The Expanse - Rock Bottom - Review

The Expanse continued its slow burn approach to its storytelling and though it worked in the first five episodes, 'Rock Bottom' did suffer from some pacing issues this week. However, the episode was still, for the most part, engaging due to the characters and how well they have consistently been fleshed out.

The consistent high point in this series is the camaraderie between Holden and his crew, which really solidified itself this week. Naomi, Amos, and Alex all insisted on going with their captain to find Fred Johnson's friend showing just how much they have each others backs now. The little details really spoke volumes of how much they've grown from Holden getting coffee for everyone as they settled down, to Amos painting a Rocinante logo on their ship. We get the sense that they are a family and the Rocinante is their home. To be there to watch them grow with each other over these past few weeks has made them such an engaging crew of characters to follow.

Holden and crew finally meet Fred Johnson. Chad Coleman portrays the Butcher as a calm, cool, and confident kind of guy, but we get the sense he can be quite volatile if pushed the wrong way, especially when considering his past. We still don't know what to exactly think of him. Johnson admittedly wants the testimony from Holden for selfish reasons as he sees it as a way of gaining respect and an eventual seat for the OPA on Earth's U.N Security Council. At the same time he does want answers and he seems to care about finding those responsible for the destruction of the Donnager and the Canterbury. Whether his intentions are good or bad remains a question, but he definitely makes for quite the intriguing character.

Veteran actors Jared Harris and Thomas Jane once again stole the spotlight in this episode as Anderson Dawes and Miller, respectively. Both engaged in quite a confrontation, albeit a very physical one, with Dawes torturing Miller for answers on his investigation into Julie Mao. Through their interaction we learn of Dawes' story of living in poverty when he was young and having to kill his sister to save his family. This made for quite an emotional and fascinating character moment. It also really emphasized just how dire the situation has always been for most of the Belters.

Miller, meanwhile, continued his downward spiral. From getting beaten and nearly killed by Dawes to being fired from Star Helix Security, he is truly now alone and in a bad place. We also find out that he indeed "loves" Julie Mao. It'll be interesting to see whether he finds any kind of vindication in the coming weeks and what his fate will be upon finding or not finding Julie.

On another note, after a break from Avarasala last week, the U.N. assistant undersecretary returned in this episode to her conniving ways. The detail in that scene was quite well thought out with her talking politics while fetching ice cream for her son. Avarasala continues to be the most lethal character due to her ability to manipulate and be constantly ahead of the game. We also learn that things are personal for her as her son was killed by the OPA.

The episode was not without its flaws. The Diego and Mateo scenes seemed a bit out of place. The side story emphasized the hardships of being a belter and showed just how badly they are mistreated by Earthers and Martians alike. However, the situation on Ceres already got that point across and it really did not seem necessary to further emphasize this theme. The extra minutes put into this side story did bog the episode down quite a bit. Hopefully, Diego, currently floating in space, does not become a prominent character (he isn't that prominent in the books) as it may overstuff this series with too many characters.

The episode ends with Holden and crew embarking on their first mission to find the lone survivor of the Scopuli. Now that they are an official family and have put their issues between each other aside, the next four episodes are hopefully going to be very interesting as we see them working together.

What were some of your favourite moments from 'Rock Bottom'? Leave your comments below!

About the Author - Kollin Lore

Kollin is an entertainment writer and a film and television, in particular genre TV, freak having grown up during the 90s and early 2000s a dedicated fan of Buffy and Angel. Current shows like Person of Interest, Supernatural, Ripper Street, Penny Dreadful, Grimm, The Blacklist, Game of Thrones, and dozens of other shows are currently occupying Kollin’s nightly hours.

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