August 26: The Expanse 4x08

[kinetic_elaboration]

Pretty good episode! I don’t have a lot of complaints about it.

I really like Chrisjen this episode. I liked that we got to spend a lot of time with her, and I liked the nuance of her story. And I really, really liked her being a bad bitch at the end: her true form. I’m still enjoying her husband’s presence as a more significant character, and their last scene together was so enjoyable because they both made points—but she made more points. She’s never done anything wrong in her whole life. I love a ruthless character who is confident in her own Correctness about Everything. Also love that I called that she’d leaked the images a few moments before it was revealed to be true.

I liked Bobbie’s story a lot, too. Finally some interesting worldbuilding around Mars. That conversation about the future of the planet was possibly my favorite in the ep, or at least tied with the last Chrisjen scene. Like, yeah, that is sad, and it is difficult, because as Chrisjen talks about, the new planets might not be as inhabitable as people think. It’s a gamble that Bobbie’s little criminal friend is taking. But a reasonable enough gamble that it upends her sense of self. I’m increasingly of the opinion that she is in on this criminal stuff for real, not about to do a quadruple cross. Which I guess is understandable but maybe a little disappointing. I didn’t like how that conversation ended with him saying ‘actually you don’t owe me anything just leave.’ I get that if he’s about to jump ship, he doesn’t care about upholding his blackmail, but it’s also such a sail-deflating end to a story that lasted quite a while: Bobbie getting in deeper and deeper, trying to find a way out, losing more of herself, utterly entangled… and then the guy ensnaring her in a life of crime is like ‘idc anymore actually, bye’? Okay. But other than that, I did really like her story in this episode. Still want her to reunite with Chrisjen, though.

Out on Illus/the Roci… That was fine. Very serviceable story. I expected them to find some kind of cure (and for the towline to work lol, obviously), though I didn’t predict the exact mechanism, and I do like the callback to S1 events. I did find it morbidly funny that suddenly we’ve gone from 0 to 100 with the blindness. I know I said this last ep too, but like suddenly everyone is fully, 100%, can’t see a thing blind except Holden. Let’s get this story moving on!! I guess. This story that kind of just was 2 episodes long. I don’t know, I still find the pacing of this season somewhat weird.

I also liked Amos and his emotional support blowtorch. That was very fitting.

Also how have Drummer and Ashford become like one of the best dynamics on the show? Again, the politicking and actual development of larger story was nice, even though it goes by kind of fast for my level of attentiveness to the show. I don’t want them to be separated. All of my other friendships have been… Sigh. I guess it is more of a plot-first show.