#righteous Alex doesn’t work for Amos

[always-tilting-at-windmills]

Actually I think Amos’ problem is he doesn’t care about himself enough.

[prophecyread]

❛ &. ┊ CHARACTER INTERVIEW.   -- GET TO KNOW AMOS BURTON.

NAME.     Amos Burton.  (birth name Timothy ‘Timmy” Williams*.) NICKNAME ( S ).     I’m sure people call him plenty of things but not normally to his face (okay that’s not true plenty of them say things to his face but none that are friendly). AGE.     42. SPECIES.     Human.  

PERSONAL.

MORALITY.     Skewed.  Amos is extremely protective of children and in some cases, of those that are being victimized / abused but most especially, he will fight to the death (his or someone else’s) to protect someone who he sees as righteous or good.  His natural morality is very flat. He has a basic concept of right and wrong but doesn’t feel, ethically, morally, the weight of his own actions in most cases.  If someone needs their ass kicked then they need their ass kicked.  If someone needs killed, then kill them.  His first inclination is always to commit violence and backtrack later if he has to.  He acknowledges that he does not have a good grasp of what he should do in a lot of situations that revolve around moral decisions, and he gravitates towards people whose judgment he trusts, someone who is good, or at least good-hearted and will look to them to know whether or not he should kill someone (unless there’s just no time in which he almost always will err on the side of protecting his crew / his north star etc.).  He doesn’t overtly cheat or scam people, he won’t pass up the opportunity for a quick buck but in the end he is fine with working his way through life for what he needs (which isn’t much).  He’s very zen in a lot of ways.  Doesn’t need stuff, doesn’t need money, isn’t going to take from someone who needs it and he is self sacrificing in a lot of ways but he’s also going to do everything he can to keep himself alive and in one piece until he isn’t.  He knows death is inevitable, he knows that he’s a tiny cog in the system, and there are those who he would die for if it meant they’d survive, or have a chance at survival they wouldn’t otherwise.

RELIGION.     He doesn’t follow any set religion.  He doesn’t really believe in any single ‘super power’ or ‘super entity’ but he knows common facts and philosophies or whatever religions are around, not enough to argue or debate or quote or anything.  He’d probably be the type that if he met God would just give him / her the bird and tell him to go fuck himself / herself.

SINS.     greed  /  gluttony  /  sloth  /  lust  /  pride  /  envy  /  wrath. 

VIRTUES.     chastity  /  charity  /  diligence  /  humility  / kindness  /  patience /  justice.                   italicized meaning i suppose it depends on your pov & his mood.

SECRETS.     Well.  First and foremost his identity is a fake.  When he was (around?) 15 he was working for a mob boss by the name of Amos Burton. (Burton’s legal record was spotless etc.; it was a forged identity that the mob boss used as his legal cover as I believe he himself was an unregistered birth.) When it came time for Amos (actually Timmy at the time) to kill his life long friend Eric (to keep Eric from spilling secrets to the cops because his computer & dna & fingerprints etc. were found at a crime scene and the mob boss didn’t want to risk that information or any other information Eric knew getting compromised) Amos was prepared to do it, until his companion Lydia had a heart to heart about him, about what kind of person that would let Amos turn Timmy into etc.  In the end he knew if he wanted to keep Eric (and himself & Lydia) alive he would have to kill Amos, and so he did, killing a few bodyguards & the boss.  To show his thanks, Eric tweaked Amos’ identity and gave it to Timmy (now our Amos) giving him the chance to actually make something out of his life and hacking the lottery system so that Amos’ identity was ‘randomly’ selected for job training that would get him off world.

PHYSICAL.

BUILD.     scrawny  /  bony  /  slender  / fit / athletic  / curvy  /  herculean  /  pudgy  /  average. 

HEIGHT.     5 ft 11″ 

SCARS  /  BIRTHMARKS.     Honestly more scars than I can probably recount.  He’s always getting stabbed, shot, what have you.  Right lower leg has a scar from a compound break, left shoulder has a gunshot through and through scar, and those are just a couple I can think of on quick recall from the show.  I’ll try and do a more thorough analysis later.

ABILITIES  /  SKILLS.     First and foremost he is extremely skilled in mechanical repair and some engineering skills to maintain space ships, engines, any large machinery in general, whatever machinery those basic knowledge translate to.  He’s decently read, he can draw though it’s not something he spends a lot of time or energy on, he’s a pretty darn good cook when he bothers / has the ingredients he needs and he is versed and capable in extremely advanced mathematics.  He’s also extremely proficient with ranged weaponry, for zero-g and normal gravity and is decent with blades but he usually just goes for whatever’s hand and his fists.  He’s extremely adept at hand to hand / fisticuffs / wrestling whatever you want to call it, even against others trained in physical combat he usually is faster or just flat out stronger.  He can definitely take a beating and keep ticking. Basic knowledge of first aid, enough to maybe keep somebody from bleeding out etc.  Knowledge of explosives for a multitude of purposes including precision explosives for breaking up debris and asteroids etc.  Is extremely, extremely good at reading the room, reading people, seeing through bullshit and false personas and is generally hard to fool outright.  He’s also an extremely learned, non-judgmental  and proficient lover.

PREFERENCES.

FOOD.     Anything real.  Cheese, meat, eggs, milk, fruit.

DRINK.     Anything alcoholic.

COLOUR.     Black.

MUSIC  GENRE.     Anything with a good beat.

BOOK  GENRE.     Not overly picky but does have a slight lean towards anything fictional, anything with monsters, redemption, fantasy.

TV  /  FILM  GENRE.     Doesn’t really watch movies.  Probably default is action.

CURSE  WORD.    Shit.

SCENTS.     Jasmine.  

TAGGED  BY.  @asynjja TAGGING. @magicandsciencemuses (lena or anyone that amos should get to know more about! karen?) @jestersmuses - alex, miller, anderson, any other expanse muse you have! @asteroidborn @quixoticcaptain @wanderingguest - mei, bobbie, prax.  @notthescarsyoucansee (android!anna and/or android!jade)

[jamesholden]

first aid

I said I would write a fic of Naomi helping Holden clean up after getting his face busted and so here it is. It’s kind of a reflection on where Naomi was and is at over what’s been happening and this beginning of a thaw from him and I missed finishing something about these two that’s short so here we go. it’s a mix between missing scene and changed context of a scene. I also included one of my favorite small Nolden interactions from the books heheheh. 

super special thanks to @thetruecaptain for reading through it and taking many excerpts and giving me insight i didn’t think of to develop some of the internalized bits. Also teaching me what grin actually means.

You can also find it on AO3, where you can leave a review if you so feel.

Thanks! Enjoy!

“Ow.”

Naomi’s heading back to Ops when she hears it. A pitiful groan and a heavy sigh coming from the med bay. Sounds she’s heard before from the same room. In the same voice. Her chest tightens.

A few weeks previously, Naomi wouldn’t hesitate to step into Holden’s least favorite room on the Roci to help erase his pain. After the days of his recovery from Eros, the terrifying hours of unconsciousness after the monster attack… her first instinct had always been to make sure he’s okay. But with this rift between them, hurt she can’t fix with a bandage or medication… there’s a hesitation. She’s a bit ashamed of it, of the small voice telling her not to help him. After everything that happened with the Kittur survivors, it has gotten quieter. But it’s still there. The walls he built between them made it too strong to completely erase.

Jim curses softly, a hiss barely audible over the hum of the Roci. The Pinus Contorta. Still loud enough to drown out that small voice. She takes a breath and steps into the med bay.

He doesn’t notice her. He’s sat in one of the chairs—the one he’s almost died in twice—with a mirror pulled right up to his face, studying the bloody mess of his nose.

When Jim had stepped onto Ops, rifle in hand and cold anger writ plain on his face, worry had battled with relief in Naomi’s mind. His voice had been rough, thick. Blood coated his chin, his lips, the tip of his nose. She’d been held in place by a Martian child as a shield but it had been Jim she was worried about. She’d heard him telling Amos what had happened as he helped Bobbie with Alex in the immediate aftermath. That he’d taken multiple punches to the face grappling with the Martian who had been in the other chair until they moved him to a bunk to get proper rest. Jim had waited until Alex had been tended to until taking care of his bloody, bruised mess of a face.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

It isn’t until Jim pulls the mirror away from his face, staring at her, that she realizes she’d spoken. She swallows, waiting for him to clear his throat, turn away, ignore her. But he doesn’t. He just stares, brows drawing together in confusion. Naomi’s lips twitch and she shrugs.

“Saving people. You just can’t stop yourself.”

Jim blinks, relaxes back into the chair. All the air seems to leave him. All the tension. Naomi’s heart hammers in her chest. She has his attention. He isn’t shrugging her off. He isn’t ignoring her. He’s waiting. Listening. For the first time in weeks, hope unfurls in her heart.

Naomi had been hurt, but not surprised by his outburst in Ops, before the attempted mutiny. His quiet in the weeks since she’d told him had been almost worse than if he’d yelled at her. At least then she would have had an idea of what he had been feeling. From the beginning, he hadn’t done a single thing that threw what she’d done in her face at her, even when he told her to take the Razorback. It had to come to an end eventually. Trust for Jim has become a raw nerve. Nearly as much as the protomolecule had been.

Naomi had scorned Jim on Tycho, back when—unknowingly —he’d done the same thing she had. He’d hidden what Cortazar knew. He’d planned to kill him. His motivation for doing so has been weak. But he’d told her. He’d told her as soon as she knew. She’d projected her anxiety and fear and frustration at him for silencing her, for forcing her to hide the protomolecule, onto an omission he’d owned up to. He had no idea. And he’d promised not to do so again.

Naomi hadn’t trusted Jim with the same truth. She hadn’t trusted him and Alex and Amos to make the right decision with their sample. How could she? They had no idea what it was like to live on the end of the Inner’s gun, waiting for the hammer to fall on the Belters who just wanted to live and work. They’d never understand and they hadn’t even tried to. So she couldn’t trust that he’d been right. She couldn’t trust him. And she hid it.

Naomi had played him a simulation and let him believe that she’d done what they’d agreed on for weeks. She’d deceived him. No matter how justified her reasoning, no matter how strongly she knows she’d made the right decision… She'd deceived him to his face and hid the truth for weeks. That she didn’t tell him any part of what she’d done or why until she’d almost lost him makes it worse for her.

Jim had been so… angry. Determined. Righteous. So set on his course that nothing any of them had done would have set him off it. He’d just rolled over all of them more than once. So many times Naomi thought she could tell him. After Tycho, until he told off Fred and got them kicked off station. As they toured the devastation of Ganymede, until he’d let Amos beat that hacker. When she was planning to leave him to help Melissa, until he let that scientist die. She’d been steamrolled before. She’s been treated like her feelings, her beliefs don’t matter. Even though Jim hadn’t been that man, it sent her back to places she’d never wanted to see again. So she didn’t tell him. In case he was that man.

When she finally got to see the man she’d… When she finally saw the Jim she’d known, it was too late. She’d already done it. And when she’d almost lost him, to a fucking crushed leg and a fucking protomolecule monster—knowing that he almost died alone with the thing he feared most again—and he still hadn’t known… she told him.

That is what hurts him. That’s what exposed the nerve. That Jim doesn’t know if she ever would have told him the truth otherwise. That’s what really hurts her. That she doesn't know either.

Before Naomi can think about it, she’s crossing the room. The coppery scent of his blood and the blood of those Martian kids clogs her own nose. She still walks with a hesitation, slowly moving closer to him. She watches his face. The confusion slips, but he doesn’t move. He still waits. When she’s in front of him, she slips her hands under his jaw, tips his head up. His eyes widen, but he doesn’t pull away from her touch. Naomi’s heart beats faster. She avoids his eyes for the moment, taking in the damage the Martian had done to him.

Despite her pressing that nerve and him snapping at her, when they’d needed him, when she needed him… Jim still came. And when the ensign had let her go, she’d run to him. Stood behind him absorbing every threat he threw at them if they’d hurt Alex. But he hadn’t carried any of them out. He’d let Bobbie get through to them. Part of her wondered if he’d even loaded the rifle, with the alert sent out to Amos. He isn’t the ruthless man he’s played at after Eros. He isn’t a cold murderer. He isn’t manipulative, self-serving. He isn’t the man she was afraid he was becoming. The man that dark voice tried to convince her he is.

He’s still just Jim. He still saved them. Still saved her.

Naomi meets his eyes again. “Thank you.”

Jim gazes up at her. Slowly, he softens. He shoulders relax. Even his mouth—lips colored dark red by flaking blood—relaxes, opening as if he’s about to say something. He tilts his head in her hands, studies her face.

The corners of his lips quirk ever so slightly. Not quite a smile. But something still… tender. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Naomi’s heart stops. Her breath hitches. It’s… more than she expected. She hadn’t expected much at all, but… His words had been barely more than a whisper, but they’d been filled with so much emotion that they resonated in the quiet med bay and her own mind. That dark voice rallies against it. She smiles back at him, just a bit wider than he had.

He’s just saying that, the voice says, faded more than the whispers off Eros. That’s what they do, charm you back to them. Why are you giving him a chance to hurt you again?

Because I love him. Her tone is defiant. Confident. This is Jim and Jim isn’t him and I love him and I think he still loves me.

The voice shrinks back. And goes away. She can breathe now. She can focus.

“Let’s survey the damage then.”

The Martian Jim had wrestled with had done his best to reconfigure Jim’s face. He hadn’t come out nearly as bloody as Jim, but given that he’d lost the fight, Naomi can forgive it. She carefully turns Jim’s face this way and that, trying to ignore the burn of his eyes on her. His nose is swollen, the dark bruising and blood a macabre contrast to his pale skin.

“How many hits did he land?”

Jim sighs. “Two direct hits. He had good aim for someone punching over his shoulder while getting choked out.”

Aside from the “clogged-nose” quality of his voice, he sounds a little fuzzy, likely a mix of exhaustion and pain medication that she’s heard in his voice before. A pang hits her chest at the thought. Would he ever get to rest without some sort of injury involved? Not that an injury has ever actually stopped him before. Death couldn’t stop him. But she drowns that thought in his current, relatively minor injury.

Naomi hums, her thumbs moving up to press gently against the bridge of his nose. Jim hisses. “Sorry,” she whispers, but Jim shakes his head just enough to not dislodge her hands.

“It’s nothing I haven’t done myself,” he attempts to assure her, another small smile lighting his bloody face. “What’s the verdict?”

Naomi releases him, the med bay air cooling the warmth his skin left behind on her palms. “It’s definitely broken, which I think you’ve likely guessed.” She turns to the table beside his chair, tearing open a pack of cleaning wipes. “It’ll be crooked without some cosmetic surgery. But you were too pretty before anyway. It’ll give your face more character.”

Jim laughs, something he immediately regrets based on the hitch in his breathing and the soft “ouch” he utters under his breath. Naomi smiles. She takes a wipe out of the pack and turns back to him. His eyes are back on her face. She gestures up. “All right, Captain. Let’s get you cleaned up and somewhat presentable.”

Jim gets the hint and tips his head up. Naomi takes his jaw in her hand and starts cleaning around his mouth and chin. She’d rather give the painkillers a little more time to kick in before prodding at his nose again. She’s still careful, mindful of any other bruising or cuts hidden beneath the blood. Pouring every ounce of affection she’s had to hold back into this now familiar routine. She glances up at his face to find his eyes closed, his face completely relaxed.

Trusting her completely.

She resists the part of her that wants to lean in and kiss him, blood be damned. He might not be ready, and pushing it won’t get them anywhere. She’ll take what he’s ready to give, and give him everything he’ll take.

It takes two wipes to clean the lower half of Jim’s face. It’s likely it’ll take a good shower or a fresh shave to get all of it, but she’ll leave that to him. Jim flinches at the first touch to his nose. Naomi shushes him, brushes her thumb along his jawline. He sighs. Nods. She sets to work. She puts absolute care into wiping away the blood without pressing hard enough to hurt. It’s so red that for a moment she scrubs at a spot that’s already clean because she couldn’t tell the colors apart. She uses an extra wipe to dab the lines of both cheeks before pulling back to take a look at her work.

“You’re going to have some nasty bruises and discoloration for a few days,” she muses. He blinks his eyes open, and she gives him a smile and taps his jaw. “But for now, you’re fine. If anything changes...”

Naomi winces and trails off. Let me know. She isn’t sure he will. She isn’t sure he’ll take care of himself at all outside of injecting painkillers and drinking coffee, let alone as her to take care of him. She turns away, tossing the soiled wipes in the recycler and moving to wash his blood off her hands. She nearly jumps when she hears his voice.

“I’ll let you know.”

Naomi takes a breath and glances at him over her shoulder. She catches his eyes on her just as he’s averting his gaze, moving to stand. Caught, even if he doesn’t know it. “Do you… want me to help you to your cabin?” Our cabin.

Jim pauses, considering. But when he looks at her he looks apologetic. “No, thank you. I’m fine. I think Avasarala wants me in the galley for something anyway.”

The expression on his face, the genuineness in his “I’m fine” compared to the hostile, shutting out tone he’d used about his leg, keeps her heart from sinking. It’s still something. There’s still hope. That, and the mention of their VIP passenger raises bitterness in her instead. “Well, when her highness has finished with you, get some rest. Okay?”

She expects him to roll his eyes. To huff and tell her to be nice and leave. But he smiles.

“You got it. I’ll get some rack time in. You do the same.”

With that Jim leaves, his boots scuffing down the corridor to the ladder.

Naomi stares at the spot he’s vacated for a solid minute before actually moving to the sink. Yes, there’s hope. And she’s going to hang onto that for a while. It’s all she has left.

For now.

[tvserieshub]

In my last reviewcap, I actually didn’t recap. But, I’ve decided to return to that format. In this episode, the moral is beware what you create. Errinwright was useful to Avasarala her entire career, until he wasn’t. She was right that he was a powerful, determined man, but she seems to have underestimated his willingness to go the full distance, including murdering his Russian UN counterpart and arranging to kill his mentor! Naomi has carried the guilt of leaving the Eros survivors behind and is finally compelled to take action to help clear her conscience. She’s also pretty determined. Holden continued to demonstrate his single-minded determination to eliminate the living hybrid protomolecule, although others around him are becoming aware there has to be more of this stuff. We see the true spirit of the Belters in the decisions necessary to evacuate from Ganymede.

The reviewcap begins here.

Sadavir Errinwright (Shawn Doyle) is using some way old-fashioned tech to shave. (I’m presuming a preference rather than that dipilators don’t exist in this time frame and this also shows in his choice of using a fountain pen to write with). He’s mentally replaying his defense of his actions to Avasarala, and what he perceives as her betrayal. He meets with his son, Jefferson (Gage Munroe), who asks whether Errinwright’s monsters in his sleep were real or imaginary. Errinwright is scaring his son in his attempts to have a heart-to-heart. His son says he doesn’t have nightmares (yet). He advises his son to follow his heart, because that will always be the right call.

In orbit around Ganymede, the Roci glides, hunting for the critter, but the Roci is in stealth mode. Alex (Cas Anvar) says if it really is a human-protomolecule hybrid, they have no future. Alex locates Protomolecule Man (PM) (“acted” by Elias Toufexis) and Holden (Steven Strait) asks for weaponry to be transferred to him. Prax (Terry Chen) looks at a handheld which contains information about “Project Caliban.” Prax implores Holden to not kill PM, because (i) he is still (of course) thinking of his child and (ii) he’s a researcher, so he’s curious about it, as well. Holden doesn’t appreciate being talked down to because he wants to kill it, and says that Prax would feel differently if he had been at Eros. Alex warns Holden that if they are sighted, they will be destroyed. They wait a few minutes and Holden insists that Alex get them to the Ag dome immediately. At the UN, Errinwright and Avasarala (Shohreh Agdashloo) meet. It’s clear that Errinwright is being sacrificed and he’s unhappy about what his son will think of him. He hands his medal to Avasarala, instructing her to give it to his son. Avasarala lays out all the good that he’s done, sure that it will help to shield him. Avasarala asks Sadavir if he’s really convinced Mars would use the weapon against the Earth and he sincerely says he’s convinced. He heads into the meeting. Back on the ship, Melissa (Valerie Buhagiar) is working to get the Somnambulist returned to working order to rescue as many Belters off of Ganymede as possible. She asks a big dude to help corral all the people. He asks what’s in it for him, and she offers him passage. Naomi (Dominique Tipper) and Amos (Wes Chatham) (looking a lot worse for wear with a bloody bandage) tell Melissa that they don’t want passage, just to help her fix her ship. Melissa calls them “shit magnets,” but allows them to come with her. (In her defense, they kinda are!) On the ship, Naomi is horrified that some tech guy is actually making things worse, and she takes over the repair. Bobbie (Frankie Adams) investigates Avasarala’s room, while she waits for her when Cotyar (Nick Tarabay) comes in. Cotyar gives Bobbie a hard time for betraying her oath. Bobbie tells him she’s never initiated a fight, but burn her and hers and she’ll go through him like a door. This clearly impresses him. They exit to go meet Avasarala on a shuttle. Avasarala is exceptionally snarky and Cotyar tells her he was making sure they didn’t lose their luggage. I love that as badass as Avasarala is, Cotyar pretty much gives as good as he gets. They have a great relationship. Avasarala looks absolutely ill. It’s clear she does NOT relish space flight. After some repartee, Bobbie asks WHY she is there. Avasarala says there are still Martians at the UN and she wants to make sure Bobbie’s safe. “I am not a fragile flower.” Conveniently, Bobbie and Cotyar can save Avasarala’s ass if need be. And, thus is born ABC. (I favored Bobbicotsarala, but ABC IS undeniably a briefer acronym.) I love the little smirk on Bobbie’s face at Avasarala’s discomfort. Avasarala knows that Jules-Pierre Mao will never voluntarily leave Earth to not return (Earth’s real gravity).

Sadavir pens a letter to his son, urging him to understand that he’s doing what he thinks is right. I think it’s interesting that Sadavir’s son’s name is Jefferson (rather than, say, Lincoln). Back on the Roci, Holden, Alex and Prax chase the PM into a tunnel. Alex doesn’t like the clearance, but Holden is determined. They shoot at the PM, but miss. Alex points out that it might be luring them in, but Holden will not concede. The folks outside the Somnambulist are panicking and angry because they can’t breathe. A scuffle breaks out and Melissa and Amos retreat back in to the ship. Amos, clearly hurting, needs a shot of pain relief and Naomi keeps the injector with her. Melissa let’s them know that the station’s air refiller no longer works, so they only have enough air for 52 people. The radios are jammed, so they can’t get help. Naomi suggests loading the ship up and rendezvousing with the Roci, but Melissa won’t risk overloading in case Holden doesn’t come back. Naomi says they aren’t leaving all those people. Sadavir and Korshunov (Jeff Seymour) share a drink over having NOT actually signed a peace treaty. Korshunov is adamant that Mars won’t until Bobbie is returned. Errinwright says that she was a witness to a technology that has to be shared between both major powers. (At least Korshunov got some damn fine Scotch before what’s coming). MCRN is sending a ship to evacuate the lab (and retrieve the Protomolecule research and “stuff”). Holden points out that now Mars has the Protomolecule. Alex objects and we  finally see a bit of origins division (Earth vs. Mars) in the Roci crew resurface, it’s been awhile.

On the Somnambulist, the crowd tries to convince the Big Guy (Champa, played by Gugun Deep Singh) that Melissa is playing them.

Korshunov tries to explain that not all new technology is or has to be a weapon. But, Sadavir makes a point of showing Korshunov that apparently that is how humans are built. If you give an ape a stick, for sure the first thing it would do would be to kill another ape. Power corrupts. Korshunov collapses and they pan to the drink, but Sadavir picks up Korshunov’s drink, downs it and says “no, it was 186 minutes ago” that the poison was administered. Errinwright describes a lethal genetically-modified poison designed to target people, and how it was banned, and yet – it’s still around and available to kill. Korshunov’s pad beeps announcing the arrival of the Karakum to Ganymede, and Sadavir leaps into action pretending to save Korshunov. As Avasarala’s shuttle arrives, Cotyar pulls out a handgun, which Bobbie promptly derides. Cotyar notes this is how he survived and, in response to Bobbie’s question, he admits he was involved in intelligence. As they trade barbs – we discover that Cotyar says he was responsible for getting Avasarala’s son killed. Bobbie looks shocked.

They board the Guanshiyin, Mao’s gorgeous ship. They are offered cucumber sandwiches, which Bobbie unrestrainedly enjoys. Avasarala with typical bluntness, tells Mao (Francois Chau) to get to the point. On the Roci, Alex tells Holden that the coms have gone nuts because the Karakum has literally gone dead. He says he thinks someone blew it up. On the Somnambulist, “Big Guy” is frustrated with the panicked behavior of the Belters. Parts of the Karakum begin to strike the Ganymede station, causing panic and Melissa orders Naomi to take off. Amos tells her that he understands why Naomi wants to stay but Melissa is right. Mao tells Avasarala that if they stop ruining his family’s name and release them, he’ll consider giving them access to the technology that now is going to be in Martian hands. Avasarala points out that he can’t be loyal to both and he’ll of course benefit by being the ultimate controller of the technology. A tightbeam transmission arrives for both Mao and Avasarala. It’s Errinwright, who says that Korshunov is dead and that the Karakum has been blown up and HE gave the order. And, he can kill Mao and Avasarala RIGHT THEN. He says only two men could protect Mao, and Korshunov is now dead. He then turns his righteous wrath to Avasarala, castigating her because she drilled it into him that Earth must come first, but now she is groveling at the feet of Mars. Her betrayal is his worst hurt. He instructs Jules to return to Earth – ALONE – and get the fuck back to work. The message is clear. Kill ABC. When the message is done, everyone leaps into action, guns drawn. Bobbie protects Avasarala and one of Jules’ guards takes him and they withdraw into an elevator. On the Somnambulist, Naomi wants to go talk to the people – she still feels extreme guilt over leaving the people at Eros, although she had no choice. Amos tries to stop her and she tranks him, and he looks shocked at her action as he sags into his chair. Naomi opens the door to the crowd. They rush in and Big Guy practically chokes out Naomi. She explains what’s going on with the oxygen. Once he understands, he shoos everyone out. He delivers a stirring speech and calls on their BELTERHOOD. And, they respect him. One of the saddest scenes is him putting Naomi in the ship’s airlock with the other passengers, in his place. This was heartbreaking, but they were so faithful.

On the Roci, Alex sees that the Somnambulist is in trouble, and he tells Holden that they MUST go. The Martians launch a torpedo and after a very tense few moments, the Roci clears the horizon and detonates the torpedo. Holden has Alex basically paint EVERYONE around and tells them if they bug the Somnambulist they will feel the full arsenal up their ass. Alex says someone will test this, but Holden says, no, they are saving their weaponry for each other, and he’s right. On the Somnambulist, Melissa tells Naomi that she did good today, and she did. The very last thing you see, as the Roci escorts the Somnambulist is blue shit in the cargo hold!!

Grade: A-

This episode marked the forging and severing of relationships. Errinwright and Avasarala are clearly done, after all, he implicitly orders her death, and in his eyes, she has betrayed both him AND Earth. Naomi and Melissa bond, with Melissa overcoming her original outrage (even though in my opinion, Melissa’s husband was dead either way, the Roci crew just actually saved her and the Somnambulist). A particularly tender moment was the moment when the Belters were left behind, and were exceptionally civilized. This reminded me of the airlock scene with the FIRST group of Belters evacuated from Ganymede. Pretty stark contrast in behavior, but the emotion was equally wrenching. We witnessed the cementing of Bobbicotsarala, and I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions throughout the show. These actors clearly like each other.

Next episode (and season finale): “Caliban’s War” aired on April 19, 2017 at 10 p.m. on Syfy

The Expanse (S02E12) “The Monster and the Rocket” In my last reviewcap, I actually didn't recap. But, I've decided to return to that format. In this episode, the moral is beware what you create.

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How do you follow a episode that could have been a season finale based on its strength? You begin, in earnest, to pursue the story arc of the next book that your series is based upon. And, you throw in the origin story of the space engine drive that makes this intrastellar travel possible (and opened up the possibility of generational interstellar travel). Some have called this episode a filler episode, but that is a function of handling the emotions of “Home” and the unexpected loss of a major character. This episode features one of the best take-downs of an arrogant politician ever scripted and delivered.

Here’s the reviewcap.

The opening recap focuses on the amazing episode “Home.” We open on Mars, with narration of a man who bought a second-hand yacht to tinker with. The pilot was tinkering to improve fuel efficiency. Since he was having difficulty with the voice command interface, he disabled it. “The rest, I guess, is history.” This is Solomon Epstein (Sam Huntington) and we are viewing the story of his invention of the Epstein Drive.

The UN struggles to understand what happened with Eros, how it moved and what happened to it. They note that whatever Eros is, it’s the greatest technological leap since the Epstein Drive. Clearly control of this is essential. Dr. Iturbi (Ted Whittall) joins the council. Avasarala notes that since everyone with any specific knowledge of Eros has gone silent, they will have to be insightful on their own. They plan to investigate Venus to see if there are Eros remains. The council notes they’ve aborted 121 of the nuke missiles and are trying to identify the fate of the rest.

Holden (Steven Strait) sends a message to his mom about his not running from the fight and how he has someone special. Although Holden wonders, Naomi (Dominique Tipper) says she doesn’t think Miller ever left the room where they found Julie, so he was ok never leaving Eros. Cue the fantastic scene where Holden and Naomi tell Alex (Cas Anvar) and Amos (Wes Chatham) that they are having sex. Turns out Amos and Alex had a bet, and Amos won. (Although Amos says Naomi is like a sister, he also says “he’d do her if he could.” Much needed levity.)

Alex pulls Holden aside and they note that nearly 30 nukes are unaccounted for. An unsettling thought. (We see the missiles being captured by a net).

THE EXPANSE — “Paradigm Shift” Episode 206 — Pictured: (l-r) Steven Strait as Earther James Holden, Cas Anvar as Alex Kamal — (Photo by: Rafy/Syfy)

Solomon is unsuccessfully trying to cut off his drive. The increasing Gs make it impossible for him to reach the emergency cutoff. He realizes that if he can’t shut off the drive, he will be crushed to death.

Avasarala (Shohreh Agdashloo) is having dinner with Dr. Iturbi, and she makes it clear that dinner is ALL that it is. She asks why Dr. Iturbi didn’t speak at all during the UN meeting and he explains that it was because of what he has reasoned is happening. He points out that Colonel Janus (Conrad Pla) thinks Eros is a Martian weapon. But, Iturbi points out that it does not make sense that they would test a weapon in an area which is a biohazard area, and he concludes that perhaps the entirety of Eros is their first contact with alien life. Avasarala discusses how she has a 900-page file on what to do in case of a war with Mars. Her plan in case of alien first-contact is 3 pages long and Step One is “Find God.” Iturbi says that he needs to get to Venus, and he’ll be her direct unfiltered contact.

The crew of the Roci meets a hero’s welcome back at Tycho, where Diogo (Andrew Rotilio) is relaying how Miller (Thomas Jane) told him that he was “the future” against a backdrop of a Miller mural. Holden and Naomi explain their nuke concerns to Fred Johnson (Chad Coleman). Johnson and Drummer (Cara Gee) confess that when they got the codes, they disabled the abort codes and overrode the drives, and they need help getting them back to the station. Johnson says that they have no specific plans, but the nukes can be useful. Holden wants to let Earth know that Eros is alien, but Johnson doesn’t want to tell them because he thinks if Earth panics, Belters lose.

Alex is now a chick-magnet because of his story. The boyfriend of one of the groupies arrives and starts slapping her around, Alex goes after the boyfriend and gets slammed into the bar. Amos shows up out of nowhere and puts a serious beat-down on the boyfriend, shocking Alex. Turns out that Amos lives next to the bar.

Johnson tells Holden that he is wondering what they were doing when they cut the motor for 5 hours on their way to Eros. Holden reassures Johnson that they were dealing with some stuff (spacing Semetimba). Johnson tells Holden he’s going to have to pick a side.

Epstein is amazed at the improvement in efficiency, and how long the yacht would keep going, and unsuccessfully tries to use his handheld. The numbers are stunning.

We see Cortazar (Carlos Gonzalez-Vio) intensely listening and working on calculations.

Naomi suggests that they tell everyone about Miller and Julie (Florence Faivre), and feels at least releasing this story gives some credit to Miller. Johnson agrees to do this.

The Roci team discusses their concern about Fred and what to do about the protomolecule sample. The Roci crew suddenly devolves into their original factions. Alex wants Mars to have it, Amos doesn’t. Holden wants to destroy it. Naomi doesn’t want to destroy it because she thinks that there might be another sample. Holden thinks there isn’t. He thinks they can permanently kill it and Amos agrees. They all seem to agree. We see Naomi by herself at a station launch a torpedo. Holden arrives and we see Naomi launch a torpedo. Draw your own conclusions…

Epstein uses his last few minutes to regret his lost future with Katy, his wife, but also to think about the profound changes this drive will mean for Mars. Because he’s a Martian, first and foremost. The ship will be the first interstellar ship, but Epstein won’t appreciate it.

We switch to Ganymede and Bobbie (Frankie Adams) with her crew. They discuss how well-armed the Earth UN troops are. Lieutenant Sutton (Hugh Dillon) is discussing that they need to be careful because things are so tense between Earth and Mars. Avasarala arrives in Errinwright’s office to have Errinwright (Shawn Doyle) contact Mao and tells Errinwright that they need Mao’s info. She says if Mao cooperates he can keep some of the life he’s known, confirming she’s willing to cut a deal. We find out that Mao has two sons and another daughter that he adores (store this fact in your show memory for the future).  Avasarala ever so casually says to let them know that if they can’t help, she will rain hellfire down on their family. She says she can because she’s the “fucking hero who saved Mother Earth from the cataclysm that Mao unleashed.” She says the only reason the corporations think they can get away with this is because they think there is some government officials looking for a fat payoff, but AVASARALA is NOT. She will utterly destroy their family. “Make sure you tell them that.”

Fantastic, grade A writing and acting.

I will rain hellfire down on them

Make sure you tell them that

Back on Tycho, Amos is “fixing” the Martian flag (to show the destruction of the moon Deimos). Alex sees this and is unhappy. Amos clarifies that he classifies Alex as someone he needs to protect, which makes Alex mad. He points out that he sacrificed a breaching pod with 25 people to save Amos and says he can handle himself.

THE EXPANSE — “Paradigm Shift” Episode 206 — Pictured: (l-r) Cas Anvar as Alex Kamal, Wes Chatham as Amos Burton — (Photo by: Rafy/Syfy)

Naomi meets with Drummer, who is working to disarm the missiles. Naomi provides a suggestion and notes that Belters have to stick together. We see an ID, and it’s a Epstein Drive. There was a lot of actual Belter conversation in this episode, both in the bar on Tycho and between Naomi and Drummer. Nick Farmer has done a sterling job with the Belter language in this show. This past few weeks, Nick provided quite a lot of information on Twitter about how the Belter language is structured. You can follow him here on Twitter (@Nfarmerlinguist). These snippets translate the “hottie” argument in the bar and what Drummer and Naomi say.

Back on Ganymede, the Martians continue to patrol. Because the Overwatch ship will be in Ganymede’s shadow and will be out of visual range for 45 minutes, the Lieutenant gives instructions to the team to avoid provocation. They see a drone, and identify that it isn’t Martian or armed. Alarms go off and Bobbie reports that six soldiers appear to be charging them. We see ships firing and the huge Ganymede mirror is destroyed. Cut off, Bobbie instructs her now radio-dead team that if the UN marines break the line, the Martian marines are to shoot. All hell is breaking loose, and Commander Sutton is killed. The Martian marines are devastated and Bobbie, whose suit is damaged, sees a humanoid creature with a blue glow staring down at her. This was a great representation of the chaos which happens during battles, where no one knows what is going on or who started it.

Grade: A

An unsung episode, with some great action and information, it will be appreciated later. We find out about how the Epstein Drive was developed but also about how it was a paradigm shift in the relationship between Earth and Mars. This highlights the current apparent paradigm shift which is happening, but not everyone is aware of it. The episode illustrates just how tribal human beings are, and how little it takes for even a close team to devolve back into factions. We get great insight into Avasarala’s ability to discern the big picture, her fear AND her righteous anger at people who would sacrifice humanity for the sake of profit. We see cracks appear in close relationships. And, some decisions being made which will have profound consequences for future events. And, grab your hats, the Ganymede storyline is great. Have a slug of ProtoGin on me.

Next episode: “The Seventh Man” airs on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 10 pm on Syfy

The Expanse (S02E06) “Paradigm Shift” How do you follow a episode that could have been a season finale based on its strength?