Sumith Prasad
The finale of AMC’s science fiction series ‘Snowpiercer,’ titled ‘Last Stop,’ revolves around Melanie and Alex Cavill’s efforts to stop the launch of Gemini. When the two scientists try their best to end Dr. Nima Rousseau’s vicious experiment that can turn the atmosphere into a toxic envelope, Andre Layton joins his allies to fight against the soldiers who guard their new master. Nima and his men hold Ruth hostage, asking her to make a decision that can change the lives of almost every survivor left on the planet. Melanie and Alex confront their adversary and try to alter his plans, but Nima ensures the launch of Gemini, putting his life on the line! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Snowpiercer Season 4 Episode 10 Recap
‘Last Stop’ begins with Melanie and Alex rushing to Big Alice’s engine room, only to discover that the train’s control has been transferred to the Snowpiercer. The mother tries to convince her daughter to leave with her, but she insists on ensuring there is no way to regain the engine’s control. Meanwhile, Andre Layton leads a group of allies to fight against the soldiers who are helping Dr. Nima Rousseau launch Gemini. During the war between the two groups, the enemies hold Ruth hostage. Nima then proposes to free her, her friends, and Big Alice if they allow him to launch Gemini. After thinking about the proposition, she decides against joining his mission.
Ruth is convinced that Nima himself is not confident about his mission, which doesn’t help her join his cause. She conveys her thoughts to those on the fence about the war fought between the New Eden/Snowpiercer survivors and the scientist’s soldiers. The group believes Ruth and joins her in stopping the launch of the toxic chemical into the atmosphere. To aid their cause, Javier “Javi” de La Torre interrupts the connection between the Snowpiercer’s engine, controlled by a woman engineer named Buffalo, and the rest of the train to thwart the launch. Bess Till and Oz wear the uniform of Nima’s army to hurt them from the inside.
Dr. Headwood leads Nima to an unrevealed soldier who stuns the scientist. She has possibly brought someone back to life from death using her medical experiments. The soldier then attacks Layton and Boki. Even though the person displays immense strength, the King of New Eden defeats him. As the war between the two forces progresses, Josie hunts down Dr. Headwood for taking her immunity away from her. She sets out to kill the doctor and removes the latter’s husband’s boots from her. When the medical personnel clings to the only existing thing that belongs to her late husband, Josie realizes that her priority should be love rather than revenge, paving the way for her and Layton’s reunion.
Snowpiercer Ending: Why Does Dr. Nima Launch Gemini? Why Does He Kill Himself?
When Melanie and Alex realize they cannot regain the Snowpiercer’s control, the mother and daughter set out to remove the toxic chemical vials inside Gemini’s launcher. Meanwhile, Nima directs the train to the frozen ocean to prepare for the launch. Nima eventually confronts Alex and Melanie, only for the latter to call his stupidity out. She tells him that he knows Gemini will be a failure, only for him to accept the claim subtly. More than anyone, Nima knows that Gemini is not the solution he desperately seeks to make the entire Earth inhabitable again. The data he has been gathering for years validate Melanie’s assumption.
Still, Nima decides to move forward with the launch because of his narcissism. He cannot tell himself that he has failed or been wrong all along. His experiments once paved the way for the end of the world, but back then, he could blame the apocalypse on his entire team. However, that is not the case with Gemini, which is out-and-out his brainchild. He developed the project from scratch without the scientific help of an equal. Thus, his narcissistic mind cannot find fault with it, which will be the same as finding fault with himself. That’s the reason why he goes ahead with the launch despite knowing that the chemical he releases will end the world again.
After Gemini’s launch, Nima exposes himself to the cold, only to freeze to death. He kills himself because his narcissism does not allow him to see himself as a failure. The scientist knows that the survivors won’t live long after the toxic chemical envelopes the planet, which is an explicit portrayal of his defeat. He does not wish to remain alive and be proven wrong by people who do not have the basic knowledge of the science behind the project. His god complex cannot tolerate the truth that intellectually inferior individuals like Layton were right about Gemini, something he created with his entire life.
As far as Nima is concerned, dying as the supposed savior of the world is better than living as the most inferior among the survivors. By embracing death, he gives a satisfying conclusion to his life and life’s work. Furthermore, he must have already realized that there is no way Layton and his people would forgive him after he successfully launched Gemini.
How Does Gemini Fail?
Despite Layton, Melanie, and Ruth’s best efforts to prevent the completion of Project Gemini, Nima ensures that his masterpiece is ultimately launched. The launcher carries the chemical vials away from the Snowpiercer, disappointing the passengers of the train and the residents of New Eden. However, to their surprise, the rocket returns to the surface and explodes. The chemical vials are not spread in the atmosphere or stratosphere, saving the planet from another catastrophe. The brilliant mind behind the project’s failure is none other than Alex. When Melanie gets convinced that she cannot control the launch, she sets out to remove the vials from the launcher with Alex, only for Nima to stop them.
While Melanie confronts Nima about his knowledge of his mission’s potential failure and its consequences, she unknowingly distracts him from her daughter’s sleight of hand. Even though Alex returns the chemical vials to the launcher, she does it confidently because she has a Plan B. While her mother exposes the scientist to himself, she removes a part of the launcher necessary to protect the chemical from freezing. Nima witnesses Gemini’s launch with the satisfaction that the vials are back in the launcher. Little does he know that a small mechanical element Alex removed will fail his life’s work.
After the launch, Alex’s plan works. The chemical vials are exposed to the cold, and the chill air destroys the launcher’s operation through the opening. The rocket returns to the surface and explodes, ensuring that Gemini is a complete failure. Ever since meeting Alex, Nima has lauded her unparalleled mind and intelligence. Ironically, the one he has praised without a stop ends up destroying the one thing for which he sacrificed his life and embraced his death.
Will New Eden Become Uninhabitable? What is the Significance of the Flowers?
After Gemini’s failure, Layton leads his allies back to New Eden, which truly becomes the home of everyone who survived the apocalypse because of the Snowpiercer. Even when they share their relief of returning back to their community, they are not sure for how long the place will safeguard them from the cold. Even Melanie, the resident scientist, fails to give them a convincing estimate. As far as she is concerned, the fate of New Eden can be rewritten in a matter of hours or decades. Since Alex’s studies show that the condition of the place is far from satisfactory, the region may not be inhabitable for eternity.
However, the future must be the last concern of the New Eden residents. The people who form the community are used to sleeping every day without knowing whether they will wake up the next day on a crammed train. They are familiar with the sense of uncertainty, which cannot conquer them now. That’s why they celebrate with their loved ones, chosen families, and friends when their lives are still hanging by a thread. The residents of New Eden see a place to stay and a bed to lay as privileges. For these humble beings, everyday survival is the first priority. Everything else comes second. So, they will continue to live in New Eden as long as the place is inhabitable.
When New Eden becomes uninhabitable, we can expect them to board the Snowpiercer and restart orbiting Earth. That’s why Javi takes the train for a ride with Sykes. Layton and his citizens know they may need to return to the train. However, there isn’t any certainty that they will need to. ‘Snowpiercer’ concludes with a shot of a few flower plants growing on a mountaintop in full bloom. These flowers indicate that living is indeed possible in the region. If the climate is as bad as Alex’s fear, the plants must not have grown on the cold mountains. Therefore, the weather may have been gradually improving, allowing the survivors to continue living in New Eden.
Read More: Is AMC’s Snowpiercer Based on the Movie?
