Ricky Church reviews the season 5 premiere of The Expanse…
After a year-long hiatus, The Expanse has returned with its fifth season and wastes no time setting the stakes. ‘Exodus’ is an apt title for the fifth season premiere as it breaks up the core cast, following them on their own stories as a slow feeling of doom unknowingly creeps over them. In what we now know is the second-to-last season, it feels like the show is setting up its endgame with its characters and stories and does so very well.
It has only been a few months since the end of the fourth season as James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are taking a much needed break by following up on a lot of personal errands. Amos and Alex head back to their respective homes for the first time in years while Naomi gets information about somebody from her past that she is desperate to connect with. There isn’t much of the galactic politics, intrigue and danger seen or discussed in the episode as ‘Exodus’ focuses more on the ways the main characters react to their individual journeys. This is pretty much the first time in the series’ history the core four have been broken up to this extent and with them being literal worlds apart from each other, it may be some time before the crew is back together.
The fact they are separated is a risk, but one the show is already playing to its advantage by examining new facets of their character. Amos has always lived in the moment, but is now forced to confront his past. Alex abandoned his family, but is trying to make amends and create a relationship. Naomi is on her way to face her long-lost son and the terrorist life she was briefly part of. All of which leaves Holden alone after having relied and been relied upon by these people since the show began. The story is already pushing them in some very interesting directions and each actor does well on their own, particularly Wes Chatham as he gives a bit more of a subdued and introspective performance. Though he does share a great scene with Shohreh Aghdashloo’s Avasarala with some very funny lines from both of them with immediate chemistry from both of them. Hopefully there will be more scenes with these two because they make such a fun odd-yet-similar pairing.
Though the premiere didn’t feature a lot of the political intrigue the show is known for, what it did have built nicely on the revelations of the fourth season as Frankie Adams’ Martian ex-marine Bobbie Draper continued tracking down a black market selling weapons to Belter terrorists. Adams delivered a nice performance in the episode, displaying Bobbie’s mounting frustration with the investigation and the changes she’s gone through well. Just her facial expressions at watching a message from a deceased friend’s family or how she carried herself during her blow up at Alex conveyed the issues Bobbie was working through in a nice dramatic manner.
After spending so much time on Mars in the previous season, ‘Exodus’ showed off quite a few changes, both subtle and not subtle, to how the time gap has affected the planet as more and more people were leaving to go beyond the solar system in the hope of an actual planet they could call home. From the empty storefronts to the fewer people, the set design really sold how much Mars was changing. Not just that, but the visual effects were very detailed and plentiful throughout the episode. There were many beautiful shots with a whole lot of effects, but they all looked great, some even movie quality such as Amos’ ship landing on Luna or Holden’s presentation on what is in the mysterious protomolecule ring. The story also moves along at a very nice pace. Despite being very little action present, the pacing of ‘Exodus’ never felt slow as it built up the characters stories and teased the upcoming conflict they would now be facing.
With a strong focus on its characters and the decision to split the core cast up, ‘Exodus’ is a great season opener to The Expanse‘s fifth season. It pushes both the cast and their characters in intriguing positions, being unafraid of the risks it poses by doing so. The direction, writing, effects and build of tension all serve the episode in an exciting fashion that raises plenty of questions for fans to ponder over.
Rating: 8/10
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