TNT’s Snowpiercer Season 2 has been all types of loopy, creepy, and cryptic.
From Wilford’s return to the unknown goings-on aboard Massive Alice to the real chance that the Earth is warming once more, it has been a rollercoaster full of reversals, sudden drops, and harmful turns.
This was additionally a season disrupted in actual life by the COVID-19 pandemic when a lockdown order shut down manufacturing with lower than ten days left to shoot, as showrunner Graeme Manson knowledgeable us again in July 2020.
However by means of every little thing that has occurred earlier than and since, an abiding presence has been the Tailie-made-good, Pike, performed to opportunistic perfection by Canadian-by-birth, Los Angeleno-by-choice, Steven Ogg.
Ogg lately made the journey up from Los Angeles by automotive along with his canine and was instantly confronted with a fourteen-day quarantine earlier than he might get all the way down to work.
So how horrible was the quarantine?
“I do not need to go away quarantine,” he tells TV Fanatic over the telephone. “It’s actually my joyful place. I am proper on the ocean, so I’ve obtained my very own yard…
“Some persons are clearly caught in residences, however as a result of I’ve obtained a canine that I got here up with, I am unable to be paying somebody thrice a day, so I obtained this place, and it is simply heaven.
“I imply, actually, I see sea lions and otters. I nonetheless have not seen a whale, however I simply went and did my ocean dip this morning. I do not need to go away. I do not need to go to Vancouver. I simply need to be right here.”
Vancouver has had some lovely climate lately, however chilly by West Coast requirements. It isn’t one thing Ogg is down with anymore, though the view from the place he sits is continually pleasant.
“Nicely, it is humorous, ‘trigger folks say that like, ‘Oh! You are Canadian! You like the chilly,’ and I am like, “hmm..” You do not select who you come out of or the place you come out of.
“That is why I moved to LA. I really like the solar. I do miss.. oooo! Hummingbird! See? There is a hummingbird. A hummingbird outdoors my window. In LA, I used to have them, and I did not understand there are such a lot of right here.”
The very considered hummingbirds feels just like the antithesis of Snowpiercer’s actuality, a future the place the world has entered an ice age because of a miscalculation by scientists hoping to reverse local weather change.
Season 2 has launched the concept that the Earth has begun to heat once more — prior to anticipated — which fires up the residents of the prepare(s) with hope for the longer term.
On Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 1, Pike, as all the time, is open to the chances of a greater life, which leads him to develop into the top trafficker of Massive Alice items, buying and selling Snowpiercer’s recent produce for Massive Alice’s weed, which then will get changed into one other bartered foreign money.
Nonetheless, when he’s known as on to “take care of” Terence, the top of the Janitors’ guild on Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 5, it is a horrible inside battle for a person who had left that enterprise behind him.
When requested if Pike will come again from killing Terence, Ogg was considerate about why it needed to occur to Pike.
“That is what I beloved about that complete factor, a person who’s dragged again right into a world he actually does not need to go to.
“I imply, good drama is battle. So man versus man, man versus nature, man versus himself.
“So now, I feel it is a actually massive battle of what do I do, and therefore the cleanse. You realize, kind of this shaving of every little thing to, hopefully, go away all of it there, shifting ahead with form of a clear look. Like, okay, I’ve finished this, however I am leaving that behind. I did it; I needed to.
“It needed to do with owing somebody. I’ve paid my debt, shifting ahead, clear. So by carrying that with him, that was kind of the entire thought of the shaving, like, ‘I am leaving this behind, I need to be higher.’
“So even simply when he seems at himself, he is somebody new. You realize, the Apocalypse Now factor. You are simply wanting within the mirror, going, ‘I’ve modified, I can do that.’ He was kind of pressured into it.”
Pike’s cleanse is an intense and dramatic response to his return to his killer persona. As he does all of it himself, I needed to ask what that was like.
“Nicely, I’ve to say, you understand how a lot that is not an actor’s medium. It was one take. We arrange 4 cameras, and that was, like, twenty minutes. You realize, I nearly want I might get your entire scene of that as a result of it was a heck of quite a lot of work.
“And as an actor — I am not technique, you understand — I do not need to be all self-indulgent with issues, however quite a lot of work went into that, and quite a lot of literal blood, sweat, and tears. We had prep, prepared, go, sat there with a shaver, and tears, sweat, snot, and blood.
“Mainly, I hadn’t shaved in months; my head was lower. I used to be reducing my head, so blood was coming down my face. Tears, the snot… typically make-up would come to take away my snot coming down. No, no, no, that is gold, that is golden snot! (laughs)
“You all the time understand once more that it isn’t an actor’s medium, proper? It will get lower down to at least one second and a shot within the mirror, and it is like, what? What occurred? What occurred to my twenty minutes?
“I feel, legit, it was nonetheless there, the influence, and so they definitely wished extra. Once more, it isn’t known as Pikepiercer; it is known as Snowpiercer. Identical to all the massive exhibits, there are such a lot of characters and so many storylines and a lot to inform inside that quick period of time.
“I definitely hope they nonetheless obtained throughout the depth of that and the emotion of somebody actually combating their deeds. I imply, it is an enormous factor. So long as it got here throughout, it does not matter whether or not it was ten minutes or ten seconds. So long as the viewers is getting that influence of, ‘Oh my god, this can be a man in ache.'”
When Layton directs Pike on this mission, we get a brand new reveal into their historical past collectively. Pike reminds Layton that he saved Pike within the Tail, vouching for him when he would’ve been hanged for cannibalism.
Layton and Pike’s dynamic from the very starting of the sequence has been certainly one of rivalry tinged with respect.
Ogg has thought rather a lot about Pike’s actions, and it hinges on the bitter actuality of Snowpiercer’s crowded but remoted setting.
“I’ve learn rather a lot [about] isolation and what it does. You’ll be able to have religious awakenings. You’ll be able to go from Victor Frankle’s That means of Life to a monk dwelling on a hill to somebody serving a life sentence in solitary confinement.
“All of those circumstances of isolation, what it does to the thoughts, to what it does to the psyche, and the spirit. That is the place something unpredictable about Pike [comes from]; anybody at that time might do something since you’ve been collectively for seven years.
“And so you understand, if somebody — as a result of I am crass — if somebody farts, you most likely know ‘Oh, it is Tuesday as a result of I do know that scent.’ Each Tuesday. You realize every little thing about each other.
“It is like Layton and Pike, however everybody, they have been in jail for seven years. You are going to have ups and downs, and loves and hates, and laughter and tears, close to loss of life, and other people dying. It is wave after wave of layers. Which is enjoyable as a result of you are able to do something and go anyplace, you understand?
On Snowpiercer Season 1 Episode 10, Pike protests when Layton rouses him from his newly-acquired First Class digs to face the brand new risk of a second prepare actually biting them within the caboose.
Layton: I would like all people united collectively towards a typical enemy.
Pike: Layton, why do you gotta all the time ask me to be a greater man?
When Layton determined to ship Pike to kill Terence, the “higher man” definition has shifted, and Layton now not actually holds the ethical excessive floor.
“Nicely, I feel that is what’s fascinating, proper? Yeah, who does, and who is true of their ethical excessive floor? It is like in life, proper? It is perspective. The way you see it sooner or later does not essentially make it proper the following. It relies upon the place you are coming from.
“Clearly, I feel some persons are simply extra egocentric inherently, however does that make them dangerous, or does that make them a survivor?
“What’s the finish sport, proper? Pike might be fully egocentric in his survival and going backwards and forwards along with his alliances. However we do not know his grasp plan. Possibly he is considering, ‘If I get this and this, then I can carry this particular person along with this particular person, and it turns into higher, and extra probabilities of all of us to outlive.’
“You are taking bits and items and slices. It does not all the time make the entire. What the entire is consists of so many layers that we do not all the time get to see. So the ethical excessive floor might be justified sooner or later after which not be so acceptable the following.
So, does Ogg assume Pike has a grasp plan?
“Actually, the concept [is] to outlive, proper? If you happen to’ve gone this far, and also you’re persevering with to do stuff, the final word aim is to outlive.”
It has been famous by viewers that there is been an evolution within the sequence between Snowpiercer Season 1 and a couple of. Ogg describes his sense of it with a very sensory comparability.
“Season 2 positively obtained extra intense. I feel I’ve stated that Season 2 jogs my memory of Johnny Money along with his guitar creat[ing] that sound of a prepare, dun du du dun, du du dun…
“So, I see Season 1 as the start of that music… dun du du dun... In season 2, we obtained Trent Reznor and Atticus pulling slightly one thing onto the soundtrack.
“We velocity it up a notch. It turns into slightly extra intense, slightly extra driving. That is how I see Season 1 to Season 2. The prepare actually and figuratively will get sooner, extra intense, extra claustrophobic, extra issues occurring. Which is what I really like as a result of the journey turns into extra fascinating.”
One factor that has remained constant all through the seasons is the ensemble solid’s power and the way they’ll help one another by means of advanced and nuanced scenes.
“Oh yeah. Everybody does – you must give it your all. As a result of once more, there are such a lot of characters. It is robust. You do not all the time get what you need. You do not all the time get as a lot time as you need, however it does not imply you do not give it your all as a result of it solely provides to the strain.
“I all the time admire extras and people who find themselves standing round watching the scene and listening to the scene. There’s an incredible actor! It does not matter for those who’re an additional or primary on the decision sheet. If you happen to’re listening and reacting, that is what the solid does. Simply pay attention and react. That is Appearing 101.
“Persons are simply watching and listening. What is going on on? The place are you? How chilly is it? All of these issues have an effect on the way you react, and that displays on the standard.”
One of many currencies Pike offers on this season is encyclopedias. Their inherent worth is not apparent at first.
“It is the one historical past they’ve, and something totally different is foreign money, proper? ‘Trigger they have been coping with the identical stuff for seven years, and so they’ve been within the Tail. Every part turns into of significance, so to have these, it turns into gold.
“Encyclopedias to broaden your thoughts, to be taught concerning the world, you understand it is simply one thing totally different. Like, chocolate cake and even weed. It isn’t like Pike was a stoner; it is simply that it is one thing totally different.
“Do the identical factor every single day for seven years; you are going to, you understand, react strongly to something totally different. Vancouver! You get six months of rain, and the primary day of solar, it is one thing totally different. You are like ‘Aaah!’ It is just like the angels sing, and also you’re only a totally different particular person.”
The primary time we spoke, back in July 2020, I could not assist however be impressed by the quantity of literature Ogg consumes usually. So what’s been on his must-read listing currently?
“This glorious e-book known as Featherhood, by Charlie Gilmour. It is a memoir of two fathers and a magpie. A Canadian e-book, really.
“Hench (by Natalie Zina Walschots). It is a part of the CBC [Canada] Reads. Amanda Brugel (Snowpiercer’s Eugenia) did it final 12 months, and she or he was like, ‘You would be good for CBC Reads.’ She’s like,’ I might simply love to listen to your opinion on something.’ [laughs]
“As a result of it isn’t like I am outspoken; I am simply very open and sincere with feelings and emotions. So Hench is nice. I put one thing out on Instagram that if anybody’s doing this e-book, I wanna play the electrical eel character.”
“So Hench is like The Boys, after which, in fact, I’ve obtained Remodeling Trauma, which is a e-book about trauma. It retains issues balanced.”
And whereas he admits he does not watch quite a lot of TV, he lately binge-watch Ted Lasso.
“I simply beloved it a lot. I cried. I laughed. It felt like a heat hug, and everybody simply does such an incredible job. I get all these massive worlds, and you understand, loopy factor. After I did The Quick Historical past of the Lengthy Highway, I am like, I really like feel-good stuff.
“Like Minari, Stephen Yeun’s Korean movie. Liked it. I really like crying, feeling good, heat hug.”
Heading into the filming of Snowpiercer Season 3, Ogg is continually contemplating how he can use his superpowers for good.
“I just like the impartial bookstores. I all the time help these. Purchase native. Assist native. I am an enormous fan of that. After I’m in Vancouver, I need to work with… It is robust with the COVID and every little thing proper now, however you understand, [I’d like to] promote an indy e-book retailer, or do a podcast with an indy e-book, or a neighborhood author.
Again on Snowpiercer’s set, Ogg had already seen two scripts for the brand new season once we spoke.
“It is enjoyable. There are extra modifications. Extra issues happenin’. It is gonna be a enjoyable experience. Once more, I’ve solely obtained two proper now, however there’s some enjoyable stuff. Pike will get some various things once more, which excites me. Y’know, add one other layer.”
Pike’s pre-Snowpiercer historical past stays shrouded in thriller. We do not know what he did, who he boarded with, or even when his identify was Pike earlier than the Tail.
Maybe, he even had a canine?
Ogg’s open to exploring that historical past, possibly as a prequel mini-series.
“Like what they did with all of the Star Wars stuff, the spinoff sequence for every character.”
With the various characters in Snowpiercer’s ensemble, we’re nonetheless ready for Pike to get his voiceover episode.
Hear that, Powers That Be? We’re. Ready.
Snowpiercer airs Monday nights 9/8c on TNT, and you may watch Snowpiercer online to catch up.
Diana Keng is a workers author for TV Fanatic. Comply with her on Twitter.