think when the scariest thing on The Expanse was the alien protomolecule ? Last night ’s episode , “ Reload , ” reminded us that the material threat to all of man is … well , humankind itself , with a few men in particular trying very hard to ruin living as we recognise it for everyone .
land , blank space , and Io are once again the principal configurations ; the first two drive the plot forward , but the isolated moon gets to wear out out a classical Expanse last - act twist — something so shocking that it overshadows everything that came before .
The Roci / Contorta is scarper dangerously crushed on ammo , so the work party zeroes in on a damaged but still - intact Martian ship as a probable source of some available supplies . While they do recover what they need , they also encounter a triad of hot - headed young Martian marines who ’re very grateful to be rescued — until they realize the Roci is , shall we say , a very unconventional vessel . Determined to repay the warfare , the child seek to take the ship by violence , until unlikely peacekeeper Bobbie Draper ( Frankie Adams ) steps in to explain that it ’s inexpedient to infix any conflict until you understand who your real enemy are , a lesson she learned the hard way last season . Bobbie is clad in baron armour that can turn her into a superhero if she require to use force — but she does n’t . She uses unagitated and convincing words to diffuse the situation , and it terminate without violence . Avasarala ( Shohreh Aghdashloo ) just might be rubbing off on her in some surprising way .
talk of Avasarala , she ’s understandably despairing to win over Holden ( Steven Strait ) to let her commit out a message that proves UN undersecretary Errinwright ( Shawn Doyle ) is crooked as hell . The state of war between Earth and Mars , which Errinwright orchestrated base on a lie , is catch bad , and he ’s also generate UN Secretary - General Sorrento - Gillis ( Jonathan Whittaker ) in his pouch — a fact that ’s made very clean when Sorrento - Gillis yield a fiery talking to to the General Assembly that ’s fundamentally an anti - Mars screed .
“ But wait , ” you ’re saying . “ I thought he dragged Anna ( Elizabeth Mitchell ) to New York specifically to write that speech . Should n’t it have been filled with messages about unity , not warmongering ? ” Yes , it should have … and one-half of it was . As Anna watches in horror , her old frenemy Sorrento - Gillis shift from her carefully - penned address midway and start speaking Bible only Errinwright could ’ve convert him to say .
In the backwash , a smirking Errinwright thinks he ’s won , specially when Anna educate to go out New York in a huff . But as she ’s getting her thing together , she gets a secure message from you - know - who , expose Errinwright for who he really is … so it seems like she might be mystify around after all . Avasarala also sends her content off with one of the Martian marine , instructing the dumbfounded kid to overstep it on to his dominate officer , as well as to the UN fleet ’s Admiral Souther ( who we did n’t see this hebdomad , but who ’s presumptively still en route to Io , even if he did lose command of his ship to one of Errinwright ’s military puppets ) .
Which brings us to Io , where Errinwright ’s former cooperator , disgraced billionaire Jules - Pierre Mao ( Terry Chen ) , is prepping to take flight with all the children who ’ve been subject to Dr. Strickland ’s ( Ted Atherton ) cruel experiment . Mao thinks the protomolecule hybrid labor is dunzo , since the nipper they ’re examine to turn into obedient , glowing grim supersoldiers have all proved medically unstable . But just when The Expanse makes you think Mao has made a vast character slip and has become one of the unspoiled bozo , it prompt you that this is the guy who sacrificed his own daughter to protect the protomolecule . When precocious Mei ( Leah Madison Jung ) insists on seeing her best friend before leaving Io , Mao forces Strickland to launch the confinement cell where the boy — who ’s now 75 percent blue goo , and has start speak like a golem — is being adjudge .
You ’d cogitate the gruesome sight of the boy ’s nanny , rip into precise pieces — much like the Arboghast was when it hovered over the protomolecule structure on Venus — would be enough to turn Mao away from the task forever . ( It surely send little Mei cower out of the elbow room . ) But rather , Mao takes everything in and realizes the baby is somehow communicating with the protomolecule . “ You were correct to stay . He ’s the headstone to everything ! ” he says in wonderment to an appreciative Strickland . The band is back together ! That ’s just dandy . So if Errinwright ’s missiles do n’t wipe us out first … Strickland ’s dry pint - sized blue posse comitatus will be along curtly to finish up the task . Seems like a large clip to be a Belter right about now .
Assorted Musings:
The opening of the installment bear witness us Drummer and her Belter salvage gang taking control of the Nauvoo , the Mormon colony ship that ’s been drifting empty in infinite since the whole Eros snafu . That ’s all we see from that storyline , but presumably , there ’ll soon be more to come on that front ( include a new character for season three who ’s yet to appear , play by David Strathairn ) .
Naomi ( Dominique Tipper ) might desire to rethink cookery for everyone as a scheme for getting back into their in effect graces . Only Alex was able to eat her “ ruddy kibble ” with any convincing zestfulness .
Speaking of Naomi , her relationship with Amos ( Wes Chatham ) seems to be irrevocably fractured after last season ’s finale ( “ Some matter do n’t get secure , ” he tells her with an air of decisiveness ) . But … could the chicken feed be freezing between her and Holden ?
Speaking of Amos , his chemical reaction after arriving late to the Martians ’ near - mutiny was a perfect mixture of satire and sincerity : “ Shit ! Did I miss it ? ”
The good line , however , was Anna ’s sack of Errinwright : “ YOU DONT GET TO SPEAK TO ME . NOT EVER AGAIN . ”
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