The show's creators, and Bradley Dyer , have stated that they drew inspiration from the original film, as well as classic sci-fi series like The Leftovers and Fringe . By embracing the serialized format, they've been able to craft a narrative that's both epic in scope and intimate in character development.

Seven years after a global extinction event caused by a failed attempt to reverse climate change (using the chemical CW-7), the Earth has become a frozen wasteland with temperatures reaching The Train: