Amos returns to Baltimore with Clarissa. On Luna, Avasarala's alliances begin to shift. Alone and adrift, Naomi becomes a deadly lure.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Amazon's The Expanse.
"Hard Vacuum" was written by Dan Nowak and directed by Marisol Adler
Society has been divided between Earth, Mars and the Belt for centuries. And now, each of these factions of humanity may be gone. They may have all fallen with the destruction Marco brought. Some people are aware of this. The cause that they fought so fiercely for has now evaporated. A new world order has arisen. One where these divisions are gone. It just happens to be a result of mass genocide. Marco killed millions on Earth. He grabbed this power for himself. The politic leaders still find hope and comfort in their respective roles within the government. A new Security General has been named. He has stepped up to lead. Avasarala gives him the reassurance that he simply needs to offer stability and hope to his people. And yet, he also seems to be exploring the retaliatory action that she disagrees with because of the burden from her past. She knows the true cost of war. She is still devoted to this government. She wants it to succeed. And yet, the people on Earth are giving up hope that anything moving forward will resemble the lives they once had for so long. This may have been an inevitable moment. Walls were built to keep the waves from the ocean at bay. And now, those have fallen and wiped out several major cities. This disaster was caused by mankind. It forces everyone to grapple with what is meaningful in their lives. Amos and Clarissa headed to Baltimore because he believed he could find the help needed to get off the planet. That is the only viable solution. It's necessary to leave the destruction. They have to convince Erich to abandon what he has built. That is the only way he will then help them. People can still hope to rebuild. A civilization could thrive on this planet once more. It hasn't offered the sole hopes and dreams of all humanity for a long time though. People can prosper elsewhere. Accepting that is also a powerful coping mechanism. People have firm attachments to this planet. Some see the need to seek revenge against the terrorist who caused this pain. And yes, Marco needs to be held accountable. He needs to face justice. This war can escalate quickly though. Marco rallies support because he makes people feel that they have no choice in the matter. They have to fall in line or suffer his wrath. And then, Drummer and her crew will scavenge the wreckage. That is her menial job at the moment. She was devoted to killing the man who killed Ashford. She wants to jump into action upon hearing Naomi's distress signal. But she is forced to reckon with the idea that she is powerless. She lashes out at the world around her. Free will has been taken away from her and her crew. They can celebrate and enjoy a good laugh together. That can only mask the darkness of this world for a moment though. Right after that, it's back to doing Marco's biding as the leader who demands absolute loyalty. Now, the Rocinante hasn't been eliminated as the greatest threat to Marco's rule just yet. And yet, the Rocinante and Razorback are closing in on Naomi. She wants to stop her friends from falling into this trap. She is trying to save their lives. There is only so much she can do on this ship. Everything is rigged to explode. Every piece of value has been stripped away. She survived her jump across space. People believe that she is dead. She can rally enough strength to disrupt Marco's plan. She finds the reserves necessary to overcome the physical agony she is in. It's incredible and inspiring. She refuses to accept death. She chooses not to believe that Marco will win through his emotional manipulation of the cause. She is still passionately fighting for the hope that has always brought so much clarity and freedom to the world. However, the universe has changed so much. People are accepting that their lives will be different now as a result of Marco's actions. He has made that mark on history. He is still a threat though. Naomi is as well. She sends out a new signal with her own message. People hear it. Danger still surrounds everyone. The people in charge may still not make the wise decisions to bring prosperity to the universe once more. That ideal is still worth fighting for though. Naomi can't give up. Everyone grieves her now as well as the death her actions caused. She is still alive and fighting. It's necessary in this situation. It can help bring prosperity. It's very tenuous. But it's enough disruption to prove that Marco discounts too many people at his own peril. His entire people will have to deal with the consequences of that as well.
Society has been divided between Earth, Mars and the Belt for centuries. And now, each of these factions of humanity may be gone. They may have all fallen with the destruction Marco brought. Some people are aware of this. The cause that they fought so fiercely for has now evaporated. A new world order has arisen. One where these divisions are gone. It just happens to be a result of mass genocide. Marco killed millions on Earth. He grabbed this power for himself. The politic leaders still find hope and comfort in their respective roles within the government. A new Security General has been named. He has stepped up to lead. Avasarala gives him the reassurance that he simply needs to offer stability and hope to his people. And yet, he also seems to be exploring the retaliatory action that she disagrees with because of the burden from her past. She knows the true cost of war. She is still devoted to this government. She wants it to succeed. And yet, the people on Earth are giving up hope that anything moving forward will resemble the lives they once had for so long. This may have been an inevitable moment. Walls were built to keep the waves from the ocean at bay. And now, those have fallen and wiped out several major cities. This disaster was caused by mankind. It forces everyone to grapple with what is meaningful in their lives. Amos and Clarissa headed to Baltimore because he believed he could find the help needed to get off the planet. That is the only viable solution. It's necessary to leave the destruction. They have to convince Erich to abandon what he has built. That is the only way he will then help them. People can still hope to rebuild. A civilization could thrive on this planet once more. It hasn't offered the sole hopes and dreams of all humanity for a long time though. People can prosper elsewhere. Accepting that is also a powerful coping mechanism. People have firm attachments to this planet. Some see the need to seek revenge against the terrorist who caused this pain. And yes, Marco needs to be held accountable. He needs to face justice. This war can escalate quickly though. Marco rallies support because he makes people feel that they have no choice in the matter. They have to fall in line or suffer his wrath. And then, Drummer and her crew will scavenge the wreckage. That is her menial job at the moment. She was devoted to killing the man who killed Ashford. She wants to jump into action upon hearing Naomi's distress signal. But she is forced to reckon with the idea that she is powerless. She lashes out at the world around her. Free will has been taken away from her and her crew. They can celebrate and enjoy a good laugh together. That can only mask the darkness of this world for a moment though. Right after that, it's back to doing Marco's biding as the leader who demands absolute loyalty. Now, the Rocinante hasn't been eliminated as the greatest threat to Marco's rule just yet. And yet, the Rocinante and Razorback are closing in on Naomi. She wants to stop her friends from falling into this trap. She is trying to save their lives. There is only so much she can do on this ship. Everything is rigged to explode. Every piece of value has been stripped away. She survived her jump across space. People believe that she is dead. She can rally enough strength to disrupt Marco's plan. She finds the reserves necessary to overcome the physical agony she is in. It's incredible and inspiring. She refuses to accept death. She chooses not to believe that Marco will win through his emotional manipulation of the cause. She is still passionately fighting for the hope that has always brought so much clarity and freedom to the world. However, the universe has changed so much. People are accepting that their lives will be different now as a result of Marco's actions. He has made that mark on history. He is still a threat though. Naomi is as well. She sends out a new signal with her own message. People hear it. Danger still surrounds everyone. The people in charge may still not make the wise decisions to bring prosperity to the universe once more. That ideal is still worth fighting for though. Naomi can't give up. Everyone grieves her now as well as the death her actions caused. She is still alive and fighting. It's necessary in this situation. It can help bring prosperity. It's very tenuous. But it's enough disruption to prove that Marco discounts too many people at his own peril. His entire people will have to deal with the consequences of that as well.
