Snowpiercer Recap: The Battle for New Eden

As a seasoned film enthusiast who has traversed the cinematic landscapes of countless dystopian masterpieces, I must say that Snowpiercer continues to captivate me with its intricate plotlines and gripping action sequences. The latest episode, much like a rollercoaster, took us on an exhilarating ride through the snow-laden wasteland of New Eden, where our heroes found themselves under siege yet again.


As a devoted fan, I can’t help but exclaim that we’re nearing the finale, and what a journey it has been! In Snowpiercer, the Tailies initially rose against the train’s upper classes to secure better living conditions. Now, passengers from every compartment on not just one but two trains are sacrificing their lives to safeguard the self-made haven that is their frontier town, fending off an advancing army of technologically superior soldiers. Although the vastness of New Eden softens the impact compared to the intense train fight scenes, there are still instances that leave you on the edge of your seat.

In several scenes, we find Melanie returning following her incarceration by Nima in the previous episode. He pens a message, attempting once more to rationalize his behavior and beliefs. His mindset persists: he believes he can restore the world without any obstacles and that some losses are acceptable for the greater good. However, it’s evident that Nima falls short of an engaging antagonist, especially when compared to Sean Bean’s Wilford or Clark Gregg’s Milius as potential final adversaries in Snowpiercer. Despite Michael Aronov’s commendable portrayal of Nima’s shifty and avaricious traits, his character lacks the commanding presence and weight that these other characters possess. As a villain, he serves his purpose, but as the ultimate adversary to vanquish at the brink of apocalypse, he leaves room for improvement.

Continuing from the previous situation, Layton and New Eden’s inhabitants continue to be under attack by a sniper who aims not to kill but rather keep them trapped, preventing any counterattack. Disregarding their agreement, soldiers start shooting at civilians. In response, Alex loses patience and takes action against them, damaging the computer system so they can no longer change directions. Layton, Sykes, and Javi make their way towards Alex, while he simultaneously works on constructing a device to disrupt the radio signal, thereby stopping the silo forces from burying the town.

On Snowpiercer, I found myself face-to-face with Nima, who had once been an ally, now transformed into a ruthless military oppressor. He demanded my assistance in reclaiming Big Alice or else he would threaten the very existence of our town. It’s a chilling reality to consider that this could potentially be half of mankind teetering on the edge.

In New Eden, Layton saves Alex from a commando, prompting her to inquire about Wilford. Upon learning how he perished, Alex appears visibly distressed, despite acknowledging that Layton wasn’t wrong for attempting to eliminate Wilford as she had done the same thing earlier. Oz manages to divert the sniper’s attention with some radio banter, providing Bess Till, the top sheriff in this new Wild West, sufficient time to track down and neutralize the threat. Regrettably, they have only one more bullet left, which Till employs to safeguard Layton from a commando. In conclusion, the battle is over. Alex reveals that their initial ambush plan won’t succeed due to Nima having an overwhelming number of soldiers at his disposal. She also discloses the gravity of the situation – if left unchecked, Nima’s compound will expand globally, deteriorate the atmosphere, and contaminate it to the point where we would all become incapable of breathing, effectively boiling our blood out of our bodies in Snowpiercer.

In a shift of strategy, Nima mobilizes not merely his masked troops, but his entire military force with the aim of annihilating the town completely. Fortunately, Melanie devises a ruse that leads him astray. She enlists a vast number of soldiers, heavily armed, and instead of attacking the citizens of New Eden, they discharge a gas that Nima has used before to render everyone unconscious. The triumph is brief; the army marches into town without resistance. In the end, Nima, Melanie, and Alex (who had traced his mother’s steps) seize Big Alice effortlessly, leaving Josie questioning whether Melanie has betrayed them once more – a suspicion that, in truth, would align with her character.

Nevertheless, she refused as she’s well aware that no matter what Nima proposes, his scheme will lead to their demise, regardless of their allegiance or faithfulness. Swiftly, she initiates a counteroffensive, reaching out to Layton and disclosing her intention to guide Snowpiercer into the city. Their task is simply to board the vessel and assault from within. With Javi’s assistance, the revolutionaries successfully overpower a squad of soldiers guarding Town Hall, discovering that their guns are merely for display – they have no ammunition. Coincidentally, at this very moment, Nima takes a victory lap around New Eden, appearing like a conqueror examining his new domain. Sycophantic Headwood escorts him and discusses how alike they are due to their shared masochistic tendencies; both of them sacrificing people in pursuit of their objectives.

In summary, Snowpiercer reaches its destination, seemingly effortlessly bypassing a crucial track switch (quite a blow to their original strategy). As expected, a contingent of soldiers disembarks to protect it. This is the high-octane action sequence I had been anticipating. The army of New Eden mobilizes with archers at the rear and front-line troops charging at the silo defenders, armed with axes, poles, knives, and whatever improvised weapons Till managed to produce. They successfully board the train, initiating round two of the battle. However, Nima’s treacherous orders to detonate the hill and bury the town fail as Javi manages to intercept the signal and save the town. Meanwhile, the man responsible for freezing the world becomes enraged, while Melanie and Alex flee, making their way to the subtrain to join the battle one last time.

Tailie Thoughts

“Considering that the Silo housed both workers and soldiers, with the Admiral mentioning that numerous individuals on Snowpiercer perished during the refurbishment process, isn’t it questionable to label the destruction of the town as just a “minor” sacrifice given that New Eden is said to be home to half of humanity?

Poor Alex. First, she learns that the man she thought of as a father took his own life. Now, it has been revealed that Nima is actually her biological father, which might explain her exceptional intelligence.

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2024-09-16 06:57