Summary
“North Star” reunites Big Alice and Snowpiercer, while things at New Eden take a worrying turn.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I expected it might take an episode or two for Big Alice to catch up to Snowpiercer. Lo and behold, though, it happens in the first few minutes of “North Star”, proving that if nothing else, Season 4 isn’t interested in taking its time.
Despite this, though, there isn’t a great deal that happens in Episode 4. Most of it is setup for bigger plot points to come, which isn’t a bad thing. If nothing else it gets (almost) everyone in the same place, which is useful narratively even if it still doesn’t bode well for New Eden – and I’m even more convinced than ever that colony has a rather grim fate coming its way soon.
All Aboard
Interestingly, the speed at which Big Alice caught up to Snowpiercer becomes a plot point. Without the time to think up a proper plan or rally the support of their allies still aboard, Layton, Ruth, and Josie are left to freestyle a solution. And Layton is in a rush.
Of course, as we know from Episode 3, Milius has anticipated this and set up a trap in Snowpiercer’s rear car. So, when he jumps on the radio with plenty of enthusiasm for peace talks, it’s obvious why, and it becomes equally obvious to Layton and Josie almost immediately. But with Liana and Miles both aboard – presumably, anyway – the small matter of a trap isn’t enough to deter them.
So, Josie and Layton infiltrate Snowpiercer “the long way around”, leaving Ruth to try and run interference on the radio. Milius isn’t stupid, but he seems overly confident about his trap, which Nima has to remind him is badly planned and might kill Layton and Josie outright. Milius is unphased and makes Nima drop and do push-ups like the good soldier he most certainly isn’t.
A Fragile Balance
Nima’s point is that the operation of Snowpiercer requires the support of Melanie, and they’ll only maintain that if they don’t indiscriminately murder passengers. This is part of a fragile ecosystem that we see in other areas of the train is right on the cusp of outright collapse.
As we saw in Episode 2, the passengers of Snowpiercer have become a labor force against their will. Just like the original version of the train, the cars have now become rigidly class-stratified, and rebellion is fomenting. When Layton and Josie try to subtly infiltrate, the mere sight of Layton – a symbol of emancipation for many of the passengers – starts a near-riot, making an already difficult mission that much more complicated.
With support from various familiar faces, Layton and Josie are able to split up and pursue their separate objectives. Josie runs into Till – whose favorite movie, predictably, is RoboCop – while Layton meets Nima in the process of trying to sabotage Milius’s gas trap.
Where is Liana?
It seemed obvious to me early on that Liana wasn’t aboard Snowpiercer, despite Layton and Josie spending the entire episode looking for her. And it does seem like this will form the next big dramatic pivot point since the episode ends with Milius offering Josie Liana in exchange for Big Alice.
This was always going to be the dilemma, I think. It’s all well and good for Layton to say he’ll be back in two weeks; and for Ruth to tag along to ensure he sticks to the timeline. But when these people are properly presented with the situation aboard Snowpiercer and offered the chance, however slight it might be, to save an innocent child, suddenly New Eden, now already many miles away, seems very distant indeed.
Speaking of which…
New Eden Is In Trouble
As predicted there are two problems being faced by New Eden in “North Star”. One is a power outage and worsening weather; the exact kind of thing that Big Alice would ameliorate.
The other is a severed hand that Oz finds in a snowdrift. Later, Javi pulls a chip from it that was once used to open doors aboard Snowpiercer. Whoever the hand belongs to, they were a former passenger.
I can’t help but feel terribly anxious about all this. Roche seems like a well-liked, natural leader, a great parent, friend, and public official, which means he’s certain to die in the next couple of episodes. He might even be dead at the end of this one. The final scenes we see are of Oz screaming his name into a snowstorm while they’re out combing the mountains.
This would leave New Eden to be governed by only three – I think? – remaining members of the council, and with Sykes pushing for a seat, it’s likely she would become a key figurehead in Roche’s absence. And where would that lead? I guess we’ll find out sooner rather than later.
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