Again, even if we don’t know where it will lead, the intrigue has been established. Although it’s unclear what Holden will be able to do with his knowledge of the betrayal, it was interesting to note that Monica was filming the whole thing with her eye implant. In fact, this foreshadowing of Avasarala’s return to power further builds action even as we mourn the possible loss of her family planetside.Īnd speaking of mourning, is this the end of Fred Johnson in The Expanse? The impact of the mutiny on Tycho was felt hard both in the shooting of Fred and in the theft of the protomolecule. The audience certainly bought into her theory of stealth rocks even if the UN didn’t, but it was still nice to see Nancy Gao grasp the importance of the advice her predecessor gave, providing a small moment of triumph when Earth’s defenses stopped a fourth impact even as the cabinet was wiped out. Only Avasarala’s point of view on the moon, however, can create the sense of awe needed for such large scale attack. Never mind that the Mars parliament got hit by an asteroid, too! Similar interactions strengthen the episode in other story arcs, such as the interlude between Bobbie and Alex, which makes it clear that they’re “building a coffin for a dying planet.” This ably illustrates the grieving process for the two patriotic ex-soldiers while also explaining why Marco has his own fleet of Martian cruisers. Lydia helped him now he wants to help her. The motivation for Amos to have visited Clarissa in the first place was simple but powerful. The scale of the catastrophe perfectly sets up the audience for a season of mayhem even though the effects have yet to be directly felt. The asteroids that hit Earth killed millions without a ship firing a single shot, and the devastation will be felt worldwide.
Like the Macedonians, the Belter insurrectionists commanded by Marco are small in number, but their tactics have now decimated huge numbers of their enemy. The 'Classic Series' (1963-1989, plus the 1996 TV movie) was done in 25-minute long episodes where every story (except for 'Mission to the Unknown' and 'The Five Doctors') was a multi-episode serial typically these ranged from four to six episodes, but on rare occasions could go from as little as a single episode to as many as twelve (fourteen if you count Season 23, The Trial of a Time Lord.
The title of the episode refers to a decisive battle in Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Persian Empire in 331 BC. That’s a tricky balance to achieve since early episodes must also take the opportunity to create emotional beats before all hell breaks loose, and “Gaugamela” does just that.
What makes this series different is that with very little exposition, it can create a sense that, as unsettled as things seem now, they’re about to get a lot messier.
The Expanse Season 5 Episode 4Įver since it began, The Expanse has known how to build action, which isn’t remarkable in itself for a sci-fi show. This The Expanse review contains spoilers.