review: Many Miles From Snowpiercer (Season 2 Episode 6)
Snowpiercer has, for the first time in the show’s brief history, derailed (pun intended) from the train.
On Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 6, “Many Miles From Snowpiercer,” the story centers on Melanie and her side journey off of Snowpiercer, as well as some flashbacks from when Wilford was left behind all those years ago.
The goal of “Many Miles From Snowpiercer” is to showcase Melanie’s internal conflicts while she’s away from the world of Wilford, Layton, and Alex. While Jennifer Connelly gives a strong performance and some elements of it are compelling — it doesn’t totally land.
It’s interesting to see Melanie’s history with Wilford and to see her more compassionate side against his ruthless one. Sean Bean has great chemistry with Connelly, and the flashbacks in particular create a richer, deeper picture of the Melanie that viewers know versus the real Wilford.
Tons of post-apocalyptic shows have done episodes like “Many Miles From Snowpiercer” (The 100 and The Walking Dead come to mind), but this one doesn’t quite compete on the same level.
It’s a fantastic idea to showcase Jennifer Connelly, who is excellent as Melanie. Easily the best part of the episode is Melanie’s reckoning with the terrible things she’s done and the reasons behind them. Melanie is one of Snowpiercer’s most compelling characters and filling in some of these gaps is great for the show, too.
But some of the moments feel hollow. Because Melanie has seen her daughter recently, having to choose to leave Wilford (and therefore her family) behind loses some of the pain behind it. Wilford being a big jerk also doesn’t help, as it makes leaving him behind seem like an easy choice.
Some of the choices for “Many Miles From Snowpiercer” seem to undermine the post-apocalyptic wilderness journey. The only piece that’s truly compelling and speaks to the character of Melanie is when she’s faced with cannibalism and eating rodents — and she sees Layton. Reckoning with the reality of cannibalism in the tail for many years is the first truly tough conflict for Melanie as she’s away from the train.
Layton: I know a great recipe for her…Him.
Ultimately, Jennifer Connelly deserves better. Melanie is a truly compelling character, but some of the flashbacks and hallucinations undermine her a little bit, because Wilford and Alex don’t have as much credibility with the audience as say, Layton.
“Many Miles from Snowpiercer” is a tad disappointing, but still lends Melanie a ton of credibility as a human, and her reckoning will be very important as the show continues.
A few stray thoughts:
- Wilford definitely would’ve had every person in the tail killed, so this really makes Melanie seem tame in comparison.
- Sometimes I consider leaving this show behind, and then the train speeds by Melanie in the end of the episode. They know how to hook you at the end.
- It’s always been obvious that Ben has not been the most important person in Melanie’s life, but “Many Miles From Snowpiercer” seems to confirm that, since he’s barely in it.
- We’re going to see Melanie again….right?
What did you think of this episode of Snowpiercer? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Snowpiercer airs Mondays at 9/8c on TNT.
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Nick Hogan
Nick Hogan is an experienced podcaster and writer (particularly on media topics), who loves discussion and analysis of TV and is always looking for new shows to watch. He is also a parent who loves buffalo wings, blowing raspberries, and his beloved Cincinnati Reds.