WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Snowpiercer Season 2, Episode 2, "A Great Odyssey."
One of the biggest questions fans had for Season 2 of Snowpiercer was how long would it take Melanie to reconcile with her estranged daughter, Alex. She left her behind, thinking the family wasn't going to make it, when she stole Wilford's train nine years ago and began the global revolutions for the Eternal Engine. But her world was rocked upon finding Alex piloting Big Alice and being Wilford's understudy.
It seemed as if they'd be rivals this season; however, they shockingly reconcile in the latest episode. The problem is, as much as it fills the emotional gap between them, it may have doomed Alex.
Mel comes aboard Snowpiercer to get parts for her mission in the Rocky Mountains, and surprisingly, Alex begins to confide in her. Alex is hurting as she's losing her mom again, but Mel promises it's temporary and for the best as they'll pick her up in a month's time from the Breslauer Weather Station. Alex even sneaks Mel into her room and they get sentimental, with the girl forgiving her mom after all these years apart as she realized just why Mel took the ark.
Alex has been seeing some of Wilford's sadistic ways and understands her mom's actions to save humanity from the monster. Later, when they have to speed up to get over a ridge, Alex experiences it herself as Wilford places pressure on her to pilot the combined trains, because if it derails, guilt will fall on her, and more so, Mel. It harkens back to when he brainwashed Alex into almost killing Layton, proving all he considers her to be is a weapon. Alex then sheds a tear when she succeeds as it's time to say goodbye, but Wilford warns her it'll be her last, implying he'll have her killed.
This is the catalyst for her to turn on him, backed by when she sees Mel jumping out into the cold to make her trek. They embrace, and Mel makes it clear Wilford will keep trying to get blood on Alex's hands to control her. And with mom gone, Alex is going to be endangered as people saw her sneaking Mel into her room earlier. Plus, there's a strong chance Wilford was watching on the cameras to see their tearful goodbyes. She disobeyed his rules, and whether it's through Icy Bob, Hospitality or his own military, Alex will have to pay for the insubordination.
What makes it worse is Alex will have to work with Layton, Bess and the others on Snowpiercer and could be targeted by Wilford's loyalists. If they go after her, it'd incite another civil war, teach people not to do like Mel and Alex, and betray the boss.
Wilford knows about politics, so he could even spin it to make it look like Layton and his team wanted Alex dead, as no one else knows she and her mom reconciled. Wilford has many options in this game and he could make Alex the sacrificial lamb to hurt Melanie and get the ultimate revenge.
Snowpiercer stars Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs, Alison Wright, Mickey Sumner, Susan Park, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Lena Hall, Annalise Basso, Sam Otto, Roberto Urbina, Sheila Vand and Jaylin Fletcher. The series airs on Mondays at 9pm ET/PT on TNT.