Season 6, Episode 5 of Amazon Prime’s The Expanse, entitled “Why We Fight,” sets the stage for what’s primed to be an epic battle!
Spoilers below!
We’re still uncertain why Laconia is featured every episode before the intro (which is one I never skip), but it’s going to tie in somehow. Whether it affects the outcome of the war or perhaps Laconia is the last bastion of humanity after the battle blows everyone up, the finale should (hopefully?) reveal all!
This week, we’re given a very brief scene where, as we predicted, Cara “Pet Semetaried” her brother and brought him back to life, albeit with weird eyes and hallucinations. Or are they? If we recall, Holden, when infected with the protomolocule, saw things others could not.
I have one question: did the dog-creatures somehow get him out of the coffin? How did they know what was in it? Are they more sapient than they seem?
Avasarala
If you haven’t noticed in this season, Avasarala seemed to be turning over a new leaf. She didn’t tone down her abrupt way of speaking to people, but she appeared to be more charitable in her decisions. But, when Marco’s rails guns are revealed on Medina Station, Bobbie gives her a serious pep talk about how this situation calls for ruthlessness. Not only does this bolster Avasaralah (as well as piss her off), it helps us all out: I much prefer Avasaralah when she’s morally gray and conniving.
As usual, Avasaralah’s outfits seem to reflect her moods. She begins in what appears to be (for her anyway) a very subdued green velvet, velour, or corduroy pantsuit (fabrics aren’t my forte), but ends the episode in a black and gold, pantsuit-cape combination that asserts her scheming ways are back! Yes!
Amos
As we saw in the last episode, Amos was rather mad and confused about the revelation that Holden deactivated the missile that would have destroyed the Pella. As such, he gets drunk on Ceres and runs into Bobbie. Taking a cue from Avasarala’s manipulations, Bobbie uses wordplay to get Amos to understand that Holden’s choice doesn’t show he isn’t devoted to the cause but that he is also dedicated to his crew, his people. As she says, “All that matters is covering those on your flank,” something Amos believes in fully.
For importantly, it appears my romantic ship (floating around since last season!) has been torpedoed by my second. Does Bobbie follow Amos to the brothel? Or is their “I’m not attracted to you” power struggle going to hold out until the finale? C’mon Bobbie; life’s too short to deny yourself this:
Camina Drummer
In a moment I didn’t realize I was waiting for, Drummer and Avasaralah finally meet! It was awesome to see these two extremely different women interact. Avasaralah is all underhanded scheming and couched meanings, where Drummer is direct and in-your-face. Camina doesn’t fall for Avasaralah’s flattery and also states that “a century of oppression made Marco inevitable,” clearly refusing to agree they have a common enemy before hanging up.
Her comment does raise an interesting and valid point about oppression. We’ve seen throughout history that no matter how powerful a ruling class is, eventually, one day, people are no longer going to take it. While Marco’s murders and destruction are on him, he never would have been given the impetus or social opportunity to wage war without the yoke of the Inners around his throat.
After Camina talks to Avasaralah, she visits Josep in the hospital, where his body has rejected the treatments to regrow his arm, leaving it a wilted thing. Michio tells Camina that she’s staying on Ceres with Josep rather than accompanying Camina back into space. While this is a nice gesture towards the bereft and suffering Josep, it’s clear Michio is doing it to have Josep’s abs all to herself! How do people have time to work out in this universe with all the war going on?
Poor Camina, reeling from being dumped yet again, is approached by Naomi. The show reminds us that she’s angry with her for two reasons. The first, unrightfully, is for Naomi being “the reason” why her family left in the first place and Serge was spaced by Inaros (when Camina chose to save the Roci and turn on Marco). Secondly, more understandably, she harbours resentment at Naomi for “abandoning” the Belt to join Holden and his Inner crew. They hash it out, and eventually, Camina breaks down, hugging Naomi with the words “f*ck you, you self-righteous shit.”
Then, on top of all of this, Camina is approached in public by Avasaralah and asked to form an alliance. After much narrow-eyed assessing and heavy words, they shake hands. Marco better watch out!
The Free Navy
Speaking of Mr. Inaros, building from previous episodes, it’s clear Guoliang thinks Marco is inept. While he’s drunk, she attempts to psychoanalyze him and wrestle even more control into her own hands. Honestly, I’m here for it.
And, as I expected, something finally pushes Filip over the brink! He visits his buddy Tadeo, who is in jail for breaking radio silence to figure out whether his brother died in the explosion on Ceres. Filip uses his access to do it for him, finding out that Tadeo’s brother was indeed killed. Tadeo breaks down, and in a heartbreaking display, we learn that he was the one who rigged the docks to blow on Marcos’ orders, thus killing his brother. He claims that Marco told him no Belters would be harmed in the explosion. In realizing the truth – that Marco doesn’t care about anyone but himself and that his rebellion is more about power than helping his people – Filip, as I predicted, SNAPS.
Throughout all of this, Naomi has extrapolated the data about the disappearances in the ring. She discovers a mass-energy threshold triggers the disappearance events and, more importantly, it’s connected to the alien artifact on Ilus (the planet from Season 4), meaning the aliens can impact our universe from theirs. As if the war wasn’t enough!
My Predictions for the finale:
- Camina does something badass and heroic
- Camina punches Marco in the face
- Avasaralah wears red, blue, and black, to symbolize all the factions
- Bobbie wears her Martian armour one last time and does something super cool
- Amos fistfights a big Belter dude or Guoliang
- Amos and Bobbie hook up
- Clarissa uses her enhancements again, perhaps sacrificing herself to save others?
- Filip betrays Marco / takes down the rail guns from the inside
- Those dog-creatures on Laconia are made up of or use the protomolocule. Is Cara’s brother now a conduit?
- Naomi and Holden retire together, perhaps with Filip
- Miller makes a cameo, hat and all!
