July 30: The Expanse 4x04

[kinetic_elaboration]

This was a decent episode, I’d say. I kind of… want something to happen, though. I guess that’s maybe unfair? We get a possible turning point for Bobbie (more on that later) and a definite escalation of the RCE versus Belters stuff on Illus, and the introduction of Marco, who I know to be important. But like… I don’t know, did anything actually happen? We’re four episodes in and I feel like, except for maybe the Marco set up, we’re basically where we’ve been the whole time, more holding pattern than development. Technically things are happening, but mostly it’s just mystery and tension, building on itself but never building UP.

Some more specific thoughts:

 

Bobbie: She’s my favorite character and story even though, again, literally nothing happened. Maybe the ending was a big turning point for her: she’s finally been beaten down enough and lost enough and become disillusioned enough that she would believably compromise her morals and turn to a life of crime. Maybe we’ve needed all of this to make that turn believable, because Bobbie’s morals are so strong. But a part of me still thinks that even the finale could be another misdirect, because literally nothing would make her betray her value system. I would prefer that outcome because I like a good twist and it seems more in character. But if that is the case, then this episode is literally just a repeat of the last, but on a larger scale: Bobbie is backed into a corner; she does something bad; she confesses; she finds more corruption; she becomes more disillusioned; she’s backed further into her corner; she does something else bad; etc., etc.

At this point it’s almost O. Henry levels of irony with her: every time she tries to do the right thing, the person she reports her own crimes to is in on the crimes—or wants to be!

I’m a little surprised Mars has such an unemployment problem, given their whole thing is terraforming a wasteland. You’d think they could always use more people than that. But I guess they did budget a lot for that overinflated military, so it makes sense they don’t know what to do with their vets.

Illus: Hmmm. Well it’s a beautiful landscape. I don’t know that I’m as invested as I should be with the RCE versus Belter stuff. I think it’s that the characters just don’t do it for me. My favorites in this storyline are Amos and Alex. Alex is literally doing nothing and Amos at least got to be shirtless and get all angry and muscley. I appreciated that. But they’re not at the center of it, is what I’m saying.

I’m kind of fond of the scientists, and there’s something there in the idea of them just wanting to study stuff and their de facto leader has gone off the deep end of paranoia (not entirely paranoia) and rage, putting them in, hmm, an awkward position. Murtry has moments of being a good villain. The swift manner in which he puts everything on lockdown—his own people in a way as well as the Belters—is frightening, though… maybe there could have been more done with that. I don’t know. I want to like it. I’m not loving it though.

And I’m not really sure how we left it, either. Is it all diffused now after Murtry and Holden had their talking like this contest on the windswept plain? Or what? Holden and his holier than though, we’re here representing Chrisjen but all we do is kind of fuck around and find out, attitude, is kind of annoying me, I won’t lie.

I’m glad we got some kind of exposition with “the structures on this planet are machines and one of them just turned on.” That’s cool. But, again—WHEN was the last time we learned ANYTHING really new about the aliens? I guess it counts that this planet exists and the machine-things are on it but like… I can’t stand the vagueness. I need MORE.

Ashford, Drummer, and Marco: Hmmm. Too early to say I guess. I still really like Drummer and Ashford’s dynamic and my favorite bit was probably toward the end, where they were explaining their respective strategies re: Marco to each other. I do think this story would have excited me more a couple of seasons ago. I used to really like the world building of this show and I think at this point it’s at its best here, examining the Belters and their history and relationship to the Inners. But at this point it feels too little to late and also… I don’t know if this is a fair criticism, but it just feels like there really hasn’t been that much developed about this society since S1. Like everything I know now I knew then or could have guessed. Vibes based, with not a lot underneath. Maybe that’s too harsh. But everything Marco says is pretty predictable to me, and it’s just surprising that so many people are falling for it.

Objectively, this storyline moved things along more than any other, since it actually introduced Marco. But even here: they captured him at the beginning and let him go at the end. And I don’t think he was as established as quite as scary as he was supposed to be. But we’ll see.

Chrisjen: Appears for two scenes but she gets to be a bad ass in them. I cannot complain.

The one liners today: I have to say, this episode had some pretty great lines for some reason? I don’t usually notice individual lines in this show but I did today. Some I wrote down:

“Are you going to assist me or would you like to become the new focus of my anger?”

“Well they won’t enjoy the experience [of the ship being boarded].”

“There’ll be nothing left of us, just dust and the regrets of others.”

Okay admittedly 2 of those are Marco. And I think there were some others I didn’t get. So…next week is the halfway point of the season. Hopefully something will develop there.