The Expanse 302 – Iff
The Expanse is a huge world… One that is both worthy and needed of two great minds to cover the show. To tell it’s story, share opinions and to help people find their way through its winding space particles, these two people I speak of… Myself and my cohort, Peter Mozdean.
This episode contains multiple elements: drama, action and badassery.
Earth
Earth starts off with the arrival reverend doctor Anna Volovodov (played by Elizabeth Mitchell) walking through barricades towards the UN as protesters swarm to protest the war against Mars.
It’s not long before we see her good nature as a protester breaks through the gates and is immediately hit down by an officer. Whom she goes to the aid of and accidentally gets hit in the head by one of the flailing batons. But that is not her worry, she’s more worried about the Martian with a fractured arm. Which she makes sure is taken to the first aid station, before making the rest of the trip to the U.N where she is escorted to Sec-general Gilis’s office, where he is talking with Sadavir Errinwright. After asking for some privacy, Gilis asks Anna to write his speech, and though she doesn’t want to, she agrees with the terms as long as he will fund her free clinic for a year. By the time their conversation gets to this point, you can tell they have a sordid past.
This is confirmed when, later, she has a a video call with her wife Namono Volovodov (played by Raven Dauda). She talks about not being able to forgive him for what he did, though we never learn what that is.
After her telling her how much she will miss her and talking to her daughter, the video call is over.
Later, we see her having dinner in what seems to be a war room where she is eating on her own – until finally Gilis and Erringwright join her and talk about how they’re going to get Mao to turn himself in (Gilis unaware that Erringwright has contact with Mao about the proto molecule). This sparks up another chance for Anna to show she cares more about people when she schools them about how it’s illegal to punish the children of war criminals.
Peter and I both believe her entrance into the show will make for an exciting season. We can’t wait to see where her character goes and if she has pushed her opinion to much..
Bobbie and Chrisjen
The fabled story of the friendship of the Earther and Martian.
The unlikely duo of Bobbie, a ex military Martian who during her days as a soldier was always ready for war and ready to destroy Earth until she found out the truth about the use of hybrids.
Chrisjen, an Earth diplomat that spent her whole life chiming that Earth always had to come first. But the introduction of the use of the protomolecule and using it for war made her see the light.
The unlikely duo are stuck on a jump ship with hardly any thrust to hide themselves among hostile UN ships.
Both in distress, especially Chrisjen, that there is no sign of the jump ship that her friend/body guard Cotyar was supposed to leave on. Which made them figure he wasn’t alive anymore. I personally hope that is not true.
But their luck runs out and the UN ships that are after them spot them and Bobbie is forced to go on defense, and shifts into overdrive. Which as was learned in previous seasons is hard on the body. Chrisjen’s 70 year old body, that’s never really been in space, turns to a fragile state quickly.
This is when you start seeing how much Bobbies character has grown and learned, and to be honest Chrisjen as well. As soon they learned the truth about what was going on, stopping it meant more than their own personal affection for their homeland.
Chrisjen even makes mention wondering what side they were on and Bobbie perfectly answers “The right side”.
These changes in both of them cause them to become closer and in my opinion Bobbie starts to feel like Chrisjen is a mother figure. As she’s so worried about her health, she sends out a distress call only Martians could pick up. Even though she’s a war criminal, and Chrisjen’s role on Earth – all that doesn’t matter – because she’s so worried about Chrisjens dwindling health.
And just as they believe they’re not going to make it. help arrives.
In Peter’s opinion (and my own, to be honest) the scenes with these two had very good graphics.
But… my biggest takeaway was the character growth and the close bond they’ve made. Truthfully, aside from Anna, they’re the only ones that we have seen doing the right thing – above all pledges to one side or another.
The Rosi Crew
The crew of the Rocinate continue their journey towards IO to find Prax’s daughter Mei. They also continue to give Naomi the cold shoulder. Prax, Amos and Holden busy themselves planting plants to use as a way to help the air flow clean and moving on the ship.
Naomi tells Alex their running low on fuel and can tweak the engines to help that fuel last. While their discussing that, they pick up on an incoming distress call (the one Bobbie put out, but they don’t know that because she left their names out of it for their safety).
Alex goes straight to Holden telling them about the Martian distress call. Holden immediately says no, that they have to continue towards IO to save Mei. This sends Alex on a tirade of mentioning how the others have done things because they knew it was right. And now that it’s a Martian they don’t care.
Holden ends the conversation by asking Alex if he can say to Prax that he wants to go after some strangers instead of saving his daughter.
The next thing we know they’re all gearing up to go to the distress call.
Amos asks Prax why he wants to stop heading towards his daughter to help some “Martian bucketheads” – Prax just says he wants to help people, but Amos doesn’t believe him. He brings it up to him again, and Prax admits he’s scared of finding Mei dead, and Amos gives him a speech: If he doesn’t believe in her, who will? I personally think that he was too harsh to Prax, any father would be scared of that.
During their rescue they have to go into zero gravity, which means utilizing space suits. Prax doesn’t handle it well, and Amos has to keep reminding him to breath.
The trouble starts as a weapons cabinet comes open and weapons start flying everywhere. As the ship turns this way and that while dodging UN missiles, they try to save Bobbie and Chrisjen’s jump ship. At one point Prax has to duck to dodge a weapon and his air hose gets disconnected from the ship. Amos quickly unplugs himself and goes to save him.
Once they’re able to save the other ship, by blowing up half a UN ship, using all their weaponry. Which causes them to become an enemy of Earth. and connect to the jumpship we see Bobbie appear clutching a passed out Chrisjen telling them she needs help.
Peter and I believe Chrisjen is going to live and the prospect of her being with the crew is quite exciting. Peter believes they might take her to Tycho which he thinks will make for an interesting season. I believe that Chrisjen is going live because she is a vital part of the show. Add in the fact that she is the older, wiser figure the crew of the Roci doesn’t have, but desperately needs.
Peter believes she will live because it’s the kind of show The Expanse is – that to kill a character like her, you would be changing the war direction. The Expanse is about putting all the characters together to succeed.
IO
While all this is going on, things are also happening outside Jupiter on IO station. Dr.Strickland opens up the cryopod that Mei (Prax’s daughter) is in, the very one we saw him put her in at the end of season 2. She asks him for her dad. but he just gives her a speech about being brave and sends her off with a nurse.
After, he meets Mao, who is busy sending a message to Sadavir informing him that until his assets are unfrozen, and his children let out of prison… He won’t send him the proto molecule weapon he wants.
Mao complains to Strickland how they found this vast power and all Sadavir wants to do with it is destroy people, and tells him that the proto hybrids can destroy all of Mars.
Peter and I have different ideas of what this means, I think it’s because the hybrid is too strong to stop and Peter believes that they can be used like nukes.
At first Mao tells Strickland to end the project, because they can’t control it, but Strickland explains to him that they can control it within children like Mei. These children have a rare immune disease that actually counters the protomolecule taking over their bodies. They can also be used to fix the problem on Venus. In Peter’s opinion, he thinks that they can be used for this because they won’t get sick like the people who went there before.
He’s shown a camera feed of the hospital wing where Mei excitedly is talking to her friend Katoa, who has the same disease. She’s told that Strickland is keeping them safe there, that they will be cured, and shows her the blue protomolecule on his arm.
Peter are interested on how much longer Katoa has been awake, since he knows so much more.
We disagree on who’s more evil. I think Mao is because of Eros – experimenting on his daughter in the first season and telling Strickland to basically kill those kids before he knew they could be controlled. Peter thinks Mao is just doing this to save his family and that Strickland is just insane (which I agree with as well).
Both Peter and I believe this will be an amazing amazing season and can’t wait to see what happens next.
Predictions for next weeks episode
Peter’s prediction is that it’s going to be a belt-centric episode, since this week we didn’t see the belt at all. Also, that we will learn more about the protomolecule.
In my opinion, next week’s episode will be more centered on the crew of the Roci and how they will deal with their newcomers. As well as their mission to IO.
The Expanse airs Wednesday nights at 9/8c on Syfy.