Snowpiercer’s second season reaches the end of the line

Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Monday, March 29. All times are Eastern.

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Snowpiercer (TNT, 9 p.m., season-two finale, back-to-back episodes): All aboard the doom train for one last ride before Snowpiercer closes up shop for the season! Those who’ve gotten sucked into the grim tension of this stronger second season have no reason to worry that it’s a permanent closure, however; everyone’s favorite post-apocalyptic choo-choo will return for a third season, a decision announced before the season-two premiere. And that should come as a great relief, because wow, things are ending on a high, and highly stressful, note. Here’s Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya on the chilling climax of the last installment:

In that small moment, everything changes. Wilford is simply too big, and Snowpiercer is too mired in chaos. It’s the perfect conditions for a despot to step into power. Wilford has lined up all the pieces for a disturbingly smooth takeover, and Snowpiercer’s stakes are very urgent as it nears the end of season two. While we certainly have no incentive to root for Wilford, watching him pull this off is oddly satisfying. It throws all of the characters into dire situations and injects Snowpiercer with momentum. The look on Layton’s face as he realizes that Wilford is going to get exactly what he wants is an instantly memorable shot. Again, Wilford’s masterplan is so calculated, so shrewd, that there’s an inevitability to it. Legend is a powerful thing, and Wilford has made a legend of himself with his cult leader approach to winning people over. He makes people believe they need him.

Watch for Kayla’s recap of this two-part finale.