S01.E01: First, the Weather Changed

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

A grisly murder stokes class division on Snowpiercer, the Great Ark Train. Melanie Cavill, the powerful head of hospitality, deputizes a dangerous rebel to help solve the killing -- Andre Layton, the world's only surviving homicide detective.

Series premiere on TNT on Sunday, May 17, 2020.

[Rhetorica]

I haven't read the book, nor seen the movie, so I'm interested in your comments. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

I read some bad reviews, but I liked it. I liked the world building they're doing, and the show has potential in that area. The sets were so claustrophobic! 

Steven Ogg is creepy in whatever he does, even when he's one of the "good guys." Jennifer Connelly was good in her role. 

Since I did see the movie yesterday, it's hard to not compare. But they did a decent job. 

[CeeBeeGee]

Okay, I'm hooked.

I have a deep love for dystopian stories and how people live under hellish conditions--how do they eat? Where do they sleep? What do they do for amusement? And I also love trains in general, how everything is miniaturized. I'm already impressed with the world-building here.

They have an ocean car? Fascinating.

Huge cast but the Wikipedia page helped me sort them out a bit.

Jennifer Connelly is such a fantastic actress. Utter badass competence just oozes out of her every pore, it's all in her body language.

I like the uniforms that the hospitality team wear.

[UNOSEZ]

My boyhood crush on Jennifer connelly Has yet to subside... So I was all I'm for this.. Enjoyed it as well as I'm also a sucker for a good class warfare story.. I'll have to get used to Daveed in this role... He's just so theatrical its hard to not get sucked out of viewing and focus on him... Still can't wait for the upcoming weeks

[formerlyfreedom]

I'm amazed how much I liked this. The story is not a happy one, but it totally sucked me in.

When they got Layton to the 3rd class dining car, and showed him the tomato soup and the grilled cheese....holy crap. You guys. The dust in here. And I was like WHY ARE YOU CRYING. (Yes, I was crying. Gonna admit it). Daveed Diggs is just AH-FUCKING-MAZING to watch. Jennifer Connelly is absolutely fantastic as an icy hostess. Sure, we know there's more there. The cast overall seems great. I think my favorite right at this moment is The Last Australian, but it's going to change frequently, I'm sure.

I can't wait to watch this roll out. I feel like this was a really good first episode.

[Chaos Theory]

First off I need to quantify with the fact that yes I saw the movie and hated it.   I thought it was boring and pointless and pompous.   That being said the tv show looked interesting enough and actually do like dystopian science fiction so I gave the pilot a chance and thought it was already leaps and bounds better then the movie.     It is of course clunky being a pilot and needing to introduce ideas and heroes and villains but everything is there for a long form story.

[Bulldog]

Liked this much more than I thought I would (and I say that as someone who didn't really enjoy the movie).  I also liked Connelly quite a bit, and I usually find her rather flat.  Am I correct that she is Willford, and the other guy wasn't being sarcastic in calling her that? 

[CeeBeeGee]

1 hour ago, Bulldog said:

Liked this much more than I thought I would (and I say that as someone who didn't really enjoy the movie).  I also liked Connelly quite a bit, and I usually find her rather flat.  Am I correct that she is Willford, and the other guy wasn't being sarcastic in calling her that? 

That's what I got--the big twist.

[GreyBunny]

‪So, where are they precisely? Melanie said they were entering the Yukon Territory, but that city looks nothing like Whitehorse (it looks Portland-ish), then Miles said the Cascades which is farther south (US West Coast). ‬

[meatball77]

I was entertained.  The world makes no sense but it looks like it will be fun.

[blackwing]

9 hours ago, GreyBunny said:

‪So, where are they precisely? Melanie said they were entering the Yukon Territory, but that city looks nothing like Whitehorse (it looks Portland-ish), then Miles said the Cascades which is farther south (US West Coast). ‬

The shot of the skyline in the opening credits clearly looked like it could be Chicago.  You've got the Sears Tower on the left, the building with the crown on top next to it.  then over on the right there was what looks like the Aon building and the Prudential building.

I believe the Divergent series was set in Chicago as well.  Maybe Chicago is just a generic setting for dystopian shows and movies?

[Empress1]

I have a crush on Daveed Diggs* so I was already going to watch this, plus I've seen the movie. When the woman in the tail talked about how the women were being sterilized and there hadn't been a birth there in three years, and then the guard said "They want to breed back there?" when Layton asked for reproductive rights (!) I was completely horrified, which was the point. 

When Layton's ex said she'd wanted to die and he made them get on the train, I wondered what choice I would have made. Die with loved ones or get on this train that can never stop moving, circling the frozen tundra that is the earth? And there's no chance of ever seeing the earth as it was, when you could grow things and go to the beach. (The ocean car is impressive but it's not the beach.) Is it worth it?

It's fascinating that some of them are the "last of." Layton is the last homicide detective in the world. That one Australian guy in the tail said he's the last Australian in the world.

16 hours ago, CeeBeeGee said:

What do they do for amusement?

I'm always struck that these dystopian worlds seem really boring, even for those with power. In The Handmaid's Tale, Handmaids literally aren't allowed to do anything besides grow babies and buy groceries. Wives, the ones with the most power, seem to do little besides sit around ordering their Marthas around. Here, I actually think you'd have more to do in the tail because you have to fight so hard to stay alive. The first-class passengers are waited on hand and foot, which to me would get boring - I like to produce stuff. (I also kept thinking that I wouldn't be all dolled up every day to see the same people. With the stay-at-home orders, I've been wearing clothes with buttons and zippers - usually jeans and whatever shirts - but I'm not getting done up.)

Do they have books? There are kids and school; how are they being taught? Can they show movies on the train? Is there live entertainment?

I'll keep watching but I'm not interested in the whodunnit - I'm much more interested in the world-building.

*I met him once. He's as I expected/hoped: a little shy, soft-spoken, very polite, and very handsome in person. He is a little thinner than I expected.

[CeeBeeGee]

27 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

Do they have books? There are kids and school; how are they being taught? Can they show movies on the train? Is there live entertainment?

I went to the website and they have an interactive feature where they pretend you're a prospective customer, and they try to sell you on the train's features and you can explore some of the cars. I'm assuming as the narrative progresses, they will open up more and more cars. I went through all the ones I could, some of which were not on last night's episode. There is a library car, an art museum car and a car for live entertainment, including theater. The ocean car surrounds the sushi bar--they show passengers standing in the sushi restaurant looking up at the water. Which makes me hope Naked Sushi Chef was swimming when the restaurant was closed!

All the different cars are fascinating but I have to wonder if there's some kind of rapid transit function--it's tiresome enough walking through three different cars when riding Amtrak to get to the cafe car. Imagine having to walk through 100 cars--or 500 hundred--just to get to the library. No wonder no one wants to go down to the Tail.

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

And there's no chance of ever seeing the earth as it was, when you could grow things and go to the beach. (The ocean car is impressive but it's not the beach.) Is it worth it?

There is website that shows some of the cars on the train and there is a beach car and a Greenhouse.

http://WilfordIndustries.com

 

[Finagler]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

*I met him once. He's as I expected/hoped: a little shy, soft-spoken, very polite, and very handsome in person. He is a little thinner than I expected.

Off topic- My daughter and I were lucky to meet Daveed in NYC while in line for Hamilton tickets.  He was very nice and soft spoken.  He wished us luck in getting in to the play- which we did- Front row seats!  When he as singing as Thomas Jefferson, he looked right at us, winked, and blew us a kiss.  My daughter was over the moon.  4 Years later and she says it was the best BD present ever.

[Tachi Rocinante]

Not bad for a start, considering what I read online.

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, Finagler said:

Off topic- My daughter and I were lucky to meet Daveed in NYC while in line for Hamilton tickets.  He was very nice and soft spoken.  He wished us luck in getting in to the play- which we did- Front row seats!  When he as singing as Thomas Jefferson, he looked right at us, winked, and blew us a kiss.  My daughter was over the moon.  4 Years later and she says it was the best BD present ever.

I would have swooned. He is pretty much exactly my type, physically and personality-wise (from what I can tell of his personality). He and my brother went to the same university but Daveed is a bit older than my brother, and they were also into very different things so I don't think their paths crossed then.

3 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

There is website that shows some of the cars on the train and there is a beach car and a Greenhouse.

Yes, and we saw them on the show with the diver and the strawberry and they're impressive. However, it's not the same as going to the beach in the world. I wonder how long it would take to forget that feeling. When the teacher told that group of kids that vegetables used to grow in the ground, they were incredulous.

[Ohwell]

I've never read the book or seen the movie, but this looks interesting. 

My favorite scene was him eating that grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.  The look on his face when saw the food and took his first bite of the sandwich was priceless.  Then he went all medieval and wolfed it down. lol.  I got hungry just watching him. 

[AnimeMania]

2 hours ago, Empress1 said:

Yes, and we saw them on the show with the diver and the strawberry and they're impressive.

That wasn't the Beach Car, that was Car 0187 The Aquarium/Sushi Bar. The Beach Car is Car 0194 on the website.

[Zanne]

7 hours ago, CeeBeeGee said:

I went to the website and they have an interactive feature where they pretend you're a prospective customer, and they try to sell you on the train's features and you can explore some of the cars. I'm assuming as the narrative progresses, they will open up more and more cars. I went through all the ones I could, some of which were not on last night's episode. There is a library car, an art museum car and a car for live entertainment, including theater. The ocean car surrounds the sushi bar--they show passengers standing in the sushi restaurant looking up at the water. Which makes me hope Naked Sushi Chef was swimming when the restaurant was closed!

All the different cars are fascinating but I have to wonder if there's some kind of rapid transit function--it's tiresome enough walking through three different cars when riding Amtrak to get to the cafe car. Imagine having to walk through 100 cars--or 500 hundred--just to get to the library. No wonder no one wants to go down to the Tail.

 

6 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

There is website that shows some of the cars on the train and there is a beach car and a Greenhouse.

http://WilfordIndustries.com

 

I don't think the show even knows what all of the cars will contain. They are having a contest of sorts where you can design a car, and I think that may be what most of those non-interactive cars are (beach, library, observatory, etc.).

They did have a rather grungy looking rapid transit system when they took the detective to the crime scene, located beneath the top portion of the main car. They were riding in something that looked like a suspended mine car. That was toward the back of the train, so they likely have nicer versions for the front of the train.

[alvajon]

The train is described as a perpetually moving train. I’m not exactly sure what that means.  I believe trains of today are powered by electricity and/or diesel, but how is the Snowpiercer actually powered? Does it generate its own electricity? Not too saavy in this department but would like an explanation, someone? 

[blackwing]

Did I read somewhere that the train is over 1000 cars long?  Layton told his friends in the Tail that he went forward 150 cars, was that only to Third Class where the murder was?  But he also was taken through the greenhouse, and I thought they said there were 15 other cars just like it that were all growing food.  The rich girl in First Class told her parents that she was going to Third Class for noodles... I guess that implies that noodles are a poor quality food?  Hah.  Not to me!  But I'm assuming there is some more elegant way of her getting to Third Class (as suggested above) instead of riding in the freight elevator looking thing or walking back 600 cars.

The Ocean / Sushi Bar car was beautiful.... although I can't imagine how it can sustain itself.  Also, it looked really large.  The train looks to be like a normal width train, and with the area for seating glassed off, how is it that the Ocean looked so big to be able to support all that life?  We are made to believe that this whole train is completely self-sustaining... maybe there are multiple Ocean cars that are just Ocean and this is the only one that also has a Sushi Bar.

I guess many things on this show will require suspension of disbelief.

Interesting to me that Jennifer Connelly is the primary hostess for the show but she was also revealed to be the Mr. in charge of it all.  I wonder what that means?  Has she always been pretending to be merely a hostess and was always in charge?  Or did something happen to the man in charge and she took over?

The big Tail brute in tank top that killed many of the guards resembled Liam McIntyre of Spartacus to me.  I thought it was him in the beginning but I don't think he's that big.  So are those four Tailers effectively sentenced to sleep in the Drawers? 

I'm interested in this world building and to see how they have developed this world on a train.  Like if there is only ONE homicide detective on the entire train, does this mean this is the first murder they've ever had in five (?) years?  Is there a judge who oversees other crimes?  

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

I'm interested in this world building and to see how they have developed this world on a train.  Like if there is only ONE homicide detective on the entire train, does this mean this is the first murder they've ever had in five (?) years?  Is there a judge who oversees other crimes?  

Definitely not the first murder, someone murdered someone in the exact same way several years ago and they thought they caught the killer and put her in suspended animation in the "drawers". Since this murder occurred, they think they might have frozen the wrong person and want to thaw her out for questioning.

[CeeBeeGee]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

The Ocean / Sushi Bar car was beautiful.... although I can't imagine how it can sustain itself.  Also, it looked really large.  The train looks to be like a normal width train, and with the area for seating glassed off, how is it that the Ocean looked so big to be able to support all that life?  We are made to believe that this whole train is completely self-sustaining... maybe there are multiple Ocean cars that are just Ocean and this is the only one that also has a Sushi Bar.

The narration early on said something about how "Mr. Wilfred was the only one to see what was coming..." and so "he" designed and built this incredible train. If he had that much foresight, he would have to have seen that current infrastructure could not support such a train. He would therefore also have had to laid down a new, wider set of train tracks--there's simply no way a train as narrow as current trains are could support a beach, an ocean (the website says the Aquarium sustains multiple species, including one in the illustration that looks like a dolphin or perhaps a shark--remember, it would have to have hundreds of these larger fish to sustain a species), a greenhouse, the spacious living quarters we see for the First Class...I think new, wider train tracks would have to have been laid down. And of course our current train tracks don't go from the western hemisphere to the eastern hemisphere.

[proserpina65]

I watched the first episode out of curiosity more than anything else, since I've never read the graphic novel or seen the movie.  It was . . . alright, I guess.  I like some of the characters, but the premise was pretty ridiculous.  I might stick with it if I'm not busy on Sunday nights, but it kind of depends on what PBS runs at 9.

On 5/17/2020 at 9:37 PM, saoirse said:

When they got Layton to the 3rd class dining car, and showed him the tomato soup and the grilled cheese....holy crap. You guys. The dust in here. And I was like WHY ARE YOU CRYING. (Yes, I was crying. Gonna admit it). Daveed Diggs is just AH-FUCKING-MAZING to watch.

That scene was very good.

23 hours ago, Empress1 said:

That one Australian guy in the tail said he's the last Australian in the world.

Definitely not a world in which I'd want to live.  I love me some Australian men.

[KLovestoShop]

The train is 1001 cars long.  I wonder if that number has some sort of relevance?  Why is it one thousand and ONE?  In the movie, Ed Harris played Wilford.  

[Chaos Theory]

I have a minor functional nitpick with the story.   Regardless  of your opinion on immigration the tailies in the train and in this particular case it is not a continuing problem.  What is done is done.    I honestly think it would be smarter to find out which of them could  be used like the cop guy and give them jobs so they aren’t a drain on the system.   Plus it would lower the number of riots by about 99%.

But then where would the story be right?   If there wasn’t a hard line and a rich class and people standing in the back of the train barely surviving there would just be no story.   So I can probably ignore my nitpick,  

Edited May 20, 2020 by Chaos Theory

[Netfoot]

5 hours ago, CeeBeeGee said:

He would therefore also have had to laid down a new, wider set of train tracks--there's simply no way a train as narrow as current trains are could support a beach, an ocean.....

I doubt standard gauge tracks would support the train we have seen. I watched for some indication of increased track width and didn't see anything definitive, but some of the scenes showed interiors that looked much wider than any standard carriage I've ever been in.

But if a double line of track (two lines side by side) existed, you could design a train to run on the two outer rails, capitalizing on the full width. And dual lines seem pretty common, i my (limited) experience. But whereas there is (obviously) a standard width for standard gauge track, there isn't, as far as I know, a standard for spacing between two lines of track. So the spacing of the outermost two rails on a double line might easily vary from region to region. Or maybe not.

[Ohwell]

7 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Definitely not the first murder, someone murdered someone in the exact same way several years ago and they thought they caught the killer and put her in suspended animation in the "drawers". Since this murder occurred, they think they might have frozen the wrong person and want to thaw her out for questioning.

For those of us who haven't read the book or seen the movie, this is kind of spoilery.

[Netfoot]

44 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

For those of us who haven't read the book or seen the movie, this is kind of spoilery.

Don't know why.  All the relevant details were shown in this episode, and to my recollection, nothing like this happens in the movie.

[Ohwell]

Oh, ok.

[ursula]

1 hour ago, Ohwell said:

For those of us who haven't read the book or seen the movie, this is kind of spoilery.

This literally happened in this episode. Plus, I don’t think the murder is even a plot in the book or movie. (I haven’t read or watched either). 

[rwlevin]

9 hours ago, ursula said:

This literally happened in this episode. Plus, I don’t think the murder is even a plot in the book or movie. (I haven’t read or watched either)

It’s not. The book and movie each have completely different plot lines with completely different characters.
 

Spoiler

Apparently, the authors of the book explained this away by saying there are actually 10 Snowpiercers traveling around the world, each with a different plot line going on, so even though the movie has nothing to do with the book, it’s still happening in universe.

 

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

I liked the first episode. However: I have a major problem with the viewpoint of the show. The Tailies are stowaways. None of them bought a ticket. They FORCED their way onto a train they had no business being on, and now have the nerve to complain they're not being treated well? They should count their blessings that they weren't all thrown off years ago, yet the show wants us to root for their revolt so they can reach the engine and... and... and... uh... what exactly would be the point of reaching the engine, anyway?

Edited May 20, 2020 by Sir RaiderDuck OMS

[UNOSEZ]

56 minutes ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

I liked the first episode. However: I have a major problem with the viewpoint of the show. The Tailies are stowaways. None of them bought a ticket. They FORCED their way onto a train they had no business being on, and now have the nerve to complain they're not being treated well? They should count their blessings that they weren't all thrown off years ago, yet the show wants us to root for their revolt so they can reach the engine and... and... and... uh... what exactly would be the point of reaching the engine, anyway?

True they are stoways.. I'd say extenuating circumstances apply tho.. End of the world and all that.. And its been years they've been forced into not just squalor.. But sterilization... Less than humane treatment... And with so much decadence afforded to the first class folks it seems beyond unfair... 

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

10 minutes ago, UNOSEZ said:

True they are stoways.. I'd say extenuating circumstances apply tho.. End of the world and all that.. And its been years they've been forced into not just squalor.. But sterilization... Less than humane treatment... And with so much decadence afforded to the first class folks it seems beyond unfair... 

Respectfully disagree. They can always open the door and jump out if they don't like it onboard. Of course, that would mean near-certain death, but that's my point: The Tailies are the kind of people who would complain about the lack of seat cushions on a lifeboat.

[Dowel Jones]

I would have lots of questions about the development of this railroad if I didn't just accept it and move on the the inner workings of the train and passengers.  Mr. Wilford must have had a ton of money to develop all that, and in the face of increasingly unforgiving climate, too.

In case anyone is interested, the song played at the end of the episode was "Mountain Railroad" (how appropriate), although it's normally in the vein of a bluegrass gospel song.

 

[AnimeMania]

10 minutes ago, Dowel Jones said:

I would have lots of questions about the development of this railroad if I didn't just accept it and move on the the inner workings of the train and passengers.  Mr. Wilford must have had a ton of money to develop all that, and in the face of increasingly unforgiving climate, too.

Feel free to ask any questions you want about the train on the thread "Choo-Choo On This: The Science of Snowpiercer". Searching the internet I found enough answers to feel reasonably sated.

[blackwing]

2 hours ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

I liked the first episode. However: I have a major problem with the viewpoint of the show. The Tailies are stowaways. None of them bought a ticket. They FORCED their way onto a train they had no business being on, and now have the nerve to complain they're not being treated well? They should count their blessings that they weren't all thrown off years ago, yet the show wants us to root for their revolt so they can reach the engine and... and... and... uh... what exactly would be the point of reaching the engine, anyway?

I agree, while I understand their viewpoint and their desire to live, what I'm not understanding is why the Company is putting up with them?  Where are the Tailies getting their food?  I think it's through the generosity of the Company?  When the old man hung himself and the Tailies asked security to come and get him... for what?  Is there room for dead bodies on the train, or do they just cremate them, zap them or something?  I was surprised security just wouldn't tell them to throw the body off the train.

Why doesn't the Company just uncouple the last few cars?  Yes, it would be sentencing the Tailies to death, but from what we've seen, the Company doesn't want them there anyways and they are a nuisance.  They are viewed as illegals.  With all the technology on the train, I can't imagine that there's anything vital in those last few cars that are necessary to the operation of the train.  That riot resulted in the deaths of 20 security guards.  Forget about putting those four fighters into the Drawers.  For what purpose?  So they can just sleep until it's been determined they have been adequately punished?  Are there chemicals or anything being pumped into them while in the Drawers that rehabilitiates them?  Those 20 guards aren't getting their lives back, so I don't understand why Security didn't just eject those four off the train immediately.

[UNOSEZ]

1 hour ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

Respectfully disagree. They can always open the door and jump out if they don't like it onboard. Of course, that would mean near-certain death, but that's my point: The Tailies are the kind of people who would complain about the lack of seat cushions on a lifeboat.

The divide is just too big for me to not fall down somewhere closer to the side of the tailies.. Stowaways aren't sub-human... Their treatment is so over the top 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Further, why does the company put up with and pamper the rich people? Money has no value anymore. Food and objects are the only things with any value. Why would they put up with a rich old couple, for example, in their private suite. Why continue to serve and dote on people who aren't contributing? The people growing the food and maintaining the train should be the people of value here. 

[UNOSEZ]

1 minute ago, Superclam said:

Further, why does the company put up with and pamper the rich people? Money has no value anymore. Food and objects are the only things with any value. Why would they put up with a rich old couple, for example, in their private suite. Why continue to serve and dote on people who aren't contributing? The people growing the food and maintaining the train should be the people of value here. 

Yeah all of it is confusing to me.. If this train is some kind of ark...how do spoiled rich folks help.. I'll wait to see the world bulit more and hope for a better explanation cuz as it stands this seems nuts

[Mr. Sparkle]

Lol, I started writing a whole statement about class and so on, but I don't want to get too heady before lunch. Obviously, class is going to be a big theme for this show. 

Edited May 20, 2020 by Superclam
"Them" and "theme" are not the same word.

[blackwing]

13 minutes ago, Superclam said:

Further, why does the company put up with and pamper the rich people? Money has no value anymore. Food and objects are the only things with any value. Why would they put up with a rich old couple, for example, in their private suite. Why continue to serve and dote on people who aren't contributing? The people growing the food and maintaining the train should be the people of value here. 

I was just thinking the same thing.  Yes, these first class people bought a ticket and paid a lot of money to be on the train.  But that was years ago.  The train doesn't seem to need money to operate, there's some kind of "perpetual motion" that powers it.  And all the food is grown or raised on the train itself.  I don't understand why there needs to be a hospitality lady.  The bearnaise sauce was lumpy today?  Sorry, you can file a complaint, you can go make it yourself, or get off the train if you'd prefer.  The Europeans are naked in the sauna again?  Talk to them, join them, ignore them, or leave the sauna.  Seems simple enough.

I would assume that the money paid by these guests helped to fund or sustain the company or the train in the beginning or give it enough capital so they can build it and acquire all the technology needed to run it.  And that's why they are continuing to get the good treatment.

It would be nice if we got further explanation, but until we do, I guess I will just have to accept that there is a class society on this train.  It might not be fair, but that's how it is.  And the fact is, the Tailies forced themselves onto the train and are getting a free ride.  I do think that Layton's offer to help the Company in exchange for an upgrade for his family to Third Class was fair... he's willing to work for his place.  Not sure why it was so quickly shot down.  But the rest of them really do seem like they are just there to sponge on the generosity of the Company.

It is a bit eerie how this show is echoing some of the things happening in the world right now with the pandemic and illegal immigrants, especially with the news today about how California is giving funds to illegal immigrants.  The producers are obviously portraying the Tailies as illegal immigrants.  I'm here for the entertainment, I hope the show doesn't get too political.

[UNOSEZ]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

  But the rest of them really do seem like they are just there to sponge on the generosity of the Company.

I didn't see it that way at all.. The young boy.. Who I guess Layton kinda adopted after his parents died in the opening seems to be working towards some kind of apprenticeship.. Some other character mentioned they were treated like slaves.. The inference being they are worked for little or no real pay... Also of they're movements are restricted how is that sponging of the "generosity" of the company especially 6 years after they started.. Even if you wanna say in the beginning becuz they strong-armed their way on they couldn't receive even less than half decent treatment... 6 years in they are all still holed up in super tight spaces.. Suicide seems a common occurrence their food rations look paltry.. Their reproductive rights have been taken away... And this goes on while. Ppl are complaining about the consistency of bernaise sauce?... The haves have so much more than even what might be considered extravagant that we can't really compare it to.. Folks who aren't really part of the system.. Getting benefits that may otherwise go to ppl who are part of the system... This system on the train doesn't look overtaxed... Its just ridiculously top heavy 

[AnimeMania]

I think the train is supposed to be a "metaphor?" for Capitalism.

I think the children in the tail of the train go to the school on the train, I am not sure, but I think this might be confirmed in the next episode. 

I don't understand why the "Tailies" are trying to destroy the train since they don't really have a plan if they succeed.

[Dowel Jones]

4 hours ago, blackwing said:

Why doesn't the Company just uncouple the last few cars?

It appears that the train circles the entire globe somehow, and never stops.  If this is so, eventually it would return to where the cars were dropped, with catastrophic results. 

I thought the last few cars were meant for human habitation, because of the rows of bunks in there.  True, people did rush the cars at the disembarkation point, but the doors were open for a reason, to take on passengers.  Thus, at least some of the tailies would be legitimate, although steerage, occupants.

[ursula]

8 hours ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

The Tailies are stowaways. None of them bought a ticket. They FORCED their way onto a train they had no business being on, and now have the nerve to complain they're not being treated well?

The tickets weren’t available for just anyone to buy, but circulated only amongst the 1%-ers i.e. the same people who were responsible for destroying the Earth in the first place. They essentially wrecked the world, then hopped upon their golden parachute train and left everyone else to die.
 

Furthermore, there will probably be enough to go around if the rich weren’t living in such filthy decadence. Their kids are so bored of their cushioned lives that they’re literally bringing back ‘squalor chick’. They have empty cabins to turn into orgy playgrounds when the stowaways are stacked like sardines. 

Who cares if children are being starved and people are being driven to suicide? What matters is that the seat-paying passengers shouldn’t have to settle for anything less than absolute comfort. Human life and dignity is irrelevant to the Almighty Dollar. 

Arguing that the rich passengers are the “real victims” and the stowaways are “entitled snowflakes” who aren’t grateful that they weren’t just murdered for breaking the sacred laws of capitalism is so ironic, it’s ridiculous. 

Edited May 20, 2020 by ursula

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

20 minutes ago, ursula said:

Who cares if children are being starved and people are being driven to suicide? What matters is that the seat-paying passengers shouldn’t have to settle for anything less than absolute comfort. Human life and dignity is irrelevant to the Almighty Dollar. 

If the freeloaders don't like the conditions, they're always free to open a door and jump off. It's ridiculous to think a bunch of trespassers (which is exactly what the Tailies are) have a right to "demand" anything.

2 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

I thought the last few cars were meant for human habitation, because of the rows of bunks in there. 

AFAIK, those aren't bunks; they're luggage racks. At the beginning of the show, a bunch of people rushed the baggage car and forced their way on right as the train was departing. Presumably, the clothes and furnishings we see in the back car are what was salvaged/ransacked out of all the luggage.