Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Connelly says the fourth and final season of her post-apocolyptic train drama, Snowpiercer, wraps on a satisfying note, but leaves track ahead should the decision be made in the future to continue the story.
"it ends in an interesting place, but could also be interpreted as a beginning, if that's what people decide they want to do with it," Connelly told UPI in a recent phone interview. "I thought it was a fulfilling ending."
Co-starring Daveed Diggs, Sean Bean, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Mickey Sumner, Rowan Blanchard and Roberto Urbina, the show is based on a 1982 graphic novel and 2013 movie of the same name.
The series initially ran on TNT, which filmed the fourth season, but then declined to broadcast it as it shifted away from scripted drama programming.
AMC picked up the last episodes.
Connelly said she was surprised by TNT's move not to air what it had already filmed and, for a while, she didn't know if the episodes would ever see the light of day.
"I am really happy for everyone who worked hard on the show and for people who were excited about the final season, they'll be able to watch it now," she added.
The series began in 2020 and the last new episode premiered in 2022.
It follows the crew and passengers of the titular train, which continuously circles a frozen world after a cataclysmic effort to stop climate change.
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Season 3 ended with half of the passengers leaving the train to set up camp in a defrosting landscape they named New Eden.
Connelly's Melanie stays behind with her fellow engineer and boyfriend Ben (Goldberg) to take care of the people on the train, while her brilliant daughter Alex (Blanchard) and heroic community leader Layton (Diggs) see what potential the outside world holds.
Plans are upended and lives imperiled, however, by the arrival of a team of "international peace-keeping forces" no one knew existed until they violently took over Snowpiercer.
"It's kind of talking about things like climate change and resources, and how we share resources, and how we govern and how we deal with inequity, but it's doing it in the format of an entertaining, sci fi-based, action show," Connelly said.
"It's fun to watch, but it also feels like it's kind of tapping into some things that a lot of us are thinking about."
Connelly -- known for her roles in Labyrinth, A Beautiful Mind, Top Gun: Maverick and Dark Matter -- has enjoyed playing Melanie, a complex character who has evolved as a leader, scientist and mother over the course of four seasons of Snowpiercer.
"She's sort of opened herself up again and we can feel her compassion more," the actress said.
"She is a problem solver and she is someone who is so committed to finding solutions and finding fair solutions and will check herself in order to really grow and be the best leader that she can be and I admire that."
Connelly also embraced the physical challenges that the role presented.
"Of course, you have an incredible stunt person who helps," she emphasized.
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"But I got to do a lot of running and jumping and climbing. I actually love that doing that," the actress added. "I'm a pretty active person, so I keep moving. I can't sit still for too long, to be honest with you."
Melanie is only one of many fascinating female characters living on Snowpiercer and New Eden.
There are also other doctors, scientists, teachers, entertainers and law enforcement officers, who are badass women survivors in this world.
"I love that the women have interesting things to do in the show," Connelly said.
"There are some great roles for some really good actors. I think everyone has had a really good time working on it. The cast is really close and I think there is a real sense of camaraderie between the cast members, which is really, really wonderful."