| “ | You have the train, Mr. Wilford. | ” |
| — Bennett in First, the Weather Changed | ||
Bennett Knox is a main character on TNT's Snowpiercer. He is portrayed by Iddo Goldberg.
As one of the original engineers who helped design the train, he is one of the few passengers who knows the deepest secrets of Snowpiercer.
History
Background
When he was 16, he spent a summer in Sopelana surfing. The locals surfed a wave called El Bordillo and he learned more from that wave then 7 years of university. He eventually went back, but by then, the rising sea levels changed the coast line and the wave was gone.
Bennett went through Wilford Industries engineering program alongside Melanie Cavill, forming a romantic attachment to her despite Wilford's efforts to keep them apart due to his need for absolute control.
On the night that Snowpiercer was stolen by Melanie, Bennett was in on her plot to leave Wilford behind unlike Javier De La Torre. Although Melanie hesitated to go as her daughter had not yet arrived, Bennett convinced her to leave while Wilford was still off of the train and they had their chance.[1]
Throughout The Series
Melanie's leadership
Bennett is a reserved member of Snowpiercer's management and follows Melanie Cavill's orders closely. Despite his devoted loyalty, he did not outright explain that he felt uneasy about pushing ahead at full speed despite Javi's warnings that the mountains around were not safe. When the mountain collapses, he investigates the damage done to one of the Ag-Sec carts with Melanie, and she vows him to secrecy; on the inside, however, he is conflicted and believes she is starving the train from the Tail to First.[2]
Bennett later takes part in repairing the brakes when a short-circuit threatens to derail the train. After a harrowing mission, Bennett gleefully demonstrates to the passengers in the Chains that Snowpiercer survived and is continuing on.
Revolution
When the train learns that Wilford is dead, Bennett remains loyal to Melanie despite Javi betraying the Engine. Bennett is enraged to learn that young Engineer Apprentice Miles helped to cause the revolution by revealing the truth to LJ Folger and goes so far as to threaten the young boy. However, Bennett quickly softens towards Miles again and answers his questions, explaining that while the Engine Eternal's fuel is in fact Eternal, the parts are not and are wearing out.
After Melanie escapes with the help of Javi and Jinju Seong, she contacts Bennett with a plan to defeat the Folgers army of Jackboots by disconnecting part of the train at a switch track. Working with Miles, Bennett coordinates the disconnection, driving the train while giving Miles instructions. On Bennett's signal, once Melanie and Layton have disabled two safety switches, Miles disconnects seven cars and Bennett sends them off on a different track, killing 147 people and ending the revolution. Bennett then has Miles take over driving the train while he reconnects the cars and the two embrace in victory.
Wilford's return
Despite his loyalty to Melanie, he is conflicted once again when Snowpiercer receives an interesting signal from an unknown source. Bennett checks out the satellite feed and instantly notices something amiss, bringing them offline in an effort to hide what he has found from Melanie and Javi. It is later revealed that the signal is Big Alice, and when Melanie questions Bennett about lying, he remarks that he believes it is time to give up and welcome Wilford again due to the much-needed supplies onboard Big Alice.[3]
When Snowpiercer falls under the leadership of Andre Layton and the other members of the Tail, Bennett remains loyal to Melanie and her quest to detach Big Alice and Snowpiercer. Remaining in the Engine, Bennett walks Melanie through the process of blowing the uplink between the two trains and placing a sticky charge on the mechanism.
When Melanie's suit fails, Bennett pleads with her not to give up and to board one of the trains or face being left behind to die in the wilderness; eventually, she boards Big Alice, much to Bennett's relief.[4]
Personality
Relationships
Melanie Cavill
Melanie and Bennett are shown to have developed a romantic relationship and she trusts Bennett implicitly to carry out tasks for her. However, Bennett later betrays Melanie when Big Alice arrives. After Melanie reboards the train and they are reunited, the two share a hug. Bennett later explains to Andre Layton that they came up through Wilford's Engineering program together and stuck together despite Wilford's attempts to keep them apart.
After Melanie betrays Layton, Bennett sides with Layton over Melanie, putting them at odds. After Melanie and Layton come to a peaceful resolution, Bennett reunites with Melanie and agrees to stay on Snowpiercer with her after Melanie promises to fully commit herself to their relationship.
Javier De La Torre
Bennett and Javi are shown to be good friends, although they don't often agree. At one point, Javi bitterly notes that he has no choice but to follow Melanie's orders as he isn't sleeping with her like Bennett. Although Javi betrays them when the Folgers take over and Bennett literally throws him out of the Engine, the two men are shown working together afterwards with no animosity, possibly because Javi saved Melanie's life during the revolution.
After Wilford takes control of Snowpiercer, the two men are able to communicate with each other in code over an open radio line with even Sykes, a highly-trained operative, not understanding the true meaning of their messages. When Javi comes under siege, perhaps understanding what is likely to happen to his friend, Bennett gets visibly emotional and reassures Javi, calling him "a hell of an engineer."
Miles
At first, Bennett appears to have a good working relationship with Miles, the young Tailie fast-tracked as an Engineer Apprentice. However, after learning that Miles helped spark the revolution by informing LJ Folger of the truth, Bennett goes so far as to threaten Miles in his anger, although he doesn't seem to entirely blame Miles for his actions. When Miles tells Bennett that he helped free the Tail, Bennett states that Miles isn't a soldier but a tragic child.
As they are trapped together in the Engine, Bennett's attitude towards Miles quickly softens and he begins answering Miles' questions, including explaining why the Tail is kept so cold and dark. When Melanie contacts them with a plan, Miles and Bennett work seamlessly together to drive the train and disconnect seven cars to kill the enemy army. After they succeed, Bennett and Miles hug and Bennett congratulates Miles, addressing him as Engineer.
Joseph Wilford
Not much is known about Bennett's relationship with the real Mr. Wilford aside from him thinking that they need to surrender due to the dire state of the train. Notably, Mr. Wilford actually remembers Bennett while talking with Melanie, calling him Ben and appearing to be aware of Melanie's relationship with and favoritism towards Bennett. It's revealed that Bennett was actually in on the plot to steal Snowpiercer and urged Melanie to leave Wilford behind because Bennett knew just how bad Wilford was.
When Melanie tried to take Bennett with her aboard Big Alice, Wilford refused, calling it "a Ben-free zone." Bennett later tells Andre Layton that due to Wilford's need for control, he had always tried to keep Bennett and Melanie apart while they were in Wilford's engineering program, but they had refused to allow him to win which is at least part of the reason why Wilford doesn't want Bennett on his train. Bennett is concerned enough about Wilford's plans that he forms an alliance with Layton to keep the train safe together in Melanie's absence.
Andre Layton
While Bennett and Layton at first don't have much interaction, they start to get to know each other after Layton takes control of Snowpiercer and Big Alice shows up. At first, Bennett is opposed to the idea of reporting to Layton, but after the arrival of Big Alice, begins working closely with him. The two men soon form a mutual alliance out of their hatred for Wilford and need to keep the train safe in Melanie's absence. Bennett quickly becomes one of Layton's most trusted advisors and friends, often taking part in meetings regarding train business and keeping each other apprised of situations. In this respect, Bennett's loyalty to Layton is similar to his absolute loyalty to Melanie after she took control of the train. Even after Wilford takes control of Snowpiercer, Bennett retains his loyalty to Layton and Melanie, happily taking the chance to betray Wilford and help his friends.
After the discovery of Melanie's apparent death and the recovery of her data, Bennett remains loyal to Layton on the Pirate train, looking to him for direction along with the rest of Layton's crew. Over their six months together on the Pirate train, Bennett and Layton become close friends.
When Layton is put into a coma from Pike's attempts to assassinate him, Bennett is one of his friends who visits the unconscious Layton and he is visibly deeply worried for him. Forced to return to the Engine, Bennett asks Doctor Pelton to keep him updated on Layton's condition.
When Layton and Melanie are at odds again, Bennett chooses to side with Layton over Melanie. After a peaceful resolution is reached, Bennett stays on Snowpiercer with Melanie rather than joining Layton on Big Alice, parting on good terms with his friend.
Appearances
Memorable Quotes
| “ | Snowpiercer is coming apart. You know that, Mel. There is no perpetual motion because there are no perpetual parts. | ” |
| — Bennett to Melanie | ||
| “ | You have the train, Mr. Wilford. | ” |
| — Bennett to Mr. Wilford | ||
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