Snowpiercer Review: The Eternal Engineer (Season 2 Episode 8)
Snowpiercer has reached an inevitable junction (puns always intended). Wilford is making moves and there is divisive unrest among train residents.
On Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 8, “The Eternal Engineer,” the nuances and details of Wilford’s plans are revealed as chaos is unleashed upon the train, and it becomes clear where many loyalties lie.
“The Eternal Engineer” works hard to paint Mr. Wilford in a positive light (to the citizens of the train, at least). He’s helpful to Josie, and he saves Snowpiercer from certain peril.
But of course, viewers also know that Wilford is the cause of many of these issues. He sabotages the train so that, with Melanie gone, he’s the only person who can save the day.
This begs two questions:
One — did Wilford sabotage the Melanie situation to get her off the train?
Two — where does the show go with two episodes left?
“The Eternal Engineer” focuses on the internal struggles (or lack thereof) within certain characters like Sam Roche. Like Roche, members of the train face the known quantity in Wilford, versus the initially chaotic but better long term leadership of Andre Layton.
Watching the conflicts these characters face as they make their decisions is among the show’s most compelling elements.
There’s some powerful allegory on this episode about people in power, how they get it, and how they keep it. Looking to any given year’s mid-term elections, you can find striking similarities. Sometimes it seems Wilford is meant to be a Trump-like figure, too.
The above questions and this compelling allegory comprise the highlights of “The Eternal Engineer.” Some of the other character focused subplots just don’t work well. LJ’s subplot, for instance, is more of a distraction than anything else.
But the urgency is at an all-time high for Snowpiercer. It’s obvious Wilford won’t tolerate the tail for long, so the stakes have never been higher. The action of the episode reflects that, as “The Eternal Engineer” may be one of the more action-heavy episodes of the series so far.
Going into the “two hour finale event,” many questions remain unanswered, but what “The Eternal Engineer” leads you to believe is there will be political fallout, shifting alliances, and action galore. I suspect the train may have more Layton supporters than viewers may believe, too!
A few stray thoughts:
- Where the heck is Melanie? Is Jennifer Connelly leaving the show? What gives?
- I have a theory that Layton’s support may be more widespread, and maybe that Wilford taking over the train is part of some plan.
- Piggybacking on that – I’m not convinced that Audrey has “returned” to Wilford.
- I’m truly excited to see Josie’s eventual role in this, too. She’s a bit of a wildcard, and her friendship with the giant frozen guy is going to be important.
What did you think of this episode of Snowpiercer? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Snowpiercer airs Mondays at 9/8c on TNT.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
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.