I’ve been rewatching The Expanse this past week, mostly in marathon style. I started watching it the night my brother hit his head and went into a massive bleed. It was a freak accident, and it was impossible for him to recover. It was a sudden and devastating loss. While he was in a coma, I felt very far away, helpless, and sad. I wanted to be doing something that would make him feel closer.

The Expanse was a show we had both reveled in and chatted about in the past. Watching it made me feel like it was something we were sharing.

It had been long enough time that it was almost like watching it for the first time. It is such a spectacularly well-done show. I love Bobby Draper, and Camina Drummer. And Amos! OMG- he comes across as such a simple person, straightforward in his thinking, reasoning, and actions. But in many ways, he is very layered and interesting, almost like the philosopher in the group. And even in his harshest actions, he brings such a touch of humanity to the character and the show. Like the time when May’s father wants to kill the shithead scientist (who, btw, is a miserable sleeze-weasel). Amos steps in and stops him. You aren’t a killer. The dad walks away. And Amos steps in. But I am.  I wonder now if he does it because it is a long-term better-choice.. or if he felt some debt needed to be paid for the delays in rescuing the kid. OOOH- and I love the way he approaches Holden with– remember how we used to hate each other and you wanted to kill me? But now we’re good, we’re family?  yeah- welcome Peaches!!!

Bobbi- I think they did a great job portraying the desolation of a ‘retired’ vet, trying to find their way in a world that doesn’t even make sense anymore, where their loyalties and record are now in question. I think that carries echoes back to the Vietnam War, with returning soldiers struggling both with the effects of surviving atrocities, and a society that didn’t support what they learned about, the hard truths about our role in a country where we never should have been involved.

And let’s not forget Christian! OMG- I adore that woman. She navigates the halls of power with the canniness of a seasoned political mind… and navigates the use of dropping the F-bomb even more adroitly. I like that she could just as easily have been a man, in terms of the way she was written; using her son for political gain, leaking classified information that would harm her opponent. These are the kinds of actions we might normally associate with a male character, where the mom would be mourning the way her son was used. She does mourn him, but in playing glactic chess, sees everything and everyone on the board as a piece to be moved around towards a “greater good.”

I think the one character I have issue with is Naomi. She starts out as a strong and independent character. And then they brought in the Marcos storyline (more on that in a minute). Somehow, she goes from being an educated, highly skilled, and resourceful engineer to a crying, whining, helpless caricature of her former self. Yes, I understand that she is carrying guilt and remorse. BUT- she runs to her son with.. You have to listen to me. BUT DOESN’T ACTUALLY SAY ANYTHING RELEVANT! Philip- your father held you hostage to make me do what he wanted. NOPE. Philip- I left because it was the only way to stop your father from using you as leverage. I tried to take you with me, but he kidnapped you.  ANYTHING… but nooo… that entire arc was filled with whining and crying and helplessness,s with very few instances where she showed her resourcefulness. And then- yes- she makes a smart move in making her escape. But then, she’s trapped on a ship with the communications jammed that is rigged to blow up. Reminder- brilliant, resourceful engineer. She can’t figure out how to stop the transmission or defuse the wiring on the bombs? not even dialogue with herself as she goes through the painstaking (for the character and for the viewer).

Ironically, I have a greater sympathy for Marcos Inaras now than I did many years ago. The life in the belt, as it is summed up- is a struggle. Miners live in harsh conditions, many of whom could never return to planet-living even if they wanted to. So, it definitely symbolizes the plight of the exploited worker, where their literal survival– air and water– is used to suppress their voices. In that light, their anger can be understood and probably justified.  Granted, since I am long past my 20’s and 30’s, I don’t relate to the random unhealed violence and aggression, but I have seen it in enough young men to know that is genuine. Unhealed rage that wants to destroy the thing it believes is responsible for its pain, its struggle, its misfortunes. We see this today in the US, the rage playing out among our young white men, who don’t even fully understand why they are angry or who they should be angry with. They just carry generic rage and look for any target to direct it to. (That was badly worded, sorry:).

I also can relate to, intellectually, Earth’s hold over Mars, (although it seems like Mars is corporate power and Earth is political power in this dynamic?), and the outer belt… resources. Everyone is fighting for autonomy, while Earth is fighting to hold onto the power over its empire (my thoughts). Why not just let people go through the ring? Why control who can go? Here, sign a waiver. You go at your own risk. Earth acts as though it is responsible for the fate of every human being that exists. What if something terrible happens to them? Oh no. Every explorer, every astronaut, every pioneer has an understanding of the risk they are taking. So, to me, that just comes across as an empire retaining control over as much as it can.

But- it does end with some ray of hope.. that humanity can evolve into something wiser, more peaceful, with adversaries seeing how they can be allies and that there can indeed be win-win-win scenarios.