In the fourth episode of Snowpiercer, “Without Their Maker,” a shocking twist in the murder investigation brings Layton and Till’s manhunt to a cat-and-mouse climax. Layton gets closer to Melanie’s big secret, which may prove the most dangerous game of all.

The fourth episode of this series is a fascinating one in that it ends one chapter and opens up another. It’s an unexpected episode in so many ways and really leaves viewers scratching their heads as to what to expect next.

As we saw at the end of the previous episode, we know who the killer is and throughout the episode, all of that is revealed and the case “solved.” When the series began, I expected this murder mystery to play out far into the season but this episode goes heavy on that plotline and wraps it up in a way.

So where does the series go from there?

The episode hints at what’s to come not just with it’s shocking ending but also that the truth about Mr. Wilford will be what drives more of what’s to come. Melanie (Jennifer Connelly) has been clearly acting as Mr. Wilford with digitally put together speeches and acting as his voice. The rest of the trains seems to begin picking up on the fact something is up and Layton clearly knows something is up.

So Melanie’s actions at the end of the episode makes a lot of sense but where that puts Daveed Diggs’ Layton for the series is up in the air.

The exploration of class in this episode is limited and subtle. There’s a lot of talk of which class the killer is from and it’s likely any trial to come will touch on class further but as far as the big picture themes of the series, the focus on them is limited.

The episode is an interesting one as it could easily be a season finale. It for the most part wraps up what seemed like a major plotline but really was an engine for Layton’s story and to explore the train. It also sets up nicely what’s to come for the series. It’s an unexpected episode and one that is welcomed in many ways. We can move on from the odd detective story which felt shoehorned in and get to the real meat of the series.

Overall Rating: 7.15