You'd think loneliness would be impossible all crammed in here.
But this train was designed to separate us...
from our possessions, from our loved ones.
Now, every last shred of us is worth something to someone.
Everything's rare, so you gotta pay with something personal.
And we're all trading up for the most valuable thing there is:
access.
Access all the way to First, where they hold the table for sport...
...then trade it right back down.
People avoid me because I care for the Sleepers,
but that's my value, how I open doors and live in Second.
I can trade for things, while the weakest can only trade their carbon for compost.
So we keep pushing.
Pushing uptrain, pushing for access to feel more alive.
Access is freedom. Access is power.
We'd kill for that on Snowpiercer, 1,001 cars long.
I can't be with you.
Good luck, Andre.
We don't even know what the Nightcar is, what they'll make you do up there.
- Anything's better than this. - Zarah...
I'll die. I can't do it anymore.
It's my decision.
Hey.
We held on to these for a long time,
but they're worth more now as a commodity,
to trade if you get into trouble.
Good luck, Andre.
- There she is. - Goddamn sellout.
Yeah, go on. Go show those rich men how we do it in the Tail.
Just walking away, huh? Just walk away!
- Good for you. - She's actually going!
Up.
All right, can we settle? Let's settle down, please.
Thank you.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
We all know it's been a tough 48 hours.
It seems the events have been on Mr. Wilford's mind as well.
He's written a personal message for us all.
"To my loyal and trusted crew,
without whom this mission could never succeed.
In this time of adversity, I ask you, the lead stewards of humanity,
to remain unshaken in spirit and resolve,
as you've done so nobly these past seven years.
By your steady hand, we will ride out this hardship
and outlive the ice.
Bound by our cause and our need. Wilford."
Winston Churchill.
- I'm sorry? - "Unshaken in spirit and resolve."
Mr. Wilford was paraphrasing Churchill.
- I'll tell him you noticed. - Tell him there's unrest brewing.
The murders, a Tailie uprising.
Third will feel the brunt of the rationing.
There's already talk of job action.
To that point, Mr. Wilford suggests we work to ease the minds of passengers
while we do repairs.
Ruth? What if we moved next week's prizefight up to tonight?
Distraction? It's brilliant.
We make an event of it,
and the winner gets a full upgrade from Third to Second.
It's aspirational for Third,
and it'll remind First how good they actually have it.
Commander? You can handle the fight?
Of course.
- Good. Settled. - The Engine will provide.
Get off of me.
Get off me!
Oh...
Did that frighten you? It was Mr. Wilford's idea.
At least with a bag on my head,
I know how much Wilford actually wants me to see.
Let me explain clearly. We each have our place up here.
Our lane.
And until you earn Mr. Wilford's trust, your lane is narrow.
Your only concern is finding out who tortured and killed Sean Wise.
And if you try communicating with the Tail again,
I'll stick your head out a port myself.
Can I have access to the witness of the first murder yet?
No.
She's still unconscious.
Well...
does Wilford trust me enough to let me know what Sean Wise was informing on?
Yes.
Sean Wise kept tabs on the black market.
He was trying to find the source
of a new drug wreaking havoc in Third. Kronole.
Kronole's not new. It's been in the Tail for two revolutions.
Oh, you're not getting a cut?
Authoritarian states usually control their own drug trade.
Snowpiercer is an ark. It's not an authoritarian state.
Okay.
Well, if Sean Wise was looking in for Kronole, then that's where we start.
All you gotta do is go down on a Brakeman.
Your boy Oz trades K for blowjobs in the Tail.
Well, look at you, Detective.
Already working on the case.
You should see me without the handcuffs.
Brakeman Till, you're out of uniform.
Somehow, it's my fault the Tailie got out of his cell last night.
- I wasn't even... - Will you shut up?
Must be pretty nice up here in Second.
Or do you just lie around in bed all day?
You don't find it a little aspirational?
Some of it.
Nikki falsely imprisoned.
A cannibal ring right under my nose. It's embarrassing.
And now I can't even find my underwear.
Hey.
Nikki's our only witness,
but that bitch from Hospitality's blocking access to her.
Yeah, you won't get much out of Nikki. She's still confused.
I thought she was unconscious.
- I wouldn't go there, Bess. - Why not?
Because if Melanie's doing it, it's what Wilford wants.
Okay. Well...
it's that kind of thinking that put an innocent girl in the Drawers.
Hey.
You don't want to cross paths with Melanie Cavill.
Then I'll go around her.
Osweiller, shifty little dodger. I can't wait to slap him with this.
Good, but hold up. You're at an impasse with this case.
So today, I'm shaking the hell out of this tree to make something fall out.
The train is like a small town, so everyone's gonna know you're coming.
Two years ago, you put Nikki in a drawer for a crime she didn't commit.
Now, you don't know if Sean Wise was murdered by that same psychopath
or if it's somebody trying to complicate the murder of a Wilford informant.
- Your point? - My point is...
I lead this time.
Tailies come pouring out onto us.
You start sticking pikes in those animals, they back up quick.
Oz...
Heard you went crawling out of there on your hands and knees.
And you left your partner behind. Move it.
Yes, sir.
What's this about, sir?
You traded Kronole for blowjobs in the Tail?
Gonna listen to a Tailie?
Who's your supplier?
Supplier? No, no. All right, look.
I passed a little Kroney to the Tail, okay?
It was just from the stuff that we confiscated.
It was for that Tailie woman whose arm they froze off.
It was a humanitarian act.
Did you know Sean Wise?
- What, the dead guy? - Yeah, the dead guy.
Why? What's that got to do with it?
I swear on the train, boss.
All right, I'm going.
Watch the neckline, yeah?
- Look, Terence, I was coming to see you. - Oh, shut it.
Why is the Lead Brakeman leaning on you?
He's asking about Kroney. I didn't say nothing.
Well, that's good.
What about the Tailie detective he's with?
We, uh... we pulled him out to work on the Sean Wise murder.
- So how'd he get to Kroney? - He's smart. Dunno.
- I wouldn't underestimate him. - Don't worry about that.
We'll give that cop a nice warm welcome.
Roche, look, hey!
I already told you, Zarah didn't kill the Wilford rat.
Well, she was gonna have a baby with him, wasn't she?
Look, she lived with him. What did he tell her?
You talked to my guy, now I'm gonna talk to yours.
- Sean worked for Ag-Sec. - He was also a spy.
I didn't know he had anything to do with any of this.
- He mention Kronole to you? - No.
Anybody connected with making it or distributing it?
- He didn't mention drugs at all. - Hmm.
I mean, he bragged sometimes about knowing people
who could get him whatever he needed.
You're not new here. You know how the underground works.
Who was it?
Tunnelmen? Nightcar staff?
- Janitors? - I don't know anything specific.
You're saying he was a spy, so he wasn't sharing it with us.
Is that it? 'Cause I gotta get ready for Fightnight.
- What's that? - Don't worry, you won't be attending.
- Janitors. - It's okay.
Oh! Snake eyes. That's another item, York.
Whoo! Off with it.
Run along now, girls.
Evening. Hi.
- "Fightnight"? - Perhaps you'll lose more.
Robert loves a fight. Don't you, Robert?
Ruth, I see you.
With your surprise casino
and your Roman games.
You're just misdirecting us from an extinction event.
Snap!
Seriously, Ruth, we realize that this is no longer a pleasure cruise.
But our fortunes built this train, and Mr. Wilford is losing control.
Resources crashing, insurrection in the Tail.
Fightnight is nothing but a bald-faced distraction.
Yes, but it's an entertaining distraction.
Please, show some solidarity with the train.
These people work hard, you know. And it lifts them just to see you.
Yeah, Mom, do it for the Thirdies.
Snap!
Oh, come on!
Come on, Daddy.
Come on, sweetheart, let's make a night of it.
You can get dressed up.
Married, right?
Twenty years.
Kids?
We doing this?
Three kids.
Two of 'em didn't make it.
Hard choices.
We hold them close, they keep us going.
It was the same thing when Zarah went uptrain.
- She was my warmth. - Tomato soup and a grilled cheese.
Think Sean Wise got killed on this Kronole tip?
Or did Wilford's rat just get his dick chopped off by a serial perv?
You ever meet Wilford?
Shook his hand a few times before we boarded,
but, you know, the Engine's biosecure now.
He speaks through Melanie.
- Hey, I told you to stay home. - I got something.
- It turns out Nikki's awake. - Okay.
Take Layton. Keep an eye on him.
- I'm having my lunch. - Let's go.
- Hey. - I've got the crack under control.
Bojan's team's behind on the cattle car window.
Oh, shit! We can't keep pumping heat down here.
- The main banks are near an all-time low. - And more mountains to come.
- I can offer one immediate solution. - What?
We uncouple the Tail.
I mean we move the Tailies into Third, cut the empty weight loose onto a siding.
That would be civil war in Third. No, we need a more viable solution.
God, I wish I were welding.
Ma'am. Ma'am. Ma'am. I...
This is Melanie.
- It's me. - Hey, what's up?
We don't want the investigators to see Nikki like this, right?
No. Why?
Till might be on her way soon.
Thanks, Jinju.
Make it quick. She's supposed to be off-limits.
Nikki? Nikki? She's out of it.
Oh, that's a common postsuspension reaction.
Yeah, she's got a fever.
That's perfectly normal.
It's not like sleep.
What's not? The Drawers?
Oh, she's just disorientated. Everyone comes out of it a little differently.
She's gonna be fine in a few days.
Nikki, can you open your mouth for me?
Oh.
- I wouldn't recommend that. - Oh, Jesus.
Looks a lot like Kronole withdrawal, doesn't it?
Oh, no. She's just a long-term Sleeper.
Nikki, has anyone given you Kronole?
- Of course not. - What's Kronole?
Will it make me feel better?
She's not cleared for visitors yet, Doctor.
We heard she was awake.
That doesn't mean she's ready to be questioned.
I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. Now. Now. Please, let's let her rest.
This is bullshit.
Is your suspension drug some version of Kronole?
- Of course not. - Her gums are black.
That's a very common postsuspension reaction.
Maybe it's the other way around.
Maybe Kronole's a street version of their suspension drug.
The materials are tightly controlled.
It's not possible, is it?
Klimpt... what have you done?
You skimmed the suspension drug, then what? Who did you give it to?
Courier comes.
Sometimes, it's a janitor. Different person each time.
- What did you get? - Just supplies for the Sleepers.
Vegetable balms to prevent bedsores.
Mr. Wilford didn't think of everything.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I had no idea they made Kronole from it.
Would you give us a moment, please?
What's going on with these two?
Mmm-hmm. That's what I want to know.
Mr. Wilford's put an enormous amount of faith in you.
What the hell is this?
- This is Miles' hair. - Layton...
- Miles? - Layton, stop.
- What did you do to him? - Stop it!
Stop. It's not what you think.
Miles made the apprenticeship program.
He made apprentice?
Yes, and he's fine. We just gave him a haircut.
I want to see him right now.
Objects in motion stay in motion at the same velocity unless...
Anybody?
Miles?
The object is acted on by an external force.
Correct. Thank you, Miles.
I got my own bunk with a curtain, my own fork.
And I ate this thing. It's called a tangerine.
Heard you're nailing the science, too, bro.
I have 100% on all my tests.
See? That's what I'm talking about.
- You're gonna be an engineer. - I don't know about that.
Josie's gotta be worried about us.
Yeah, she is.
You see any of the other kids from the apprenticeship?
Mikala's apprenticing in Laundry.
And Mia, I don't know.
Miles, it's time for dinner.
Oof! Don't you love dinner?
I'm keeping my eyes open.
Okay. Let me down.
That was Blanca Peak.
What's the problem?
We should have passed it yesterday.
We should be running full tilt,
just banking power to climb the Sierra Madre.
So that impact yesterday caused some serious damage.
And we were already losing time. Whatever happened made it a lot worse.
The year-four slowdown lasted a month.
It started with darkness, water rations.
The question is, when does our drain on resources outweigh our value as labor?
Right before the Sierra Madre, I reckon.
- Look, look, look. - We're a day behind.
Wilford hasn't uncoupled us yet. All we've gotta do is hunker down.
Agreed. Double bunks, half water.
- Mmm-hmm. Agreed. - Agreed.
All right, let's pull everyone forward. Double-up to conserve heat.
Okay. All right.
Our people uptrain will help us... somehow.
Thank you for letting me see him.
Well, hopefully now we can focus on our next steps.
Melanie.
I have to see Josie, his Tail mom. I convinced her to let him go.
I know she's worried sick about him.
Till can get her a message next time she's down there.
Look, she really needs to hear from me that he's okay.
How about when you ID Sean Wise's killer, I'll let you see her.
It's too late to get downtrain anyway. The fights are tonight.
Yeah, I was just thinking that.
"Fightnight."
Feels like a pretty good place to find a janitor.
Yeah, but if they're slinging Kronole,
they're not exactly gonna sit down and have a chat with the train detective.
How about we leave that to the train detective?
Watch his back, Brakeman.
Members of the board, as you well know...
...as you well know, I am not one for speeches.
...one for speeches.
But we've been...
After exceeding earnings in the fourth-quarter financials,
it's safe to say that we've been through a bumpy patch.
I am not one for speeches, but we've been through a bumpy patch.
And my advisors tell me...
So I want to say this to you...
Attention all passengers.
Due to ongoing engineering repairs,
Second and Third Class may experience diminished electrical supply.
All of us at Wilford Industries thank you for your patience.
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Who's got a bid for me? This is Fightnight!
Welcome to the Nightcar! Let me hear you scream!
Yeah! Come on!
Okay.
- First Class, it's up there. - Hey! One fox fur on Right Hand Man!
Whoo!
One of the fighters is a janitor.
That's them in white.
But I don't really know who's who over there.
It's not my beat.
How you doing?
Yeah!
Good evening, passengers.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Fightnight.
Kinda everywhere, isn't she?
The prize tonight for the victor, a coveted upgrade to Second Class.
But before we begin, it is my honor to announce
that Mr. Wilford himself would like to say a few words.
Thanks. Good evening, passengers.
As you well know, I am not one for speeches,
but we've been through a bumpy patch, so I want to say this to you.
If the track has taught me anything,
it's that even the steepest climbs give way to descent.
I'll keep doing what I do best. I will keep our Engine Eternal.
And you keep doing what you do best. Survive, survive, survive.
Survive! Survive! The Engine will provide!
Wilford! Wilford!
And on that note, let the fight begin.
Wait back there.
Zarah's working behind the bar.
All right.
Hey.
She is never gonna talk to me with you attached to my hip.
I know this woman, okay?
We're gonna get a lot more information out of her if I go alone.
- All right, go. - Hey.
Keep an eye on those guys, all right? Make sure none of them leave.
And watch your back.
There.
There he is, the train detective.
I hope that's his undercover look.
- So glad you're still okay. - Who are these janitors?
The guy with the beard over there is Terence, Sean's Kronole connection.
He's head janitor. Watch yourself with him.
Oh, I just want to say hello.
I can ask if he'll meet with you.
How bad do you need this?
It's the first key.
Well, there's always a price with Terence.
My wedding ring?
You gave it to me the day I left the Tail.
I traded mine, but I kept yours, so...
you can have it back now so you can trade it if you need to.
I've been thinking about what you said, about staying up here with you.
I still love you, Zarah.
- But... - I know, Andre.
I know the Tail needs you.
I love you, too.
You're not a janitor, Brakeman.
Surprise, surprise. They didn't want to deal with Wilford's pet detective.
Wilford sent me up here to pry into their business.
If I was Terence, I'd want to talk to me.
Twice in one day I'm stuck dealing with you.
And I need to speak with Terence.
What, so you come here?
You know he can't risk you, a bloody Tailie on top of that.
You're just pissing him off.
So go out there, and you tell him that I got eyes on me, too.
I'm gonna lose Till so that we can be alone.
Okay.
You think I don't have more dirt on you, Osweiller?
Me and your boss Roche, we getting pretty close.
I could probably just make some shit up.
Or maybe Terence never sees Kronole again.
Go tell him, Brakeman.
You're bleeding crazy, man.
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Shit. Nikki? Nikki?
- What are you doing here? - I need Kronole.
Look, look, look. Remember who that is?
She killed someone. What's she doing out?
She's innocent.
Mr. Layton... You're a pain in the ass.
Come on.
Well, if it isn't the famous Tailie detective.
You want a date?
Hmm?
The name is Terence. Never "Terry."
So you come out to solve a murder and my chemicals dry up.
Come on.
That shit's poison, Terence. You should be ashamed of yourself.
You ever sell Kronole to Sean Wise?
Why? Because he was screwing your wife?
No, because he was a Wilford informant.
Well, I didn't kill him.
- Don't put that on me. - No.
- You don't want that kind of publicity. - Yeah.
So, um... how much does Wilford know about his Kroney problem?
Very little, yet.
Bet if I give him something about this murder,
he'd probably forget about the whole thing.
You know what I was in the Old Time, before I was a janitor?
A janitor.
Cleaned a high-rise building.
I get on this train, and you know what I see?
The train is just a high-rise laying on its side.
I know how this thing runs.
And my building just became the whole goddamn world.
Some people never had it so good.
Ah, I'm still looking for better.
Third Class and the Tail, 70% of the population.
Yeah. Maybe we could see who's in the penthouse.
It's nice to dream.
I saw Sean the night he was killed.
He came down to score K with another guy. No one I'd seen before.
Can you describe him?
Not from these corridors.
Um, First Class, maybe. Early thirties. Um, buzz cut. Takes care of himself.
There's one more thing I need, Terence. Something very small.
Home you go, people! The border is closed!
The subtrain to Third is out of order. You're walking home to Third!
It was a great success, despite a riot breaking out.
Maybe even because of it.
Well, I'll put the riot to bed. You put them to bed.
And, Ruth...
good job.
It's an honor just to carry out Mr. Wilford's wishes.
All right.
The border is closed! No pushing. Nice and easy, please.
Keep it calm.
- I've got some information for you. - What?
- Last call, I'm afraid. - Shame.
We were just waltzing down the Champs-Élysées.
You're good.
Oh, well, you may have distracted us for one night, Melanie,
but in a year or two, when you serve up history's last bœuf bourguignon...
I won't lie. It's serious.
Mr. Wilford could always cut loose the Tail.
I'm glad you had a good evening.
And safe home, LJ.
Come along, darling.
Layton has the description of a man who was with Sean Wise
just before he was murdered.
But?
Oh, I'm not gonna tell you till you let me go see Josie in the Tail.
Josie Wellstead.
I thought you were dead.
What did they do to you? Why did they pull you out?
I'm fine.
I'm fine. Just listen.
I talked to Miles.
You'd be so proud. He's in a class. He's learning real science.
And you saw him?
And he's eating, three squares.
He's got his own fork.
I saw Zarah. I had it all wrong in my head.
This whole time, I've not been seeing what was right in front of my eyes.
I miss you, Josie, and I am so sorry.
Me, too.
I miss you, too.
That's enough.
He's got his own bed. And there's other kids.
And he misses you, Josie.
It's only doors between us!
So, who are we looking for?
You don't remember me, do you, Nikki?
But you do know who I am.