Eros is near-destroyed. A deadly proto-molecule has infected almost all of the small moon’s inhabitants. Unlikely allies detective Joe Miller (Thomas Jane) and Jim Holden (Steven Strait) have barely escaped but are suffering from radiation sickness. Under the care of Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper) aboard the Rocinante, they very slowly recover but the horrors Miller and Holden witnessed on Eros continue to haunt them. Here’s my quick take on season 2 of The Expanse.
When news reaches the Rocinante that there may be more of the proto-molecule in the galaxy, the crew find themselves allying with dangerous elements and fighting the law in order to prevent another Eros-like disaster. But, nobody seems to understand the impact of the proto-molecule the way the Rocinante team do; if they need to bust some heads to destroy every last vestige of it, the crew are ready to do it.
In the meantime, tensions between Mars and Earth are increasing. When a routine training exercise on Ganymede g
oes horribly wrong, Sergeant Bobbie ‘Gunny’ Draper (Frankie Adams) becomes a pawn in the greater political battle between the two worlds.
Season two of The Expanse can easily be divided in two – the first half of the season, up to episode five, follows a similar formula to season one; the second half is wildly different. Gone is the slow pacing and the air of mystery, only to be replaced by full-on suspense, political intrigue and horror.
I’m glad that they upped the pace in season two because the plots, and there are several of them, would have taken much too long to unfold otherwise. I did feel, at times, that there were a few too many plots occurring one after the other but I’m impressed by how well the showrunners managed to tie them together.
A quick run-down of the plots might give you an idea of what to expect: a) There is more of the proto-molecule in the galaxy and the crew of the Rocinante are willing to do anything to destroy it b) Amos (Wes Chatham) has a bad temper and it may have something to do with his past, c) Miller wants revenge for Julie Mao’s death but is also hallucinating about her d) Did Sergeant Draper see something on Ganymede? e) The Ganymede incident could lead to war and inconvenient truths need to be hidden to ensure it doesn’t happen f) Who on Earth, or Mars, can Secretary-General Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo) trust? g) People in the galaxy are, in general, doing terrible things and somehow getting away with it.
As you can see, the slow-burn of season one would never have worked for season two.
Despite the heavy plotting, there are several smaller moments that stood out for me. Amos being more layered than just the big, bad bully, for instance. I initially disliked the character but found him more compelling as his backstory began to unfold.
Miller’s and Holden’s very different ideas of revenge following the incidents on Eros are a fascinating study of humanity and the effect of trauma on a person. It was interesting enough watching these two distinct personalities coming to an accord in the first place but, when they fall out, that’s when we really see the fireworks.
We see a lot of interpersonal tensions brewing in this season. Aside from Miller and Holden, we also have Amos and Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar) coming to an uneasy alliance. Sergeant Draper is constantly trying to quell the anti-Earth sentiments within her team, especially as one of her teammates was born on Earth but grew up on Mars. This allowed us a peek into the nature versus nurture debate taking place in space.
Throughout the second season we are privy to the differences between Earth, Mars and the Belters. Not just their way of life and cultural and societal differences, but even the effects of the atmosphere on the planets’ residents. It is introduced subtly but ends up playing an important part in the political goings-on. This is the kind of science-fiction I love and it doubled my enjoyment of The Expanse.
I also love the new characters we meet in season two. Sergeant Draper is a no-nonsense soldier and a proud Martian who is forced to betray her principles for the benefit of politics. It isn’t unheard of in our current world and is beautifully woven into the show.
Jared Harris’ Anderson Dawes is the perfect foil to Fred Johnson (Chad L Coleman). Charming, bordering on smarmy, Dawes is considered a man of the people. But, is his ideology as benign as it seems? He holds the Belters in thrall but what are his motives?
Terry Chen’s Praxideke Meng is another valuable addition. As a regular citizen, he brings to the Rocinante crew, and the show, a unique perspective I hadn’t realised was missing. Somehow, when there are scary proto-molecules that can kill you, one forgets about the little guy who’s just trying to live their life.
Of course, the standout of the show continues to be the amazing Shohreh Aghdashloo. Chrisjen Avasarala is the political genius on Earth with a finger in every pie and eyes everywhere. But, not only are her hands far from clean, she is surrounded by people, some of them allies, some enemies, with their own agendas. Forget the political machinations between Earth and Mars, the mysteries within Avasarala’s own cabinet have my undivided attention!
There’s a lot happening in season two of The Expanse and it is a wild trip from start to finish. Admittedly, the first few episodes lacked a bit of pace but once we switched gears, we were in for a rollercoaster ride. And, those final episodes of the season… I won’t spoil it but it will make you very impatient for more.
