Sykes is a recurring character in Season 2 and then promoted to a main character in Season 3, on TNT's Snowpiercer. She is portrayed by Chelsea Harris.
She is a covert operative, and the right-hand advisor to an important new leader, Sykes is reserved and coolly efficient. She is well-versed in the dark arts of intelligence and, while she seems loyal, one begins to wonder whether she can be trusted at all. Following her time aboard the Pirate Train, she defects to the side of Andre Layton, becoming one of his trusted people.
History[]
Background[]
Not much is known about her prior to Big Alice. It was revealed by Melanie when she boarded Big Alice that she didn’t recognize her but recognized Kevin and therefore was not part of the original crew. She seems to be a high-ranking member aboard Big Alice. At some point she did something that angered Wilford to the point that he had Sykes mauled by his dog Jupiter, leaving her with facial scars. According to Sykes and Javier De La Torre, her instincts as Wilford's head of security weren't natural to her, but rather something that was instilled in Sykes by Wilford.
Throughout The Series[]
Season 2[]
Taken Prisoner[]
After Wilford takes full control of Snowpiercer, Sykes is sent to guard Bennett Knox in the Engine alongside a Jackboot. After learning that Melanie Cavill is still alive, Javier De La Torre contacts Bennett from the Engine on Big Alice and informs him of the plan to go after Melanie in code which Sykes, not being an Engineer, is unable to understand. When the time comes to turn onto Neckbreaker, Bennett manages to throw the Jackboot out of the Engine and engages in a fight with Sykes. Despite Sykes dominating the fight, Bennett eventually manages to knock her unconscious and handcuffs her to the console.
Sykes wakes up while Andre Layton's crew are preparing to create a separate Pirate Train. Bennett mostly ignores her, but when the train's sensors detect someone going outside, Sykes warns Bennett that its Josie Wellstead and that Wilford is sending her to breach the Engine which will kill them both. However, Bennett contacts Josie over the radio and redirects her to breach and destroy the Aquarium, successfully separating the trains. Still in the Engine at the time of separation, Sykes is left as a prisoner on the Pirate Train alongside Miss Audrey.[1]
Season 3[]
Prisoner of War[]
For the next six months, Sykes remains a prisoner of war aboard the Pirate Train. Unlike Miss Audrey, Sykes adapts and eventually starts serving the crew as a waitress, stating that she is doing her part as a prisoner of war. However, she appears to possibly be enjoying her time amongst the crew and wavering in her loyalty to Wilford to the point that she allows herself to be locked up rather than help Audrey and Martin Colvin try to take over the train.[2]
When Wilford derails part of the train and they have to cut it loose, Sykes rescues Asha from danger, much to the gratitude of Layton. Sykes tells him that Asha had waited for eight years on the outside and they can't very well kill her on day two.[3]
Working on Snowpiercer[]
After the trains reconnect, Sykes appears to have earned Layton's trust to the point that she is allowed to roam free and he assigns her to confine Miss Audrey to Third and ban her from the Night Car. Sykes tells Audrey that she chose the wrong side, tosses her clothes at her and leaves while Audrey wonders if there even is a right side anymore.[3]
Bennett Knox later enlists Sykes' help to build life support systems for New Eden alongside Javier De La Torre, knowing that Sykes might be the only person that can help Javi through his trauma as well as keeping an eye on Javi's work and keeping him on task. Javi is less than thrilled at his new partner, knowing that he is getting demoted due to screwing up while driving the train. However, Bennett reassures Javi that he trusts no one more than Javi and Sykes in HVAC and irrigation which they need for New Eden.
While collecting supplies, Javi suffers another hallucination of Jupiter. Noticing this, Sykes looks at his scars and sympathetically opens up about how her own experiences with the dog and how her thought that it wasn't Jupiter's fault stuck with her. When a fire starts, Sykes warns Javi that it's nine cars ahead and they need to clear out. However, Javi has discovered that a bunch of ammonium nitrate is missing. After the explosion, Javi and Sykes check on Bess Till and the injured Layton and confirm that the car is secure. When Ruth announces the successful birth of Liana Layton, Javi and Sykes share a pleased smile.[4]
Sykes later helps Till to investigate the bombing and the two women come to the conclusion that the bomber has enough ammonium nitrate for either three more bombs or just one big one. Till remembers that the Taillies had smuggled in these same materials during the Year Three Rebellion and she departs to investigate further while Sykes promises to move the remaining supply somewhere safer.[5]
While passing through a cloud of toxic volcanic gas, Javi and Sykes perform inspections on the cars with Sykes taking Javi to see Jupiter in a failed attempt to help Javi get over his fears. When the gas gets into one of the Ag-Sec cars, Javi rescues Sykes and he manages to revive her after she stops breathing. Javi takes Sykes to safety as Layton and Asha rush to deal with the problem.[6]
New Eden[]
After Melanie and Layton decide to separate the trains with Layton taking those going to New Eden on Big Alice and Melanie taking those staying behind on Snowpiercer, Sykes decides to join Big Alice. After the train derails in the warm spot, Sykes emerges from the train and revels in the warmth.[7]
Season 4[]
A year later, Sykes is running Ag-Sec in New Eden.[8]
When Layton intends to take Big Alice after Snowpiercer, Sykes voices her objections to the plan due to the need for the Engine's power in New Eden. Sykes later catches Layton and Javi in the middle of their efforts to reroute the town's auxiliary power so that it will last while Big Alice is gone and becomes suspicious, warning Ruth. When Layton refuses to stand down, Sykes physically restrains him, nearly breaking Layton's arm in the process. She later joins the town meeting where the New Eden residents vote on whether or not Layton can take the train and sees Layton off, giving him a nod, but not volunteering for the mission and remaining behind in New Eden instead. Throughout these events, Sykes appears to continue to be displeased with Layton's actions, sitting with her arms crossed and watching him leave with her arms crossed as well.[9]
A week later, a storm causes a number of problems in the colony, including destroying some of Sykes' crops. Frustrated, Sykes confronts Javi about all of the secrecy, but Javi, severely stressed out by all of the pressure that he's under, snaps at Sykes that he's no longer the helpless person who needs saving that she first met. Javi later apologizes for his behavior and Sykes confronts Javi about how she's not on the New Eden Town Council despite her vital role in the community because of her past as one of the Wilfordites. Javi apologizes for not speaking up for his friend when he should've, and he decides to bring her in on the situation, showing Sykes the severed hand that Oz had found. Much to Javi's surprise, Sykes proves to be knowledgable about the dissection a severed limb from her time with Wilford. Javi finds a Snowpiercer Access Chip under the skin, revealing that the hand belongs to a Snowpiercer passenger.[10]
After Oz finds Stu Whiggins -- the source of the severed hand -- while searching for the missing Roche, Sykes briefly tortures the man, something that disturbs her as Sykes gave into the instincts that Wilford had instilled in her, something that Sykes had never wanted to do again. Oz decides to use his skills from the Nightcar to interrogate Stu instead, later reporting to Javi and Sykes that based on the information that Stu gave him, he found explosives all along the mountainside which are positioned to cause an avalanche and bury the town.[11]
Lights is enlisted by Javi, Sykes, and Oz to help them deal with the bombs that the International Peacekeeping Forces planted along the mountainside above the town. Lights warns the others about how easily the bombs can be set off, before Big Alice returns. Worried about booby traps, the group has the train stop before it can cross the old Trestle Bridge and Lights leads the effort to sweep the tracks. After finding a bomb on the tracks, Javi sends the others away while he attempts to disarm it, but it ultimately detonates.[12] In the aftermath of the explosion, the group finds Javi concussed but still alive and rush him to the clinic for treatment by Doctor Pelton with Sykes guessing that the anti-tilt trap must've been tripped. With the tracks clear, Sykes allows Big Alice to proceed back into town.[13]
Sykes works with Javi on figuring out defenses for the town, reminding him of how badly things went for the defenders of the Alamo. Both Sykes and Oz later join the town council meeting discussing the threat from the International Peacekeeping Forces and Doctor Nima Rousseau, the man who had launched CW-7 and started the Freeze in the first place. The group decides on a variant of the plan that Sykes and Javi had been discussing before they were interrupted by the return of Roche with Layton, Josie and Liana. Sykes later reports that the power levels are back to normal and listens sympathetically as the devastated Javi talks about Bennett Knox, having learned that his best friend had died recently. Javi comes up with an idea for dealing with the bombs and Sykes confirms that the fragments of the booby trap are still at the detonation site. That night, Sykes is one of the people present at town hall when Roche tells a wild story of his ordeal. As a part of his story, Roche claims that he thought about Sykes and laid a smackdown on the goons that he encountered during his escape, causing everyone to cheer and Roche and Sykes to high five.[13]
Personality[]
While working for Wilford, Sykes is depicted as a serious and focused individual who is loyal to him. She is also a highly proficient fighter. However, she may also be afraid of Wilford as she warns Bennett Knox that Wilford will kill them if need be. It's later revealed that her loyalty to Wilford is at least somewhat due to trauma, having suffered a mauling by Jupiter for an offense that she doesn't even remember.
While spending six months on the Pirate Train, Sykes shows herself to be highly adaptable, accepting that she is a prisoner of war but doing her part to help out rather than being imprisoned or trying to take over the train. Her loyalty to Wilford appears to be wavering to the point that she refuses to help Miss Audrey and Martin Colvin mutiny with Miss Audrey questioning whether Sykes is even fully loyal anymore beforehand. After she saves Asha from a potential death of her own volition, Sykes appears to gain Layton's trust as he lets her go free afterwards. In turn, Sykes indicates to Audrey that she had realized that Layton was the right side of the conflict rather than Wilford.
Despite her serious demeanor, Sykes has a hidden sense of humor, joking that they can't let Asha die on day 2 after she was waiting for eight years. Unlike Wilford who might make the joke in a malicious or sadistic way, Sykes' joke was genuine humor with no apparent malice behind it. Sykes later reminds Javi about the Alamo and what happened to it's defenders when he suggests everyone just barricading themselves on Big Alice.
After changing sides, Sykes shows a less serious personality and a more open and caring side, bonding with Javi who, like Sykes, was mauled by Jupiter and still suffers from it. She is also knowledgeable about engineering to the point that Bennett trusts her and Javi to work together on designing life support systems for the new colony.
As revealed by Sykes herself, she chooses to run Ag-Sec in New Eden rather than doing security because Sykes doesn't want to trigger her instincts from the past and become the person that she was as Wilford's head of security again. Sykes is disturbed when she briefly tortures Stu Whiggins as a result, but Javi reassures her that those instincts aren't Sykes' but rather what Wilford instilled in her. However, Sykes is more than willing to step up in the defense of New Eden, using her tactical expertise to come up with a plan for defending the town.
Relationships[]
Bennett Knox[]
At first, Sykes and Bennett have a bad relationship due to being on opposite sides of the war with Wilford. While creating the Pirate Train, the two fight and Sykes mocks Bennett's fighting ability before he knocks her out and takes Sykes prisoner.
However, their relationship drastically improves during their six months together on the Pirate Train to the point that they seem to have become friends and Bennett is comfortable going to Sykes for help with Javi. Bennett openly expresses his trust in Sykes to Javi while assigning them to work together. It's suggested that Bennett is aware of how Sykes was mauled by Jupiter and as such is the one person who understands what his best friend is going through.
Javier De La Torre[]
While Javi is initially resistant to Sykes' help, the two quickly befriend each other with Sykes being able to empathize with Javi the most due to them both being mauled by Jupiter for failing Wilford.
A year later, the two are shown to still have a good relationship with Sykes instantly becoming suspicious of Javi's behavior when he's secretly helping Layton. Sykes notes to Javi that he always gives her a warning if something is wrong, but Javi chooses not to bring Sykes in on the secret, something that proves to be a good choice as Sykes steps in to stop them after finding out what Layton and Javi are up to. Javi later comforts his friend after she gives into aggression while interrogating Stu Whiggins, something that disturbs Sykes.
Appearances[]
| Appearance | EP1 | EP2 | EP3 | EP4 | EP5 | EP6 | EP7 | EP8 | EP9 | EP10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | ||||||||||
| Season 2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Season 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | H | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Season 4 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Appeared | Did Not Appear | H = Hallucinations | ||||||||
| V = Voice | C = Cameo | F = Flashback | ||||||||
Memorable Quotes[]
- Sykes: "Our friend uptrain lit a lantern. We're a go."
- Wilford: "Good work, Sykes."
- ― Sykes briefing Wilford on the Breachmen murder plan
- Alex: "Wait! Sykes. Wait a minute. What's going on? This was us, right?"
- Sykes: "If Wilford didn't tell you, then you're not supposed to know."
- Alex: "Why not?"
- Sykes: "I don't know. Take it up with him."
- ― Alex and Sykes on the Breachmen murders
- Bennett: "Now, don't do anything stupid, all right? I don't want to hurt you."
- Sykes: "You ever used one of those?"
- Bennett: " It's a bat."
- Sykes: "I'll show you."
- ― Bennett prepares to fight Sykes
| “ | May I? (removes parka hood) Do you remember it? I don't. Just fragments. I don't even remember what I did to piss Wilford off. But while the dog was attacking me, all I could think was, well, it's not the dog's fault. It's weird, right? That part stuck with me. Hey. | ” |
| — Sykes with Javi | ||
Trivia[]
- In A New Life, it's revealed that much like Javi, Sykes' scars came from an attack by Jupiter for doing something to anger Wilford.
Gallery[]
.jpg "301 — Promotional Photos (7).jpg (1.48 MB)")
