Warning: SPOILERS for Snowpiercer Season 2's Finale - "Into The White".
Snowpiercer season 2's jaw-dropping cliffhanger ending left behind major questions for season 3 to answer. By the conclusion of Snowpiercer season 2's finale, "Into The White", the paradigm of TNT's post-apocalyptic sci-fi series has been irreversibly changed. Snowpiercer itself has been split in two with the main train controlled by Mr. Wilford (Sean Bean) now only 1,023 cars long after Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs) destroyed the Aquarium Car and turned the Eternal Engine into a 10-car pirate train.
Snowpiercer season 2 was already a huge game-changer in several key ways. It introduced Mr. Wilford, the charming and devious uber-villain of the saga, as well as Alexandra Cavill (Rowan Blanchard), the estranged daughter of Melanie Cavill (Jennifer Connelly). Further, after episode 3, "A Great Odyssey", Melanie was removed from the main story of Snowpiercer and she went on a solo mission that was detailed in the standout episode 6, "Many Miles From Snowpiercer". Melanie also proved her theory that the Earth is beginning to warm itself, which means the planet can be re-colonized and "the future is outside" for Snowpiercer's passengers. But the hoped-for reunion between Melanie and Snowpiercer never took place, despite Layton and Alex's best efforts to save her mom, and Melanie appears to have been killed off of the show. Meanwhile, Snowpiercer experienced even more tragedy and death as Mr. Wilford's loyalists fueled his plans to take back control of the super train. Mr. Wilford eventually did get Snowpiercer back, and the "Eternal Engineer" still rules the bulk of the 10-mile-long locomotive.
Luckily for fans, Snowpiercer has already been renewed for season 3, which is currently in production, so there will be resolutions to the show's many cliffhangers. Snowpiercer season 3 could even bring back cast members Jinju Seong (Susan Park) and Dr. Henry Klimpt (Happy Anderson), who were major players in season 1 but were absent from season 2, as well as Miles (Jaylin Fletcher), who briefly appeared in season 2 and is now an Engineer in Life Sciences. With all of the unresolved turmoil that ended Snowpiercer season 2, here are the biggest questions season 3 has to resolve.
Is Melanie Really Dead?
Melanie Cavill's apparent death isn't just a heartbreaker, it's also a genuine shock since Jennifer Connelly is one of the series leads of Snowpiercer. It's certainly not unheard of for the star of a TV show to leave but Snowpiercer played Melanie's exit extremely close to the vest. Fans assumed and hoped that Melanie would somehow be rescued against all odds and help Layton take Snowpiercer back from Mr. Wilford but that just... didn't happen. Instead, Melanie appears to have given up hope of being saved and she left the refuge of Breslauer Research Station and wandered "into the white" to die.
Of course, even if Melanie really is dead, that still doesn't mean Jennifer Connelly won't reappear in some fashion in Snowpiercer season 3. Cavill could pop up in a flashback or some other means. Further, Snowpiercer has walked back major character deaths before, like Josie Wellstead (Katie McGuinness), who Melanie actually killed in season 1 but reappeared in season 2 miraculously alive. There are certainly creative ways for Melanie to have survived so she could return to Snowpiercer; she may have somehow even found one of the warm spots her data indicated was real. It remains to be seen if Melanie's death will indeed be permanent so fans can still hold onto hope that Head Engineer Cavill will do the impossible and come back to the train and to Alex.
Are Javi And Boki Really Dead?
Snowpiercer's season 2 finale also apparently killed off two other major characters: Javier de la Torre (Roberto Urbina) and Bojan "Boki" Boscovic (Aleks Paunovic). Engineer Javi was transferred to Big Alice but Mr. Wilford had him beaten by the Jackboots and mauled by his pitbull Jupiter for helping Layton and Ruth Wardell (Alison Wright) escape the Compost Car. Meanwhile, Boki, the last living Breachman, sided with Layton and decided to "make coup" after he learned Mr. Wilford betrayed his loyalty and had his fellow Breachmen murdered. Boki was last seen also being pummeled by the Jackboots as he tried to uncouple the Aquarium Car and Breachman Boscovic may have died when the Aquarium Car exploded. Fans will have to wait until Snowpiercer season 3 to find out if both Javi and Boki really are dead.
What Will Happen To Ruth?
Ruth Wardell was a personal hire by Mr. Wilford, but her zealous loyalty to him dissipated as she realized the true villainy of her beloved employer. Ruth ultimately decided her loyalty was to Snowpiercer, its passengers, and to Layton, which placed her on Wilford's enemies list. Unfortunately, thanks to an altercation with Kevin McMahon (Tom Lipinsky) in Hospitality, Ruth was unable to rendezvous with Layton and join his rebels about their pirate train. This means Ruth is likely going to bear the brunt of Mr. Wilford's wrath as he gets revenge for Layton stealing his Eternal Engine, but what horrors he cooks up for Ruth remains to be seen in Snowpiercer season 3.
Does Wilford Want Layton's Baby Or To Impregnate Zarah Himself?
Mr. Wilford has done a lot of creepy things in Snowpiercer season 2 - getting people to slit their wrists in his bathtub and his disturbing sex act with Miss Audrey and a mango come to mind - but Joseph's plans for Zarah Ferami (Shiela Vand) may be the worst of all. Wilford declared Zarah as untouchable because she's pregnant with Layton's baby, but Joseph seems extra captivated by Zarah carrying "Layton's royal jelly". She was even told that Wilford's mad scientists, the Headwoods, could deliver the baby while removing Zarah from the equation altogether. Either Wilford is concocting sinister plans for Layton and Zarah's child just as he stole Alex from Melanie, or he could intend to make Zarah pregnant with a Wilford baby. Or possibly both.
What Is Josie's True Potential As The Cold Woman?
Josie Wellstead not only survived exposure to the Freeze in Snowpiercer season 1, but her miraculous cold immunity was enhanced by the Headwoods and her body was healed by their goop. Josie is the new Icy Bob (Andre Tricoteux), replacing Wilford's cold giant, who was sent on a suicide mission in episode 8, "The Eternal Engineer". But Josie is somehow even more special than Icy Bob, with even greater potential to withstand extreme cold. Lots of questions surround Josie and how she can survive the Freeze, including how much cold she can take and for how long? If Boki is dead, Josie is possibly the only one left capable of being a Breachman, but Snowpiercer season 3 may reveal an even bigger destiny for her.
Can Team Layton Forgive Miss Audrey's Betrayal?
Miss Audrey (Lena Hall) succumbed to her irresistible connection to Wilford and she betrayed Layton and Snowpiercer. Audrey justified it to others (and herself) that she "returned" to Joseph, but it's apparent from how Audrey drowned her sorrows in alcohol and sex that her actions were eating her up inside as she did Wilford's bidding. Regardless of the guilt she feels, however, Layton and his allies no longer trust Miss Audrey. They've taken her as a hostage, only for Wilford to disavow her. It's hard to see how Miss Audrey can come back from making enemies with everyone and return to a position of influence on Snowpiercer, but if anyone can find a way back to the train's good graces, it's Miss Audrey.
What Happened To Pike?
Snowpiercer season 2 was traumatic for Pike (Steven Ogg), who paid a high price for his loyalty to Layton. Pike was somewhat content running the marijuana trade with Big Alice but he murdered Terence (Shaun Toub) on Layton's orders, which shattered the Tailie and led him to shave his head and change his look. However, the last time Pike was seen was when he was attacked by Jackboots and he didn't appear in Snowpiercer's two-part finale. Hopefully, Snowpiercer season 3 will reveal what has become of Pike.
Will Osweiller and L.J. Get A Happy Ending?
Despite all of the turmoil on Snowpiercer, a romance brewed between John Osweiller (Sam Otto) and L.J. Folger (Annalise Basso). The former Brakeman and the orphaned First Class sociopath were both exiled and latched onto each other in Third Class. They soon joined Janitorial and surprisingly excelled in their field only to find themselves in positions of power once Mr. Wilford took over Snowpiercer. Osweiller replaced Terence as head of Janitorial while L.J. took Alex Cavill's place at Wilford's side. However, Osweiller clearly has feelings for L.J. and she, in turn, regards him as her boyfriend. What kind of a future, if any, Oz and Lilah Jr. can have in Snowpiercer season 3 remains to be seen but perhaps young love can win out in the end.
Will Snowpiercer's Passengers Finally Leave The Train?
Melanie made good on her promise to prove that the Earth is warming. Layton and Alex retrieved Melanie's data of where exactly the warm spots of the planet are, which seem to focus on Northern Africa and Central America. This means Snowpiercer can head there in order to leave the train and recolonize the world - except for the fact that Mr. Wilford would never allow this. Wilford built Snowpiercer as a self-contained world that he, alone, would control, and he would never allow the passengers of his train to leave. The quest for "New Eden", as Layton calls the future outside Snowpiercer, will likely be a focal point of season 3, but getting off the train will probably have to happen over Mr. Wilford's dead body.
Will Mr. Wilford Die In Snowpiercer Season 3?
The fact that Melanie Cavill died but Mr. Wilford didn't is perhaps the biggest shock of Snowpiercer season 2's finale. After all, Sean Bean is legendary for playing characters who perish, from Boromir in Lord of the Rings to Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. Fans understandably expected Mr. Wilford to die at the end of Snowpiercer season 2, especially when Alex slashed his neck with a razor. But incredibly, Snowpiercer season 2 ended with Melanie gone and Wilford still standing and in control of most of the train. Will Mr. Wilford (and Sean Bean) defy expectations again and survive Snowpiercer season 3?