Snowpiercer season 2 can make the show better than the original movie in more ways than one. After years of delays, TNT finally released season 1 of the highly-anticipated Snowpiercer TV series in May 2020. The show has already done a stupendous job of differentiating itself from the movie by director Bong Joon-ho, combining the elements that made the film (and the French graphic novel it was based on) so great while paving its own unique path. In season 2, Snowpiercer can go even further now with the introduction of Sean Bean’s Mr. Wilford. 

Snowpiercer season 1 did a great job of setting up the tone and conflict of the series. When Layton (Hamilton's Daveed Diggs) is called in from the Tail — where the poor, mistreated citizens are stuck living — to first class quarters to solve a murder mystery by Melanie (Jennifer Connelly), things take an even darker turn as the series explores the corruption, power, and social class politics that are inherent on the 1,001-car train. 

Related: Why Snowpiercer Can't Survive Mr. Wilford (& Why It Needs Him)

While the 2013 movie certainly included all of these elements, Snowpiercer season 1 expands on the film’s prevalent themes by showcasing more of the train’s inner workings and the hierarchical structure at its center. Melanie replaces Mr. Wilford as the authority figure on the train and she does everything possible to maintain order, which is just a fancy term for upholding the inequitable status quo that exists, and is responsible for driving the conflict between the train’s population.

Snowpiercer Season 2 Cast

Melanie is afforded deeper and more layered characterization than Mr. Wilford while still maintaining her role as an antagonist to Layton and the Tailies. Meanwhile, it’s through Layton and the large cast of supporting characters — be they Tailies or second class citizens — that viewers are able to navigate the sprawling world of the train. Layton isn’t merely on a mission to reach the front of the train to aid his fellows and gain some power of their own, he’s thrown headfirst into a situation where he learns about the sinister structures in place, the revolution that echoes throughout the different areas of the train, and so much more. 

Snowpiercer season 2 can make the show even better by diving even deeper into the character and class dynamics of the train. Plus, with the real Mr. Wilford’s arrival in season 2, the series has the opportunity to explore him and his backstory a lot more than the film did. In the movie, Mr. Wilford is a mysterious figure whom Curtis (Chris Evans) doesn’t even meet until the very end of the film. The audience knows little about him or why he’s continued to allow the class divisions on the train. On the other hand, the TNT series could flesh out his character in a way that would also add context to the film’s version of Mr. Wilford. Perhaps through his introduction, Snowpiercer can continue to build upon the discussions of class, power, and so much more by furthering the development of the characters responsible for the turmoil of Layton and the rest of the Tailies. 

Next: Snowpiercer Theory: Alexandra Cavill Is Melanie AND Mr. Wilford's Daughter