Snowpiercer Season 3 Episode 5: Who Started the Fire?

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Snowpiercer! Read at your own risk!

Snowpiercer Season 3 is not putting to a stop the journey they had eight years into a global arctic tundra and now that a child has been born, hence the title of Episode 5, A New Life, hopes remains glimmering into the horizon. However, the birth of Layton’s child is not the only thing that happened in the episode, the name tree created for them was burned down and another explosion almost killed him, who started the fire?

Snowpiercer Season 3 Episode 5: Who Started the Fire?

Credit: TNT

Throughout the episode’s emotional rollercoaster, one of the main highlights is the name tree that the passengers made for the arrival of the baby of Layton and Zarah and we all have to admit, it is a really sweet gesture for the parents-to-be to have their child’s arrival celebrated like that by all of the remainder of humanity.

However, when Zarah’s water broke and Layton had to rush her to the doctors, something happened with the name tree: it was burned down and Bess started investigating the scene, afterwards, Layton followed. They found out that ethanol supplies were missing, possibly causing the fire. It was extinguished in time but who did it?

While investigating, another fire started somewhere in the train and this time, an explosion came with it, injuring Layton in the process and almost killing him. He was hit but all he could think about was whether Zarah and his daughter is fine. He got there in time and helped Zarah push until she was able to deliver a healthy baby girl, Liana.

Related: Snowpiercer Season 3 Episode 4 Ending Explained

Did Pike Start the Fire and Cause the Explosion?

Credit: TNT

During the investigation of Bess and Layton, they asked a couple of passengers and it was Lilah Jr. and Oz who were the first ones to get the blame. They were the ones in charge of the night car and the name tree was there. However, the newlyweds were quick to dismiss the thought and denied the allegations because just recently, they joined the resistance, right? It couldn’t have been them, either, since the night car is something of a home for them so why start a fire?

Then Bess talked to Audrey. Surely, this woman has a grudge against Layton for what he has done to Wilford and she was also banned from seeing him, or being near him at all. She has nothing in her hands, only her songs and her broken heart, maybe her lousy make-up and attire, too. She could not have access to the night car so she isn’t the one.

Pike is the most suspicious of all. He has the proper motive: he wants Ruth to lead the train and not Layton. He talked to Ruth about it earlier in the episode and Ruth was too modest that she turned the thought down. Pike was seen at the scene where the second explosion happened. At the end of the episode, he looked repentant and he destroyed what looks like a detonator.

Could it have been him? But if it was really his intention to kill Layton, he could have already done so. See, Pike is ruthless, pun intended. If he doesn’t agree to something, he’ll be able to deal with it with brute force. Yet, he still has the motives. He is still grieving the death of Strong Boy; people grieve in different ways. Still, knowing him, he wouldn’t want to kill a long-time friend, Layton.

Who did it? Snowpiercer Season 3 Episode 5 is now streaming on TNT website and app.