Recap: Snowpiercer S02, Ep 7. – “Our Answer For Everything” – Put On the Red Lights

Snowpiercer, Season 2, Episode 7 “Our Answer For Everything”

Air Date: Monday, March 8, 2021 at 9:00 PM ET/PT on TNT

Reviewer Rating: 4 Stars ★★★★★

***WARNING: Some Spoilers Ahead***

At the risk of sounding repetitive, since I’ve said things like “there’s a lot to unpack in this episode” more than once, just know that this is a true statement for probably the rest of season two of Snowpiercer. In the opening scenes of “Our Answer For Everything,” my suspicions about Pastor Logan (Bryan Terrell Clark) are confirmed. As Detective Bess Till (Mickey Sumner) investigates the murders of eight Breachman back in episode five “Keep Hope Alive,” more pieces of the puzzle come to light.

Throughout this episode, I kept thinking of The Police song, “Roxanne,” specifically a lyric – “you don’t have to put on the red light” – because the “red lanterns” in “Our Answer For Everything” are quite significant. It signifies a choice among the passengers. Either they want to keep the freedoms they fought for back in season one or they want Wilford’s (Sean Bean) so-called “order.” Most of the passengers don’t truly know Wilford’s twisted nature; they think he’s the man who built the train that saved them all from the freeze. Would they have a change of heart if they knew the real Wilford or would they continue to fall in line simply because they don’t want to deal with what’s behind door number one?

To keep your freedoms, you must work for it, and be accountable. Under Wilford’s reign, they would go back to their caste systems following a set of rules slated to benefit the wealthy First- and Second Classes. I guess in a world where everything is encased in “1,034 cars,” it’s easy to let someone else be in charge.

Before I dive into the importance of the “red lanterns,” I want to point out that I cannot recall one instance in season one where we were saw any kind of ministry or religion being practiced [please let me know if I missed it]. I find it a bit reaching that Pastor Logan has been introduced wielding such clout as he does already, and with a devoted following. For the sake of television, I guess I must let it slide that his entire back-story is unfolding in snippets in season two.

I had my suspicions about him the moment he said Layton (Daveed Diggs) may not be the “right shepherd” to follow. He passed out numerous St. Christopher’s medals [did he have a stash of these when he boarded the train?] to more than half the passengers it seems and therein lies his mistake. When Till finds that “vintage” Wilford button in the aftermath of the Breachman murders, an unlikely ally helps her find the source.

snowpiercer_s2_ep7_our answer for everything_004 — Mickey Sumner as Bess Till and Bryan Terrell Clark as Pastor Logan — Snowpiercer, S2, Ep. 7 “Our Answer For Everything” — Photo Cr: ©David Bukach/TNT

The majority of “Our Answer For Everything” revolves around the investigation and following clues. There are a lot of clues in various scenes, especially when former Brakeman Osweiller (Sam Otto) takes Till to an elderly passenger named Katya (Yvetta Fisher) who runs a sort of thrift store out of her compartment. I won’t even ask where or how she got all the things in her cramped quarters; I’ll just assume she collected things over the seven years aboard Snowpiercer.

Katya’s grandson, Elan (Nikita Justin Olechko) speaks on her behalf because she allegedly only speaks Russian but I’m not buying it. Especially when Elan says she knows Wilford very well, “like a nephew” to her because they were “neighbors in Sheffield.” Yeah, she ain’t fooling me. There are more clues given as Till asks about the vintage button she found. According to Elan, Wilford “he love chapel…he light red candle in glass window…Grandmother ask me to light each day as vigil ‘til Mr. Wilford return…We give to customer; they light for him also.” Interesting.

This display of red lights comes in at the end of the episode as the train makes a “corkscrew” like turn as Wilford puts it at the beginning of the episode, “We’re coming up on the Himalayan Roundabout as we turn back for your brave chief Melanie.” The train loops around so the front of the train can see the rest of the train coiling like a snake.

snowpiercer_s2_ep7_our answer for everything_001 — Sheila Vand as Zarah and Daveed Diggs as Layton — Snowpiercer, S2, Ep. 7 “Our Answer For Everything” — Photo Cr: ©David Bukach/TNT

Other important plot points in this episode:

Miss Audrey (Lena Hall) cozied up on Big Alice with Wilford doesn’t seem right. I know she’s plotting something but at the same time, I’m concerned she may get trapped by Wilford’s twisted wiles.
Strong Boy (Kurt Oslund) is starting to speak English again. After his sudden awakening from being in a “drawer,” he was only speaking Mandarin.
Civil unrest erupts among the passengers on Snowpiercer. They are being swayed by the murders and whispers going around the train. They begin seeking out Tailies’ to get revenge.
Ruth Wardell (Allison Wright) has several epiphanies in this episode. One, she realizes that before the revolution, she doled out some harsh punishments – the whole freezing off a person’s arm and then smashing it to pieces while it’s still attached. Two, she chose to stay on Snowpiercer despite Wilford offering her to come aboard Big Alice in “Keep Hope Alive.”
Little Winnie (Emma Oliver) finds herself face to face with Ruth, the woman who nearly took her tiny arm back in the Tail. Instead, Winnie’s mother sacrificed her own to save her daughter and died due to complications of the “de-arming.”
Pike (Steven Ogg) is compromised, mentally. The little job he did for Layton [killing Terence (Shaun Taub)] really messed him up. He shaved his head, he’s using a baby bottle as a bong, and basically out of it.
Wilford wants Miss Audrey to prove herself. And surprise, surprise, a person I thought dead isn’t as deceased as I presumed. Miss Audrey works her mojo to help Big Alice’s former Head of Hospitality, Kevin (Tom Lipinski) recover from his time with Wilford in that milky bathtub.
Wilford is shutting Alexandra (Rowan Blanchard) out of his plans as punishment for her rekindled relationship with her mother Melanie (Jennifer Connelly). Seriously? How childish can you get? Don’t answer that.
The beautiful First-Class passenger Eugenia (Amanda Brugel) has some explaining to do. I think Till does an excellent job interrogating Eugenia as she eats Jell-O. That black eye can’t be completely covered up with make-up. And there it is – the St. Christopher’s medal.
We finally meet the elusive family that Brakeman Roche (Mike O’Malley) always talks about. So cute.

Toward the end of the episode, there are two showdowns. One takes place near the Tail where the Third-Class passengers try to take Pike’s arm. Layton steps in and offers up his to save Pike. Then Ruth comes the rescue and gives the speech of all speeches. A round of applause for that one. Second, Till pieces the clues together and realizes she needs to confront Pastor Logan for his part in the murders of the Breachmen. Things do not play out at all like I anticipated. I could never of imagined the lengths he would go to just to prove his loyalty to Wilford. I’m still in shock at his actions. He might join Josie (Katie McGuiness) on Big Alice to get some frost-bite goo.

snowpiercer_s2_ep7_our answer for everything_003 — Mickey Sumner as Bess Till — Snowpiercer, S2, Ep. 7 “Our Answer For Everything” — Photo Cr: ©David Bukach/TNT

As the train coils around the Himalayan Roundabout with red lights aglow in many windows, Wilford tells his right-hand woman Skyes (Chelsea Harris), “Tell the Headwoods to prep Icy Bob; it’s time.” Time for what?

Wow. Just…wow. Shit went off the rails, figuratively speaking, in “Our Answer For Everything.” I don’t know what else to say except I can’t wait to see what the f**k happens next week.