‘Snowpiercer’ Recap: ‘The Sting of Survival’

7/29/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Clark Gregg as Admiral Milius in Episode 402 of ‘Snowpiercer’ – ‘The Sting of Survival’. (Photo Courtesy of David Bukack/AMC.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 402 of ‘Snowpiercer’. To revisit the Season Four Premiere, click here.

It is definitely safe to say that fans of the iconic AMC series, Snowpiercer, had a lot of questions on their minds after that incredible season four premiere. Such as… who on earth were those strange soldiers led by a man named Milius? And why was it so important for them to board the Snowpiercer? Not to mention, what are they up to? And what do they want? Because it’s a big deal that one of the most precious trains ever made was boarded and it is also a huge deal that these soldiers have found their way to New Eden as well. Thankfully though, rather than drag that out, the next episode of this incredible series… took the time to address some of those questions, while also… revealing the stakes for this final season.

Which are feats that ‘The Sting of Survival’ accomplished… by taking us back in time. For nine months ago, as the good souls on Snowpiercer lamented the breakup of humanity and pondered upon what became of Big Alice and her human cargo… a surprise arrived. One that came in the form of a missile launched into the sky, that quickly exploded and left the debris that made Till and Ben so nervous last week. And well, those nerves were justified. Since Milius and his team used that as a distraction to slow the train and get aboard and once they were inside its warm corridors, did chaos and fear ensue. Since Milius shot Till to send a message before storming the engine. Wherein he was able to take control of the train and move it toward an unknown destination.

That of course, led to great conflict and unrest. The kind that saw Milius try to kill a hundred people in the Market by breaching the hull of the train and where Melanie had to resort to extreme measures to try and save the train. Wherein she outright changed the air intake in the engine control room to force the doors open and she was ready to open fire to reclaim what was hers in order to save those innocent lives. Which thankfully, she was able to do without any more blood being shed, but alas… her response time in getting this done, didn’t allow for her to fully reclaim the train. Since it reached its destination: a mysterious bunker. One that finally offered up answers and understanding and shockingly… a sense of hope.

Michael Aronov and Jennifer Connelly as Dr. Nima Rosseau and Melanie Cavill in Episode 402 of ‘Snowpiercer’ – ‘The Sting of Survival’. (Photo Courtesy of David Bukack/AMC.)

For Milius finally explained that he was the Admiral of a United Nations International Peacekeeping Force, and the Snowpiercer was being commandeered to well, save all of humanity. For an old friend of Melanie’s, Dr. Nima Rosseau, claimed to have the cure to the never-ending winter. For he and his associates, under Admiral Milius’ protection, had figured out how to counter CW-7 in the atmosphere and had tested their compound in the wild. Which was why places like New Eden existed and well, since the Snowpiercer touched all corners of the world, they needed the train’s help in distributing the CW-7 counteragent into the air in other parts of the globe, to save mankind, and well… that was enough to prompt Melanie to worry less about the aggressive tactics this agency used to seize the train, and embrace the future and embrace the plan to warm the Earth.

All of which made it seem as though, this was indeed a misunderstanding from a meathead of a soldier, sorry, Admiral. But alas, the next nine months aboard the train, were hard and not joyous and seemed to signal trouble, the kind that found its way to New Eden. Which was why Audrey made that brave voyage to the town, to tell this very story and well… just like that… answers came forth. Since now we know an aggressive arm of government and science remnant did all of this for the greater good, and yes, the cause is noble. Because it could bring humanity back from the brink and clearly… that will be the endgame of the final season. For something that big cannot be ignored, especially since the science works as evidenced by New Eden, and those are some high stakes, the kind though, that are in peril and are surrounded by danger.

Because clearly, Milius is a bit mad, and his soldiers, and the weird black cloud that hides in their suits… are all matters of concerns. As is his decision to do what he’s done at New Eden. Leaving all of us to wonder what Milius has in mind at this point and whether or not he is friend or foe. But while we wait to see how that shakes out, we can celebrate one amazing episode. One that truly offered us hope, wrapped in the foil of one epic tale. Because this one kept us on the edge of our seats and left us wondering if more death was on the horizon since in a final season, all bets are off. But for now, people are indeed alive, and the stage is set for quite the final season. One that might see mankind return to the cities it once built, provided all the nonsense and fear present here can be overcome.

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