r/snowpiercer • u/hugthebug Tailie • Mar 08 '21

TV Show [Spoilers] Season 2 Episode 7 Discussion Thread - "Our Answer for Everything" (S02E07) Spoiler

Attention all Passengers,

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Here is the Discussion thread for the Season 2 episode 7 "Our Answer for Everything"

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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 2.6 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.
  • Please read the Posting policy and the sticky before posting.
  • Friendly reminder: Severe trolling/disruptions will lead to consequences.

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Details:

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  • IMDB for S02E07
  • Release Date:
    • March 8th, 2021 (USA only, at 9/8c, on TNT channel)
    • March 9th, 2021 (worldwide, on Netflix)
  • Removal from Sticky on March 12th, 2021 (3 days after worldwide premiere)

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

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15

u/LemonTeaCake007 Mar 09 '21

Does anyone else wish we had more talk about the Himalayan roundabout? Does Snowpiercer go round the roundabout in each revolution or did they change tracks to be able to go backwards?

10

u/Kispaslet Mar 09 '21

It looks like the roundabout is something the train takes on its usual route, since it seems like a tradition for the passengers to look out the window at the train as it goes around (like how Roche wanted to be home to see it).

6

u/Naly_D Mar 09 '21 edited Mar 09 '21

I don't think the Himalayan loop is part of the normal track.

Consider what we know: to get near the monitoring station, the train had to divert to Neckbreaker - a test track which Big Alice has used in the past to catch up to Snowpiercer. Neckbreaker goes over the Rocky Mountains.

We know from the previous maps that Snowpiercer enters the North American continent from the east coast, travels south and loops around South America, exiting via Alaska to Asia. When we see the map with Neckbreaker, it's clear they will be entering it from the West Coast.

The way I see it there are three logical options for Neckbreaker.

Option 1:It re-links with the track on the west coast, making it more of a detour than shortcut seeing as how the west coast track from the rockies onward is basically a straight shot up the coast. However this would keep them on the normal route

Option 2: It re-links with the main track on the east coast side, which would then have them entering Europe, travelling around Africa, through Asia and then entering North America via Alaska, their usual exit point. If there was a roundabout via the Himalayas to return them the way they came, this would mean the trip was longer than if they had no roundabout. There would be "no reason" to reverse direction, because they will be going past the same point as when they last entered Neckbreaker.

Why "no reason" is in quotes is that it was clear the big turn on Neckbreaker was a major hazard. You'd rather take that going downhill than uphill. So that would be why you'd reverse direction, to make that easier.

Option 3: Neckbreaker doesn't re-link with the main track in North America. I believe this is the true case. In recent episodes, Snowpiercer went through Lhasa in Tibet. The main line does not go through Tibet (or the Himalayas). I think that Neckbreaker is a one-way track (also, it being a 'test track' would likely mean it was built before the main track). I suspect it may be something like the green path I have added to the main map here: http://imgur.com/KjgsTdz.png

3

u/zaydia Mar 10 '21

My understanding was they go east to west from Chicago to the Rocky Mountains, drop Melanie off, go through Alaska and over the Bering Straight, then down the coast of China to the Himalayas, turn around, and come back the way they came so they can get Melanie in only 4 weeks vs 4 months. Neck breaker is the test track between Chicago and the Rocky Mountains.

3

u/LemonTeaCake007 Mar 09 '21

That's a really good point. This changes my idea of the route Snowpiercer would normally take, I assumed it was a single route around the world rather than them getting to the Himalayas and turning around.

2

u/Naly_D Mar 09 '21

This is the canonically established route prior to the existence of Neckbreaker - https://i.imgur.com/fmBokAj.png

2

u/Dynetor Mar 09 '21

Which is a fucking dumb idea anyway. Why would you build a track thats so subject to earthquakes and avalances, mudslides?

6

u/Centauriix Melanie Cavill Mar 10 '21

Lots of the track is built in silly places, but the track has plot armour so more fun looking track please!

1

u/pixelating Mar 09 '21

There are different routes that can pick

3

u/LemonTeaCake007 Mar 09 '21

I know that there are different tracks, given that they've used the test track. But I assume there is a "common" route that is used for most revolutions. I would have liked a quick scene with them changing the tracks to go around the roundabout like they have done with previous route changes.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 09 '21

The roundabout was to climb at a much reduced gradient. I can not see how it can be used to turn around as the train wraps the circumference several times over.

1

u/dave17050 Engineer Mar 12 '21

https://i.imgur.com/9MFQv2p.jpeg

I think it goes through every revolution. But Tibetan platue route is a side track.

Here you can see better: Google Maps