User Reviews

Season 5 is better than Season 4 for sure, but I am pretty sick of Naomi and her son storyline, we are on a precious episode 7 and this soap still continues, ironically I even don't hate Marco that much(probably he is Mars puppet, hey at least an intrigue) , but this whole Naomi and her son storyline should have been resolved in 1 episode, Amos, Bobbie, Camina storylines should have had more screen time this season...

I love this series and i get it, they are giving depth to characters. But this takes way too long. This was 50 minutes of chatting. I honestly got distracted with something else for the first time. It feels like one chapter from a book in 4 episodes. It's abuse from a father seen from different angles, but then repeated over and over.

The final 3 better bring something spectacular;)

Still, it is way better then the majority of series out there.

I have no problem with the science. I have no problem other plot elements and the megalomania of the crazy "emperor." I don't even have trouble with the tussle between Naomi and her son. But did it have to eat up thirty percent of the episode? We've already seen these heart-to-hearts in other episodes leading up to this. I think the point was made. Still, I look forward to the two final offerings.

What made the Expanse such a strong show was the combination of the alien mystery, film noir and a steadily progressing storyline. After some great world building, there was simply too much happening to let boredom creep in.

But the recent season 5 is like watching paint dry, a mix of over the top space cgi and cheaper indoor or earth scenes. The family soap opera even seems to have taken a cue from Star Trek Discovery.

I understand this season is close to a part of the book, but it seems Amazon has chosen to dump the grandiose alien space exploration story arc to be able to wrap up after season 6. If they continue like this, they should have ended after season 4 in good faith, rather than make fans wish for cancellation.

I have been a trekkie all my life, but I must admit after watching this episode that the Expanse is clearly and without a doubt the best sci-fi series of the decade! I only wish that the two most recent Star Trek series were remotely as good as this... I've already started re-watching the series from the start to remember it and get a whole picture.

This episode was really heavy on Naomi's' situation. Loved the the dialogue between Naomi and her son and the dilemma she and her family are going through. The episode was not really action packed but the action scene was fairly intense and the dialogue made up for it a bit. The cliff hanger scene was the first cliff hanger that I was satisfied with in a couple of episodes.

Please ignore everyone stating that Naomi's arc is a filler. It is a long build up. Way back in the Donnager, we saw she was OPA. Way back in the Donnager we saw Marco's name and ever since, the show runners lead us with a small breadcrumb trail as Naomi removed layers from being a badass engineer to being a badass mother. THIS IS HOW YOU BUILD STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS.

I cannot count how much I connected with Naomi and her back story. Besides, all the back and forth solely on space really helped the pacing and the direction of the episode. Things could have been faster or done differently? Of course they could, but don't let this mislead you from the fact that this is top quality sci-fi

This episode just has to much filler. The drama between Naomi and Filip drags on way to long and is just full of cliche's . "I know what you are going through, you dont know me, blah blah...oh lets cry and hug" Its all just recycled mediocre drama thats already been gone over in previous episodes and it just goes on and on and on...

Lets be fair, this is not why we love The Expanse... I was so happy that the next scene arrived with Alex, Bobbie, Chrisjen and Holden and I was finally watching an episode of The Expanse again, to bad we were already 20 minutes into the episode and exactly nothing had happened yet.

There were years of buildup of Naomi pining for her long lost son and, despite it seeming like a good bit of screen time the last couple of episodes, in context, they still have barely had time together for her to have the chance to inspire him, build him up, rub off on him at all - and...that's pretty sad. Filip's life story is tragic. The way his father treats him...is an inside look at a megalomaniac terrorist, a type that is very rarely fleshed out this well. I get the sense that Marco 'got worse' emotionally and mentally as a result of feeling abandoned himself by Naomi, though he's clearly too much of a narcissist to care about Filip's actual abandonment issues, which he gleefully stokes. We even find out exactly how Marco kept Filip from Naomi all of these years - this is called fleshing out the backstory, for the grunting action movie apes crying to their mommies about a little heart to heart. That said, I wouldn't go so far as to call this 'award winning' acting, if only bc the actors are stuck with the ongoing Belter accent problem, which becomes less and less believable on Marco's ship - it's truly hard not to focus on and detracts from the story. Either hire a WAY better accent coach or LEAVE THAT OUT entirely from Season One, if you KNOW that this element makes the whole series more akin to Xena-level B- grade production. UGH! Naomi's heroic dramatic action at the end proves Marco's point about how unbelievable SHE is, and it had been ringing a little hollow, so it's a stark reminder of what that lady can do and how she is NOT ruled by fear. I'm sure her action will have a powerful impact on her son.

AND...hopefully help bring her back to our Roci crew, but that remains to be seen. But...there were seeds throughout of the crew coming back together. It was so exciting, those little hints, I thought they could have had some better soundtrack for each moment of foreshadowing. Plus, Amos was totally absent again and he's not even getting a shout out, like uh, if only Amos was here to do xyz. But if the other members of the main cast are coming back together before the season ends, AND Avasarala gets her crown back + more screen time AND Cas Anvar sticks around (controversy notwithstanding, his character is too crucial and no, Bull COULD NOT REPLACE HIM in the chemistry of our crew), I'll forgive the oversight. The Roci makes a baby step of progress, but the enemy still looks insurmountable. However, Holden looks more like an Admiral than a Captain every episode. Could he end up with several ships to command, and if so, what would his organization be called? Not United Universe, too similar to United Nations, which is perceived as being Earth-centric. I haven't read the books, but that's the direction I see Holden and his crew going, down the road. Guardians of the Galaxy is already taken.

Long and short - the story has advanced, significantly, in this episode, and there are multiple VERY exciting moments where we're on pins and needles watching. So, in spite of no-Amos, just a flicker of Avasarala and the awful accent issue, this was one of the most spine tingling and satisfying episodes for some time, in an already outstanding scifi production. It leaves us wanting more, but moreover, so thrilled about the possibilities of what is yet to come. Well done!

Maudlin, fed up of Naomi and son, could have been resolved quicker, could be wrong but doubt it'll figure in the big picture other than Filip killing his dad Marco.

Mind it's still the best TV going and now the best sci-fi series ever, sorry TNG/DS9.

That a show I absolutely love, focused on the only story/plot line I don't care one bit for. We all have our story/plot lines we'd like to see more of. Me, I was hoping season 5 would explore the rings a bit more. But was still surprised how much I enjoyed this season. Until this episode. Naomi grunting. Message repeating for 20 mins straight. Ugghh. Down right annoying. I don't care about this plot line at all. A big NO for me.

I think the word filler is a bit harsh for the last 2 episodes but it does feel that the extra screen time given to Naomi's current story arc feel a bit stretched. The scenes are well acted and Dominique gets to display her not inconsiderable acting skills. But Expanse is at its best when it works at the Mega level and at its least best at the Macro. I am just hoping that Marco is not turning into a comic book villain after such a promising start.

All around solid episode I really loved the ending

Well written, well executed, epic acting! The ending of this episode is now like a splinter in my mind, slowly driving me mad until the next episode.

This was a powerful episode, and that ending left me speechless. The scenes with Naomi and Filip are beautifully written and acted. The slow build up has been worth it in my opinion.

Seriously though, give Dominique Tipper her Emmy award. This has been her best season yet!

But this episode ..I could really appriciate. They allready built the characters up in such a way that I really care about what happens to them. That's why they can make a full episode of emotional scenes and get away with it.

Awesome episode.

I think, in this episode we have too much discussions about things we already knew and which were already dealt with on the same spot. It's the first time in this series that I had a feeling of delay and of filling a storyline with iterations. This three part conflict between father, mother and son is not so rich and so deeply woven that we have to undergo it time and again.

Scene after a scene it kept me on the edge of my seat, falling deeper into the screen with every second that passed. And yes, for the first time watching sci-fi, I cried. Never thought this series would make me do that.

Entire series has come a long way since in my opinion very troublesome season and a half. I struggled with it and persisted, hoping there is something in there. And there was, lot's more. It's rare to find a series that picks itself up and drastically improves on everything.

This is Star Trek 2.0.

Naomi's storyline is simply not enough for several episodes but hopefully they will focuse on other storylines and the plot in the next episodes as there's only three left.

Sadly, this episode is also defying physics which I really disliked...

I am adding my agreement to the criticism of this episode in the hopes that the showrunners will take note. This episode was just turgid melodrama and my wife and I eye-rolled each other as this dour, talky and boring sub-plot dragged on.

Parent/child relationships, in the grand scheme of solar system politics, is uninteresting. For the last 4 episode of Season 5, the writers have reduced Naomi to whining, crying, pronouncing, regretting and whimpering.

Please return to the big themes.

Naomi really shines in this episode, emotional and heartbreaking. Loved every second of it.