WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 2, "Smolder to Life," of Snowpiercer.
Season 2 of Snowpiercer began with the shocking revelation that snowflakes were falling from the sky. As Melanie (Jennifer Connelly) deduced, the atmosphere may have been cooling and this was fresh snow, not residue from the mountains or the cold Earth. Of course, she didn't get confirmation because she got arrested by Wilford, which is she tried to take care of a sample in a vial.
Now, the latest episode expands on this thread, and the results are everything Mel, Layton and Co. want to hear. But sadly, as they invite Wilford over for a truce, the path to peace comes at a massive cost.
The sinister Wilford sends Mel back for his Hospitality head, Kevin, but an angry Alex smashes the vial. However, when Mel gets back to her team, Javi and Ben, she sends out balloons with sensors to record the upper temperatures and they quickly realize it's hotter up there. AS it turns out, the CW-7 chemical compound meant to reflect the sun and stop global warming is breaking down, which is why there was ammonium sulfate in the snowflake when Wilford's team looked at it.
Mel's makeshift weather drones provide the confirmation, but to continue doing testing, she needs resources and tech that only Big Alice has. As a result, when she tells a relieved Layton they have a chance to rebuild society, he insists on a peace summit. They invite Wilford over, and as expected, there are some tense moments. Wilford's only there to take his train back, but his scientists agree that Mel's theory could hold true and offer a chance to recolonize Earth.
Wilford then agrees to send the tech over, but with a major request. The train will be traveling across the globe, sending up more balloons around Europe and Asia, with data being collected on the revolutions. However, the majority of the studies have to be done at a science station in the Rocky Mountains, and Wilford insists it's Mel who has to stay behind. This time, he gets to abandon her, exacting revenge for when she left him seven years ago in Chicago and commandeered his train. As he gloats, though, Mel tells Layton given her expertise and engineering background, she was always going to do it.
After the deal's struck and Team Wilford leaves, Alex makes it clear she still hates her mom, despite Mel clearly wanting to create a future for her. Unfortunately, this is all part of Wilford's long game as he's hellbent on dividing and conquering. He knows Mel can help keep the elites in line with Layton's Tailies, but once she's gone, it'll lead to civil war, which will allow him to swoop in with his troops and reclaim his ark.
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.