Trouble Comes Sideways

Season	Episode	Overall
1	6	6

Episode Information

Airdate

June 21, 2020

Written by

Aubrey Nealon & Tina de la Torre

Directed by

Helen Shaver

Run Time

46 minutes

Episode Guide
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Justice Never Boarded	The Universe Is Indifferent

Trouble Comes Sideways is the sixth episode of the first season of Snowpiercer. It is the sixth episode of the series overall.

Synopsis[]

TNT's: Hiding out with help from his allies, Layton lays track for revolution. Meanwhile, an engineering emergency threatens every soul on Snowpiercer, and Melanie is the only one who can save them.

Netflix's: As Third Class plans to protest the verdict and Layton struggles to recover, Melanie must deal with an unprecedented emergency on the train.

Intro[]

“	People long for life before the Freeze. But I dunno. I might like this life better. I think of me mum. Chain-smoking at the kitchen table, fresh bruises under last night's makeup. "Keep your head on a swivel," she'd say, "cause trouble comes sideways." It's a zero-sum world now. You set a thing in motion and watch it tumble down the line. All that's comin' is comin' head-on... ...the whole great shitshow flattened down into a single line. To climb, someone else falls. To gain, someone else loses. And roundy-round we go. 1,001 cars long.	”
	— John "Oz" Osweiller

Plot[]

SPOILERS AHEAD

Oz narrates the opening sequence, reminiscing upon times before the freeze and Snowpiercer. He explains that he much preferred the time prior, but has grown to like their new way of life. Elsewhere, flyers are circulated around Third suggesting the workers go on strike. Bennett and Xavier are alerted to an electrical fault in one of the carriages, and Bennett volunteers to check it out.

106 — Melanie and Jinju Meditate — Melanie and Jinju meditate

Meditating with Jiniju, Melanie finds it hard to keep focus, and instead, goes off to change into her hospitality uniform. She reveals the flyer to Jinju, explaining that Third is pushing back for the trial, but would only be hindering themselves as they would too suffer from the strikes. When asked what she is going to do, she remarks that she will crush the strike, which makes Jinju uneasy.

Layton is suffering from Kronole withdrawal, and is disoriented when he wakes. He asks Zarah how he got there, and Zarah reveals that Layton has been suspended within the drawers. When Zarah asks what Layton did to get put into the drawers, he is reluctant to answer and instead questions why Zarah didn’t leave him out of Sean’s murder investigation.

106 — Riots in Third — Melanie stops the violence against the Thirdies during the speech.

Melanie takes a trip to Third and is met with large scale riots and abusive language. Melanie reminds Third that work is their ticket aboard, but the Thirdies push back, remarking that they keep the train running — the worker is met with harsh violence from security. Melanie tells the Thirdies that if the stoppage goes ahead, ten Thirdies will be taken to the Tail in an exchange; the Thirdies are visibly worried by this remark. Josie arrives during the speech to take Layton away, telling Zarah that they cannot meet again.

106 — Layton tells Josie about Melanie — Layton, fearing he will be silenced, tells Josie about Melanie.

Believing that something could happen to him, Layton reveals that Wilford is an illusion and Cavill is the one behind the curtain. He swears Josie to secrecy, however, remarking that they should keep it in their arsenal until they figure out how to use the secret. The two pass the medical bay, where they’re invited in by Pelton. Josie reveals that she reached out to their allies and Pelton was happy to oblige.

Meanwhile, Bennett examines the electrical fault, and finds that it is affecting the wheels. Melanie arrives moments later and Bennett reveals that an electrical fault has caused one of the breaks to seize. Melanie leaves to get the breach team to swap out the motor.

Till questions Oz regarding the incident the previous night. Oz tells her he won't say anything if she cooperates with everything he wants, and she reluctantly agrees. Arriving at the dinner cart, they question Walter on who ordered the supplies for the flyers. He is reluctant to say, but Oz holds him by the groin until he cooperates, much to Till’s dismay.

In the Tail, the Tailies all rally around Suzanne’s body, who sadly passed away. Patterson takes the helm as the head of the family and takes Winnie away.

Pelton reveals that one in ten passengers have a red X on their files. She explains that there are rumours of a blacklist, designated enemies of the state; she further explains that both she and Layton are on the list.

Melanie interrupts one Boscovic teaching a class about the Freeze; she tells him that he is required for maintenance. When he has left, Melanie talks with Miles, who reveals that he has finished the math problem she gave him.

Meanwhile, Zarah visits Miss Audrey, begging her not to go through with the strike. Zarah explains the conditions in the Tail, advising Audrey that she doesn’t want to end up there, but Audrey isn’t willing to listen. It is revealed that Zarah is pregnant, but the father is not known.

106 — Melanie is held at knifepoint — Layton holds Melanie at knifepoint

Layton escapes from medical, and makes his way to Bennett and Melanie, where he holds Melanie at knife point, referring to her as “Mr. Wilford”. At that moment, the motor swings whilst being hoisted and causes the train to buckle; numerous carriages rock back and forth and Javi enacts emergency protocols causing a lockdown throughout the train. Layton explains that he knows about the drawers, but Melanie reveals that it is not what he thinks, but a social experiment in saving the best of humanity in stasis. She explains that four hundred people were chosen of varying skills to give humanity the best chance of survival and to ride out the freeze. She begs Layton to allow her to save the train, and he reluctantly accepts.

106 — Melanie fixes the hydraulic system — Melanie fixes the hydraulic system

Bennett explains that the master hydraulic has failed, and Melanie goes to investigate. She suits up and prepares to go under the train, Bennett begs for Melanie to allow him to go; she declines, however. Melanie instructs Javi to take the train to minimum speed before they derail, and Melanie tells Bennett that she designed Snowpiercer, and will fix her.

Melanie has trouble re-attatching the hydraulic pipe and, meanwhile, Ruth gives a PA announcement informing everyone of the possibility of derailment. Melanie is soon able to reattach the cable and once the hydraulics are back, Javi returns the train to running speed.

Arriving in Third, Bennett gives a speech about the Eternal Engine, and Melanie talks with Audrey, telling her that her strike — and pseudo-revolution — failed. Audrey remarks that there will not always be a disaster to save Mr. Wilford, but she tells Audrey differently.

Pelton shows Layton and Josie to her chambers, and allows them to bunk there for the night. She warns them to keep the door locked and ignore if anyone comes knocking; the two have sex shortly after.

Inviting Miles into her office, Melanie gifts him a caliper, remarking that every engineer needs one. She further informs him that she needs his help on a problem.

Cast[]

Main Characters[]

Uncredited[]

Dalias Blake as Thirdie #1

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Davena Dansby as Cook
Miranda Edwards as Lights
RJ Fetherstonhaugh as Jackboot Clifford
Gary Hetherington as Walter Flemming the Papermaker
Stefania Indelicato as Thirdie Yeller
Tom Kirk as Clay
Emma Oliver as Winnie
Michel Issa Rubio as Santiago
Dylan Schmid as Patterson
Brent Stait as Jakes Carter
Fiona Vroom as Miss Gillies
Andrea Ware as Jackboot Tyson

Quotes[]

Bennett: "You know, Javi, it's almost been seven years. Maybe you should find a girlfriend."

Javi: "Only I'd have to lie to her, too."

― Bennett and Javi talking.

“	You drag me out of the Tail. You tell me that you love me. I almost believed it. We ended that night! You should've kept your hands clean! You should've left me out of it! Then, all of this rage that you feel, all of the blame, then it would've been pure!	”
	— Layton to Zarah.

“	It has come to Mr. Wilford's attention that a work stoppage is planned for today. Mr. Wilford would like to remind you that your labor is sacred! As non-paying passengers, it is also your ticket aboard. These are the terms. We all have our places and our jobs, and Mr. Wilford expects...If this work stoppage goes ahead, Mr. Wilford will seize 10 striking workers at random and send them to the Tail. He will bring 10 Tailies forward to fill their posts. You think life in Third is bad? There are 400 souls downtrain who would kill for what you have! Protect it! Call off the strike. Thank you.	”
	— Melanie to the Thirdies.

“	I need to tell you something. In case anything happens to me. Wilford's not on the train. That's why I was drawered, because I figured her out. Listen to me! Wilford is an illusion to keep the rest of us in line. Melanie Cavill is the one behind the curtain. No one can know, not even the Tail, not till we figure out how we can use this.	”
	— Layton to Josie.

Dr. Pelton: "Passenger files. Everyone on board has one. Medical history, entitlements, housing. And then there's this. Roughly one in ten passengers has that designation."

Josie: "What does it mean?"

Dr. Pelton: "There's rumors of a list. A blacklist. Enemies of the state. I think... this is it."

Layton: "Why?"

Dr. Pelton: "Because you're on it. Both of ya. And, as of two weeks ago, so am I."

Layton: "Gets real simple, doesn't it? When you the one they're coming for."

― Dr. Pelton telling Layton and Josie about the blacklist.

Miss Audrey: "Talk to me."

Zarah: "I feel like I've lived so many lives, died so many times. The Freeze, the Tail, the Chain. It never ends. I don't have your courage."

Miss Audrey: "That's not what I see."

Zarah: "If you go through with this strike, you could end up in the Tail. Bad as you think it is back there, trust me, it's worse."

Miss Audrey: "And you got out. (Chuckle.) And that did take courage, Zarah. We're fighters. We protect the things we love. (Chuckle.) Congratulations. (Laughter.) Congratulations!"

Zarah: "Thank you."

― Miss Audrey and Zarah talking.

Melanie: "Ruth, remember. Calm Hospitality... "

Ruth: "...Calm Train."

Melanie: "...Calm Train."

― Melanie reminding Ruth to stay calm.

Melanie: "Layton!"

Layton: "Hello, Mr. Wilford. I know what you're doing. The hundreds of names, your lists! Anyone has a bad word, has an unsanctioned thought, they get thrown in a drawer, yeah?"

Melanie: "No, you don't understand."

Layton: "Look at my face. It was a Tailie that got you, in the end."

Melanie: "Unh! Layton, let me go. The train needs me. The drawers aren't what you think."

Layton: "The drawers are hell and my people are still in there!"

Melanie: "They're not a prison! They're a lifeboat. We're hanging by our nails. Layton, we're hanging by our nails. The whole goddamn human experiment, it can be undone by a bloom of mold. If the social order collapses, if resources fail, if mechanics fail, our best hope is to keep life in suspension, to keep people in stasis while we ride out this Freeze. 400 people. They were selected for diversity, for health, for skills, to give us a fighting chance on the other side!"

Layton: "You decide who lives and who dies."

Melanie: "No. We all made that choice, when we boarded this train and we left people behind. This train's dying, Layton. Please, let me fix her."

― Layton confronting Melanie about the Drawers.

“	I designed her. I'll fix her.	”
	— Melanie to Bennett.

“	I know it seems like this might be the end, but it's not. It can't be. This is Snowpiercer, for God's sake! We are the last of Earth's survivors and I just...We are going to make it. I just know it. We just will. Mr. Wilford has gotten us out of worse scrapes before. So keep the faith. And you just remember that His Engine always provides. So find someone and hold them close. And, please, try to stay warm.	”
	— Ruth.

“	People of Snowpiercer, touch a surface. Go on. Put your hand to something, anything. Go on. Feel it. Take it in. (Clickety clack of the track.) That is our sacred hum. That's our heartbeat. And she's roaring! It's gonna take more than a bit of track turbulence to stop us! A toast to the Engine Eternal! To the great Mr. Wilford!	”
	— Bennett to the Thirdies.

Melanie: "Hey. Do you know what this is?"

Miles: "A caliper."

Melanie: "Every Engineer needs one. Mr. Wilford gave me this. I want you to have it. There's something Mr. Wilford needs from you, Miles."

― Melanie asking Miles for a favor.

Trivia[]

The title of the episode is a line in John Ozweiller's opening dialogue, which relates to how there's a trouble which the train might be derailed while everyone was worrying about their problems.
The photos taped up inside Melanie's closet are those of her daughter Alexandra Cavill.
In Without Their Maker, Erik Sotto shoots a electrical box, in the Sub-Train. However, in this episode, it's a battery that leaks acid on to the floor and then into the Sub-Train, into a electrical box.
It's revealed that Melanie planned the drawers as a way to protect 400 people for diversity, health and skills and wants to place them in the drawers to ride out the freeze and keep humanity going in case the Eternal Engine cannot provide.
It is revealed that Zarah is pregnant, the father is Andre Layton.