Thoughts onĀ āHard Vacuumā (Expanse 5.8)
SPOILERS, clearly. As a note, I have read the books, so theyāre will be references and spoilers for them, as well.
āVacuumā doesnāt look like a word to me. Never has, and I suspect it never will.
I want to take a moment and say that the theme of the Expanse is perfect for the show. It harkens to the music on oldĀ āinspirationalā scifi shows, but is also meloncoly. The latter befits a vision of humanity that is still struggling with inequality and wealth disparity, even as it leaves the bounds of the Earth.
Peaches and Amos still please, though I worry theyāre going to ramp up the romance, and theyāre not really romantic in the books. They were family, in a way that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with love. Iād forgotten how/why Amosās story came back to Erik. I wasnāt interested in that part of the story; I was far more invested in Naomiās story, in the book.Ā
Ugh, watching Marco use NaomiāsĀ ādeathā against Filip makes me so mad. I have personal issues watching narcissists manipulate people, but especially watching them manipulate their children.
Reading about what Naomi went through to get away from Marco was rough enough; seeing it play out is a bigger gut punch. I do enjoy watching her science/engineer her way through this emergency. I mean, she pulled several pieces together so get what she needed, and damn near suffocated herself a dozen times to alter the message.
So Iāve read fan-chatter that Bull will be the new Roci pilot, and I guess, sure, but I donāt see the path where we go fromĀ āIām not risking myself to save Holdenās girlfriendā toĀ āpart of the crew.ā They might not try to fold him into theĀ āfamilyā aspect of it. I hope they donāt pigeon-hole Clarissa in there, either. She wasnāt the pilot, her sister was, and it would stretch belief to have her filling that role.
Drummer! Nothing else, just got excited to see her again.
Oh, itās heartbreaking watching her crew fight, but the scene where they laugh for a moment provides the hope theyāll make it. Paās crew wasnāt given this much depth; you never get a sense for them like I have for Drummerās crew. I mean, you got to know them as Pa did, but you didnāt get these family scenes.
I do not buy for a second that Matar Kubeliya attacked Marco. Iāll need the show to prove to me that Marco isnāt a petulant little toddler about everything. Until then, he killed them because theyĀ āwrongedā him and then put in the coverup. Hell, even if the show doesĀ prove it, I may still head-canon it.
I mean, I think I hate Marco. The asteroid storyline in the books is just horrifying, and I had a very emotional response to it. I expected the same and from the show, and I havenāt, as much. I think thatās because I knew it was coming.Ā
Also, Iām calling it: āwe must feed and protect the Beltā is 100% the show indicating theyāre following through on the storyline that was Marcoās ultimate downfall.
Secretary-General Paster is off to a good start -- with a solid speech. His war council went exactly how I expected -- he knows he has to make a big move, but he canāt figure it out and his advisors donāt agree. He is lost, and unable to weigh the benefits and consequences well enough to make the hardest call of his life.Ā
Ooo, when Karal told Drummer about Naomi, I thought she was dead then and there. Iām very sad Iām wrong. Watching Drummer mourn Naomi hurt.
I feel likeĀ āTell James Holden Iām in controlā should become a thing. Mostly because Holden seems like he needs to be reminded of that sometimes.