I actually read the original Loeb comic Transpierceniege years back. I thought it was a very 1980’s satire of the Soviet Union. It was a train created to save mankind that had become a crumbling mess without a conductor controlled by a Stasi-like police system with the only aim of pretending that everything was fine while it slowly led everybody to their unavoidable doom.
It wasn’t supposed to be scientifically accurate.
The movie is enjoyable as action movie schlock, but I don’t think that the themes made that much sense, when it wasn’t straight up self contradictory. Feels like a series would be a terrible idea.
The thing is, the things that are (purportedly) good about the movie, could just as easily have been fit into a more sensible premise. It being on a train serves no purpose whatsoever other than making it ludicrous.
I had to turn it off after what they did to that guy’s hand. My tolerance for cinematic gore is idiosyncratic and hard to predict–I did fine all through Game of Thrones-- but that was over the line for me. I still cringe thinking about it. The plot concept seemed otherwise interesting, but I don’t want to risk it again.
We watched the pilot, but I’m confused as to the premise. So only the people who had tickets were allowed on, but when a bunch of peasants bum-rushed the train they just…let them on and stuck them in the back?
No, the “peasants” stormed the back of the train - it looks like there were a few cars for luggage. The security guards tried to keep the peasants off as well as throw them off once they got on, but with the huge crowds of peasants storming the train, it made more sense to start moving than to wait - otherwise the peasants may have taken over the train completely, From that point, they just locked up the Tail section, and eventually slightly used the Tailies as part of their society - for piano tuning & sex by the looks of it.
BTW, I do highly recommend the show. The first 2 episodes were very good. You have to be able to suspend disbelief on the premise of the train itself, but apart from that it’s a great show. Lots of twists & turns, slowly revealing information, everyone has secrets, etc.
I was someone who initially had problems with the train concept in the film, but, once I got to the point of accepting it as an allegorical conceit, thought it was an interesting film. When I heard about the series, I didn’t really see it translating at all, though.
Having watched the first three episodes, though, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. You still have to get past the train conceit, but the introduction of the murder/detective plot provides the opportunity of more leisurely exploring the train dynamics that a longer running series requires. The episodes have generally been interesting, well acted, and well produced, so I plan to keep following it. It might be that there’s a dearth of other good TV right now or I’ve just seen all the other stuff I want to see, but I’m a bit surprised this show doesn’t seem to be getting more attention than it is.
Also, the themes of class struggle and social justice are really on point right now (maybe too on point), given the current situation in the U.S. I imagine that will enhance the experience for some and detract for others.
Good point, but, if I felt like putting on my fanwanking hat, that could be a repurposed car. The train seems to have been moving for a shorter period on the series than the film, but I think there’s supposed to be some notion of usage of the train cars evolving as it goes. Maybe that used to be an observation car and after some time rolling along they figured out that people didn’t really want to observe frigid, bleak desolation all that much. So the observation car became a cattle car and the cattle car became a night club or whatever.
From the most recent episode. So what’s LJ’s big secret? Does she know that Melanie’s impersonating Mr. Wilford? What is “the list”? Whatever it is it must be really threatening for her to have pardoned LJ considering home much worse that’s going to make class relations. Third (& First for that matter) was already expecting a rigged show trial that would acquit LJ; instead she got there hopes of with judicial reforms and the possibility of a fair trail, actually them a fair trial, and them immediately nullified the verdict when LJ was found guilty. That’s actually much worse than the original trail plan. Also I found it odd that nobody even question were Layton, the only witness to LJ’s confession, was during the trial? :dubious:
So among those who are still watching; is anyone else rooting for Melanie against Frist Class and Layton? I mean she has kept them alive 7 years, and she’s one of the only 3 people who actually understand how the Engine works. Nobody appears to have any coherent plan for after the takeover.
Theres a couple things that kinda turn off this show for me.
So we have a train with 1001 cars but basically we only get to see about 5 or of them. All the drama happens in those cars.
The plot really doesn’t lt us discover the train which is a shame.
Then we have the revolution. It just seems out of plot especially after Melanie tells Layton what was the purpose of the drawers. So the revolution seems out of place after that reveal.
So because of this what else is left for more seasons? How long are they going to drag this revolution?
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I will give them credit for using up a lot of plot in those last two episodes; that takes some confidence. On the other hand, they just sort of blipped over the interesting question of how Layton et al were going to turn the autocracy (Melanie’s version of The Train) into a democracy.
Guess they couldn’t think of a way to make “autocracy versus democracy” interesting to a nation embroiled in exactly that painful conflict. And that shows a lack of confidence (and creative imagination).
Oh, well. From what I read, they had actually finished filming the majority of Season Two before the pandemic stopped most film production—so once they lay in all the special effects, I guess we’ll get to see for ourselves.