Snowpiercer (TNT) S01: B

Based on the French comic book by Jacques Lob, the Snowpiercer is a gigantic train with whats left of the human civilization after an ice age apocalypse. It consist of 1001 cars were class still matters and the train is divided in first, second and third class wagons. The third class does the heavy work to keep the train running and a five star service to the first class community. But third class has never been happy with this arrangements. Andre Layton (played by Daveed Diggs) is a former detective called to investigate the train's first murder, but he's also the leader of the revolution that is brewing up back at the tail of the wagon. Melanie Cavill (played by Jennifer Connelly) is the head of hospitality at the train, your manager sort to speak. She's the face of Mr. Wilford the billionaire that builded the train. When you demand to speak to him you have to go thru Melanie to pass the message along. During the crime investigation Andre discovers that Mr. Wilfred is dead or at least not in the train and that Melanie has been in power all along. With this very big piece of information he has new leverage to rise up the revolution, in order to change how the train is being managed.

The whole premise is very attractive. I love dystopian future, post apocalyptic shows. I vaguely remember the 2011 film with Chris Evans. So it was basically like watching a completely new show for me. Its format is very slow burn, to try and fit you into this world slowly, so you can buy the idea that the whole world is now just 1001 cars of a train. It doesn't start with a bang and maybe with their contract with Netflix for international distribution they builded the series for a streaming platform, because things start to get more interesting after the 4th episode. Before that I was even considering canceling the show, but that was the thing it wasn't good enough for me to impatiently wait for the next episode, and it wasn't bad enough for me to cancel it. The series had already been renewed for a second season long before the release of the first one. Actually second season principal footage wrapped before the pandemic. This made me be patient with the series, if it was already renewed it meant things would get better.

There is just something about Jennifer Connelly, she always has this cold aura around her, in most of her works. Here it sort of fits as the head of hospitality is a job that you should always keep your cool regardless of how the guest is treating you. So this quality of hers fits perfectly into the role of Melanie, but at the same time I feel there are scenes where we need more from her, in order to make a bigger impact, her cold aura is all around the series, sometimes is hard to really engage in the story.

For me they really need to work on this for a second season. Almost the whole season 1 I was waiting for the series to start. Also I need the blue prints of that train, because sometimes I have my doubts of how all of that works!

But the real action starts at the last two episodes of the season setting up the second season, which I presume would be different now that they don't feel the need to take their time in setting us in this train.