Let's extend the chance for a double-drop this week :) If Thursday's video gets 450 votes in the first 48 hours, another episode will drop on Saturday. I'll add the details to Thursday's video. Thank you all for being the best!
Champa, the champ. The Expanse have some of the best one-off side characters in every show. This guy is on scene for like 2 minutes and he totally steals it. What a guy.
The "52" moment followed by "This is the Warship Rocinante" transmission make this one of my favorite episodes of the entire series. Just so... heavy, in all the right ways. Edit to add: something I found so powerful about the "52," you mentioned how no one shouted or screamed or argued... they're Belters. They know what "only enough air for 52" means. They've had to understand that their entire lives. You're on a ship or a station, air is everything. There's either enough, or there isn't. It's like trying to fight the tide; you just can't.
Chumpa’s (the big belter dude) speech is amazing. I tear up every single time I see it. One thing that makes expanse brilliant is how even for one off “bit” part roles, they have such talented actors who bring life to the bit character and make the audience immediately connect with them. Champa is definitely one, and I would say Lopez and Captain Yao (sorry if I got her name wrong) from the Donnager are also examples of how the show brings excellence to every aspect of the story telling.
Erinwright had a moment when avasarala tells him of Mao's contact and you can see him reset his feet. He saw a chance to make a power play from then. Its one of many little things you can catch on a rewatch. Hope you keep reactions comming.
Most people miss what Errinright meant when he told Mao, "you will return to earth _alone_!" He was ordering him to kill Avasarala and her entourage. Watched many reactors confused about the instant standoff after the message.
It's all open road now. Starting with this episode, I'd put these next consecutive 16 episodes up against any in TV history. Strap in if you're not strapped down already. Big Guy (Champa) gets 'em every time. That monologue and his physical presence is unbelievablely emotional. Well done, buddy.
Wholeheartedly agree. This long string of episodes can easily hold their own against any big show. And I'd argue this show has the best written female characters in recent memory. Best written characters in general, truly, but writers often write women very trope-y or over sexualized and this show does not do that.
The writing in this show for the one-off side-characters is just *off the charts* . And the casting team just *nails* it. The guy who portrays Champa is (not surprisingly) primarily a theatre actor. And you *know* he jumped at this opportunity. 🙂 Master-class in cliffhangers, man, not even kidding. 😁 Also, Team ABC (Avasarala, Bobbie, Cotyar) takes the field! Quiver, people, quiver!
The “Only 52” speech rips me up every time time I watch it 😢 Amazing writing - Amazing Actors absolutely crushing their performances…. THIS is why we love this show!! 🚀
Sadavir is indeed a complex character, he's a patriot and he's a nationalist but he's not wrong when he feels betrayed... he's Avasarala's creation but he's *not* part of her evolution, "his" Avasarala is the one we see in Episode 1, ruthless and earth first. Best regards Raoul G. Kunz
I've watched this store easily a dozen times, plus watched countless reactors. The scene on the dock doesn't get any easier, and it is just a good even after seeing it so many times.
Same. Probably seen it over 30 times together with all the reactions I've watched and it get's me all the time. Such a great episode, such a great show.
This is one of the most powerful scenes i have ever witnessed, brings tears to my eyes every time. Man hath no greater love than to lay his life down for another.
Had exactly the same reaction to the big guy's speech... phenomenal acting. For me one of the very best scenes of all six seasons, unforgettable. Just shows how much effort they put into casting even small roles that would only get minutes of screen time and also motivate those actors to deliver their absolute peak performance. Can't wait to see your reaction to the finale. You're the best :))
Radical acceptance on display. He knows it’s a terrible situation and that it’s a question of best outcome rather than hoping for a good one. Belters survive by thinking about the common good rather than the individual and he recognizes that Naomi has been trying to do that all along, even at the cost of her own life, where he’s been kind of a selfish prick.
One of the best episodes of television drama ever. Errinwright fooled everyone...such a surprise for the audience! I think Errinwright's original plan was just to wreck Mars' plan to get control of the Caliban program by killing the defense minister and destroying the Karakum. He probably hoped that would be enough to keep him out of prison (he wasn't sure about that, which is why he wrote that letter to his son). It would have taken some time to have that enzyme poison concocted and placed on the theater program, so that was a pre-conceived plan. But when Avasarala told him she was meeting Mao in space, he immediately realized he could get rid of her...and she was the only person whose testimony would put him into prison. On the shuttle to Mao's yacht, Avasarala revealed her fear, Cotyar revealed his guilt, and Bobbie found a new team. Team ABC was born. Despite her fear, Avasarala boarded Mao's yacht with maximum swagger. Bobbie would probably never have had cucumbers before...too much water content for too little nutrient value for Mars. I always shed a man-tear even thinking about Scene 52, and I'm an old man. All we've been seeing Naomi going through has led to it. Belters live their entire lives under constant danger, under the "cold equations" of space. Every Belter knows someone, or knows of someone, or has heard stories of people who have had to sacrifice themselves for others. Given a moment to think, the Ganymede Belters realized the cold equations had come for them. As the Somnambulist was launching from Ganymede and being challenged by the Martians, they showed that Naomi had her hidden Protomolecule torpedo on her computer screen.
Champa, the man got 3 or 4 scenes in this one episode, and he will be in our hearts forever! and as you say, that scene with the 52, is an example of the best of humanity. 33:52 They played it perfectly! I loved every second of the reaction knowing where we were heading, seeing you buy in to it fully. don't change, my friend! keep feeling the feels! You cut out one of my favourite lines, but I get it, there was just too much meat on this one to keep it all in the video, for all what the hardline "oathbreaker Paladin" costs for Jim Holden, is sure served him well in the end there, with "This is the WARSHIP Roscinante..."
All the one episode side characters just kill it, even the Martian who boarded uncle Mateo’s ship, hated that dude . I’m glad you recognized how incredible an actor Shawn Doyle is. Everyone gets their time to shine which is rare with a cast this big
The evacuation of the Somnambulist from Ganymede is definitely one of my most favourite single-episode stories (meaning, where a story plays out in a single episode rather than carrying on to the next, there are, of course, threads that continue from past episodes and threads that continue, but this part of the story is fairly self-contained). It's probably the first time we've seen how much Naomi both cares about her fellow Belters and how much she wants to atone for whatever it is she feels she needs to atone for. If, by sacrificing her life, she can save even just fifty people, she's more than willing to do that. Champa, the big Belter that yelled at her at first, sees this and figures that, by keeping her alive, he'll save more Belters than if he survived. He was almost certainly right. Errinwright discovering that there's a douchey, shitstain way of regaining the political power he'd nearly lost by his association with Mao and Protagen, and then deciding to take the douchey, shitstain way shows his true shitstain douchieness. I'm not sure if we're supposed to feel sorry about him at the beginning of the episode (I'd read the books by the time I got to this point in the series, so I knew, roughly, what was coming), I know I've seen several reactors who have felt sorry for him at that stage, but to me he comes off as incredibly narcissistic (which is good, because he is). When he talks to him, he doesn't really show any concern for his son beyond how his son thinks about him, at least until he's reminded that he should and pretends (poorly, in my opinion). I can certainly see that he might have been heading towards suicide (in a very narcissistic fashion, caring only for his legacy not the effects of his actions on others). Like any narcissistic politician, he equates something that benefits him as something that benefits his constituents (rather than the inverse, the way it should be). This is part of why I'm so willing to forgive Avasarala's sins (such as being willing to use torture, sacrifice friends, etc.), she actually _does_ want to help Earth and, eventually, humanity as a whole. She makes mistakes, like anyone, she can even be a little selfish at times, but she doesn't let her desires supersede her duty, and she tries to learn from her mistakes. (I'm also willing to forgive her sins because she's a fictional character who's victims were also fictional characters, it'd be harder to do if they were real people) Cucumbers require a _lot_ of water to grow (they're a bit like tiny, long watermelons, they're part of the same family as squashes, pumpkins, and luffa, where natural loofas come from and the word) and would, therefore, be extremely rare and expensive on Mars (probably imported from Earth for the super-wealthy rather than actually grown on Mars), hence Bobbie unashamedly digging into the cucumber sandwiches. I love how, during some of the tensest scenes between Mao and Avasarala, you can see Bobbie in the background chewing away while trying to continue to look intimidating. This is just a great episode all around. "This is the warship Rocinante, stay clear" has the same feel and effect as "I'm the Doctor, look me up."
Great reaction! This is one of the most emotional episodes! So well done all the way around! " You knew on the day you were born that your life would be hard! So let's be tough and do what needs to be done! If we have to stay back, we have to stay back?!" 😭 R.I.P. Champa Beltalowda! Looking forward to the next one!
The episode title "The Monster and the Rocket" unironically applies in more than one case here. There is more than one rocket, and more than one monster.
I really thought I'd seen that scene enough for it not to affect me anymore. Instead people in the office are seeing me start to tear up a bit at "you're not finished yet."
Expanse Day! And another great one at that! I liked that you made a remark at the beginning of the episode about how you felt (on the fence) about Naomi's proto-m choice. I love how these complex characters can bring amazing fan discussions, from numerous angles. As I've said before, I did NOT like Naomi at first, but that changed over time. And, episodes like this one made a difference. She has made mistakes (as we all do). But she must continue to TRY to do what's right, no matter what she did in the past. And, as we saw, her choice inspired another (big guy) to make the hard choice...which inspires her to keep doing what's right. It's a beautiful circle of compassion & humanity!
Completely agree. Naomi is such a beautifully written and realized character. As you said, full of flaws but also housed in a place of such realism that we can easily relate to the struggle she's having with her decisions. This episode really changed my outlook on not just Naomi but the Belters as a community. Their defiance in the face of death was so utterly inspiring, I actually struggle to find a moment, in any show or movie, that was more revelatory of an entire culture. Simultaneously tragic, uplifting and ultimately beautiful. Thank you so much for your support and insight, my friend, it is greatly appreciated!
Avasarala vs Bobby interactions can only be outshined by Bobby vs Cotyar interactions :) The episode has a ton of epic scenes and a lot of stunning acting, And scene 52 is hands down the most heart-breaking scene for me in the entire series. Great episode, great reaction as always 🖖🤘
52 - one of the most memorable scenes in the show. (It's even more tragic when you think that if Melissa - a Belter - would belive Holden - an Earther - they could've saved more). Champa is so great in this, beautiful, memorable performance. That's what's so awesome about The Expanse - even the smallest characters are beautifully created, written and acted.
For how far he was down the rabbit hole, if it was for Holden they would all be dead. Alex is the one who changed Holden mind at the last minute, so Melissa was right in not trusting Holden, but wrong in not trusting Alex.
Don't get me started on the books. I'm sitting here with Leviathan in my passenger seat and I don't want to read it because I don't want it to end. The show is great but the books are astonishing excellent.
"This is the Warship Rocinante" - There's only two or three of these moments in the entire series but they are some of the best, when our crew does remind people that yes, the Rocinante is a Ship armed to the teeth and they are willing to throw that stuff in your face if you don't very carefully think about what you're doing next.
The "52" gave me Titanic vibes. And sure enough there's actually a minor easter egg. Melissa wears a Gemini 3 patch on her jacket, and in real life, NASA's Gemini 3's nickname was unfortunately, "Molly Brown". Gus Grissom was the commander and jokingly named it as a reference to the Broadway musical, "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", which was based on the famous Titanic survivor. You might recall that Grissom's previous mission ended with his Mercury capsule sinking to the bottom of the ocean shortly after splashdown, so I guess he wanted a little luck this time. The NASA directors weren't too happy with the name, but Grissom's alternate nickname was "Titanic", so they grudgingly allowed "Molly Brown". Also, as a result, this was the last time NASA allowed the crew to name the capsule, at least through the Apollo program. I'd say Naomi is the "Molly Brown" in this episode by forcing Melissa's hand (and Amos') to bring aboard the survivors.
This episode holds several of my favorite moments in the whole show. Bobby stuffing her mouth with cucmber-sandwiches, just hilarious. Errinwright's "Time is short and I'll be brief". Holden's "This is the warship Rocinante". And most of all of course the final scenes with that local muscle Champa. No matter how many times I watch this episode, and I'm way over 20 and probably even over 30 now, this always makes me tear up. I don't know of any other series with such great one episode characters than The Expanse.
I always enjoy the long form discussions at the end of your Expanse reviews. I like where your thoughts are going. And i cant wait for the culmination of seson three to shed (see what i did there?) even more light on the Proto-mystery.
When the authors of the novels, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, agreed to let there be a show based on the novels to be made. They had a couple of conditions; one, that they would be advisers to the writers of the show. two, in the writers room, only the best idea wins. I think that these were well conceived, and expertly executed conditions.
Ahhh 52 ❤ Holden had a bit of a captain Ahab moment here But I love this episode! The banter, the belter speach, our characters still trying to correct regrets they have from Eros. All amazing, every actor is perfect in their rolls.
Let's just say that the protomolecule has a task that it's trying to accomplish. Its creators designed it for a fairly specific function.The Protogen hybrids have very little to do with that function. Humans doin' what we do, we discover something miraculous and incomprehensible and the first thing we do with it is try to make the deadliest and most fucked-up weapon we can out of it. Bonus points for sacrificing children in the process.
It’s true man. I also got sentimental when I got older. Shed tears all the time watching quality media now and feel no shame for it. Better to feel it than suppress it like when we were young.
29:30 I agree with you that Holden is way off the ranch here, but it's worth pointing out that his apparent overreaction is partly due to adaptation. What we saw of Holden's experience on Eros was pretty bad already, but the show toned Eros *way* down compared to the book. Essentially, Eros broke Holden, and he's dealing with severe PTSD. The way he acts is a lot more understandable with that background, which is not made nearly as explicit in the show.
"Not my first rodeo" - whats great about this simple, generic throwaway line is that it does make sense for her to use this phrase in the context of the universe, since texan/southern culture is still big on Mars , hence Alex' accent.
Your question about the good/bad of the protomolecule. Prax's line in this episode is food for thought, and remember what Solomon Epstein said - "that's the wonderful and terrible thing about technology: it changes everything". There's a great book line coming up about 3/4 the way through the next season - a piece of Holden internal monologue that doesn't get explicitly expressed in the TV show but there's a nod to it. It applies to your question too. Not going to spoil it. Somebody will most likely fill you in once you've seen that episode. Lots to look forwards to!
23:30 I mentioned a bunch of episodes ago that the show would wreck you over a character you had only met a few minutes prior. Well, this was it. I can guarantee you, no matter how often you rewatch this scene, it will still wreck you. A bit before, you were expecting that the mob would rush him. That just means you don't fully understand beltalowda... yet. They have internalized the cold equations. 52 means 52, no ifs, ands, or buts. Survival of the group before survival of the individual. A ruckus at the dock means fewer people get saved. Edit: 32:00 Okay, you do understand now. There is a great book I recommend you read: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. The second part of the book is a bit controversial (I happen to like it a lot), but the first part is glorious hard sci-fi, all about the cold equations and the people willing to sacrifice themselves for the species.
It's not being old, WR; it's called "HEART." You have a big one. The big guy on the docks is Champa. IMO, he's the BEST, most important, single-episode guest character on all of TV -- written and acted. And yes, it is definitely one of the most beautiful examples of what humanity CAN be or should be. I don't think anyone who loves The Expanse will forget Champa. You mentioned once that you used to work in entertainment, and I would love to know what you used to do. Some of your comments about acting and camera work have me so curious. However, I'm only on Season 2, Epi, so you might have already told the story in one of the future episodes. I'll keep chugging along and see when it comes up. 😄
I'd be worried if you didn't have an emotional reaction to the Naomi and belters scene. It's a powerful scene. Still is and I've seen it many times. If you didn't feel the emotion I'd have to wonder if you weren't like Cortazar
Hey @Warpreactor Thanks for the great reaction again. Saw you are on season 3 ep 3 on Patreon so i am reminding you again that season 3 ep 5 and 6 are that second double episode and end of the book mid season.
"You're not finished yet" is an act of kindness, but also a burden put upon Naomi. I choose to let you survive because I know you can make a greater contribution to the Belt than me, *but* I also let you survive because you have not yet balanced the scales for refusing to help more on Eros. Where Naomi ends up after the current crisis is resolved has so much to do with this moment.
Rifle is a tool, protomolecule is a tool, stick is a tool. And give monkey a stick and it will beat another monkey to death with it given enough time :P
Again, every time I feel strong emotions in this show, and the 'Only 52' moment is one of them, I pay attention to the score. It's one of this show's secret weapons, so powerful and moving. Loved this episode, but personally, I think the writing went a little too hard on Holden, his transition to Captain Ahab was pretty stark. The books of course had the time to make it more natural feeling. But the point was made, and he seemed to come down back from the edge, to someone we might recognize again. Still overall, and incredibly strong episode. Champa strong! PS - the look of surprise on Bobbie's face when Chrisjen says "get to the fucking point" was awesome.
I think there are enough breadcrumbs in the show to follow Holden's descent, fueled by survivor's guilt and PTSD. It starts way back on Eros, shooting not-quite-at Kenzo. Other highlights would be getting up in the night to go and execute Cortazar, his words about the shoot-out where Melissa's husband was shot, holding Naomi back when Amos attacked Chicken-Boy and denying medical aid to the protogen scientist lady. The entirety of Frankie Adams' background acting with the cucumber sandwiches and Avasarala's snapping to interrupt JPM is priceless!
I don't think he ever did plan to kill himself. He was worried he'd end up stripped of power and in jail, disgraced - either if he didn't act, or he tried something and it failed. That's why the talk with his son and the letter to the ex-wife. Seems odd he would have chosen a poison that is generally targeted at people taking gravity drugs for himself. Also "Earth must come first". He truly believes that. Suicide gets him nowhere on that front.
I suppose, he started doubting when he heard about Mao's invitation to Avasarala, and when he looked at the pill, he finally changed his mind and came up with the plan.
He never intended to kill himself. He said the enzyme he used to poison Korshunov could be genetically tailored to a single individual, and was specifically designed to debilitate soldiers who were taking drugs for gravity sickness. Obviously he's not taking drugs for gravity sickness so it wouldn't have worked on him anyways, but any Martian visiting Earth would be. There's also no reason he'd need to use a banned poison specifically designed for use against people on gravity drugs if he was going to kill himself. There's plenty of easier ways he could do that. Making it seem like he was contemplating suicide was just a red herring to throw the audience off before the big reveal of his plans later in the episode. As soon as he explained how the enzyme worked it was clear he never intended to kill himself. The chat with his son was because at that time he still thought he likely was going to end up in prison over Eros, and the letter to his wife later on was in case the assassination and/or strike on the Karakum didn't go according to plan and he got caught.
I haven’t read the books yet so I don’t know fully what you’re referring to. I do know in the books Naomi’s decision is a group one. Either way, I think to reduce blame to one person is a very simplistic interpretation of the situation and absolves many other people from their decisions/contribution to the problem. It’s a series of events that the world may have reached in the same or similar way eventually. We know the sample was not the last one in the system.
![เปิดใจ "อาจารย์เบียร์ คนตื่นธรรม" อดีตเคยสุดทุกทาง ถ้าใช้หนี้หมดไปบวชแน่ l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IxeE0xVhy08/mqdefault.jpg)
Let's extend the chance for a double-drop this week :)
If Thursday's video gets 450 votes in the first 48 hours, another episode will drop on Saturday.
I'll add the details to Thursday's video.
Thank you all for being the best!
Champa, the champ. The Expanse have some of the best one-off side characters in every show. This guy is on scene for like 2 minutes and he totally steals it. What a guy.
The actor, the character, the actions he takes. Legend.
The "52" moment followed by "This is the Warship Rocinante" transmission make this one of my favorite episodes of the entire series. Just so... heavy, in all the right ways.
Edit to add: something I found so powerful about the "52," you mentioned how no one shouted or screamed or argued... they're Belters. They know what "only enough air for 52" means. They've had to understand that their entire lives. You're on a ship or a station, air is everything. There's either enough, or there isn't. It's like trying to fight the tide; you just can't.
Real Screamin Firehawks call this Episode 52.
It is much beloved.
Chumpa’s (the big belter dude) speech is amazing. I tear up every single time I see it. One thing that makes expanse brilliant is how even for one off “bit” part roles, they have such talented actors who bring life to the bit character and make the audience immediately connect with them. Champa is definitely one, and I would say Lopez and Captain Yao (sorry if I got her name wrong) from the Donnager are also examples of how the show brings excellence to every aspect of the story telling.
Again, I'm reminded that history is full of moments like these. Makes me tear up so much. sniff
Erinwright had a moment when avasarala tells him of Mao's contact and you can see him reset his feet. He saw a chance to make a power play from then. Its one of many little things you can catch on a rewatch. Hope you keep reactions comming.
Most people miss what Errinright meant when he told Mao, "you will return to earth _alone_!" He was ordering him to kill Avasarala and her entourage. Watched many reactors confused about the instant standoff after the message.
Errinwright's face/heel turns in this season would make the WWE proud!
I’ve never noticed that before. Now I see why Bobbie and Cotyar reacted that way. Thx!
“Shit just follow you around don’t it, kid.”
I looove longer episodes. I feel like anyone watching the Expanse reaction in 2024 dont mind longer episodes one bit.
Not a bit! The Expanse is exceptional, best Sci-Fi show since B5... BSG was also cool if a bit unfocused towards the end.
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
What a time to be a fan. We get shows that slam us a straight up feature length finale!
It's all open road now. Starting with this episode, I'd put these next consecutive 16 episodes up against any in TV history. Strap in if you're not strapped down already.
Big Guy (Champa) gets 'em every time. That monologue and his physical presence is unbelievablely emotional. Well done, buddy.
It's been non stop since s01ep04.
Haha
Wholeheartedly agree. This long string of episodes can easily hold their own against any big show. And I'd argue this show has the best written female characters in recent memory. Best written characters in general, truly, but writers often write women very trope-y or over sexualized and this show does not do that.
@@lynnjohanssen6552 "any big show". I wholeheartedly agree, and for me, I would add "any show, any time".
"you're not finished yet"...
Kills me every time...
I like the Bobby tries cucumber sandwiches moment
The writing in this show for the one-off side-characters is just *off the charts* . And the casting team just *nails* it.
The guy who portrays Champa is (not surprisingly) primarily a theatre actor.
And you *know* he jumped at this opportunity. 🙂
Master-class in cliffhangers, man, not even kidding. 😁
Also, Team ABC (Avasarala, Bobbie, Cotyar) takes the field! Quiver, people, quiver!
The “Only 52” speech rips me up every time time I watch it 😢
Amazing writing - Amazing Actors absolutely crushing their performances…. THIS is why we love this show!! 🚀
Sadavir is indeed a complex character, he's a patriot and he's a nationalist but he's not wrong when he feels betrayed... he's Avasarala's creation but he's *not* part of her evolution, "his" Avasarala is the one we see in Episode 1, ruthless and earth first.
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
That one scene gets me teary-eyed each and every time I watch this episode (you know the one, 52). Looking forward to your reaction.
Belters are seen as the trash of the system. But, they also show the Strength and fortitude of the human spirit.
I've watched this store easily a dozen times, plus watched countless reactors.
The scene on the dock doesn't get any easier, and it is just a good even after seeing it so many times.
Same. Probably seen it over 30 times together with all the reactions I've watched and it get's me all the time. Such a great episode, such a great show.
This is one of the most powerful scenes i have ever witnessed, brings tears to my eyes every time. Man hath no greater love than to lay his life down for another.
“Burn me and mine and I’ll go through you like a door…”
Gawd damn if that ain’t one of the best lines ever 🤘
One of my fav lines for sure and i like it more every time I hear it.
It's even better when you know she absolutely has the skills to go through with that if needed. She's a death machine.
Had exactly the same reaction to the big guy's speech... phenomenal acting. For me one of the very best scenes of all six seasons, unforgettable. Just shows how much effort they put into casting even small roles that would only get minutes of screen time and also motivate those actors to deliver their absolute peak performance.
Can't wait to see your reaction to the finale. You're the best :))
Radical acceptance on display.
He knows it’s a terrible situation and that it’s a question of best outcome rather than hoping for a good one.
Belters survive by thinking about the common good rather than the individual and he recognizes that Naomi has been trying to do that all along, even at the cost of her own life, where he’s been kind of a selfish prick.
One of the best episodes of television drama ever.
Errinwright fooled everyone...such a surprise for the audience! I think Errinwright's original plan was just to wreck Mars' plan to get control of the Caliban program by killing the defense minister and destroying the Karakum. He probably hoped that would be enough to keep him out of prison (he wasn't sure about that, which is why he wrote that letter to his son). It would have taken some time to have that enzyme poison concocted and placed on the theater program, so that was a pre-conceived plan. But when Avasarala told him she was meeting Mao in space, he immediately realized he could get rid of her...and she was the only person whose testimony would put him into prison.
On the shuttle to Mao's yacht, Avasarala revealed her fear, Cotyar revealed his guilt, and Bobbie found a new team. Team ABC was born. Despite her fear, Avasarala boarded Mao's yacht with maximum swagger. Bobbie would probably never have had cucumbers before...too much water content for too little nutrient value for Mars.
I always shed a man-tear even thinking about Scene 52, and I'm an old man. All we've been seeing Naomi going through has led to it. Belters live their entire lives under constant danger, under the "cold equations" of space. Every Belter knows someone, or knows of someone, or has heard stories of people who have had to sacrifice themselves for others. Given a moment to think, the Ganymede Belters realized the cold equations had come for them.
As the Somnambulist was launching from Ganymede and being challenged by the Martians, they showed that Naomi had her hidden Protomolecule torpedo on her computer screen.
Heh, now I've seen the show countless times and never noticed that last detail...
Classic sci-fi ref ftw
This episode! Champa was the MVP! This show is so great to give smaller characters great moments. R.I.P.
How has this still not reached the 500 likes mark?!?
Champa, the man got 3 or 4 scenes in this one episode, and he will be in our hearts forever! and as you say, that scene with the 52, is an example of the best of humanity.
33:52 They played it perfectly! I loved every second of the reaction knowing where we were heading, seeing you buy in to it fully. don't change, my friend! keep feeling the feels!
You cut out one of my favourite lines, but I get it, there was just too much meat on this one to keep it all in the video,
for all what the hardline "oathbreaker Paladin" costs for Jim Holden, is sure served him well in the end there, with "This is the WARSHIP Roscinante..."
All the one episode side characters just kill it, even the Martian who boarded uncle Mateo’s ship, hated that dude . I’m glad you recognized how incredible an actor Shawn Doyle is. Everyone gets their time to shine which is rare with a cast this big
Holden was starting to go full Captain Ahab in this episode.
He‘s definitely been “stabbing at thee” for a bit.
To be fair what was done on Eros was probably hard to unsee.
To Alex, and his flying skills (and the show producers that gave us the awesome ship sequences in this amazing show!
👏👏👏👏👏
🚀🚀🚀
The evacuation of the Somnambulist from Ganymede is definitely one of my most favourite single-episode stories (meaning, where a story plays out in a single episode rather than carrying on to the next, there are, of course, threads that continue from past episodes and threads that continue, but this part of the story is fairly self-contained). It's probably the first time we've seen how much Naomi both cares about her fellow Belters and how much she wants to atone for whatever it is she feels she needs to atone for. If, by sacrificing her life, she can save even just fifty people, she's more than willing to do that. Champa, the big Belter that yelled at her at first, sees this and figures that, by keeping her alive, he'll save more Belters than if he survived. He was almost certainly right.
Errinwright discovering that there's a douchey, shitstain way of regaining the political power he'd nearly lost by his association with Mao and Protagen, and then deciding to take the douchey, shitstain way shows his true shitstain douchieness. I'm not sure if we're supposed to feel sorry about him at the beginning of the episode (I'd read the books by the time I got to this point in the series, so I knew, roughly, what was coming), I know I've seen several reactors who have felt sorry for him at that stage, but to me he comes off as incredibly narcissistic (which is good, because he is). When he talks to him, he doesn't really show any concern for his son beyond how his son thinks about him, at least until he's reminded that he should and pretends (poorly, in my opinion). I can certainly see that he might have been heading towards suicide (in a very narcissistic fashion, caring only for his legacy not the effects of his actions on others). Like any narcissistic politician, he equates something that benefits him as something that benefits his constituents (rather than the inverse, the way it should be). This is part of why I'm so willing to forgive Avasarala's sins (such as being willing to use torture, sacrifice friends, etc.), she actually _does_ want to help Earth and, eventually, humanity as a whole. She makes mistakes, like anyone, she can even be a little selfish at times, but she doesn't let her desires supersede her duty, and she tries to learn from her mistakes. (I'm also willing to forgive her sins because she's a fictional character who's victims were also fictional characters, it'd be harder to do if they were real people)
Cucumbers require a _lot_ of water to grow (they're a bit like tiny, long watermelons, they're part of the same family as squashes, pumpkins, and luffa, where natural loofas come from and the word) and would, therefore, be extremely rare and expensive on Mars (probably imported from Earth for the super-wealthy rather than actually grown on Mars), hence Bobbie unashamedly digging into the cucumber sandwiches. I love how, during some of the tensest scenes between Mao and Avasarala, you can see Bobbie in the background chewing away while trying to continue to look intimidating.
This is just a great episode all around. "This is the warship Rocinante, stay clear" has the same feel and effect as "I'm the Doctor, look me up."
"You people are shit magnets."
I would rephrase that: shit is a Roci magnet. 😂
I cry every time I see that scene too. One of the most powerful scenes, and it tells you so much about the power of beltalowda.
Great reaction! This is one of the most emotional episodes! So well done all the way around!
" You knew on the day you were born that your life would be hard! So let's be tough and do what needs to be done! If we have to stay back, we have to stay back?!" 😭 R.I.P. Champa Beltalowda!
Looking forward to the next one!
The episode title "The Monster and the Rocket" unironically applies in more than one case here. There is more than one rocket, and more than one monster.
I really thought I'd seen that scene enough for it not to affect me anymore. Instead people in the office are seeing me start to tear up a bit at "you're not finished yet."
36:45 In case nobody else has mentioned it yet, welcome to team ABC (Avasarala, Bobbie, Cotyar).
"The Big Guy" scene is one of my favorites of the series.
Expanse Day! And another great one at that! I liked that you made a remark at the beginning of the episode about how you felt (on the fence) about Naomi's proto-m choice. I love how these complex characters can bring amazing fan discussions, from numerous angles.
As I've said before, I did NOT like Naomi at first, but that changed over time. And, episodes like this one made a difference. She has made mistakes (as we all do). But she must continue to TRY to do what's right, no matter what she did in the past. And, as we saw, her choice inspired another (big guy) to make the hard choice...which inspires her to keep doing what's right. It's a beautiful circle of compassion & humanity!
Completely agree. Naomi is such a beautifully written and realized character. As you said, full of flaws but also housed in a place of such realism that we can easily relate to the struggle she's having with her decisions.
This episode really changed my outlook on not just Naomi but the Belters as a community. Their defiance in the face of death was so utterly inspiring, I actually struggle to find a moment, in any show or movie, that was more revelatory of an entire culture.
Simultaneously tragic, uplifting and ultimately beautiful.
Thank you so much for your support and insight, my friend, it is greatly appreciated!
Avasarala vs Bobby interactions can only be outshined by Bobby vs Cotyar interactions :)
The episode has a ton of epic scenes and a lot of stunning acting,
And scene 52 is hands down the most heart-breaking scene for me in the entire series.
Great episode, great reaction as always 🖖🤘
52 - one of the most memorable scenes in the show. (It's even more tragic when you think that if Melissa - a Belter - would belive Holden - an Earther - they could've saved more). Champa is so great in this, beautiful, memorable performance. That's what's so awesome about The Expanse - even the smallest characters are beautifully created, written and acted.
No small roles, only small actors.
Champa’s a big ‘un.
For how far he was down the rabbit hole, if it was for Holden they would all be dead. Alex is the one who changed Holden mind at the last minute, so Melissa was right in not trusting Holden, but wrong in not trusting Alex.
@@nokta7373 yeah, but eventually Roci did come back to the rescue, so that's that.
This episode is one of the reasons why the character Errinwright and his actor is one of my favorites of the show
Now! When you say Beltalowda, you'll always be holding back a tear!
To remember about Holden here is the he has been going through PTSD since Eros. They show it better in the books.
Don't get me started on the books. I'm sitting here with Leviathan in my passenger seat and I don't want to read it because I don't want it to end. The show is great but the books are astonishing excellent.
"This is the Warship Rocinante" - There's only two or three of these moments in the entire series but they are some of the best, when our crew does remind people that yes, the Rocinante is a Ship armed to the teeth and they are willing to throw that stuff in your face if you don't very carefully think about what you're doing next.
26:55 We all had that... Moment of Realization and i still absolutely love it to this day :P
The "52" gave me Titanic vibes. And sure enough there's actually a minor easter egg.
Melissa wears a Gemini 3 patch on her jacket, and in real life, NASA's Gemini 3's nickname was unfortunately, "Molly Brown".
Gus Grissom was the commander and jokingly named it as a reference to the Broadway musical, "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", which was based on the famous Titanic survivor. You might recall that Grissom's previous mission ended with his Mercury capsule sinking to the bottom of the ocean shortly after splashdown, so I guess he wanted a little luck this time.
The NASA directors weren't too happy with the name, but Grissom's alternate nickname was "Titanic", so they grudgingly allowed "Molly Brown". Also, as a result, this was the last time NASA allowed the crew to name the capsule, at least through the Apollo program.
I'd say Naomi is the "Molly Brown" in this episode by forcing Melissa's hand (and Amos') to bring aboard the survivors.
This episode holds several of my favorite moments in the whole show.
Bobby stuffing her mouth with cucmber-sandwiches, just hilarious. Errinwright's "Time is short and I'll be brief". Holden's "This is the warship Rocinante".
And most of all of course the final scenes with that local muscle Champa. No matter how many times I watch this episode, and I'm way over 20 and probably even over 30 now, this always makes me tear up.
I don't know of any other series with such great one episode characters than The Expanse.
I always enjoy the long form discussions at the end of your Expanse reviews. I like where your thoughts are going. And i cant wait for the culmination of seson three to shed (see what i did there?) even more light on the Proto-mystery.
When the authors of the novels, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, agreed to let there be a show based on the novels to be made. They had a couple of conditions; one, that they would be advisers to the writers of the show. two, in the writers room, only the best idea wins. I think that these were well conceived, and expertly executed conditions.
Ahhh 52 ❤ Holden had a bit of a captain Ahab moment here But I love this episode! The banter, the belter speach, our characters still trying to correct regrets they have from Eros. All amazing, every actor is perfect in their rolls.
“You’re not finished yet”
Oh boy… you have no idea….
This is one of those Episodes that hits the hardest :)
Great episode and great reaction. I loved the open-mouth shock to the final scene of the episode.
Let's just say that the protomolecule has a task that it's trying to accomplish. Its creators designed it for a fairly specific function.The Protogen hybrids have very little to do with that function.
Humans doin' what we do, we discover something miraculous and incomprehensible and the first thing we do with it is try to make the deadliest and most fucked-up weapon we can out of it. Bonus points for sacrificing children in the process.
It’s true man. I also got sentimental when I got older. Shed tears all the time watching quality media now and feel no shame for it. Better to feel it than suppress it like when we were young.
29:30 I agree with you that Holden is way off the ranch here, but it's worth pointing out that his apparent overreaction is partly due to adaptation. What we saw of Holden's experience on Eros was pretty bad already, but the show toned Eros *way* down compared to the book. Essentially, Eros broke Holden, and he's dealing with severe PTSD. The way he acts is a lot more understandable with that background, which is not made nearly as explicit in the show.
Remember, the Cant! Revere, the Rosci!
"Not my first rodeo" - whats great about this simple, generic throwaway line is that it does make sense for her to use this phrase in the context of the universe, since texan/southern culture is still big on Mars , hence Alex' accent.
Love Expanse day! 🩵
Your question about the good/bad of the protomolecule. Prax's line in this episode is food for thought, and remember what Solomon Epstein said - "that's the wonderful and terrible thing about technology: it changes everything". There's a great book line coming up about 3/4 the way through the next season - a piece of Holden internal monologue that doesn't get explicitly expressed in the TV show but there's a nod to it. It applies to your question too. Not going to spoil it. Somebody will most likely fill you in once you've seen that episode. Lots to look forwards to!
Tradition at this point to show up every thursday with a hot cup'o'coffee :)
I like watching reactions to this episode to see if the reactor notices what's happening in the final shot
When I said "you are not prepared", this is one of the things I was referring to...
Extra Expense episode next week for clicking a button that I would have already clicked? Sure!
Can we click it a bunch of times for even more episodes? Let me test that real quick.
Seen this a few times and the big fella's actions get me every time. 😥
Great episode, great reaction. Interesting thoughts on the protomolecule!
Yay for long episodes!
23:30 I mentioned a bunch of episodes ago that the show would wreck you over a character you had only met a few minutes prior. Well, this was it. I can guarantee you, no matter how often you rewatch this scene, it will still wreck you.
A bit before, you were expecting that the mob would rush him. That just means you don't fully understand beltalowda... yet. They have internalized the cold equations. 52 means 52, no ifs, ands, or buts. Survival of the group before survival of the individual. A ruckus at the dock means fewer people get saved.
Edit: 32:00 Okay, you do understand now.
There is a great book I recommend you read: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. The second part of the book is a bit controversial (I happen to like it a lot), but the first part is glorious hard sci-fi, all about the cold equations and the people willing to sacrifice themselves for the species.
It's not being old, WR; it's called "HEART." You have a big one.
The big guy on the docks is Champa. IMO, he's the BEST, most important, single-episode guest character on all of TV -- written and acted. And yes, it is definitely one of the most beautiful examples of what humanity CAN be or should be. I don't think anyone who loves The Expanse will forget Champa.
You mentioned once that you used to work in entertainment, and I would love to know what you used to do. Some of your comments about acting and camera work have me so curious. However, I'm only on Season 2, Epi, so you might have already told the story in one of the future episodes. I'll keep chugging along and see when it comes up. 😄
Welcome to team ABC (Avalasara, Bobbie, and Cotyar). I'd watch a show with just the 3 of them solving crimes 🤟😎
Holden always reminds me of Jack in Lost: this is my fault and I can fix this.
23:30 It's okay. I've lost track of how often I've seen Champa's speech, and I've never made it through with dry eyes 😢
Bobby loooooooooves cucumbers.
Excellent wrap up, too!
8 hours since posted, I'm "like" #333
Let's gooooo
I'd be worried if you didn't have an emotional reaction to the Naomi and belters scene. It's a powerful scene. Still is and I've seen it many times.
If you didn't feel the emotion I'd have to wonder if you weren't like Cortazar
...and here's the payoff... All the underdogs showing their resolve in the face of overwhelming force and privilege.
Can't assume the paths are the usual on the Expanse!!....re: Errinwright
As to emotional reactions - I seem to be more emotionally on edge with each passing year. I dread how I might respond in 10 years.
This episode is one of the greatest episodes put to TV. and it isn’t even the best episode of this story arc.
Hey @Warpreactor
Thanks for the great reaction again. Saw you are on season 3 ep 3 on Patreon so i am reminding you again that season 3 ep 5 and 6 are that second double episode and end of the book mid season.
Thank you for the reminder, my friend! Will definitely look to doubling those up as well!
The delay in reactions is driving me crazy. Omg
"You're not finished yet" is an act of kindness, but also a burden put upon Naomi. I choose to let you survive because I know you can make a greater contribution to the Belt than me, *but* I also let you survive because you have not yet balanced the scales for refusing to help more on Eros. Where Naomi ends up after the current crisis is resolved has so much to do with this moment.
I don't recall Naomi refusing at any point. She tried. Most people didn't want to go with them
Rifle is a tool, protomolecule is a tool, stick is a tool. And give monkey a stick and it will beat another monkey to death with it given enough time :P
In the book, Naomi is 2 meters tall and the "big guy" must be over 2,50. Bobby is also much bigger.
Beltaloada !!!
Sasake?
Yeeah this episode always gets me too
Again, every time I feel strong emotions in this show, and the 'Only 52' moment is one of them, I pay attention to the score. It's one of this show's secret weapons, so powerful and moving.
Loved this episode, but personally, I think the writing went a little too hard on Holden, his transition to Captain Ahab was pretty stark. The books of course had the time to make it more natural feeling. But the point was made, and he seemed to come down back from the edge, to someone we might recognize again.
Still overall, and incredibly strong episode. Champa strong!
PS - the look of surprise on Bobbie's face when Chrisjen says "get to the fucking point" was awesome.
I think there are enough breadcrumbs in the show to follow Holden's descent, fueled by survivor's guilt and PTSD. It starts way back on Eros, shooting not-quite-at Kenzo. Other highlights would be getting up in the night to go and execute Cortazar, his words about the shoot-out where Melissa's husband was shot, holding Naomi back when Amos attacked Chicken-Boy and denying medical aid to the protogen scientist lady.
The entirety of Frankie Adams' background acting with the cucumber sandwiches and Avasarala's snapping to interrupt JPM is priceless!
you completely underestimated Sadavir
Don't worry... that scene gets to me too.
20:21 Dude you’ve got a serious crush
Only 90 more likes!!! Lets do this!
Didn't happen...
@@Markus117d There's still time. First 48 hrs he said.
@madux42 Doh, Thought it was 24, lol.. Still probably won't get there sadly.. Going up to slowly.
Why and when did Erinwright decide not to kill himself but the Martian diplomat? Any idea?
Must have been earlier rather than later, wasn't the poison genetically targeted?
I don't think he ever did plan to kill himself. He was worried he'd end up stripped of power and in jail, disgraced - either if he didn't act, or he tried something and it failed. That's why the talk with his son and the letter to the ex-wife. Seems odd he would have chosen a poison that is generally targeted at people taking gravity drugs for himself. Also "Earth must come first". He truly believes that. Suicide gets him nowhere on that front.
I don’t think the suicide attempt was “real” other than accepting that if he had been caught poisoning Korshunov it would have ended… badly.
I suppose, he started doubting when he heard about Mao's invitation to Avasarala, and when he looked at the pill, he finally changed his mind and came up with the plan.
He never intended to kill himself. He said the enzyme he used to poison Korshunov could be genetically tailored to a single individual, and was specifically designed to debilitate soldiers who were taking drugs for gravity sickness. Obviously he's not taking drugs for gravity sickness so it wouldn't have worked on him anyways, but any Martian visiting Earth would be. There's also no reason he'd need to use a banned poison specifically designed for use against people on gravity drugs if he was going to kill himself. There's plenty of easier ways he could do that. Making it seem like he was contemplating suicide was just a red herring to throw the audience off before the big reveal of his plans later in the episode. As soon as he explained how the enzyme worked it was clear he never intended to kill himself. The chat with his son was because at that time he still thought he likely was going to end up in prison over Eros, and the letter to his wife later on was in case the assassination and/or strike on the Karakum didn't go according to plan and he got caught.
You honestly thought he’d top himself? Hahaha
here's a bit of a thinker... Naomi's choice about that sample will have repercussions for THOUSANDS of years... go chew on that...
I think you might be an episode ahead
I haven’t read the books yet so I don’t know fully what you’re referring to. I do know in the books Naomi’s decision is a group one. Either way, I think to reduce blame to one person is a very simplistic interpretation of the situation and absolves many other people from their decisions/contribution to the problem. It’s a series of events that the world may have reached in the same or similar way eventually. We know the sample was not the last one in the system.