Setting Itself Right

Season	3
Episode	8
Overall	28
	March 14, 2022
	Marisha Mukerjee
	Leslie Hope
	46 minutes
Episode Guide
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Setting Itself Right is the eighth episode of the third season of Snowpiercer. It is the twenty-eighth episode of the series overall. The episode aired on TNT March 14, 2022 and then streamed internationally on Netflix the next day.

Synopsis

TNT's: As the train detours from New Eden, an environmental catastrophe threatens everyone onboard.

Netflix's: The train takes a detour on the chance that Melanie could still be alive, but a looming threat soon appears in the distance.

Intro

“	Green was the first color to disappear outside. Our crops withered by drought. Our forests set ablaze. And then the whole charred ruin locked away in ice. (...) Here, among the plants, I'm six again. Running through the forest, on my grandparents' farm in the Western Ghats. Peppercorn, cardamom and ginger, boiled together by the humidity like a cup of chai. When anyone would get upset, my grandmother would say, "When everything goes wrong, perhaps it's setting itself right". For the longest time, I couldn't find truth in her woods. How, out of so much loss, she could find hope. Here, with them, pulling together for something more than just survival. On Snowpiercer, 1,029 cars long.	”
	— Asha

Plot

SPOILERS AHEAD

Asha is still having a hard time aboard Snowpiercer. Ruth was worried about her so she visited Asha in her cabin. Asha revealed that the scientists at the nuclear plant actually turned on each other, she had to poisoned everyone to keep her nephew safe. After that cancer got her nephew so she had to mercy kill him. Ruth takes her to the Ag-Sec and told her that having a purpose will help her get through. Layton dropped by and talk to her about the dragon blood tree in his visions, Asha confirmed that the picture is in the calendar in the Nuclear Reactor, she had kept the picture to remind herself of how special the world is. Layton is losing more and more faith in New Eden. Ruth told Layton that the Engineers needed them in the Engine.

Bennett and Alex explained that track switches operated on battery data, and they realized some of them have lost the energy because something has been moving from a track to another. When they track the switches, it led back to Rocky Mountain Test Track, near Breslauer Weather Station. In theory Melanie could've reached a facility on the mountain, but there's no food or water and any vehicles there aren't designed to support life. Yet there's a hope that Engineer Cavill is indeed outside. It'd be two days detour if Snowpiercer decided to follow the current location of the vehicle. Alex remarked that the only reason they're checking is because Wilford told her. Layton get to Library Car talk with Wilford and he realized that he doesn't mean any harm. Ruth later made an announcement in The Hospitality Car. Alex and Bennett, both being stressed more than ever, comforts each other in the Engine.

Layton's faith in himself keeps failing, Zarah comforts him. Meanwhile Asha's atmospheric CCA tool detected poison volcanic gas incoming, Layton and Asha made their way to the Engine. Asha told Bennett and Alex that there's sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide which could burn everyone's lung right out. Alex used the satellite and realized that the gases lays 200 kilometers long on the track. Wilford got taken from Library Car and assured that the train's HVAC system (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) can handle these concentrations, and the train won't be corroded from hydrogen sulfide as it is accounted in design. Bennett announced to the whole train to move back to their quarters unless they're essential workers.

While Javi and Sykes were working as usual in an Ag-Sec car, they smelled something odd. Javi informed Ben at the Engine and realized that the air scrubber is all corroded and broken. At one point Sykes inhaled too much volcanic gas and collapsed to the ground. Javi performed CPR and save Sykes. Layton and Asha head to the car in order to close the intake, but they both realized that they are too bulky with the EVA suit and can't close it. Asha decided to take one for the train and sacrifices herself, taking her suit off she successfully managed to close the intake, costing her life. Layton helped her through her last moments. Ruth came by once again to comfort Andre.

Subplots

• John Osweiller helps Ag-Sec prepare pickles, as another way to preserve foods for the first time out of the train in order to wait for Agricultural to be set up. LJ is unhappy with the news and disagrees about getting out of the train, unlike Oz. LJ later went to the Headwoods' Lab aboard Big Alice. Mrs. Headwood takes blood and a piece of skin from LJ, possibly for her treatment of a person.

• Miss Audrey is ashamed of herself about just being a pariah, Wilford's servant. Till comforts her. Miss Audrey also helped Till go through her questions in her head.

• Sykes helps Javi recover from this trauma by taking him closer to Jupiter, it has been revealed that they're doing this everyday now. But Javier's still having a hard time. Sykes comforts him.

• Roche, now resuming his duty as Lead Brakeman, visited his daughter Carly. As Carly is struggling about the loss of her mom. Roche reminded Carly that he also lost his wife, but he still has his daughter right by his side. He then used his Boombox, playing a Cassette tape of, Roxy Music, "More Then This." The two play together happily.

• Zarah asked Layton why did Wilford lead everyone to Melanie, Layton said that Wilford is bored and tries to stay relevant. Zarah visits Wilford in the Library Car and even allows him to hold Liana.

Cast

Main Characters

• Daveed Diggs as Andre Layton
• Mickey Sumner as Bess Till
• Alison Wright as Ruth Wardell
• Lena Hall as Miss Audrey
• Iddo Goldberg as Bennett Knox
• Roberto Urbina as Javier De La Torre
• Sheila Vand as Zarah Ferami
• Mike O'Malley as Roche
• Annalise Basso as LJ Folger
• Sam Otto as John Osweiller
• Rowan Blanchard as Alexandra Cavill
• Chelsea Harris as Sykes
• Archie Panjabi as Asha
• Sean Bean as Joseph Wilford

Guest Starring

• Sakina Jaffrey as Mrs. Headwood

Co-Starring

• Esther Ming Li as Carly Roche
• Andrea Ware as Tyson
• Ava Johnson as Ag-Sec Worker #2
• Alyssa Litowsky as Jenny
• Adam Zulkifli as Ag-Sec Worker #3

Quotes

Layton: "You were there, in the reactor at the beginning." Asha: "When you had this vision of a New Eden?" Layton: "Yeah, and that vision is what has been keeping me going on for the whole time. That's why we're here, just days away." Asha: "It's keeping us all going. It's hope. So… What happened?" Layton: "I went back there, Asha. Somewhere, in some dark corner of my mind, and we were there in the reactor together, and now my faith in all of this is gone. Have you seen this? (Shows Asha the Dragon Blood tree picture.)" Asha: "That's your vision?" Layton: "You recognize it?" Asha: "Yeah. There was one of these trees in a calendar on the wall. Reminded me how special the world is." Layton: "I made it all up..." ―  Layton finally realized where his vision came from. Layton: "You think Melanie's alive?" Bennett: "Well, we can't leap to that. Something's moving out there. But first, you need to understand how track switches work." Alex: "Track switches operate on battery power. When Ben and I took a look at the data, we saw that some of them had lost juice." Bennett: "It's because something is moving from switch to switch, drawing down power. When we follow the breadcrumbs, they lead us to the Rocky Mountain Test Track." Ruth: "Where we last saw Melanie." Till: "It's gotta be her then." Alex: "There's a facility on that track. In theory, she could've reached the hangar and gotten a maintenance vehicle going or a Track Scaler or a plow." Bennett: "But these are bare-bones, autonomous machines. They're not designed to support life." Ruth: "But it's moving. You said so yourself." Alex: "Yeah, the vehicle's moving. It could go on for years. It's just about the person inside of it." Bennett: "With no support or water. And they're barely the size of a broom closet." ―  Bennett and Alex reveal what they've learned about Melanie's possible survival “ Hey, uh, I know y'all are busy back there doing science, but is this what you're looking for? ” — Layton spots the problem that Bennett, Alex and Asha are trying to find Wilford: "You must be our little survivor." Asha: "And you must be the Great Engineer." ―  Wilford meets Asha “ Uh… Rolling hills down to the shoreline. There were shrubs, low… like sage, you know, green and prickly. Uh.. Trees, trees, just spotting the beach. I could smell it. Yeah, I could smell it. Vanilla and pepper. You can hear the breeze and there were bugs humming. And the Sun. Ooh, Asha, The Sun… Close your eyes.. and turn towards the sun. And it heats your whole body. All the way, deep down inside. Asha, you did it. ” — Layton helps Asha through her last moments. “ Holy shit! It's her. ” — Bennett as he and Alex spot Melanie's vehicle on satellite

Trivia

• The title of the episode is a line in Asha's opening dialogue.
• Asha reveals that in her desperation to protect her nephew after the marauders died off, she had poisoned the other survivors in the North Korean bunker.
• Asha confirms that Layton really did see the dragon's blood tree in a picture on a calendar on her wall. Asha explains that she had kept the picture to remind herself of how special the world is.
• The Track switches operate on battery power (presumably once connected to the grid).
• Bennett and Alex discover a path of something moving, leading to Neckbreaker where Melanie Cavill had last been seen. Neckbreaker has a hangar that Melanie could've reached in theory and gotten a vehicle of some kind going. However, they are bare-bones autonomous machines that are not designed to support life.
• Sam Roche has returned to work as the Lead Breakman.
• According to Sykes, there's only 2 or 3 dogs left in the world, including Jupiter who has been locked in a cage ever since Wilford's defeat.
• Mrs. Headwood is shown to have someone hidden in her lab that she's working on in secret. She takes blood and a piece of skin from LJ Folger, possibly for her treatment of this person. Revealed in The Original Sinners, to be Bojan Boscovic.
• At the end of the episode, Snowpiercer picks up the signal from Melanie's vehicle in Hungary.

Body Count

• Asha (inhalation of volcanic gas)

Gallery