Following the events of 'Home' last week, The Expanse will now make the transition into the second book, Caliban's War - an exciting time for fans of the novels.
Before getting to Caliban's War, however, 'Paradigm Shift' will instead center around the novella Drive, which tells the story of Solomon Epstein and how he came about the invention of the Epstein Drive, which allowed humans to reach and colonize the outer planets and asteroid belt.
I don't know if these Epstein sequences were entirely necessary, but the writing was strong enough to not make it a drag. Certainly, understanding the Epstein Drive does help build a richer world.
As far as the beginning of the next book (hint, hint: it takes place on Ganymede), it does not occur until the very end of the episode and it is as thrilling as it was written in Caliban's War. For those who have not read the source material, 'Paradigm Shift' will leave you on quite a cliffhanger involving the fate of a character and something that may or may not hint to extraterrestrial life.
The episode, of course, will also explore the aftermath of Miller's sacrifice as Mars and Earth reposition themselves politically. One moment to expect is a show stealing scene by Avasarala. I was never a fan of her character in both the TV show and the book, but the past couple of episodes had me warming up to her a bit on the small screen. Last week, we got to see her at her most vulnerable state as she gave her potential last goodbye to Arjun. This week we will see her at her most powerful, and let's just say that she will give a rousing speech to Errenwright that will give you the shivers. Avasarala is definitely not a woman you would want to mess around with.
Another great character moment will involve Alex. Of all the crew members on the Rocinante, the Martian pilot is the least developed and this week we will see him emoting a bit more in a couple of memorable exchanges with Amos. The two of them will have a moment of tension, as well as a moment of brotherly love.
Overall, 'Paradigm Shift' sets up an exciting second half of The Expanse. The episode is an especial crowd pleaser for fans of the books as we see the beginning of Caliban's War unfold in a very exciting final sequence.
