IN REVIEW: SNOWPIERCER (S1 – E4) – Without Their Maker

Synopsis: Another murder and the hunt for the killer steps up. Layton and Melanie head uptrain to conduct some interviews. Meanwhile, the tailies seek news about Layton.

The Story

Layton’s investigation takes him uptrain as he and Melanie set about questioning the privileged classes of the train. This leads to a series of interviews, which lead directly to the Folger family, whose bodyguard Erik is missing in action.

Meanwhile, in the tail section, Josie and the tailies attempt to set up communications between the tail section and third class by making use of the key that Layton managed to sneak to them in last week’s episode. In order to set things up, Josie has to work in sanitation to have the best chance of getting to where she needs to be. Thankfully their efforts work out, but the news they get as a result of the network isn’t good.

The Acting

The standard of acting in this episode is off the charts. Especially when it comes to the scenes in which Layton is interviewing folks in first-class or uptrain as it’s called. The scenes between Daveed Diggs and Annalise Basso are electric and tightly wound with tension because you are not quite sure what LJ Folger is going to do. Basso brings a real sense of danger to LJ as she plays mind games with Layton who has pretty much figured out that she has been up to no good. The various exchanges between Diggs, Basso, and Jennifer Connelly are what make this episode tick.  Added to that it is now very apparent that Layton knows that Melanie is pretty much maintaining a myth that Mr. Wilfred is still alive.

Overall

A fairly strong episode, which wraps up the murder investigation and sets some rather interesting dilemmas up for next week, which will see Melanie and the myth of Mr. Wilfred put to the test as a person from first class is most likely going to be tried in court or whatever passes for one on the Snowpiercer.

Overall. An episode, which will please fans of detective dramas and how they often conclude with the detective and the guilty party verbally sparring before the long arm of the law makes the arrest.