Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 9: The Show Must Go On Recap

March 30, 2021March 30, 2021 ~ Metacrone ~ 4 Comments

In episode 9, it’s all fun and games until Wilford gets everything he’s ever wanted. Or as close to it as he can get on Snowpiercer, anyway. After outsmarting Layton and taking over the train in episode 8, it’s time for Wilford to remake Snowpiercer’s social order in his own image. He dealt with the top names on his hit list last episode, without unnecessary fuss. Now he takes his time, toying with targets culled from the list of Layton and Melanie’s closest friends and family.

Except Ben. Melanie’s closest confidante spends most of the episode in Snowpiercer’s engine. Out of sight, but not out of mind.

Wilford can’t bring himself to dispense with Layton, who he’s sentenced to work in Big Alice’s compost, the worst job on the trains. Wilford is troubled by the loyalty and even love many continue to show Layton. He needs to know the secret of his rival’s success. He’ll never truly be the winner if someone else on Snowpiercer has something he doesn’t.

Episode 9 is full of surprises, most planned by Wilford. Let the games begin and may the odds be ever in your favor.

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A Discovery of Witches Season 2 Episode 10 Recap: In Which Diana Contemplates Endings and Beginnings

March 27, 2021March 28, 2021 ~ Metacrone ~ 2 Comments

In episode 10, the season 2 finale, it’s time for Matthew and Diana’s journey to the past to end. But first they need to tie up some loose ends and have another adventure or two. For the first time this season, the episode alternates between the present and the past. Matthew and Diana’s allies gather at Sept-Tours, as enemies close in on them.

Recap

Diana continues to practice her spellwork. She uses a magical thread that’s the color of abundance the first time she successfully completes the 8th knot. “With a knot of eight, a spell will wait.” Goody tells her to sense the ninth knot. She can see how it should be formed, but it falls apart in her hands. Goody notes that, “A knot about completion is never easy.”

This lines up with her choice of the abundance thread and the scenes of her happy 16th century family life that are interspersed with her magical practice. She needs to perfect the 9th knot in order to perform the magic that will take her and Matthew home to the 21st century. For now, her heart is too conflicted to allow her to complete the knot.

While they take a break, Goody tells Diana that she can sense another weaver has come to London. She says they’ll wait for the new weaver to approach them, since the weaver’s arrival at this time can’t be an accident.

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A Discovery of Witches Season 2 Episode 9 Recap: In Which Diana Is Given Surprising News

March 25, 2021August 15, 2021 ~ Metacrone ~ 1 Comment

Disc of Witches S2Ep9 Diana, Susannah & Goodie

In episode 9, Matthew must answer to Queen Elizabeth for his failure to return Edward Kelley to England. Diana resumes her magical studies with Goody Alsop and makes substantial progress. Louisa and Kit confront Diana about the spell they think she’s cast over Matthew. Matthew and Diana realize their time in the 16th century is running out.

Recap

As was shown in the bookends to episode 8, now that the Book of Life is damaged it has become unreadable. Diana studies it anyway, then hides it under a floorboard in her bedroom.

She tells Matthew that part of her wants to stay in the 16th century and make a family with Jack. Matthew says they’ve already stayed in the past too long. Diana wants to come with Matthew to visit the Queen today, but he says no to that as well. She thinks he’s being overprotective, but he angrily tells her that the Queen will already be in a foul mood with him. Diana would just make things worse. He orders her to improve her magic so they can go back to their own time as soon as possible.

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Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 8: The Eternal Engineer Recap

March 24, 2021April 9, 2021 ~ Metacrone ~ 2 Comments

In episode 8, The Eternal Engineer, Wilford makes good on his promise to burn down the world if that’s what it takes to regain control of Snowpiercer. Snowpiercer experiences catastrophic failures which her leaders soon realize were caused by Wilford. Unfortunately, only Wilford can repair the damage. They have no choice but to invite the devil himself onto the train and into the engine room.

By the end of the episode, it was clear to me that there’s only one engineer who knows Snowpiercer backwards and forwards and her name doesn’t start with a “W”. However, that doesn’t stop the (relatively) bloodless coup the train has been heading toward for 9 episodes, ever since Javi first picked up unusual signals on the radio at the end of season 1.

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Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 7: Our Answer for Everything Recap

March 21, 2021March 22, 2021 ~ Metacrone ~ 2 Comments

Episode 7 returns to Snowpiercer, the train, after a field trip to Breslauer Research Station in the Rocky Mountains to visit Melanie in episode 6. Snowpiercer is in the Himalaya Mountains in Asia this week, in the process of turning around so that it can retrieve Melanie from her mission. The trip through Earth’s highest mountain peaks is surprisingly smooth, considering the tough time the train has had in the Rockies in both seasons. No bracing required.

Instead, the turbulence is all inside the train, where most of the hour is filled with aftershocks from the murder of every Breachman except Boki in episode 5. Till continues her investigation and finally finds a couple of suspects. 3rd class boils over and takes their dissatisfaction with Layton’s government out on any Tailies they can find. Pike is still in the midst of his breakdown over Terence’s death. Ruth, Roche and Miss Audrey realize they’ll soon need to choose a side in the Wilford-Layton war that’s brewing.

The population of Snowpiercer is spiraling and Layton still doesn’t seem to understand what’s happening. Unlike Melanie and Wilford, he’s not attempting to become the leader of the entire train or finding ways to restore law and order. The new version of freedom is sink or swim anarchy, which allows the people to oppress each other rather than the government doing it for them. The weight of accumulated grief, trauma and now the unfairness of his new government is bringing the population to a breaking point. Wilford is taking advantage of the chaos, but they might have reached this low without him. Layton seems just as traumatized as the others by his losses and the unrelenting pace of events.

This episode deals with suicide once again.

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Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 6: Many Miles from Snowpiercer Recap

March 14, 2021March 15, 2021 ~ Metacrone ~ 3 Comments

In episode 6, we finally catch up with Melanie, who’s been on her own since she left for the Breslauer Research Station in episode 3. We follow the end of her harrowing journey to the station and watch her bring the research center back to life. Then she struggles to survive on her own in the harsh environment at 11,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains for a month. Her inner monologues are supplemented by flashbacks and present day conversations with the Wilford, Layton and Alex in her head.

There are more references to suicide in this episode. Please be cautious with your mental health.

Recap

Since Melanie is the only real person here, she gets the voice over:

“This cold isn’t something we can tame. We did this to our climate. Now only the Earth herself can restart her warm heart. I believe we can find her pulse again. And my biggest fear isn’t dying out here. It’s that the cold-hearted among us will crush that hope before I can prove it.”

Melanie’s volt sled breaks down within sight of the research station, so she takes as much of her cargo as she can drag with her and walks the rest of the way. By the time she reaches the station, a snowstorm is raging around her. She finds the dead, frozen body of one of the researchers outside the station’s front door. There’s a bullet hole in his head.

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A Discovery of Witches Season 2 Episode 8 Recap: In Which Marcus Tries Again

March 13, 2021 ~ Metacrone ~ 2 Comments

Disc of Witches S2Ep8 Phoebe Feels Marcus' Heartbeat

In episode 8, we return to the present day, where Marcus continues to struggle with his new role as Grandmaster of the Knights of Lazarus and his new knowledge about Blood Rage. He’s also still thinking about Phoebe, who left an expensive scarf behind at his house. Sophie goes into labor and gives birth to a baby girl who is a witch, as predicted. The adults around the baby must now focus on protecting her from other creatures who won’t want her raised by daemons. Emily draws Sarah into her attempts to contact Rebecca using higher magic. The usual suspects continue their scheming and infighting.

Recap

The episode opens on Diana in her bedroom in 1591, where she’s trying to read the now-damaged Book of Life without much success. The words run around the pages as they did when she got the book out at the library back in season 1 episode 1. When Matthew joins her, she tells him the book is resisting her. Her attempts to understand it are making her feel strange. He tells her that the book is making her ill, which I thought was basically what she just said. Daddy orders Diana to stop looking at the book and come eat something.

In Venice, 2021, Peter tells Gerbert what he’s learned from Edward Kelley’s letters: “Kelley claims to have bequeathed a single page to each of the three species.” He wonders if he was unable to summon the book from the Bodleian because it’s damaged, but Gerbert points out that it appeared for Diana. Peter assumes that Diana had one of the missing pages to facilitate her spell. They need to find one, too. Gerbert will try to get the vampire page from Ysabeau, because who else would have it? Peter says that he’s already searching for the witches’ page.

At Sept-Tours, Emily obsesses over the page that the Bishop house gave to Diana.

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A Discovery of Witches Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: In Which Diana and Matthew Meet Emperor Rudolf

March 11, 2021 ~ Metacrone ~ 1 Comment

In episode 7, Diana and Matthew arrive at Emperor Rudolf II’s court in Bohemia to search for the Book of Life and to check on Edward Kelley for Queen Elizabeth. They reunite with Gallowglass, Pierre and a few other members of their London family, who help out with their quest. The Emperor is quite taken with Diana, which sets off Matthew’s Blood Rage again, threatening their mission.

Recap

Diana and Matthew reach Bohemia and ride straight to Emperor Rudolf II’s mountain hunting lodge to request an audience. Rudolf’s guard refuses them entrance, telling them that the Emperor has had enough of Queen Elizabeth’s ambassadors. Matthew arrogantly refuses to accept the refusal, saying that he’s no ordinary ambassador. He won’t leave until the Emperor tells them no to their faces. The guard meekly acquiesces to Matthew’s demand, as if Matthew is royalty himself.

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Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 5: Keep Hope Alive Recap

March 10, 2021 ~ Metacrone ~ 2 Comments

In episode 5, we visit Big Alice with Miss Audrey for a date with Wilford and to check on Josie’s progress. The turf wars continue on Snowpiercer, creating a situation where Layton feels he has to act decisively. By the end of the episode, loyalties are in question once again and Snowpiercer’s power structure is in jeopardy.

Recap

Josie gets the opening voice over, while the Headwoods work on her tissue damage. The goop in that first vat (above) looks a bit slushy to me. Are they increasing her cold tolerance without her even realizing it?

Josie: “It’s easy to fight when you’ve never been hurt before. Until it happens, you’re invincible. But, with every fight there’s a risk, and sometimes you’re sidelined. The road to recovery is long- endless, when it’s not clear if you can recover. Some days, I lose sight of who I am, but I can’t forget what my mission is. I have to keep the hope alive that I can still make a difference. If not, then what was coming back from the dead for? I count the days and pray to be whole again, back with my people on Snowpiercer, 1,034 cars long.”

As Josie speaks, the Headwoods work on her tissue. They appear to be culturing skin grafts for her. The atmosphere on Big Alice is such that even the most charitable acts seem sinister. I’m terrified to find out what kind of monster they’re turning Josie into.

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The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3 Episode 3: Useful Recap

March 7, 2021June 10, 2021 ~ Metacrone ~ 2 Comments

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Previously on The Handmaid’s Tale- Hannah/Agnes: “Did you try to find me?” June: “I tried so hard.” Hannah/Agnes: “Why didn’t you try harder?”

This is what changed between June’s first escape attempt, when she was caught just as the plane was taking off, and her second, when she voluntarily sent Nichole to Canada with Emily. Her own child, who was also speaking for all of the little girls she’d leave behind, asked her to try harder. The H in Hannah is likely a nod to Holly, June’s mother, who is also invoked in this episode. June could hear Grandma Holly, the lifelong women’s rights activist, speaking through Hannah. She knew she had to listen to those words. They’ve become her inner mantra.

In this episode, June continues to search for ways to make a difference in Gilead. Lawrence continues to test June. Serena is bereft after the many self-inflicted changes in her life. All three reach tipping points which will affect their futures.

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