Review: The Expanse returns for season 5, excellent as ever
By Zac Giaimo
Wes Chatham (Amos Burton), Michael Irby (Admiral Delgado), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Chrisjen Avasarala)
Episode 502: “Churn”
With new worlds ready to be colonized, the O.P.A. now has the task of patrolling and policing the Belt and Ring Gates. Heading up that job is Camina Drummer (Cara Gee). She commands a fleet of ships as they take down an enemy vessel without lethal force. Her crew carries out her orders immediately and looks to her to be decisive. Drummer has become the leader the Belt needs following the death of Ashford (David Strathairn). Her work ethic keeps her going long after the battle has ended, and her crew has to nearly drag her into a communal celebration that’s cut short by the finding of Ashford’s ship.
Any show that takes place in outer space must find a way to portray life in zero gravity, and The Expanse has done a phenomenal job in these first two episodes of season 5. From the camera angles to the disorienting intro shots to a full-on zero gravity struggle to escape a storage unit, we really get the impression that the characters are floating in space, moving in spaces without any real floor or ceiling. It’s a great touch that really helps immerse the audience in the story.
Back on Earth, where there’s gravity aplenty, Amos visits the home of his recently passed friend, an older woman who helped raise him, and gets to know the man she spent her final years with. He discovers the home where they lived together is going to be reclaimed by the previous owner, an old childhood friend of his named Eric (Jacob Mundell). After some quick reminiscing, Amos convinces Erich not to reclaim the house and the two part ways, seemingly forever. After some final goodbyes, Amos calls Avasarala to ask a favor so he can see someone before he leaves Earth for good.
On Mars, Bobby brings Alex in on what she’s been doing and why she’s working for Avasarala. With multiple Martian soldiers asking after Alex, he and Bobby have targets on their backs, and sooner or later someone’s going to take a shot.
Holden just can’t get away from the protomolecule. When reporter Monica Stuart (Anna Hopkins) calls and says she has proof that someone is trying to get some, he can’t stop himself from helping. But when he arrives at her rooms, the place is a mess and it’s clear she’s been taken. Holden and Fred Johnson work together to look for her, shutting down the station and closing the ports. They eventually find her in that awesome zero G storage container scene from before and save her life. That’s as much evidence as Holden needs to be convinced that someone wants or has the protomolecule, and that whatever they plan to do with it is worth stopping.
From just the first two episodes, I can that season 5 has stepped it up in terms of the writing, sets, cinematography, and even the acting, taking the show from good to great. And the storylines seem to be headed in a very personal, character-driven direction, so all signs are that it will remain that way.
