Previously on The Expanse, Amos and Clarissa escaped from a high security prison for modified humans following the asteroid impact in Philadelphia. Out in space, Bobbie and Alex discover how the Free Navy obtained their fleet of ships but get too close and are attacked. Holden sets out to recover the protomolecule sample, but little does he know that the Roci has been sabotaged by Marco Inaros’ moles. Luckily, Naomi catches wind of it and risks her life to send a message back to her colleague while being imprisoned on Marco’s ship.
[Spoilers Ahead!]
Despite thwarting later attacks, the damage has been done and Earth is still recovering from the first wave. The U.N. appoints its next leader based off of the chain of command and who survived but the choice is way out of his depth so he approaches Avasarala to join his provisional cabinet and be an important advisor. Meanwhile, Amos and Clarissa navigate their way off planet but find it difficult in the new near post-apocalyptic landscape.
Elsewhere, Bobbie and Alex survive last week’s assault from Belters and make short work of their pursuers. Holden and Bull make their second attempt after the protomolecule now that they’ve fixed the Roci but before they head out, Holden receives another message from Naomi.
Speaking of which, her mere presence has disrupted things on Marco’s ship. Cyn openly disobeys an order and Filip pleads for his mother’s life. The elder Inaros doesn’t have time for the drama because he is busy consolidating his power amongst the factions and that currently includes Drummer, who is invited to pledge her fealty.
Although there are multiple storylines running concurrently in the sixth episode of The Expanse, Amos and Clarissa’s trek to Baltimore takes center stage. It has been quite revealing delving into the past of the Roci’s most mysterious member this season and their entire voyage serves as a subtle tool to reveal more about Amos’ past and how his moral code was developed.
There are some pretty insightful lines shared between the two including how people can be bad but still try to live like good ones. The society nearing the precipice of collapse is the type of world Amos is familiar with due to his rough upbringing. The survival of the fittest mantra and the willingness to do immoral things for the right reasons (like taking out a doomsday prepper jerk) make him a perfect fit for what may be the new normal.
Clarissa serves as an effective contrast considering her affluent background but yet she’s the one who found herself in prison. It’s intriguing that she’s serving as his moral compass considering her murderous plans when we met her in season three. At least Amos can feel Earth’s negative influence on him since he’s returned. He’s reverting to some of his old habits and recognizes he needs to get back to his friends on the Roci.
In addition to the Amos/Clarissa subplot, there are some other interesting developments. Naomi and Filip’s relationship continues to grow with the latter stepping in to save the former’s life. They even have some mother-son time where Naomi shares her stories of valor in her cell. It also seems as though Naomi had the foresight to leave Holden a message in case things went south. I’m anxious to see what those plans are. Also, the bumbling way Filip reveals to Drummer that his mom is on board must factor in later during her eventual rescue attempt.
Even for a slower episode of The Expanse, “Tribes” manages to be captivating by diving deeper into Amos’ character.
New episodes of The Expanse are released Wednesdays on Amazon Prime Video.
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