Snowpiercer Season 4 Episode 1 Review: Snakes in the Garden

It’s a brand new world for Layton and the rest of Big Alice as they embrace the slowly reemerging world on Snowpiercer Season 4 Episode 1, “Snakes in the Garden.”

Two and a half years after the Season 3 finale, Snowpiercer is back and experiencing a world unlike before. The final season will follow two different timelines: one set three months after the finale, when Melanie noticed the rocket blasts indicating outside survivors, and one set nine months after that, in the present day of New Eden.

In New Eden, the community has worked tirelessly to ensure the beginnings of a new world, but it hasn’t come without its own set of troubles. Electricity is scarce because they’re pulling from Big Alice, growing food in the climate is rough, and overall morale needs to improve in some regards as they still work to transition to their new life.

Meanwhile, Melanie sends Ben and Bess on a reconnaissance mission to see what the explosion could have derived from. That’s when the two realize it was a trap all along. Military-grade-looking masked figures emerge as they attempt to escape, but it’s too late and ends in their capture.

Peace Was Always Too Good to be True

Spending a majority of the first half focusing on life in New Eden, people enjoying themselves, and living life on the other side of the train provides an excellent context for how they’ve overcome their adversities.

Overall, “Snakes in the Garden” is a memorable start to the last season and does impeccably well at setting the tone for the final battle ahead.

Where there begins to be issues for me is the death of Zarah. Not only does it feel entirely too rushed, but it almost feels like her death is just used for shock value. With a new enemy in the wind and spies in the camp, Layton reverting to his old ways of trying to contain the threat we’re to come eventually.

In truth, all Layton needs is a good threat for him to change his demeanor and set something off inside him. Zarah’s death is not the catalyst Layton needs to become aware of the current situation, and it would have made for a better moment in a future episode.

Catching Up to the Killers

With this season’s narrative being nonlinear and jumping between two different timelines, the question of the season is likely to be: who killed Zarah, and why are they after those residing in New Eden?

The ending moments allude to some of those answers as we jump back in time to see Bess and Ben taken captive and brought back aboard Snowpiercer by the same men who killed Zarah. As they’re shoveled in at gunpoint, the man behind the mask reveals himself to be a member of the International Peacekeeping Forces.

This revelation means survivors have been on the ground from the beginning, potentially watching Snowpiercer and its activities over the years, which would change everything they know about how the world has been living under the ice age.

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While there are a few pacing issues, “Snakes in the Garden” still works as a noteworthy setup for what’s bound to be an intense, action-packed last season.

Stray Thoughts:

• Seeing Ruth look like a lumberjack is amusing because it’s a complete 180-degree transition from what we’re used to.
• Dr. Headwood being the traitor in the camp is not a total surprise when you think about it. Throughout the series, she has been devoted to Wilford through thick and thin, so it only makes sense she’d be the one to sabotage New Eden’s work.
• It would have been nice to have one sighting of Melanie throughout the episode. Hopefully, this season doesn’t follow the same path as the previous ones and keeps her character as a revolving mystery that’s mentioned but hardly seen.

What did you think of this episode of Snowpiercer? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Snowpiercer airs Sundays at 10/9c on AMC.

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