Hello Multiversity TV bingers! For this year’s Summer TV Binge, I’m tackling the SyFy/Amazon show The Expanse, based on the novels by James S. A. Corey. My boyfriend Frank joined me for our look at the first season, and as we move into the second season, I’m flying my own Rocinante all alone.
The Rocinante crew is off of Eros, but it’s not smooth sailing. And Earth and Mars appear to be on a collision course for war. Let’s dive into the second season premiere “Safe” – – and as always, spoilers within.
1. Monday Morning Quarterbacking
Physically, Holden and Miller are doing okay post-Eros evacuation. Mentally? Perhaps notsomuch. Holden (and Alex, as we see later in conversation with a Belter that escaped to the Rocinante and is being tested for exposure) are both dealing with the existential questions of “could we have done more? Should we have done more?” – – meaning, could they have saved more people on Eros? Holden holds fast to his morals here: that all life is sacred, that truth and justice will prevail, that those who are behind the bioweapon on Eros will meet judgment.
Miller, on the other hand, is playing the part of the cynic – – or the realist, depending on your point of view. “I don’t care too much if justice gets involved,” he tells Holden. “I just want them dead.” One could argue that is his own brand of justice.
How will each of these divergent moral codes serve these men as this season progresses?
2. Rainbow Tour
Watching Chrisjen give her media interviews about Fred Johnson’s allegations about the stealth fighters that destroyed the Donnager (denying his claims that they were Earth-built and insisting they were OPA-built), even in the aftermath of an attack on a UN ship where she was the target, reminds me of Argentine leader Eva Perón’s infamous Rainbow Tour (immortalized in the musical Evita with the song of the same name). In 1947, Perón initiated a “non-political goodwill tour” of Europe to build goodwill after World War II. While some countries on the tour were billed as a success (Spain), others were not (Italy, Switzerland). Nevertheless, Perón pursued the tour, even in the face of allegations that it was a cover for a Swiss bank account and hints of the cancer that would take her life five years later, always looking the part: “Spain has fallen to the charms of Evita/She can do what she likes, it doesn’t matter much/She’s our lady of the new world with a golden touch. . . [S]he still looked the part at St. Peter’s, caught the eye . . . Eva started well, no question, in France/Shining like a sun through the post-war haze/A beautiful reminder of the care-free days.”
Notwithstanding whatever machinations she’s engineering behind the scenes, or what external forces want to thwart her, Chrisjen Avasarala looks the part that the UN wants her to play. Will Chrisjen win through? But the answer is . . . yes.
3. Josephus Miller, Comedy Genius?
Detective Miller has some of the best lines of the series thanks to this episode. Are we going to see a happier, kindler, gentler Detective this season? I’ll just take “happier” if this dialogue is any indication.
- To Holden: “Thanks for the lift. And the cancer.” (Well, at least Miller said “Thank you” in his own special way.)
- Upon realizing that the long term radiation treatments will prevent him from having children: “I never want to see another me running around anyway.”
- On the importance of break time and self-care: “Now that we’re all done being irradiated, I think I’m going to go check out this famous coffee machine you keep talking about.”
- “I’m just organizing all my stuff here . . . and realizing I don’t have any stuff.”
And then he and Amos go fists a-swinging as they attempt to work out their differences over Sembatina’s death. Now there’s the Detective Miller I know and love.
4. Drums of War
A good portion of this episode introduces viewers to a Martian military unit led by Bobbie Draper, from training and terraforming Marsto a deployment to Phoebe Station that promises to be a long one to the esprit de corps that comes with the armed services. They’re speeding towards a confrontation on Phoebe Station with the U.N.N. Nathan Hale and while it seems like this B plot makes no sense in the larger context of the episode, there’s no way this is the last time we see this Martian crew.
Continued below5. Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide
Miller may call Julie his conscience, but he also recognizes what Naomi may or may not know about herself by now: that she is the heart, soul, and moral center of the Rocinante crew. She defends Amos to Miller after their beatdown, and reminds Holden that they are called – – together – – to get to the bottom of this proto-molecule mystery, whether they want to or not. She is the glue that holds this crew together. In the first season, she was at the heart of their survival. This season, she’s at the heart of serving justice for all those who died in vain on Eros.
(And I can’t leave this without mentioning that she may have literally captured Holden’s heart – – but was their tryst after the removal of the contents of the Anubis’s safe borne of love or just of passion?)
6. Cheese Thieves and Cheese Farts
There’s nothing like a meal and swapping stories from the job to bring a motley crew together. Thanks to a Kamal family recipe and a story from Miller about cheese thieves that were discovered thanks to a few bad cases of lactose intolerance, the Roci starts to feel like a family, with even Amos welcoming Miller to their table.
Afterthoughts:
– Martian military tech is pretty cool. One of the soldiers in training can deploy targeted bombs from her backpack.
– Nothing like a good pee joke. “I’m peeing right now. The benefits of a vac suit.” (And different plumbing, Amos.)
– Nice little recap by Miller at the start of the episode to bring viewers up to speed.
See you next week for “Doors & Corners” and tell me what you thought of this episode in the comments!
