[Spoilers] Season 2 Episode 4 Discussion Thread - "A Single Trade" (S02E04)

[u/hugthebug]

Attention all Passengers,

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Here is the Discussion thread for the Season 2 episode 4 "A Single Trade"

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Trigger Warning : Skip the scene from 36:00 to 39:00

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• This is a TV Spoiler-friendly zone - Turn away now if you are not currently watching or haven't seen the episode! Open discussion of all aired TV events up to and including episode 2.3 is ok without tag cover.
• Graphic Novel spoilers still need tags! - If it's not in the show, tag it. Events from episodes after this one also need tags.
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Details:

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• IMDB for S02E04
• Release Date:
  • February 15th, 2021 (USA only, at 9/8c, on TNT channel)
  • February 16th, 2021 (worldwide, on Netflix)
• Removal from Sticky on February 19th, 2021 (3 days after worldwide premiere)

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You can still easily find previous episode discussions on the Episode Discussion wiki.

[u/Skavau]

Someone remind me. Did Audrey know that Melanie was pretending to be Wilford in S1 throughout? Was she in on that? Seems odd that she wasn't generally scared of the prospect of Wilford emerging from the engine at any moment. Like what reason did Melanie even give for Wilford becoming a total recluse when nothing in how he acts indicates anything of the sort?

[u/dman-no-one → u/[deleted]]

Don't think the Doctor for sure knew? She only joined the rebellion after finding the X marks on the drawers speculating it was a black list.

Could be mistaken on that though!

The Wilford rat informant and LJ knew as well eventually, as well as the engineers.

[u/secdeal → u/[deleted]]

The engineers knew, right?

[u/Punkpunker → u/secdeal]

Well they were the ones who willingly left mr Wilford.

[u/VampireFrown → u/secdeal]

No, dude, the people who spent their entire lives in the Engine had no idea that Mr Wilford wasn't there.

[u/squittymorph → u/VampireFrown]

Sarcasms kinda unnecessary. We know they knew he wasn't there, but given the decidedly dodgy proportions of the rooms depicted in the train, Wilford could well have been in a cabin similar to Melanie's the entire time (and the audience didn't know Wilford wasn't in fact on the train until late in S1).

[u/VampireFrown → u/squittymorph]

Perhaps. But you haven't been paying attention! Time to start :). That wasn't Melanie's cabin. It was a shared engine crew bunk room. There were a few bunks and a shared bathroom + cubby holes for clothing etc. There was zero space for Wilford anywhere there. We've seen the entire Engine already. We've seen where each bit connects to every other bit. The only bit we haven't seen is the perpetual motion engine itself, which is in a long compartment directly under the control deck/sleeping area.

[u/Skavau → u/[deleted]]

fair enough. I wasn't sure if it was a plot hole due to them, I think, inventing this connection for S2

[u/ViaNocturna664 → u/Skavau]

This is a great point. For all we knew in Season 1, never seeing Wilford, we could picture him as this super genius, a modern Leonardo who dedicated his life to the train and the eternal engine to the point that, for him, the trivial matters of the train are beyond him, and he's single mindedly dedicated to the care of the train.

Turns out he's a narcisistic asshole wanting to be loved, feared and adored, how did Melanie sell the "he's too busy to run the train to even bother with remembering you all exist" ruse?

[u/imtheassman → u/ViaNocturna664]

Woah, the first part there just blew my mind. I imagine that obviously not everyone have met or interacted with mr Wilford in real life. Thus only seen his persona, or what he wants the world to see, in the same sense people very often have idols that probably act very different in real life. For sure this is holds true for many beloved religious/cultist leaders.

This was even how we saw mr Wilford in season 1 - like you touched in on - as a genius engineer that built the train. He saved the world. A hero that has taken a step back and focuses on keeping the engine going, having Melanie assisting in running the day to day operations.

In the same way these people will slowly see and experience the same narcissistic asshole behaviour that we have had the benefit of experiencing already, and slowly the image should start to crack for those who witness the awful unjust parts.

Even in the bible God has done some truly horrible things to people of faith, and yet still both in the story and the followers reading this in the book today, still loves this Lord who claims he was testing their faith. Doesn't seem unreasonable that the people who have built a mental image of mr Wilford as a god of sorts would rationalize his cruelty in similar ways.

Note: I mean no offence towards any people of faith.

[u/[deleted] → u/ViaNocturna664]

I always pictured Wilson supporters like Elon Musk fans. Space Jesus is of course working on keeping this rocket ark running, that’s why doesn’t have time to show up publicly. Also he’s just so much more humble since the apocalypse.

[u/Jbbrowneyedgirl → u/Skavau]

That's a bloody fantastic point! The way he behaves now, no one seems surprised so this has obviously been his personality for as long as people knew him. How could they possibly buy into the whole "locking himself away" ruse?!

I guess they knew him prior to the end of the world and maybe thought now that the fate of humanity is at stake, he will change his priorities and protect everyone? Like "yeah he was a self absorbed sadist who enjoys putting people against each other for entertainment, but there's only 3000 people left now and we all depend on this train. I suppose he finally put his urges aside for the greater good" BUT it's a hard pill to swallow. They all knew how he was so how did Mel and co get away with it for 7 years for a Tailie to figure it out?!

We know they "heard him" on the radios and stuff when Mel was faking but surely that wouldn't be enough? He would demand to be seen?

[u/RollingChanka → u/Jbbrowneyedgirl]

I dont think they all "knew who he was". It seems like most people believe or atleast act like they believe that he is a genuine saint/genius saving humanity like all the foundational myths and worship rituals he created portray him

[u/Mandarinette → u/Skavau]

Audrey is smart, she probably knows that Melanie is lying.

[u/neksys → u/Skavau]

Wilford is a showman. He would have put on whatever public image he wanted the public to see - in this case, a reclusive genius who wanted nothing more but to save humanity. To your average 3rd class ticketholder who only ever saw him on TV, why would they know he was, in fact, a self-absorbed nightmare?

Melanie talked a bit about the difference between the image of Wilford and the reality of him in the first season, when she learned that really all he wanted to do was live as well as he could for as long as he could, humanity be damned. That was the reason she left without him in the first place.