S06.E05: Why We Fight

[raven]

Quote

Paths converge on Ceres when Drummer and her fleet arrive to aid the relief effort. Holden tries to convince Avasarala to release crucial information that might avert catastrophe, but she has her own request of him. As Amos and Bobbie get a little R&R at the station, Naomi has a difficult and long-awaited reunion.

Airdate 2021.07.22

Please keep your discussion to this episode only.  No book talk even if you use spoiler tags, thank you!

[Haleth]

Amos and Bobbie getting some R&R?  I’m all in for that. 

[xaxat]

Why can't this be episode 5 of 10 instead of the penultimate episode? There is entirely too much to cover in the last episode.

During the first season I remarked that this was the smartest show about politics on TV. It's going out that way as well. This season has been a fascinating exploration of leadership and its burdens. Avasarala, Holden, Drummer and even Marco. 

Of course Avasarala's code name is "Archangel"

[wanderingstar]

I want to give Drummer a big hug.

[marinw]

Saving this until Tomorrow. Trying to aviod spoilers. But I predict a big showdown on Ceres!

2 hours ago, Haleth said:

Amos and Bobbie getting some R&R?

Anyone else shipping these two?

Edited January 7, 2022 by marinw

[raven]

1 hour ago, xaxat said:

Why can't this be episode 5 of 10 instead of the penultimate episode? There is entirely too much to cover in the last episode.

This cannot be repeated enough. 

I rewound Archangel's Avasarala's power walk - er, maybe more than once.  She was, of course, wearing the perfect outfit - a stylish, badass almost uniform.  Her meeting with Drummer was what I hoped.  Saying "Drummer is such a great character" is just too simple.  She is so complex and interesting and Cara Gee has been nothing but fantastic in all of her scenes.

1 hour ago, xaxat said:

This season has been a fascinating exploration of leadership and its burdens. Avasarala, Holden, Drummer and even Marco. 

Great observation.  It's never as easy as different sides can portray it.  "The sooner it's done, the fewer the dead".

Bobbie distilling it down to Amos about it being about the people you trust to have your back was great.   I liked Holden's scene with Clarissa where he tells her to watch her step too.

We got it, people - the Avasarala and Drummer scene we deserved. 

NEEDS MORE EPISODES.

 

 

[SmittenKitten]

2 hours ago, marinw said:

Anyone else shipping these two?

100%.  I told my husband like three times, I want them to f*ck!

[thuganomics85]

Well, at least they were able to check one thing of my bucket list before the show ends: Chrisjen and Drummer finally share a scene and it was as awesome as I was hoping it would be!

Of course, this was just a great episode for Drummer in general that is only hampered by how close we are to the series ending for good.  It is totally understandable that she would initially balk at actually forming an official alliance with the Inners due to all of the mistrust and history that has that has gone on between the Belters and Inners in general, but I figured it was going to end with her realizing that this was the only way forward to taking out Marco.  And while there will always be the sense that the Inners could end up disappointing them again, Marco is clearly showing himself to be a threat who actually has no issues harming other Belters to get what he wants/prop up his Messiah complex.  But I'm glad she made them work for it and she knows that she is still taking a risk here.  It goes without saying at this point but Cara Gee really is a revelation here and I wish nothing but big things for her going forward.

Also loved the scene between her and Naomi and how that all played out.  Dare I say that the Naomi's interactions with Drummer here might have been better than all of Naomi's scenes combined last season?

Amos and Bobbie may or may not being heading off to a brothel together?  Oh, those two!

Holden may face down a lot of things without blinking an eye but the idea of facing another Monica interview is clearly a bridge too far, heh.

The MCR's little plan fails spectacularly leading to much celebration amongst the Free Navy.  But just when Marco finally starts to respect Filipe again, Filipe finds out that Marco really was behind the bomb on Ceres that killed many Belters (including his new buddy's brother.)  Yeah, I don't know if he will be the one to actually take him out, but I suspect Filipe will play a role in Marco's hopeful downfall.

Hey, it's Elvi's turn to make an appearance (via recording like the rest of them) this time!  I wonder if they got anyone saved up for next week?

As usual, I'm sure the Laconia stuff will make sense next week, but it's still the weakest part(s) of the season by far.

Can't believe it's almost over, already.  I don't want it to end!

Edited January 7, 2022 by thuganomics85

[Msample]

Was Filip really dumb enough to think all those explosions on Ceres were just random/accidents?? He’s too dumb to live.

[wanderingstar]

It hurts me so deeply to see Drummer all alone, with no family to lean on. Her conversation with Naomi was heartbreaking. But her meeting with Avasarala was great. Here are two women who are a match for each other. I liked that in their first talk (when they were both on their ships) Drummer didn't automatically side with Earth. She's right that Belters have no reason to trust Inners. Best line of the episode: "A century of oppression made Marco Inaros inevitable." Whew, the accuracy!

The handshake at the end felt momentous.

So Filip is learning the facts of life about his father. It's well past time. I'm curious to see what he does now. It was nice to see him comfort Tadeo. Poor Tadeo really believed Marco's lies that those bombs would only kill Inners. I felt terrible for him.

Nice seeing Elvi again. These video cameos of characters from past seasons are great for us fans, but also good for the continuity of the story. 

Bobbie and Amos's talk was good. Loved his "You wanna come with" at the end of it.

Monica and Holden's brief scene was hilarious. "Never ever ever ever again." Ha!

Speaking of Holden, the X-ray focused on him "Remember the Cant" was really good, but then I tend to enjoy prequel-type stuff.

 

 

[MissLucas]

Ah, I finally got my Drummer-Avasarala scene and it was everything I was hoping for and then some!!!

IIRC Avasarala was Archangel even back in season 1. And we got the answer to the question if she still thinks of the Belter she had tortured back then.

I loved how consistent the theme of 'What we fight for' was handled throughout the whole episode: Drummer, Naomi, Amos, Bobbie even TLS got their own version of the theme. 

I would also like to give Drummer a big hug. And another one to Cara Gee - holding your own against Shohreh Aghdashloo in full Avasarala mood can't be easy. And kudos to the writers - both dialogues were excellent. After that frustrating meeting at the beginning of the episode with folks jonesing for a stupid power move that would end in another catastrophe you could see the relief on Avasarala's face when she finally could talk to an adult even though she had to deal with a lot of (justified) hostility. Drummer's line about the inevitability of Marco's rise was a bit of hard-hitting truth.

Random thingies: The little scene between Holden and Peaches was nice. The Belter administrator of Ceres remains a sad and deluded victim of Marco's Kool Aid, and she's not the only one since the Belter Monica interviewed got death threats. 'Go do something else', he! Avasarala is not doing well *gulp* Holden reacting to Monica as if she was a random piece of protomolecule. Bobbie took the info about Holden disarming the nuke surprisingly well. And how did Amos know it was due to TLS? Holden refused to give him an explanation.

Laconia: it was inevitable that we got those scenes, but frankly they could have been a lot shorter since it was absolutely clear what was going to happen. It's frustrating but we just have to deal with it.

Edited January 7, 2022 by MissLucas

[mjc570]

I have to admit that I am among those people that couldn't understand the point of the Cara scenes in light of the short season, since they didn't seem to have any connection with the main story and the whole Laconia business.  Well, I still don't (especially since the point could have been made in less time), but I have to say that now that I am reading Leviathan Falls, I very much appreciate them.  That makes me think that the show people are setting up for something further, such as a movie even if there are no more weekly episodes.

I cannot express how much I loved the Drummer/Avasarala scene -each was so true to her character, and the costuming is amazing.  I also loved the Drummer/Naomi scene - it really humanized Drummer, and I think the Naomi actor (sorry, cannot remember her name) was so expressive. 

 

[Netfoot]

I am beginning to think that Drummer may be considering a Kamikaze mission against TBS...

[Melina22]

3 hours ago, mjc570 said:

I cannot express how much I loved the Drummer/Avasarala scene 

Totally agree. It's usually the kind of OTT, contrived scene I hate, generally accompanied by loud militaristic music to falsely pump up the excitement, but no. This was perfect. The actors, the setting, costumes, music... all powerful and intense. And earned. 

I really enjoyed Bobbie's non-reaction to Amos' drunken admission. She didn't get where she is by being easily upset or shocked. "Want to come with?" Please say yes. (to going back to the Roci I mean.) 

I don't want it to be over. 

[tennisgurl]

Marco must have just felt a cold chill go down his spine, because the second Avasarala and Drummer shook hands, he was doomed and the cosmos must acknowledge this. I have wanted a Avasarala/Drummer scene for ages now and we finally get it, and in the most epic was possible. The music, the staging, the dialogue, the wardrobe, the performances, I am so freaking pumped, this really does feel momentous. I cant believe we have so little left of this show, there is still so much to do, I so dearly wish we were getting a whole ten episode season. We need more Avasarala power walks. Archangel indeed. 

This show has always explored politics, war, and leadership so well, with so much nuance and depth, I have really been fascinated by how they have spent so much time getting into every characters motivations this season and why they are involved in this whole conflict. National identity, ego, power, revenge, a desire to do good, and this episode had a lot of great scenes exploring the theme of why people are fighting this fight, ruminating on morality, redemption, justice, but then Bobbie distilled it so perfectly to "you fight for people who will fight for you." 

I really hope that Bobbie took Amos up on his offer, I have always liked the prospect of them becoming a thing but I have really gotten on board that ship this season. 

Its taken several mass murders, but it might finally be hitting Filip that they might just not be the good guys. 

It was great seeing Elvi on video this week, I have loved seeing a lot of past characters again via space zoom. I wonder who we will get to see next week? I am hoping for one more Miller visit, even if its just a dream sequence or a protomolecules saying goodbye. 

[MissLucas]

Just realized that I forgot to mention Prax and his contribution to ease the supply crisis. If his and his colleagues work holds they should be lauded as much as all the wartime heroes. But that's not how humankind works otherwise Norman Borlaug would be a household name.

[marinw]

The dialogue! The acting! The geo-polical machinations! Ceres sorta getting back to being Ceres! Prax quietly saving Earth! I loved this episode. Except for the part where it is the second last episode. Damn you Amazon. You have more money than all the Gods combined.

Something is clearly going on with Avasalara medically. This was also reffrenced during her X-Ray One Ship minisode.

So we got some clarity on regrown verses prosthetic limbs. 

Glad Amos is having some fun.

Drummer knows she has to team up with Earth as represented by Avasalara, but she isn't going to make it easy for the Secretary Genreal.

Bobbie clearly wants and needs a career change. Joining the crew of Roci would be such a natural move for her.

Edited January 8, 2022 by marinw

[marinw]

1 hour ago, MissLucas said:

Norman Borlaug

@MissLucas you made me google thst name! I had never heard of him, but I should have.

[MissLucas]

17 minutes ago, marinw said:

@MissLucas you made me google thst name! I had never heard of him, but I should have.

Same here - I came across his name in an online quiz a couple of months ago and couldn't believe that I had never heard of him before.

[mac123x]

Wow, another filler episode.  Four minutes of the opening wasted.  Just have the kid show up at home, only takes 15 seconds.  Also, the character development stuff with dude regrowing his arm, other dude worried about his brother on Ceres, Amos and Bobbie, etc., is great if this wasn't the second to last episode.  (The fact that I can't remember the first two's name is indicative of my level of investment).

At least the super secret weapon Marco was getting from Laconia just turned out to be rail guns, not some new technology introduced at the last second (cough cough the Roci's new hull plating)

I liked Avasarala  saying "this is no time to worry about the swim back".  Gattica reference I think.  Also loved her reaction to Holden.  "Oh, James. you're truly one of a kind.... you have to be the most naïve person I have ever met."  

About the only way I can see them wrapping everything up is a Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies ending.  The Destroyers wake up and vaporize everything including Laconia and Earth.

 

33:49, Camera pans down and rack focuses to look at a glass, then pans up.  Unmotivated camera moves are so unsubtle.  "Look, Marco is drinking!"  I don't care, unless it leads to him dying of cirrhosis   Also don't care about his relationship with Filip.  And I wouldn't care even if they had 2 seasons left.

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, mac123x said:

At least the super secret weapon Marco was getting from Laconia just turned out to be rail guns, not some new technology introduced at the last second...

The rail guns were of a standard Martian design, but they were made of some previously unknown super-marerial.

Edited January 8, 2022 by Netfoot

[Dobian]

On 1/6/2022 at 5:15 PM, xaxat said:

Why can't this be episode 5 of 10 instead of the penultimate episode? There is entirely too much to cover in the last episode.

I was thinking the same thing in the final scene with Drummer and Avasarala.  It felt like the kind of moment you would see at the halfway point of a season, setting up the second half.  Not a scene setting up the final 45 minutes of a series.

[JZL]

3 hours ago, marinw said:

The dialogue! The acting! The geo-political machinations!

This is why The Expanse is my favorite show of all time.  That and the rocket ships, space stations, rail guns, space battles, the proto-molecule, the ring, the ring-builder killers, space-racers who splatter their heads trying to get into the ring while Highway Star blasts in the background, little space dogs that bring birds and little kids back to life (sorta?), etc, etc.

Of course the Avasarala-Drummer scene is epic and great, but it was short and slightly predictable.  We finally got what we wanted.  To me the real show-stealer was Alex and Bobbie's drunken tour de horizon where they deconstruct Holden, war, good and bad, and what really matters.  Then we're left with this little mini-cliffhanger with the best line of the show, "With you?  Or with you?"  Alex, stupidly, is too drunk to care.  Bobbie's bottle is pretty damned near empty; she may be too drunk to care either, so who knows?

Lastly, Cara Gee as Drummer, the spin-off surprise smash hit of 2023!  Come on, Prime Video-- you know ya wanna!!

[Melina22]

6 minutes ago, JZL said:

Lastly, Cara Gee as Drummer, the spin-off surprise smash hit of 2023!  Come on, Prime Video-- you know ya wanna!!

I don't think I would have understood what an amazing actor Cara is, what a chameleon, if I hadn't seen her in multiple interviews where I couldn't detect a single sign of Drummer. She was so good natured to the point of being giggly at times. 🎭 Acting!!! 🎭

[Macbeth]

Avasarala and Drummer meeting was epic.   According to trivia posted on Amazon, Chrisjen's wardrobe was a nod to belters.  A lot of the design is based on Belters' ship.  Their emphasis is on safety and things working not on design.  So pipes and wiring are seen on their ships.   

Holden should count his lucky stars that Bobbie was not there when he suggested to Avasarala that Marcos should be told about the Ring's gate flaw.  I don't think he would have left in one piece.  

[Melina22]

1 hour ago, Macbeth said:

Holden should count his lucky stars that Bobbie was not there when he suggested to Avasarala that Marcos should be told about the Ring's gate flaw.  I don't think he would have left in one piece.  

Since it doesn't look like anyone does tell Marco, I wonder if next week the Pella disappears in a blaze of glory as it flies through the ring. Boom! Marco's and Filip's story wrapped up quickly and efficiently. 

[marinw]

19 hours ago, JZL said:

This is why The Expanse is my favorite show of all time.  That and the rocket ships, space stations, rail guns, space battles, the proto-molecule, the ring, the ring-builder killers, space-racers who splatter their heads trying to get into the ring while Highway Star blasts in the background, little space dogs that bring birds and little kids back to life (sorta?), etc, etc.

Also, the show is freaking GORGEOUS. The visuals are the best on TV. They make a cache of supplies look beautiful. They show the shear scale of everything, while providing the "Lived Future" feel poineered by the original Star Wars. 

I will admit that I think SyFy seasons (1-3) were stronger than the Amazon Seasons (4-6). I am planning a re-watch of seasons 1-3 after next week when I will be in the throes of withdrawl. Call me a snob, but I think of The Expanse as a mature "Grown Up" show. I also put the 2021 Dune in that category.

19 hours ago, Melina22 said:

I don't think I would have understood what an amazing actor Cara is, what a chameleon, if I hadn't seen her in multiple interviews where I couldn't detect a single sign of Drummer. She was so good natured to the point of being giggly at times. 🎭 Acting!!! 🎭

The same could be said for Shohreh Aghdashloo in some cases. She is finally a guest on the Ty and That Guy podcast, which I am looking forward to listening to later.

Edited January 8, 2022 by marinw

[Haleth]

The Bobbie/Amos R&R wasn't as fun as I'd hoped, but it was meaningful.  Both of them are so disspirited.  I was surprised Amos told Bobbie about the failed missile and even more surprised she laughed instead of breaking something.  (And she was totally considering going with Amos.)

Avasarala and Drummer in the same location.  Had Bobbie also been there the universe would have exploded.  Archangel.  Of course she is.

Cara Gee knocked it out of the park (as always).  Her scene with Naomi was heartbreaking.  Both of them have lost so much and have no choice but to work with the Inners.  I hope there isn't a revolt against Drummer for agreeing to work with Avasarala.  The Ceres chief certainly is taking it badly and I'm sure she speaks for a whole lot of Belters.

I like Marco's second in command.  She knows exactly what he is and is working to gently keep him focused, but she hasn't lost her humanity.  Her subtle glance at his drink said it all.

I'm confused about the issue with the rings.  Did Holden say too much traffic was causing the ships to disintegrate?  Or it is a random occurrence for an unknown reason?  And what was he talking about with feeling anger(?) any time he passed through?

14 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

This show has always explored politics, war, and leadership so well, with so much nuance and depth, I have really been fascinated by how they have spent so much time getting into every characters motivations this season and why they are involved in this whole conflict. National identity, ego, power, revenge, a desire to do good, and this episode had a lot of great scenes exploring the theme of why people are fighting this fight, ruminating on morality, redemption, justice, but then Bobbie distilled it so perfectly to "you fight for people who will fight for you." 

Excellent analysis.

2 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Since it doesn't look like anyone does tell Marco, I wonder if next week the Pella disappears in a blaze of glory as it flies through the ring. Boom! Marco's and Filip's story wrapped up quickly and efficiently. 

That would be fitting for TBS but not very satisfying for the audience.  I want someone to blow him to pieces.  (And I still think Filip will blow Chekhov's nuke.)

I cannot believe next week is the final episode.  Damn you, Bezos, get off your giant penis and order another season.

[MissLucas]

10 hours ago, Haleth said:

I like Marco's second in command.  She knows exactly what he is and is working to gently keep him focused, but she hasn't lost her humanity.  Her subtle glance at his drink said it all.

I'm confused about the issue with the rings.  Did Holden say too much traffic was causing the ships to disintegrate?  Or it is a random occurrence for an unknown reason?  And what was he talking about with feeling anger(?) any time he passed through?

I'm starting to suspect that Rosenberg will take Marco out. She's done nothing but coddling this man-child all season, stroking his fragile ego while trying to not get air-locked and in addition to do that she also had to play family counselor. She looks like she's at the end of her rope and I can't blame her. And let's face it, TLS will never have the guts to do it.

Yes, Naomi and Elvi figured out that as soon as there's too much traffic  in the Ring ships get zapped. Not the first time the Ring Space was revealed to have some nasty surprises/secrets. Remember that there was also a 'speed limit' that caused the catastrophic events of season 3. And Holden has mentioned before that he can feel an angry presence whenever he transits (probably due to his special bond with the protomolecule). Which all just reinforces what I thought from the start: using alien tech without proper understanding it is a major idiot move.

Edited January 8, 2022 by MissLucas

[marinw]

I really like Michio's ark. She went from begging Drummer to stay on the Tynan to reclaiming her agency and confidently leaving on her own terms.

On 1/8/2022 at 9:23 AM, MissLucas said:

Which all just reinforces what I thought from the start: using alien tech without proper understanding it is a major idiot move.

I keep thinking of the Star Trek Prime Directive here. Great job not interferring with a less technologically advanced society, Ring Builders!

Yet another way that Avasalara was right. She was wary of  the Rings since the start of Season Four.

Edited January 9, 2022 by marinw

[shrewd.buddha]

On 1/7/2022 at 8:23 AM, MissLucas said:

I loved how consistent the theme of 'What we fight for' was handled throughout the whole episode: Drummer, Naomi, Amos, Bobbie even TLS got their own version of the theme. 

^This was the highlight of the episode for me.  Everyone thinking about why they were fighting.  Interesting to notice that Marco doesn't have a similar scene -- probably because his motives are selfish and petty --  he convinced the Belters he was fighting for their 'freedom',  but abandoned and sabotaged them. 

2 hours ago, Haleth said:

I cannot believe next week is the final episode.

 ^This was actually a distracting element for the entire episode.  I felt more critical of what the showrunners were deciding to focus with only one episode left.  Laconia?

When Clarissa offhandedly mentioned that her father (Moa) might had been trying to do the right thing all along, I thought Holden would have had more of a reaction.  Thousands of people on Eros and many children died as a result of what Moa started.  But then I remembered that many people died because Drummer did not vote to execute Marcos.  And many people died because Naomi decided to give the proto-molecule to Fred Johnson.  Perhaps the the path to hell is indeed paved with good intentions. 

Edited January 8, 2022 by shrewd.buddha

[marinw]

12 minutes ago, shrewd.buddha said:

Thousands of people on Eros and many children died as a result of what Moa started.  But then I remembered that many people died because Drummer did not vote to execute Marcos.  And many people died because Naomi decided to give the proto-molecule to Fred Johnson.  Perhaps the the path to hell is indeed paved with good intentions. 

And then there's that one time Holden disarmed the missile. OTOH, I am also thinking about what Drummer said about if it wasn't Marco, it would have been someone else. Killing or capturing Marco is important, but it won't bring a tidey conclusion to anything.

Edited January 8, 2022 by marinw

[WildPlum]

5 hours ago, marinw said:

I will admit that I think SyFy seasons (1-3) were stronger than the Amazon Seasons (4-6). I am planning a re-watch of seasons 1-3 after next week when I will be in the throes of withdrawl. Call me a snob, but I think of The Expanse as a mature "Grown Up" show. I also put the 2021 Dune in that category.

I did a rewatch of 1-3 before this season started and I agree. Mostly on plot points, and to a large part because I don't like the Marco/Fillip story and wish Holden hadn't disarmed the nuke so it could have been over then.

[mac123x]

9 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Since it doesn't look like anyone does tell Marco, I wonder if next week the Pella disappears in a blaze of glory as it flies through the ring. Boom! Marco's and Filip's story wrapped up quickly and efficiently. 

 

6 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Yes, Naomi and Elvi figured out that as soon as there's too much traffic  in the Ring ships get zapped.

I was thinking that the Inners would figure out how to trigger the zapping and use it against Marco.  Like he's trying to get the Pella to Medina station and Avasarala & Drummer lob enough missiles through at the same time that it sets off the Angry Red Mist stuff.  

[JZL]

2 hours ago, mac123x said:

I was thinking that the Inners would figure out how to trigger the zapping and use it against Marco.  Like he's trying to get the Pella to Medina station and Avasarala & Drummer lob enough missiles through at the same time that it sets off the Angry Red Burnt Sienna Mist stuff.  

FTFY.  🙃

I think I need to re-watch the end of Season Four to refresh on what the Angry Burnt Sienna Mist Stuff did then.

I guess I'm befuddled that the ring space nearly blew up the solar system when it was being attacked and it didn't like the ships' reactor cores, but it's OK with the ring core being strapped down with six mega rail guns.  🤔

TBS's plan all along was to control the ring space so he could be a galactic emperor type dude and also level up and reign more havoc on the Solar System.  I have this weird idea that the rings get locked and TBS ends up being trapped inside the ring space, but that would gum up other plotlines, like Laconia and the Chrissy-Camina alliance, so probably not.  They also probably won't let Holden become a second-stringer for the grand finale, either.  🤔🤔

Damn I love this show.  🚀

[Enero]

10 hours ago, MissLucas said:

I'm starting to suspect that Rosenberg will take Marco out. She's done nothing but coddling this man-child all season, stroking his fragile ego while trying to not get air-locked and in addition to do that she also had to play family counselor. She looks like she's at the end of her rope and I can't blame her. And let's face it, TLS will never have the guts to do it.

This. She’s definitely playing the long game whatever that may be. I know she did mention to him last week that she wanted to control some station, can’t recall the name, once they won the war. So I think she’s doing whatever she can to keep Marco from going completely off the rails so that she can  get what she’s after. I don’t think she no more cares about Marco than she does the people on Ceres, but she does have her own agenda and Marco is key to her getting what she wants. 

On 1/6/2022 at 9:29 PM, raven said:

This cannot be repeated enough. 

I rewound Archangel's Avasarala's power walk - er, maybe more than once.  She was, of course, wearing the perfect outfit - a stylish, badass almost uniform. 

 

Could her outfit not be more badass? I absolutely loved it. Along with her power walk. 😂 

So glad her and Drummer have finally met. I hope their alliance will be everything we have all dreamed it would be. I also very much enjoyed Drummer’s conversation with Naomi. They are all in difficult positions, all are trying to win this war and put this mess to bed, but will it ever be put to bed with so much mistrust and anger from all sides, I doubt it. I do hope Drummer makes it through this and in the end find some form of peace and family. 

So Filip finally buys a clue. Will he respond by scowling in his cabin and/or drinking and f*cking anything with breast? Or will he come against his father? Considering what we already know about him and that we only have about 45 minutes left in the series, I’m betting he may attempt to sabotage his father but will ultimately end up sulking in his room or he’ll commit some form of murder suicide with himself, his father and everyone on their ship. 

Add me to the list of people who ship Bobbi and Amos 😊. But will crazy ass Peaches care if they hook up? I don’t think she sees Amos that way, but just want to make sure she wouldn’t go BSC upon learning he was in an entanglement with Bobbi. 😂 

[Msample]

Rosenberg has her eyes on running Medina Station.

[JZL]

I swear I read one of the show-runners say the last episode would be longer, but I can't find it.

Unlike previous seasons, which included 10 to 13 episodes apiece, Season 6 features only six episodes, only one of which extends past 45 minutes.   [From a story by The Ringer site]

Actually, three of the episodes have already been a little over 45 minutes, so hopefully e6 will be a chunk longer.  Now I don't know why, but I thought it would be a half hour longer.  I guess we'll find out.

One of the other themes from that story is that the show-runners were patently aware they had to cram a lot of story into a smaller time allotment, that they knew audiences expect shows to stick the landing at the end, and that they felt they'd met the challenges.  I feel better about this after e5 than I did after e4.  Episode 5 rocked.

I guess we'll find out.

Edited January 9, 2022 by JZL

[Macbeth]

5 hours ago, JZL said:

FTFY.  🙃

I think I need to re-watch the end of Season Four to refresh on what the Angry Burnt Sienna Mist Stuff did then.

I guess I'm befuddled that the ring space nearly blew up the solar system when it was being attacked and it didn't like the ships' reactor cores, but it's OK with the ring core being strapped down with six mega rail guns.  🤔

TBS's plan all along was to control the ring space so he could be a galactic emperor type dude and also level up and reign more havoc on the Solar System.  I have this weird idea that the rings get locked and TBS ends up being trapped inside the ring space, but that would gum up other plotlines, like Laconia and the Chrissy-Camina alliance, so probably not.  They also probably won't let Holden become a second-stringer for the grand finale, either.  🤔🤔

Damn I love this show.  🚀

This episode was so great at how the women characters so completely rock in this show.  Like none other than I have ever seen.  

But this is the story of James Holden and the Rocinante.  Which doesn't feel the same now that the most stabilizing character on the ship is no longer there. F that actor.

That crew is going to come up with a big win, with help from Drummer and Bobbie.  I did want to smack Holden when he talked about alerting Marco.  But as Bobbie reminded me - you fight for who has your back.  And Holden is right.  He could never ever kill Naomi's child.  Amos realized that what Holden had done was all for Naomi.  His crew comes first.

[Nialla]

 TVLine's Performer of the Week: Cara Gee

They agree with pretty much everything said here about Cara's work as Drummer.

It's even more amazing to see Cara in interviews and she's bubbly in comparison to the rather dour Drummer.

Edited January 9, 2022 by Nialla

[JZL]

8 minutes ago, Macbeth said:

This episode was so great at how the women characters so completely rock in this show. 

That's been true all along, and is another reason to love the show, as is the ethnic cultural diversity.

For some reason this reminds of what a bad-ass the captain of the Donnager was, as she calmly said to her XO-- also a woman-- "I didn't think we could lose," right before they keyed its self-destruct.

[redpencil]

1 hour ago, JZL said:

I swear I read one of the show-runners say the last episode would be longer, but I can't find it.

I read this as well, though don't remember where. I believe they said it would be like 50% longer. So around 65-70 minutes?

[Eulipian 5k]

Breaking News: Hundreds die in Estrogen explosion on Ceres, more at @MStewart.sol

Mme. Avasarala’s walk would win any season of RuPDR! She really looked like she wanted to snatch “one of a kind” Holden by the ears in her office. She handled Drummer well by reminding her of the millions of bodies on Earth who paid the price for the oppression of Belters. Drummer bore the weight on her shoulders with a regrown spine and Mme. A. ‘upped her dosage’ for the big meet up. And there’s no one to give Krisjen a hug…

I love how the show curls back on itself to illuminate the characters we followed. Our intro to Avasarala was as a ruthless torturer, who had to be reined in by Sadovir, fer chrissakes, and Drummer was introduced building ships and running Ceres with Fred (who told Holden to go “build something”.)

(Didn’t know I needed drunk Draper in my life; the way she laughed off Holden and the torpedo was so much “dis f#ckin guy…”.)

Edited January 9, 2022 by Eulipian 5k
sp.

[marinw]

9 hours ago, Nialla said:

They agree with pretty much everything said here about Cara's work as Drummer.

Yes to this. Also, Shohreh Aghdashloo needs awards. It would have been so easy for a less skilled actor to have made Avasasalra Over The Top. Ditto for Wes Chatham as Amos.

Edited January 9, 2022 by marinw

[Clanstarling]

13 hours ago, Enero said:

So Filip finally buys a clue. Will he respond by scowling in his cabin and/or drinking and f*cking anything with breast? Or will he come against his father? Considering what we already know about him and that we only have about 45 minutes left in the series, I’m betting he may attempt to sabotage his father but will ultimately end up sulking in his room or he’ll commit some form of murder suicide with himself, his father and everyone on their ship.

There's still Chekov's nuke. It's going to go off somehow - maybe Filip will use it. It would be poetic, in a way.

[marinw]

15 hours ago, Macbeth said:

This episode was so great at how the women characters so completely rock in this show.  Like none other than I have ever seen.  

Speaking of, why does this show have to end when I have finally learned how to spell Avasarala?🙃

I love that this show is brave enough to point out that woman running things will not necessarily result in a feminist utopia. That said, the great villains of The Expanse tend to be largely male. Interesting.

20 hours ago, JZL said:

FTFY.  🙃

Not familial with that acronym.

The dangers of the Ring reminds me of Avasarala’s advice to Holden in Season 4: "Don’t stick you dick in in…It’s f*cked enough already." Although the Ring Creators could have done a better job of not losing control of their own things, Humanity did stick its' collective dick in it.

Edited January 9, 2022 by marinw

[Melina22]

1 minute ago, marinw said:

Not familial with that acronym.

Ditto 

[JZL]

8 hours ago, Eulipian 5k said:

I love how the show curls back on itself to illuminate the characters we followed.

You should watch the e5 X-Ray video if you haven't.  It's entitled "Remember the Cant."

2 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

There's still Chekov's nuke. It's going to go off somehow - maybe Filip will use it. It would be poetic, in a way.

Again a weird notion, but maybe the ring space is involved with the disposition of this nearly-forgotten nuke?

FTFY = fixed that for you.

Edited January 9, 2022 by JZL

[Clanstarling]

16 minutes ago, JZL said:

Again a weird notion, but maybe the ring space is involved with the disposition of this nearly-forgotten nuke?

Valid.

[Nialla]

4 hours ago, marinw said:

Yes to this. Also, Shohreh Aghdashloo needs awards. It would have been so easy for a less skilled actor to have made Avasasalra Over The Top. Ditto for Wes Chatham as Amos.

I wonder if they'll be up for any awards? The SF specific ones are pretty much a given, but the mainstream ones usually ignore SF.