#Snowpiercer Season 1 Episode 7 Review: The Universe is Indifferent

Let’s talk voiceovers. I’m curious about who gets to be the opening voiceover in each episode and what it signifies.

On Snowpiercer Season 1 Episode 7, the opening monologue is given by LJ, who, despite killing THREE Third Class citizens is still able to hang out in the Night Car and watch the show without the staff poisoning or shivving her at the first opportunity.

To be human is to be self-involved. Everyone believes that they’re the center of the universe. We can’t help it. It’s in our nature. We scheme. We plot. We play our silly little games. Like, why do we think we’re the most important thing in the world? We’re just not.
LJ

As we’ve seen, she’s suffering from serious mental derangement which plays out in various forms of sadistic and sociopathic behaviors.

After the monologue, LJ is completely absent from the action until the final scene where Layton offers her the secret of Wilford and Cavill.

So, the monologue doesn’t indicate the focal character for the installment. It could be argued that it spotlights a pivotal character and, in LJ’s case, I’m pretty torn about whether she’ll be an asset or a liability.

Previously, we’ve had Layton, Josie, Klimpt, Jinju, Audrey, and Osweiller speak first about “Snowpiercer, one thousand and one cars long” but they’ve always played a key role in the narrative that followed.

LJ’s an outlier, in more ways than one, and it’ll be interesting to see how she processes the truth of the matter.

The universe is indifferent, doesn’t care about our stupid little plans or our fragile little hearts. The universe has its own plans for us.
LJ

As for what transpires between her two appearances, I admire the time play used. Life aboard the train is so regimented and regulated that any day seems like it could be the day before or after.

So when it turns out that only MINUTES passed between the first scene and the last, there’s a bit of an “ah-ha!” moment. Everything we witnessed technically happened in the past — a single day, in fact.

But what makes the day different? Well, Ruth gets a day off, for one. Apparently, she doesn’t sleep in that uniform.

I do wonder how one spends a day off on Snowpiercer. Spa day? Karaoke?

Also, was it weird that there was no one in Hospitality to take over Ruth’s duties for the day? You’d think with the threat of work stoppages and the high-maintenance nature of the First Class passengers, there would be a deputy to keep things running smoothly.

People seem to think that those in power answer to no one. They’re free to do as they choose. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Person in power answers to everyone. I make choices. Not because I want to but because everyone demands it. The train demands it.
Cavill

Cavill’s got a lot on her plate, after all.

And the stress is definitely getting to her.

Josie gets props for getting around Layton’s directive to stay away from Miles AND past Bennett’s watchful eye.

Furthermore, it’s nice to know that Ms. Gillies is on the side of the Tailies too. It appears that The Tail really has developed a network uptrain.

By the time Cavill gets her hands on Josie, the warning signs were clear that Josie wasn’t going to survive the encounter.

They can take our limbs, our children, our leaders. They keep trying to take our dignity. But any survivor will tell you they checked their dignity at death’s door. The more they steal from us, the more human we become. Humanity will fill our bellies one day. When we eat the rich of Snowpiercer, one thousand and one cars long.
Josie

She had her night with Layton and their morning-after tender goodbyes. She was able to spend time with Miles (after poisoning him) and deliver the imperative message to him.

Her purpose had been fulfilled. She’d saved Layton from the Drawers AND primed Miles for his mission in the Engine Car.

I don’t know if Cavill’s brutal interrogation technique surprised me or not. I certainly expected that she was capable of it, just as I knew she was capable of fixing the hydraulic connection on Snowpiercer Season 1 Episode 6.

It was shocking mostly because who the heck builds a tool like that into a luxury train?

Furthermore, who soundproofs a Hospitality office? The irony of the “Hospitality” placard on the door to a torture chamber was galling.

Josie: I didn’t tell her anything. She doesn’t know you’re one of us.

Till: I’m one of you.

Josie: You have to be.

Till: I’m still a brakeman, Josie. What I did for you and Layton, I just did it because it wasn’t right.

Josie: It’s the only reason you need.

Till: I still have a duty to this train.

Josie: We have a duty to each other. And to the workers. And to the weakest among us. There’s no future without it, Beth. You just have to decide what’s right and wrong. Doesn’t matter what the consequences are for you.

The fact that Till makes the choice to support The Tail’s revolt in that room makes it a sort of crucible for all three women. All three are changed irrevocably by the pressure applied in that room.

Melanie is now a killer. Josie is dead. Till is now committed to The Tail’s cause.

How this will affect her life with Jinju seems predictable. She’s already lied multiple times and Jinju knows it. They’ve only just made the leap in their relationship. It’s a very tenuous time and the factors involved aren’t trivial ones.

When Till chooses to support The Tail, she’s risking Jinju’s safety as well as her own.

I understand you’re pregnant. Congratulations. That’s wonderful news. Do you know that it’s a privilege to have a child on Snowpiercer. It’s not a right. And privileges, well, they can be taken away just as easily as they are given.
Cavill

Conversely, Zarah’s not willing to risk herself or her unborn child for Layton or The Tail.

This, of course, is an established pattern of behavior for her. She urged Audrey to stand down from the strike out of fear of her being sent to The Tail.

What exactly happened in The Tail between Zarah and Layton is still ambiguous. I’m not sure we’ll ever really know. But that might’ve been her crucible, turning her into what she is now. Scared.

Assuming that Layton followed through on his build-up with the leaders of Third, there are a LOT of people on the train with the knowledge of Cavill’s true role and that “track talk” will probably find its way to Ruth.

Losing her temper with Ruth will probably prove Cavill’s real undoing. Once Ruth knows that she’s been duped, that there is no longer a Mr. Wilford to believe in, why shouldn’t she throw in with the Folgers and the Firsties and become the new Head of Hospitality?

Of course, since Cavill also runs the Engine Car, Ruth may find herself a bit out of her depth.

Cavill: You know, once you pass through that door, there’s no turning back. You’ll be an engineer. But to be an engineer on Snowpiercer, you have to make sacrifices. And that can be hard.

Miles: Are you happy as an engineer?

Cavill: The needs of the train are more important than our own happiness. We’re engineers. We keep the world alive.

Mr. Wilford’s Order must be a heckuva a read to keep Commander Grey and the jackboots dedicated to preserving it when First Class really serves no purpose. The rich were needed to build the train. They do nothing to run it.

However, Javi seems interested in keeping the Firsties happy too so he may very well be the weak link upfront.

Things are ramping up so when you watch Snowpiercer online this week, it may be challenging to parse all the moving parts.

My questions are pretty straightforward:

What did Josie tell Miles? Did she reveal the truth about Cavill? (I wonder because he knew already that Cavill is an engineer.)

Will Terence pick a side? I could see the janitorial crew being the deciding factor in a direct conflict.

Did they mean for Layton to look like Mr. Robot in that hoodie? Anarchists have a uniform now apparently.

What does Till do now that she’s well and truly in it?

And the big one:

Once Cavill’s secret is out and she no longer has any obligation to appease the Firsties, who will she side with?

Hit the comments with your best and craziest theories!

Diana Keng is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.