Sumith Prasad
The first episode of AMC’s science fiction series ‘Snowpiercer’ season 4 ends with Zarah Fahrami encountering Mrs. Headwood, the doctor at New Eden who kidnaps the former’s daughter, Liana. The accidental meeting doesn’t go well for Zarah as she meets a stranger with Headwood in an army suit. Realizing that there is unrest in the community, Josie and Boki rush to the mountains, only to see a severely hurt Zarah, who is fighting to stay alive after her confrontation with the doctor and her strange companion. The episode concludes with more clarity concerning the fate of Sheila Vand’s character, who has been a part of the show since the first installment! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Zarah’s Fate: A Warning
Zarah Fahrami is dead. When she meets Mrs. Headwood with Liana, she insists on taking the child from the doctor despite the opposition of the soldier who wears the suit of the International Peace Keeping Forces. Even though Headwood warns her not to try to take her baby from them, the mother in Zarah cannot tolerate someone else holding her daughter without her permission. Her persistence causes a physical conflict between her and the duo. The anonymous soldier must have brutally hurt her to ensure that they can continue their mysterious journey with the baby. Even though Zarah dies, she warns Josie and Boki about the stranger as a heads-up to her community.
Headwood and the anonymous soldier killing Zarah is not a surprise considering the significance of Liana in the “New World.” Ever since the end of the world, the human race hasn’t had the chance to welcome a newborn many times, which makes the little girl precious. That is also the reason why Wilford calls her “Ineffable Royal Layton Jelly.” Like the former dictator of the Snowpiercer, whoever is behind Headwood must be finding Liana as a valuable girl who can be presented as a symbol or representation of the New Era of survival. If that’s not the case, the individual or the group may want to hurt the baby to kill the hope of the survivors and establish tyranny.
Whichever the case is, Zarah is nothing but a threat in front of them. As a devoted mother, she is not expected to accept Liana’s upbringing elsewhere or the child getting hurt. Therefore, by killing her, the anonymous enemies are just removing an obstacle from their path.
Sheila Vand’s Departure From Snowpiercer
As of now, neither AMC nor Sheila Vand has announced the exit of the actress from ‘Snowpiercer.’ However, considering Zarah’s death, a formal statement seems just a matter of formality. The fourth season premiere ends with the confirmation that Andre Layton’s ex-wife is dead beyond any doubt. Zarah’s demise wraps her character arc satisfactorily without leaving any scope. The writers of the series conceived the narrative of the fourth installment with her murder and Liana’s abduction as the kickstarter of the upcoming plot developments. Right after learning about his former partner’s death, Layton promises to exact his vengeance on whoever is responsible, setting the stage for the rest of the episodes.
Zarah’s death and Sheila’s supposed exit from the science fiction series make sense because of Layton and Josie’s relationship. After giving birth to Liana and making amends with the couple, Zarah is away from the center stage of the narrative. Therefore, the writers of the installment must have decided to take advantage of her death, which ensures impact, rather than having her around as an inconsequential presence. Zarah’s fate is expected to be connected to Layton’s actions as he embarks on a journey to exact revenge. However, ‘Snowpiercer’ is not a series that heavily relies on flashback sequences or visions, which indicates that we may not see Sheila in the rest of the nine episodes of the science fiction drama.
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