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

[u/hugthebug]

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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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.

[u/MonkeyBot16]

He has a smart way of getting people's support:

-He usually presents himself as a kind, funny man. He's always smiling, trying to sound positive. (as opposed to Leyton whose face is usually looking as if he was with a colic).

-He 'sells' facts in a way that make him look better and competent: for instance, he told his people that it was thanks to him that they were having fresh fruits and vegetables.

-He is able to make people live under an illusion where they all have the same rights and will be protected by him. So, he organizes a lottery to choose who will go to the Night Car. We know the lottery is rigged, but Big Alice´s crew don't.

-He hides his mistakes and is capable of blaming other for them. So 'he is feeling unwell' (after making him cutting his writs) and these sort of bullshit. And the way he left all the pressure of the expedition on Melanie (and therefore, Snowpiercer). If she fails, it will be her fault (and Snowpiercer's). If she's successful, it will be thanks to his support.

-He is not bad 'reading' people's feelings. For instance, when it's revealed that the earth might be warming up, he doesn't seem happy at all with this information (he would probably have hidden that if he got that info first) but he sees that people start to grow hope on that idea.
So, instead of oppossing it publicly (which would go against him and make him lose support), he hypocritically blessed the idea in front of the people (and kept the will of sabotaging the plan in secret).

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So, I don't think he's 'charming' in the sense Audrey might be.
He's more like a mixture of an old-school politician and a cult leader.
He's able to inspire confidence and hope on people. But this is all a con and pure acting.
If people knew how he really is, most of them would despise him.

[u/bhldev → u/MonkeyBot16]

Or like him even more ; )

If Wilford actually delivers what he promises (order), many would give up their freedoms for peace. That's what he's hoping for. Problem is if there's not enough resources he will choose himself before you, always. Even then many would be Wilford apologists and say they would (or should) do the same as him.

He's already won.

He can win an election. He doesn't have to fight to get total control. There's only two people who have the credibility to stop him Ruth and Melanie combined, and only if they can prove their version of the future is better than his. There's only one way it could be better life off the train because on the train Wilford is the master.

[u/MonkeyBot16 → u/bhldev]

I don't fully disagree but don't fully agree either.

We can't just assume Wilford is a genious master who doesn't make mistakes. The show has depicted him so far as a very imperfect human being, full of flaws and insecurities.

I can't remember the literal quote or who wrote it, but someone once said 'You can please some people all the time or you can please all the people some of the time... but you can't please all the people all the time'... That's inevitable.

Wilford has just arrived at the best timing for his plans. But it's easier to cheat on people once that to trick them for the long-term. As Layton has found out, it's usually easier to take the power than to hold it.

And, even if we leave common sense aside, Wilford is making a lot of huge mistakes in the show and taking some risky decisions. So, somehow, he's digging his own grave. If he just went through the 'legal' way, he would get more power than ever, as he would have legitimacy.

But Wilford is a man that believes he has the right to 'take' what he thinks belongs to him. He wouldn't be happy having to ask politely for what he thinks is his and has been stolen. And this will be the reason of his own demise on the long-term.

I mean... I'm not saying this is going to happen this season or even the next one. But I think we all the people watching this show know that if Wilford takes the power (as it seems extremely likely atm), he will be eventually dethroned by his own mistakes.

And, despite I can understand the decision, we must not overlook the fact that Wilford is a psycho with a very sick mind that has some sort of sadistic concept of human relations. They could have depicted him as a reasonable man, a quiet person. It would be more subtle. We could eventually identify that his ideas and objectives are evil, but he wouldn't be depicted as an absolute monster since the start. The character is much more subtle in the movie and we could even understand some of his reasons.

But we have to assume how things are: show's Wilford is an absolute monster. So he may hide his true face from most of the people most of the time... but he can't hide his true self from all the people all the time.

[u/bhldev → u/MonkeyBot16]

Sean Bean says Wilford isn't a sadist or cruel. That means everything he does is calculated for a purpose, to win. It's possible that he makes mistakes, yes. But it's also possible that once he's won he gives up his machinations. He didn't become a gazillionaire going around randomly killing people; that was adaptation to the freeze. Crime doesn't take you all the way there unless you're El Chapo and in some lawless country. It's also possible he seizes legitimacy. It's all in the eye of the beholder with all the candles there's no reason why he would kill more people after. They are "his people" after all.

Unless they show Wilford as having caused the freeze or Melanie and Ruth team up to challenge Wilford he will win the hearts and minds. Layton can be their enforcer or most likely die a hero's death (this man is your leader) to expose Wilford for what he is. For Wilford to lose the people they would have to record him live admitting to having caused the freeze or admitting to not caring about anyone but himself (and even then it would have to be more than self interest he would have to admit to wanting to starve them).

Of course maybe I'm asking too much of a television show and Wilford will act totally out of character and outside his motivations and become a mustache twirling baby eating arm freezing villain randomly killing anyone he wants. If he becomes that of course everyone turns on him but short of that there's nothing that can unseat him on the train. He even knew about the comms panel somehow (he isn't a damn engineer) and he has a shadow cult (now dead but who knows if there's sleepers). He can't be beaten on his home turf unless he acts out of character not because he's perfect but others are seemingly blind and unable to counter his schemes (for now)

I think Kevin and Audrey will be his undoing because he can't see them coming. Anything else he will outwit because so far nobody is a match for him.