TNT's Snowpiercer has returned with its high-stakes games of life and death for a third season. The embattled crews under Layton and Wilford engaged in their travails provide a welcome escape from the cold realities of the present world.
The lesson on Snowpiercer is that if you play you may very well have to pay for daring to challenge the status quo, so it really matters when these characters choose to rise to the occasion to keep the resistance against Wilford going or to tackle the challenges in keeping Melanie's post-Freeze dream alive.
Zarah
Zarah never escapes her basic survival instincts, which becomes glaringly obvious in her decision to allow Wilford to conduct experiments on her womb to create an Icy Baby. She does dare to be the vocal reminder to Wilford of his promise to Layton to not directly harm her or the rest of the people stuck under him when Kevin suggests a culling.
This is a bold move on her part because it shows that she's not fully capitulated to Wilford. Yes, she's working with him and has agreed to the cold resistance experimental treatment, but she's still doing her best to maintain loyalty to the father of her baby. She's a daily reminder to Wilford that he'll never get to enjoy full control of her or the train.
Roche
Starting the season tucked away in the drawers, Roche doesn't initially get a chance to show the intrepidity that made Wilford put him and his family in the drawers, to begin with. Once freed though, he makes the gutsy move to give the diabolical Wilford a taste of his own medicine by attacking him with a massive jab of Kronole.
While Wilford has had to face some consequences up until this moment, he's always been able to do so with some degree of comfort. Roche changed that in an instant, and it's uncertain if Wilford will survive. Roche's act was out of grief and retaliation, but it gives that cathartic release to the audience who have been waiting for Wilford to get his much overdue comeuppance.
Pike
Having become Ruth's lifeline, Pike is key to keeping the resistance to Wilford going in Layton's absence. When her hiding place is revealed to Kevin, Pike gets her moved just in time to keep her safe, and he later helps her coordinate the attempt to sabotage Wilford's EMP plans.
The original need to keep Ruth a secret and the moment that she revealed herself were critical for the resistance and for Layton. Pike played his part as precarious as it was. Pike's guilt over his worst deeds and shifting loyalties still plague his character, however. Will his loyalty to Ruth erode as it did with Layton? These doubts will continue to keep him mired.
Javi
Javi remains a dependable engineer despite being nearly mauled to death by Jupiter, and he manages to twice defy the subservience that Wilford commanded lest he gets mauled again. He tells Ruth what Wilford is plotting with the EMP and picks up on Ben's coded message to open a side door that allows Layton to board Big Alice.
Poor Javi needs time off and therapy, but that's not in the cards for him. It's obvious that he has to push through his PTSD to dare to defy Wilford again. It's in these two acts that the audience sees Javi's loyalties and moral com shine through his scars. While one may question how long it will take Javi to heal, there's no questioning of his loyalties, unlike Pike.
Ben
Ben's intelligence and bold resolve exude brilliant flourish when he successfully pulls off giving a coded message to Javi to open the side door that Layton uses to board Big Alice. He also helps Alex get the long-abandoned cars from Big Alice unstuck in the episode "Bound by One Track."
Ben is both tactical and emotional to Alex when they troubleshoot getting the abandoned cars loosed, which is big because his last off-train outing left him in a state where he had to be rescued. Ben masterfully fooled Wilford with his covert message to Javi to open the side door, which was central to Layton getting the upper hand on Wilford and regaining control.
Alex
Alex is able to channel her mother's dauntlessness to not cave in when Audrey tries to overtake the train to re Wilford and in facing her own past when teaming up with Ben to remove the obstacle of the abandoned Big Alice cars.
When Audrey had Alex at the mercy of taser-point it placed the lives of Ben, Josie, and Layton in the balance as well her own safety. Her resoluteness to not cave in saved lives and Melanie's dream. Later it took channeling Melanie to overcome her survivor's guilt to troubleshoot the trio of stuck cars. It was a bold moment of inner strength and healing.
Till
Till has remained one of Layton's most dependable allies. He's able to entrust her with his vision of New Eden. Her most fearless moment of the season comes in making sure that Audrey's stunt to take over the train ends almost as soon as it starts.
Her ability to deftly take down both Audrey and Martin with just a wrench came at just the right time to get Alex the backup she needed and get Audrey back under control. This saved the day for Layton, Josie, and Ben and kept Layton's plans from getting derailed. It's her trustworthiness and fearlessness that see her in higher regard compared to someone like Pike.
Ruth
Ruth led the resistance while Layton took the pirated Snowpiercer to find Melanie and put her climate models to work. She earned Pike's loyalty and the resistance trusted her in Layton's absence. Her biggest moment came when she gave herself up to Kevin to ensure there was more time to disrupt Wilford's EMP plans.
Ruth has faced deep issues and come a long way. She's grown from one of Wilford's biggest believers to becoming one of his biggest adversaries. She shows how the cause is bigger than any individual though she's been critical in keeping the cause alive. Ruth's defiance really shines when she doesn't crack as Wilford taunts her over the arm he's about to take from her.
Josie
Josie is one of the most courageous characters on the show. One of the most decisive moments of this season comes as she proves to be a key player in bringing the cat and mouse chase on the tracks to its game-changing point. By latching onto Big Alice and distracting as a distraction, Layton is able to sneak aboard and subdue Wilford.
While it took Ruth a while in warming up to Layton to become a part of his inner circle, Josie has always been there. Since gaining cold resistance capabilities, Josie has really put herself to the test, which she does deftly in "The First Blow." This is truly remarkable because she's had to develop Breachman skills on the fly.
Layton
Layton has reasserted his leadership aboard Snowpiercer. In the haul it took to get there he's saved both Ben's and Asha's lives, figured out how to keep the dream of New Eden alive, and ingeniously outwitted Wilford.
No one has shown as much adaptability and moral grit on Snowpiercer as Layton has. Bringing Asha aboard after having to fight her was a risky move that proved the courage of his convictions in a just world for everyone. Layton may not have subdued Wilford without help, but it was his strategy that proved successful, and it was him that physically put Wilford in his place.