Warning: SPOILERS for Snowpiercer Season 2, Episode 1 – “The Time of Two Engines”
Snowpiercer season 2 unveiled its own version of Game of Thrones‘ the Mountain – a hulking brute named Icy Bob (Andre Tricoteux). The second season of TNT’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi series picked up with the villainous Mr. Wilford (Sean Bean) coming out of the cold aboard his own train, Big Alice, which docked with Snowpiercer and brought the 994-cars-long train to a halt. The forces led by Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs) prepared for war with Wilford’s people, but they were shocked by the frozen giant living aboard Big Alice.
Ser Gregor Clegane, AKA the Mountain, was one of Game of Thrones‘ memorable villains. The Mountain was played by three different actors, most notably Icelandic strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, and Clegane was a fearsome, ruthless, and impossibly strong knight who served House Lannister. The Mountain was a remorseless killer, but he’s best known for battling Oberyn Martell AKA The Red Viper (Pedro Pascal) in Game of Thrones season 4; Clegane and Martell killed each other in the fight, but the Mountain was resurrected into an undead zombie who became the bodyguard of Queen Cercei Lannister (Lena Headey). Gregor was also hated by his younger brother Sandor Clegane, AKA the Hound, and fans anticipated their eventual final battle, which was dubbed the Cleganebowl, throughout the series. The Cleganebowl finally did happen during Game of Thrones‘ finale and it marked the end of both brothers’ story in Westeros.
In Snowpiercer‘s season 2 premiere, “The Time of Two Engines”, Icy Bob shocked Layton and Snowpiercer’s assembled army when he burst through the door that served as the border between the Great Ark Train and Big Alice. Clad in black, Mad Max-like armor, the bald behemoth has white skin flecked with blue veins, as if he’s been frozen. Mr. Wilford’s personal frost giant easily slammed the heavy door of Snowpiercer shut. Later, when Layton led an army into Big Alice to kidnap Kevin (Tom Lipinski), who heads up Hospitality for Mr. Wilford, Icy Bob was called in to quell the mob. This is when Layton and the passengers of Snowpiercer saw exactly what Icy Bob is capable of.
Icy Bob not only easily manhandled warriors from Snowpiercer’s Tail section, but he also had the strength to kill a man just by striking him once, increasing Snowpiercer‘s body count. But even more alarming was how Icy Bob forced Layton’s people to retreat: he voluntarily breached the pipes and let -70 degree air from the outside into the train. While Snowpiercer’s invasion force fled back to their train, Icy Bob took the full brunt of the frozen air and he didn’t flinch. Not only did Icy Bob not seem to feel the cold, but he didn’t instantly freeze to death.
Snowpiercer‘s premiere hinted at how Icy Bob can withstand the fatal temperatures of the frozen Earth when Melanie Cavill (Jennifer Connelly), who is a prisoner aboard Big Alice, was brought to the train’s medical lab and met the Headwoods, who appear to be Mr. Wilford’s personal mad scientists. However, the Headwoods are conducting astounding experiments, and they healed the severe frostbite on Melanie’s shoulder with something called “goop”, which was a synthetic tissue gel of their own creation. Goop could be the secret to how Icy Bob is able to heal from the extreme cold of the Freeze since the Headwoods promised the gel would not only repair Melanie’s skin but it would also barely leave a scratch.
The presence of Icy Bob on Big Alice certainly gives Mr. Wilford an edge that Snowpiercer can’t match. No one on Layton’s train has Icy Bob’s size, strength, or immunity to the cold. While Snowpiercer leans toward ‘realistic’ sci-fi, Icy Bob is a fanciful creation, one likely born from mad science, and he begs the question of what other sinister inventions Mr. Wilford has been developing aboard Big Alice for the past 7 years. Icy Bob is a striking combination of Game of Thrones‘ Mountain and the Night King’s undead legions from the North and it remains to be seen what will happen if and when Mr. Wilford unleashes his giant warrior upon Snowpiercer.
Originally from https://screenrant.com/snowpiercer-season-2-icy-bob-mountain-game-of-thrones/