The Expanse Podcast - Tales From The Rocinante

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Send me your feedback 1-805-910-7656 or [email protected]

Deadline to submit your feedback this week is Friday, 9 AM Eastern time.

Welcome to The Expanse Podcast Double Take. In this episode, I give you my first impressions right after seeing the sixth episode of season 5 titled “Tribes.” I’m creating these short posts to encourage listener feedback by asking questions about the episode.

This week’s questions are…

1) How long until Avasarala is calling all the shots again?

2) Will Monica turn out to be an asset or a liability?

3) Who will draw first blood, Drummer’s or Marco’s crew?

4) How much darker will Amos get before reuniting with his Roci crew?

I’d like to thank everyone who has subscribed to this podcast and encourage you to join the discussion by sending in your feedback by calling +1-805-910-7656 or by e-mailing me at [email protected] or visiting the website at solotalkmedia.com. If you are enjoying this podcast please consider leaving me a review on Apple Podcasts.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook

[6:45] Episode Recaps
[19:00] Feedback

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I want to hear from you! Send me your feedback at 1-805-910-7656 or [email protected]

This week we discuss the tenth and final episode of season 4 of The Expanse titled “Cibola Burn”.

You can purchase The Expanse books via Amazon. USA or Canada or the UK

Or listen to the audiobook version through Audible

The episode opens on board Drummer’s ship. The crew is watching the news reports on Earth.

Drummer is taking it hard. She feels guilty for having let Marco live. If she had killed him like was epxected, Ashford’s and Fred’s death and the destruction on Earth would have never happened.

However, Oksana reminds her that if Marco hand’t done it, someone else eventually would have.

Even through her grief, she’s worried about Naomi and how this will affect her.

Drummer’s crew is concerned for their future. Even though Marco is only one small faction, the innards will see all Belters as a threat. And with increased vigilance, it will make their role as pirates much more difficult. 

Drummer informs them that she’s agreed to a meeting with Marco Inaros. 

————————-

On Earth, with all communications to the rest of the prison cut off, Amos convinces security guard Rona that their best option is to try and leave the place. She reluctantly agrees to allow Amos to bring Clarissa along.

With the elevators down and the stairway blocked, their only option of escape is to find the elevator’s maintenance ladder. However, with the doors jammed there’s no way to access the elevator shaft. Until security guard Sully comes up with a crazy plan.

At gunpoint, they release Konecheck, an inmate who’s mods give him superhuman strength, and get him to pry the doors open. But there’s no maintenance latter to be seen.

However, Clarissa spots a wall panel with a hinge. Amos get’s one of the guards to shoot two holes in the panel and then get’s Konecheck, who he’s calling Tiny, much to the big inmate’s distaste, to pry open the panel, revealing the much needed ladder.

The plan is to send up one guard to make holes in the subsequent panels for Tiny to pry open. It will be slow going, but it’s their only way out.

They draw lots, and Sullivan is chosen to go up with Konecheck.

A while later, the ones waiting below hear a scream as Sullivan’s body comes crashing down.

Konecheck claims the guard lost his grip and fell.

He’s almost at the top so Rona, refusing to split up again, goes up to complete the job with the others trailing behind on the ladder.

They start to get the feel for their situation when they see daylight at the top of the shaft where a whole building should be.

When they reach the top they see the devastation. The entire prison building has been destroyed.

While everyone is distracted, Konecheck kills the guard Morris and disarms Rona, tossing her gun down the elevator shaft.

Amos tries to fight the inmate, but the mans mods make him no match for Amos.

Clarissa tries to activate her mods to help but the blockers she’s on are still in effect.

As Konecheck walks Amos over to the shaft, Rona uses Morris’ gun, still clutched in his dead hand so the override the biolock and shoots the big inmate allowing Amos to throw Konecheck down the elevator shaft.

Rona, still in shock can only think of her daughter. Amos tells her to leave and go find her kid.

Left alone, Amos and Clarissa have nothing left to do but find their way out of there.

———————

On board the Razorback AKA the ScreamingFirehawk, Alex is torn between his loyalty to Mars and his loyalty to Holden. He wan’t to help Jim find the Protomolecule, but Bobbie reminds him that there’s nothing they can do from where they are. However, there is something they can do to help Mars.

When the Barkeith and her escorts kill their transponders and alter their direction, Alex and Bobbie try to covertly find out where they’re heading.

By their trajectory, it looks like they’re going to intersect with the Hungaria Group. The innermost large asteroid group in the Belt. It’s the perfect place to hide in space if you don’t want to be spotted by any scopes.

Alex alters course for a better look but tries to stay hidden by keeping the asteroids between them.

As they approach, spot more Martian ships. As they watch the Barkeith depart they realize it wasn’t transferring weapons, the Barkeith’s escort are the weapons. 

That’s when they realize that Marco Inaros’ Free Navy is comprised of Belters on Martian ships.

As the martian ships split up and depart, Alex and Bobbie are spotted and fired upon.

They pump themselves full of juice and push their ship to the max. 

Alex tries to outmanoeuvre the incoming missile but it’s no use, it’s catching up to them.

In one last ditch effort, he dumps the ships core to collide with the missile. 

They survived, but without power and hustling through space at maximum velocity, how long can they last.

————

On board Marco’s ship, Marco tries to play nice with Naomi, inviting her to join he, Filip and their friends for a meal. Even though she’s being treated like a prisoner, He tells her she’s free to do whatever she wants, except leave. She walks out.

Even though Cyn is on Marco’s side, he does’t like the way his boss is treating Naomi. He seems to be the only one concerned for her.

When left alone, Marco tells Filip that he’s not angry with the boy, but he is disappointed with him for bringing Naomi.

He thinks that having his mother there will be a distractions for the boy. Marco needs his son clear of mind for what’s to come.

He tells the boy that it’s ok to feel sad or even angry for what Naomi did to them. But he can’t let those feelings rule him.

Elsewhere on the ship, Cyn asks Naomi if she would like to help him replace the air scrubbers. 

She angrily tells him that things can’t go back to the way they used to be. She had hoped that when she left, he would be there for Filip. That he would install some of his goodness in her son and not let Marco poison the boy.

Cyn tries to justify what Marco is doing, how it’s for the future of all Belters. But all she sees is the river of blood he’s doing it on, and Cyn is helping him.

Later, in the mess hall, Karal tells Naomi she was happy when she left. The fact that she feels remorse for creating the code that destroyed the Gamarra means she was never one of them.

She says nobody is coming to save her and after what she did to Marco, the only way she’s ever leaving that ship is dead. 

Naomi picks up a knife and makes her way to the bridge. 

She approaches Marco with the intention of killing him but Filip intercedes telling his mom they are busy and she has no business there.

As he escorts her back to a lower deck, he tells her she should be grateful that he took her. By doing so he saved her life.

Naomi reads into his meaning and in a panic, realizes the code she wrote all those years ago that destroyed the Gamarra is now on the Rocinante.

She finds Cyn and pretends to play nice with him, offering her help with the scrubbers. When the Belter’s back is turned, she knocks him out, grabs his terminal and sends a message to Holden telling him the Roci has been sabotaged and to not start its reactor.

—————

On Tycho station, Jim is in a bad place. Fred is dead, Marco has the Protomolecule sample, he can’t reach his parents on Earth. nor can he get ahold of any of the Roci’s crew.

He and Bull interrogate Sakai, she doesn’t give them any useful information, she just keeps reminding them that they’re not Belters and they don’t belong there.

Luckily, Monica’s eye saw the Zmeya’s flight plan while it displayed on Sakai’s terminal. Jim plans on intercepting it with the Rocinante.

As Jim and his temporary flight crew prepare the ship for departure, he receives Naomi’s message. She warns him about the reactor and tells him she’s being held captive by Marco. The message is cut short as Cyn grabs her and the transmission cuts off.

He immediately shuts down the reactor.

Unfortunately, without any location data, there’s no way for him to know where Naomi is.

And that was the episode.

Twitter: @solotalkmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/solotalkmedia

Email: [email protected]

Voice Feedback: 1-805-910-7656

Today’s podcast is brought to you by Audible – get a FREE audiobook download and 30-day free trial at solotalkmedia.com/audible. Over 200,000 titles to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player. Leviathan Wakes amongst them.

Send me your feedback 1-805-910-7656 or [email protected]

Deadline to submit your feedback this week is Sunday, 9 AM Eastern time.

Welcome to The Expanse Podcast Double Take. In this episode, I give you my first impressions right after seeing the fifth episode of season 5 titled “Down And Out.” I’m creating these short posts to encourage listener feedback by asking questions about the episode.

This week’s questions are…

1) Who will Holden go after, Naomi or the Zmeya?

2) What are Drummer’s intentions for meeting Marco Inaros?

3) Will Amos ever see his Timmy mug again?

I’d like to thank everyone who has subscribed to this podcast and encourage you to join the discussion by sending in your feedback by calling +1-805-910-7656 or by e-mailing me at [email protected] or visiting the website at solotalkmedia.com. If you are enjoying this podcast please consider leaving me a review on Apple Podcasts.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook

[3:35] Episode Recaps
[14:24] Feedback

I want to hear from you! Send me your feedback at 1-805-910-7656 or [email protected]

This week we discuss the tenth and final episode of season 4 of The Expanse titled “Cibola Burn”.

You can purchase The Expanse books via Amazon. USA or Canada or the UK

Or listen to the audiobook version through Audible

The episode opens between Mars and the Belt on board the Razorback AKA The Screaming Firehawk.

Bobbie and Alex are following the Barkeith. Bobbie is convinced it’s a smuggling run but Alex not so much. He’s having a hard time believing so many Martians can be in on it and doesn’t understand why Bobbie isn’t more upset about the whole situation.

She tells him a story about her pet rat dying and how you only have so much grief inside you. Once it’s used up there’s nothing left to do but react by doing something that matters. Which is what they are doing.

They receive an emergency alert advising all ships headed towards Earth to give way to ships involved in relief efforts. They turn on the news feeds and hear about the asteroid impact on Earth that happened almost simultaneously to an explosion at the Martian parliament building.

—————-

On Earth, Amos visits Clarissa AKA Melba at The Pit, a U.N. Penitentiary. Clarissa is being held 10 floors underground in a special wing for prisoners with body modifications. According to the constitution, prisoners have the rights to body privacy, meaning they cannot be forced to relinquish their mods.

Amos is escorted to Clarissa’s cell. A small concrete cube where she is being kept sedated with mod blockers since it would be too dangerous to try removing her modifications.

At first Clarissa doesn’t believe Amos is really there. She tells him of her life. Blockers every morning, food through a slot in the door, daily 30-hour walk in the yard and therapy once per week. Repeat.

She questions why he came to visit her. He tells her that people like them, and the things they do, can play a toll on them. He was lucky that he had people helping him. He was hoping the be that person for her. But she tells him she can’t be helped.

Their conversation is interrupted by the lockdown alarm. Moments later the whole place shakes violently as cracks appear in the concrete walls and the lights go out.

——————

On Luna, Avasarala is trying to warn Nancy Gao that the asteroid was not a random occurrence but a deliberate attack. But nobody is taking her calls.

Admiral Delgado arrives and informs her that a second rock struck earth northwest of Philadelphia.

The Secretary General and her council is on board UN One trying to understand what is happening.

Her Chief of Staff tries to convincer her to go to Luna but she won’t hear it.

Using her previous connections, Avasarala manages to contact the plane’s chef and get him to pass his communicator to the Secretary-General.

Finally through to Nancy, Christjen tells her what’s happening and what they need to do. Reposition the watch towers which are the only things that can detect stealth technology.

The Secretary General orders it done, moments before another rock strike earth close to her plane and communications is lost. The fate of the UN Government unknown. 

—-

With the order received, the Watchtower satellite is redirected to look for stealth asteroids.

Avasarala can’t get a hold of Arjun and pleads with him to contact her. Delgado arrives with the news that with Nancy and most of her cabinet MIA nobody seems to know who is next in line of succession.

Christjen is down and depressed. Delgado takes her to the officer’s lounge to see everyone in shock about what has happened. Everything seems hopeless when they receive word that the repositioned Watchtower satellite detected another asteroid. Relief and hope are renewed as the news comes that Earth’s defence satellites destroyed the incoming asteroid.

—————-

On Tycho, Fred, Jim and Sakai are monitoring the arrival of the Zmeya, as Bull and his team wait inside the shipping container.

Suspiciously, an alert comes in from reactor control, on the other side of the station that requires security to check out.

Jim gets suspicious when the Zmeya doesn’t follow their projected flight plan, stating thruster issues.

Holden tells Bull to get out of the container. It’s a trap. Bull and his team exit as the ship’s cargo bay doors start to open, and they fire a missile destroying the shipping container.

Distracted by wha’t happing outside, Sakai takes the opportunity to reveal herself by shooting Fred in the back three times before fleeing, shutting of the entire station’s communication network on the way.

The Zmeya fires a second time, but this time it’s not a missile but a boarding skiff. It latches on the the station outside of Fred Johnson’s quarter where Monica Stuart hiding.

Fred, badly wounded tells Holden that his sample of the Protomolecule is in his quarters. Jim has to get to it before they do.

The boarding team break through the wall to Fred’s quarters and send in a retrieval droid.

Sakai arrives as the droid starts cutting through the floor. She orders the Belters with her to put Monica in a vac suite. They’re taking her with them.

With station security holding off an attack in the reactor, Holden is on his own.

He shoots the belters, as Monica subdues Sakai, but the droid makes it out with the Protomolecule sample. Sakai laughs at them.

—

Later, In the medical bay, the doctors are unable to save Fred. Jim, Bull and Monica grieve by his body. 

——————

Somewhere in space, Filip and crew rendezvous with the Pella, Marco’s ship. Naomi is brought before Inaros who is both surprised and pleased to see her.

He shows off his warship saying Belters need a way to protect themselves but she says there are other ways Belters can protect themselves. 

She tells him he hasn’t changed, but he disagrees. He tells her that raising a child changes one’s perspective. All you want to do is provide a better world for them than the one that was given to you.

She’s disgusted that he had their son kidnap her but Marco informs her that that was all Filip’s decision. In some ways he thinks their son is still a little boy who needs his mother.

Marco tries to impress Naomi by showing her what’s happening on Earth. How he’s taken steps to free their people and return dignity to the Belt. But she’s disgusted by what he’s done, putting blood on their son’s hands.

But Filip says he willingly helped. In fact, Marco tells her their son played a pivotal roll in the plan.

When informed that the rest of the rocks were either destroyed or missed Earth, Marco is not upset. On the contrary, he views 3 rocks hitting the planet as a huge victory for the Belt.

After locking Naomi in her room. He get’s on the coms and broadcasts system wide.

He is Marco Intros, commander of the Free Navy, the military arm and voice of the outer planet and the ones responsible for the attacks on Earth and Mars as retribution for the atrocities committed by the inners against innocent Belters over generations.

But they won’t be persecuted anymore. He threatens more attacks on Earth and Mars if the Inners don’t recognize the new regime. The Free Navy now possess the last remaining sample of Protomolecule and they won’t hesitate to use it on either planet.

Earth and Mars can remain sovereign planets, but everything outside their atmosphere, including the Ring Gate and Ring Worlds belongs to the Belters.

Going forward, the Free Navy will remake humanity without the greed and corruption of the inner planets.

He calls upon all Belters to rise up and fight for their future and their freedom.

And that was the episode.

Twitter: @solotalkmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/solotalkmedia

Email: [email protected]

Voice Feedback: 1-805-910-7656

Today’s podcast is brought to you by Audible – get a FREE audiobook download and 30-day free trial at solotalkmedia.com/audible. Over 200,000 titles to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player. Leviathan Wakes amongst them.

Send me your feedback 1-805-910-7656 or [email protected]

Deadline to submit your feedback this week is Sunday, 9 AM Eastern time.

Welcome to The Expanse Podcast Double Take. In this episode, I give you my first impressions right after seeing the fourth episode of season 5 titled “Guagamela.” I’m creating these short posts to encourage listener feedback by asking questions about the episode.

This week’s questions are…

1) What is Holden’s next move?

2) How will Earth respond?

3) How will Mars respond?

I’d like to thank everyone who has subscribed to this podcast and encourage you to join the discussion by sending in your feedback by calling +1-805-910-7656 or by e-mailing me at [email protected] or visiting the website at solotalkmedia.com. If you are enjoying this podcast please consider leaving me a review on Apple Podcasts.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook

[5:15] Episode Recaps
[27:37] Feedback

Link mentioned in Richard’s feedback https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFbdb3fm_AA&feature=youtu.be

I want to hear from you! Send me your feedback at 1-805-910-7656 or [email protected]

This week we discuss the tenth and final episode of season 4 of The Expanse titled “Cibola Burn”.

You can purchase The Expanse books via Amazon. USA or Canada or the UK

Or listen to the audiobook version through Audible

NOTE: I write these recaps fast while watching the episodes. I have not taken the time to edit them for grammatical or spelling errors.

The episode opens in space. Following the progression of Rock #9. As it passes by the sun it breaks up into smaller fragments.

The U.N.S. Hasami, a science ship near venus is tracking the mysterious fragments that appeared from nowhere. They’re having a hard time getting sensor readings from them.

All of a sudden the ship is boarded. A team of Marco Inarus’s people, lead by Filip demands their data about the rock. Once they have what they came for they kill the crew, destroy the ship and are on their way.

————-

On Tycho Station, the Rocinante is undergoing much needed repairs after their adventure on Illus.

Tycho’s chef of operations, Bull isn’t happy with the special treatment given to the ship.

When Naomi encounters Fred, he gives her information on the whereabouts of her son Filip. 

She immediately acquires a ship to travel to Palace station to find her son.

Meanwhile, Holden runs into Monica Stewart. She’s working on a story about secret experimenting on the Protomolecule and wants to know what Jim knows. He doesn’t tell her anything but immediately goes to question Fred.

Fred doesn’t deny the fact but assures Jim the Protomolecule is secure.

Jim shows Fred classified footage from Dr, Okoye experimenting on the device found on Illus aka New Terra.

He tells Fred the entities that created the artifact killed the Protomolecule and are a threat to humankind.

Fred questions, Holden’s imagination. As far as he’s concerned, everything Jim is telling him is pure speculation.

Back at their quarters on the station, Naomi tells Jim she’s leaving Tycho to find Filip but she has to do this alone, without him.

Naomi is torn up with guilt over abandoning her son. If he’s killed, she’ll never be able to live with herself.

Of course Holden protests, he’s worried for her safety, especially with Marco Inarus involved. But in the end agrees to let her do alone.

She boards the freighter and leaves as Jim watches her go from the bridge of the Rocinante.

—————

On board The Lazy Songbird, a Belter ferry en route to Luna, Amos runs into a bit of trouble from a group of belters strong-arming the passengers.

They’re trying to extract a passenger insurance but the big man puts them in their place.

Once on Luna, Security asks Amos to accompany them to see Avasarala.

She wan’t to know why he’s going back to earth.

She’s not sure she buys his story about taking care of a dead friend’s affairs.

———

Still on Luna, Admiral Delgado informs Avasarala about the investigation into the Hasami, the destroyed science ship. Investigators found something suspicious that could possibly be one of Marco’s ships. Which makes them question why Marco would want to destroy a science ship?

————

On Mars, Bobbie acquires a stolen Marine power armor from a dealer. She enquires about stealth torpedoes but he blows off her question.

She informs Avasarala of her progress in discovering the roots of the black market ring. She’s getting close but feels like time is running out.

Meanwhile, Alex discovers how bleak life on Mars has become. He tries talking to his ex-wife but she blows him off. She doesn’t want to hear whatever he has to say.

He calls Melas, his son who is on a school trip, the conversation is a bit awkward.

Bobby meets up with him at a bar. Alex tries to catch up but Bobbie is very defensive. She snaps at him for no apparent reason and storms off.

The episode comes to an end with Christjen is studying a propoganda video of marco. while the scene cuts to Inarus looking at the rocks heading towards earth. Time to impact 12 days, 7 hours, 13 minutes.

That’s the episode

The episode opens with a mayday from the colony ship Sulaiman Al Mahri, they’ve been attacked and are in the process of being boarded. They’re asking for immediate assistance.

Drummer contacts the attacking ship and demands her dues as faction leader. When they refuse, she disables their ship with a missile. Humbled the pirate concedes and gives Drummer her cut of his bounty.

Without any remorse, Drummer leaves the Sulaiman Al Mahri dead in space waiting for another ship to rescue them.

Drummer and her crew celebrate their victory. Not only did they get their cut of the bounty, solidifying her claim as head of the faction. But they did so without anyone getting hurt.

When word arrives that the Tynan, Klaes Ashford’s ship has been found, Drummer orders a new course

———

On Earth, in Baltimore, Amos remenises about his youth in the city. Experiencing memories of Lydia and growing up there.

He arrives at Lydia’s house and is met by Charles and we find out that Amos’ real name is Timothy.

Once Amos is satisfied that Lydia’s death was natural and that Charles was good to her he relaxes.

We find out that Thimothy was protituted out as a kid, but once he outgrew his cuteness he was used as an enforcer.

Then Lydia found him and taught him how to save himself.

When Amos hears that Charles is being kicked out of the house because it belonged to Lydia and that the landlord is someone by the name of Erich. Amos knows him from his youth, he decides to help the old man.

—

Later, Amos confronts one of  Erich’s goons to set up a meeting. 

He’s directed to what appears to be an old derelict building, but the outside is just a front. Inside the building is state of the art.

Erich is wondering why his old friend is back. Timmy killed the real Amos Burton over 20 years ago for Erich, took the dead man’ name and left the planet promising never to return.

Erich thinks that with Lydia dead, Timmy is coming back to take over his operation. He calms down once he realizes that the big man is only there to ensure Charles can keep Lydia’s house.

The two reminisce before Erich says goodbye to his old friend telling him if he ever comes back he’ll kill him.

A flashback of Lydia explaining hurt and kindness to a young Timothy giving us more insight into the complicated man’s psyche.

Before Amos leaves the planet he calls Avasarala for a favour. He’s never coming back to Earth, and before he goes, there’s one more person he needs to see.

——————-

On Tycho Bull questions Fred’s motives for what he does.

On the Roci, Sakai informs Jim of the repair progress. He decides to followup on a message Monica left for him. But when he shows up at her room for the meeting there’s evidence that Monica has been abducted.

With the station shut down to all departing ships, Bull’s team investigates but they have no leads. All surveillance video has been scrubbed.

Holden is convinced her disappearance has something to do with the proof Monica said she has about the secret Protomolecule research.

Later, Holden discovers a video signal coming in from Monica. It’s a recording of what she’s seeing. They figure out she’s in a shipping container but they have no way of telling which one.

—

In the container, Monica manages to free herself from her bonds. She tries to break out, but in doing so releases the pressure in the container. She’s in space, and is losing her breathable air.

—

Using Thermal imaging, Fred discovers a shipping container that is warmer than the rest. Holden and Bull cut it open, only to discover it’s filled with fertile soil, hence the heat.

—

As the air runs out in Monica’s container, we hear a noise from outside. The hole she made allowed Holden and Bull to see the escaping air allowing them to rescue her.

———————-

On Mars, Alex tries to figure out what’s going on with Bobbie. She’s angry and snaps at everything he says. When he’s about to give up on her she comes around and confides in him what she’s been up to. 

She takes him to her storage locker where she stores the contraband she’s acquired. Alex is shocked by what is going on. 

Unable to turn to the police or the MPs he agrees to help her.

When he notices she’s investigating Emil Sauveterre he thinks something must be wrong, He knows the man and doesn’t think he’s capable of betraying Mars.

But Bobbie claims that everyone she knows is involved was transferred to their posts, posts they are not qualified for, by Sauveterre.

Alex decides to pay a visit to his old shipmate at the military college. He catches the end of Sauveterre’s very moving lecture about the Ring Space and Mars’ role in the future of humanity. 

When Alex talks to him, the Admiral shows contempt towards Alex and dismisses him. Lieutenant Babbage, the admiral’s aide, assures Alex it’s not him. The Admiral is just jealous about his experiences going through the Ring Gate.

She says it’s an honour to meet him and asks if he’d be up to getting together.

—————

On Luna,

Ashanti, Chrisjen’s daughter says goodbye to her mother. She has to go back to earth. She encourages her mother to patch things up with Arjun. but Avasaraly says what she’s doing is important and Arjun understands that.

Later during a UN council meeting, Avasarala brings up the destroyed science ship and a possible connection to Marco Inaros but Nancy Gao dismisses her story.

Later, Avasarala and Delgado discuss Nancy over a drink and how the new secretary general treated Christjen at the meeting.

They then contemplate why the science ship was destroyed. Why would Marco take the risk?

They don’t think it was piracy, that would be too dangerous this close to the inner planets. So it must have something to do with the mission the ship was on.

And that was the episode

The episode opens with a shot of the rock’s trajectory. Time to impact 22 hours and 47 minutes.

Meanwhile, Out in the Belt, the crews of the Dewalt and Mowteng investigate Ashford’s ship. It’s been stripped clean and left for dead.

the reactor is still in tact, with water and fuel from their reserves, they can patch up the ship and take it with them adding it to their armada.

Drummer tells everyone to search the ship for a hidden data cores she knows Ashford would have secretly kept.

While investigating a malfunction in the forward airlock, Drummer discovers a fire extinguisher with a false bottom and the missing data core.

It contains the last recording Ashford made of his conversation with Marco, where the terrorist confesses to plans much larger than any Belter ever dreamt of.

With this new information, Drummer plans on going after Marco herself using the $20 million bounty as the reason.

Her crew is reluctant but doesn’t oppose her plan.

Later, Oksana confronts Drummer. She tells her her grief over Ashford is not an excuse for vengeance. It’s ok for her to grieve.

Drummer confesses that she feels guilty over Ashford’s death. He had asked her to be is XO but she turned him down.

She wanted to set her own path. but her grief and pain is bringing her back to her old ways, of anger and vengeance.

Later that night, Drummer sends a message to Fred Johnson informing him they found the Tynan and that Ashford is dead. She sends him the recording from Ashford for him to do with as he pleases. It’s no longer her fight.

————

Back on Tycho, Monica shows Holden and Fred video of an attack that took place on Ceres station a few days ago. Everyone was killed except for Cortazar, the scientist who specializes in the Protomolecule and the man that Anderson Daws had taken.

According to her sources, a Belter strike team took Cortazar.

Fred later tells Holden that Daws confirms the video but doesn’t have a clue who’s responsible.

Holden thinks Fred is a target and should get off of Tycho but Fred brushes it off.

They put a plan in motion to catch Monica’s kidnappers.

With the help of Sakai they find out who sold the Shipping container that Monica was trapped in. 

But when they arrive to question them, the two men are dead. But all is not lost.

The ship that was scheduled to pick up Monica’s shipping container is still inbound, and they don’t know Monica isn’t in it.

Bull wants to set up a greeting party inside the container to capture the ones who come to collect i.

————-

On Pallas Station, Naomi encounters Cyn and Karal, old friends who have mixed feelings about seeing her there.

When she mentions Filip the two get cold. They tell her Filip doesn’t want her in his life.

Naomi tells them the price on Marco’s head is going to get her son killed and she wants to see him. She pleads them to pass on the message.

Later, Filip arrives to ask his mother what she wants. He’s angry at her abandoning him.

She tells him she’ll never forgive herself for her choices, but it was never about him.

She’s not looking for forgiveness. but she loves him and wants to help him.

She’s tells him she’s afraid that whatever Marco has gotten himself into will end up hurting Filip.

She bought him a ship so that he could leave. 

but he says he doesn’t need her. Everything Marco told him about his mother was true.

Later, when Filip arrives on the ship, Naomi thinks he’s reconsidered, but instead, he tazers her and with the help of Cyn and Karal takes the ship. Taking Naomi with them.

————

On Mars, Bobbie is convinced Admiral Sauveterre is the head of the black market cartel.

She wants Alex to meet with Lewtenant Babbage and dig for information on the Admiral.

However, when they do meet, Babbage is the one digging for info. She’s charming and flirtatious and Alex can’t resist answering her questions.

When Alex finally starts asking about Sauveterre, Babbage gets suspicious. 

When Alex suggest they continue the date elsewhere, Babbage says she can’t. She’s shipping off in the morning on a routine resupply missing on board the Barkeith.

She doesn’t seem to interested in another date, but confuses Alex by kissing him before departing.

Back at his room, Alex is attacked by two people who inject him with a form of truth serum and ask him why he’s asking about Admiral Sauveterre. He can’t resist telling them.

Before they can kill him Bobbie arrives and quickly subdues both attackers. 

The police...

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Deadline to submit your feedback this week is Sunday, 9 AM Eastern time.

Welcome to The Expanse Podcast Double Take. In this episode, I give you my first impressions right after seeing the first three episodes of season 5 titled “Exodus,” “Churn,” and “Mother.” I’m creating these short posts to encourage listener feedback by asking questions about the episode.

This week’s questions are…

1) Who is going after the Protomolecule?

2) What will Bobbie and Alex find on their covert mission?

3) What is Filip up to with his new ship and his mother?

I’d like to thank everyone who has subscribed to this podcast and encourage you to join the discussion by sending in your feedback by calling +1-805-910-7656 or by e-mailing me at [email protected] or visiting the website at solotalkmedia.com. If you are enjoying this podcast please consider leaving me a review on Apple Podcasts.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook

[16:15] Ep 1: New Terra

[20:11] Ep 2: Jetsam

[26:19] Ep 3: Subduction

[30:16] Ep 4: Retrograde

[36:40] Ep 5: Oppressor

[43:04] Ep 6: Displacement

[48:44] Ep 7: A Shot In The Dark

[54:33] Ep 8: The One Eyed Man

[1:01:52] Ep 9: Saeculum

[1:08:57] Ep 10: Cibola Burn

I’ve combined all ten of my season 4 recaps into one episode. In just about an hour of listening, you can be back up to speed on where things stand in The Expanse before the premiere of season 5 on Wednesday, December 16.

Want to listen to The Expanse series? Get a FREE audiobook download and 30-day free trial at solotalkmedia.com/audible. Over 200,000 titles to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player. Leviathan Wakes amongst them.

Do you prefer reading a physical book? You can pick your copies of the Expanse series on Amazon or eBay.

I’d like to thank everyone who has subscribed to this podcast and encourage you to join the discussion by sending in your feedback by calling +1-805-910-7656 or by e-mailing me at [email protected] or visiting the website at solotalkmedia.com. If you are enjoying this podcast please consider leaving me a review on Apple Podcasts.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook

This episode Timestamps

[4:15] Episode Recap

I want to hear from you! Send me your feedback at 1-805-910-7656 or [email protected]

This week we discuss the tenth and final episode of season 4 of The Expanse titled “Cibola Burn”.

You can purchase The Expanse books via Amazon. USA or Canada or the UK

Or listen to the audiobook version through Audible

The episode opens with Dr. Elvi Okoye falling through the void with Miller. The terrifying experience of passing through the eye leaves her shaken. The machine that once housed Miller sits inert on the floor next to her.

The essence of the detective is gone, and around the planet, all energy reading from the ancient protomolecule machinery goes dark.

With Elvi now safe, Holden goes and finds the badly injured Amos and brings the big man and Murtry back to the void chamber.

Jim asks Elvi what she saw in the void. She tells him it was more of a feeling. She could feel the spaces between things and a presence that was moving towards her. Jim has experienced that feeling himself.

Holden then decides to climb the chamber wall to an opening way above them. Before doing so he makes Amos promise not to kill Murtry while he’s gone.

He scales the wall to the top and looks out over the vastness of dead protomolecule machinery covering the planet. He calls the Roci and asks them to come to pick them up.

——

In orbit, seeing the energy readings on the planet end, Naomi successfully fires up the Roci’s reactor and is soon followed by the Barb and the Edward Israel.

Everyone is celebrating, but Lucia knows that she will now have to answer for what she did on the planet.

After receiving the call from Jim they head to the planet and pick them up. Including Murtry who they are holding as a prisoner.

Lucia is brooding. After everything she did to save her family, she’s never going to see them again. She doesn’t think they’ll want to talk to her again, but Alex convinces her that she’ll regret it if she doesn’t open up to them. He urges her not to make the same mistake he made with his family.

Naomi is sad about Lucia’s fate. The Belter woman never intended for anyone to get hurt, but she’s sure to be made an example of for others. But Holden offers to alter his report and say that Lucia was lost to space when the Roci was attacked by the Edward Israel’s shuttle.

Down on the planet, the RCE team and the Belters work together to build a new settlement they’re calling Second Landing.

Elvi is excited for the chance to be the first scientist to study the war between the Builders and whoever killed them. Holden just wants to make sure that they don’t become the second victim to the killers.

As the Roci and the Barb leave orbit. Felcia says goodbye to her family as she heads to school on Ceres station. On Elis, Lucia and Jakob have taken Chike into their family.

In the cargo hold. Naomi and Holden remove the section of deck Miller told them about. The place the now inert glob of protomolecule into a torpedo and fire it into the nearby sun, Holden contemplates his friendship with Miller and how he’ll miss the strange man.

When Naomi learns of the bounty on Marco Inaros she immediately sends a message to Fred Jonson asking his help in finding her son Filip.

Now that both Amos and Murtry are healed. The two men finally have their fight. Murtry throws the first punch and immediately regrets it once he sees the look in Amos’ eyes.

——

At an abandoned steroid mine in the Belt, Ashford is following the trail of Marco Inaros. He suspects the Belter terrorist was there very recently but he doesn’t know why. The iron-nickel asteroids are worthless so why the interest?

He manages to extrapolate the trajectory of a ship that passed by there with its transponder off and sets pursuit.

In the cargo bay, a Martian, one of Marco’s known collaborators is being interrogated. Ashford wants to know why Mars is helping a Belter Terrorist. The MCRN Supply Officer says it’s for money, Mars isn’t what it used to be.

He was apprehended on Callisto station where he has access to the MCRN arsenal. Ashford suspects he was selling weapons to Inaros.

Ashford warns the man, that violence is an indiscriminate tool. If you use it against your enemies it sometimes kills the ones you love most.

The MCRN Officer has nothing else to say. After Ashford leaves him along he manages to get his hands on a pair of pliers.

Ashford’s crew wants to do away with the Martian but Ashford teaches them compassion. Yes, you need to show strength but then you show a smile. This way they’ll open up to you. Inaros knows this, it’s what makes him so dangerous. His crew is not convinced.

Upon further investigation, Ashford discovers that Marco took two of the asteroids with him and that could only mean he’s planning an attack. But where? Maybe Tycho or Ceres as revenge against Fred Johnson and Anderson Dawes.

Unfortunately, the MCRN Officer manages to kill one of the crew members with the pliers and is killed by another before he can give them answers.

——

On Mars, a suspicious Bobbie is following Beltran when she runs into Leelee. They compare notes on the man. From what they’ve figured out, he’s a low-level desk jockey. So how has he been able to supply them with top-level security codes? Bobbie suspects he may be an intelligence officer playing them.

Bobbie thinks his latest score is a setup, and she thinks the big payout has blinded Esai to the danger.

Leelee hears her out but decides to go along with the plan. It’s too much money to pass on.

Bobbie continues her investigation and discovers that Leelee was part of the Protomolecule Working Group but her file is classified.

She later learns that Beltran is dead and tries to call Esai to warn him but he turns it off without answering.

She goes to the secret exchange location and discovers it’s an ambush right as the shooting starts.

Esai is killed and Bobbie goes after the assailants. A bomb detonates shattering the warehouse’s dome ceiling exposing it to the Mars atmosphere. Bobbie manages to escape through an airlock pulling a distraught Leelee with her. They were all supposed to die in the ambush. Whoever coordinated it must be very high up in the ranks. The merchandise stolen was Mars stealth technology.

The news outlets are reporting the explosion as a terrorist attack. They need to get off-planet. Leelee offers to take Bobbie with her to Ceres station but the ex-Marine has other plans. The two-part ways.

——

On Earth, Avasarala and her command team sift through Holden’s report. With the protomolecule now inert, the RCE science team and the Belters have agreed to remain on Ilus to rebuild the settlement.

The Roci will escort the Barbapiccola to the Ring Gate for it to sell it’s ore while the Edward Israel will remain in orbit and offer help to those on the planet.

Christjen knows this report is the final nail in her coffin and is exactly what Nancy Gao needs to win the election.

Fast forward to after the election. Nancy has won. In her victory address, Gao states her intent to fully open the Ring Gates for exploration and for colonization.

A graciously defeated Avasarala is summoned to Luna to meet with Nancy’s transition team. She asks Arjun to go with her but he thinks it might be better if he stayed on Earth as they both adjust to their new lives. The two obviously have a lot to work out.

Chrisjen later records a heartfelt message to Nancy Gao, welcoming her to her new office and offering her advice and wisdom on what the new Secretary-General should expect.

As she finished her recording she receives a message from Bobbie warning her about the secret military dealings between Mars and the Belt. And if the offer still stands, she would like to come work for the Earth woman.

——

Somewhere in space, drones apply a stealth pain to huge asteroids effectively masking them from sensors and view.

The ship carrying the asteroids is attacked and power is knocked out. On the bridge, Marco Inaros prepares his crew to repel a boarding attack as Ashford and his crew land on the ship in a pod and prepare to board.

Ashford fights his way to the bridge where he faces Marco. Ashford has Marco dead to rights when a young man steps out from the side with his gun trained on Klaes. It’s Filip, Naomi and Marco’s son.

They place Ashford in an airlock. Marco is surprised the old man isn’t begging for his life, but Klaes won’t give him the satisfaction.

Instead, he secretly turns on his communicator and starts broadcasting as he tries to get Marco to confess he’s attacking Tycho Station. But Marco says the days of Belters attacking Belters are over.

He tells Ashford he’s thinking too small but doesn’t elaborate any further.

They open the airlock doors and Ashford floats out to his death with an old Belter song on his lips. The communicator on his wrist sending its message.

Marco then puts his grand plan into action. Setting everything up, and launching several stealth asteroids towards Earth.

That’s the end of the episode and the season.

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This episode Timestamps

[4:34] Episode Recap

I want to hear from you! Send me your feedback at 1-805-910-7656 or [email protected]

This week we discuss the ninth episode of season 4 of The Expanse titled “Saeculum”.

You can purchase The Expanse books via Amazon. USA or Canada or the UK

Or listen to the audiobook version through Audible

The episode opens from Miller’s point of view. The Protomolecule’s Investigator and Miller’s true conscience are fighting each other for control.

Miller finally emerges victorious and explains to Holden how the Protomolecule created The Investigator in his image to get Holden to do its bidding.

But being inside Jim’s head, watching how he thinks, gave Miller what he needed to outsmart his jailer and take over. But he doesn’t know for how long.

During his battle, Miller discovered something important the Protomolecule didn’t want him to know about. A dead place on the planet the Protomolecule can’t go.

He leads Holden into a previously unknown passage to finally put an end to all of this.

He explains that there was a war on the planet between the beings that made the Protomoleucle and something even worse. And the dead spot he senses is something left behind from that war. Possibly a bomb that kills the Protomolecule on touch.

Unsure of what else it might do makes Holden hesitant. However, if it works, Miller can kill his jailers which will free the ships in orbit and Holden and everyone else can go free. The only other option is to watch everyone on the planet starve to death as the ships fall out of the sky.

They come to a hole in the ground and Miller wants Jim to jump in.

Elvi overhears Jim having a one-sided conversation with someone and follows him down the passage.

Miller vanishes as she reaches them. She offers to help but with her around, Jim can’t see Miller who he needs to guide him.

He takes a deep breath and jumps into the hole.

Holden falls for what seems like forever before gently landing on the bottom.

Miller and The Investigator continue to battle each other with Miller, for the time being,  coming out on top.

He leads Holden further and further through the ancient passages.

They reach a chamber that Miller cannot sense. At its center is a glowing void that Holden describes as the eye of an angry god.

Miller is running out of time. The Investigator is fighting hard to regain control.

His plan is to put himself into something physical and then turn on every machine on the planet. When he then walks into the void, everything Protomolecule should be destroyed.

Holden questions, if the void is what killed the Builders what happens to humanity who is now using their Ring Gates? Miller doesn’t have an answer.

Holden then realizes, that if this works. It will be the last time he sees Miller and says goodbye as Miller tries to enter a physical form.

——

In orbit above New Terra, the Rocci is experiencing more drag than expected while pulling the Barbapiccola. They need to do another burn to get the ship higher.

Alex mentions in passing that the Barb would be easier to pull if it wasn’t carrying its heavy cargo.

On the planet, Murtry is getting regular updates on the progress of the two ships. He orders the modified shuttle to intervene on the Roci and Barb’s progress.

Fayez on board the Edward Israel questions the launch of the shuttle. When he demands to know what’s going on, the head of security onboard threatens him if he doesn’t back down.

Frightened, and unsure of what’s going on, he investigates on his own and notices the shuttle is on a trajectory towards the Roci and Barbapiccola.

He secretly warns Alex who questions the Edward Israel about their shuttles approach. When he fails to get an answer he surmises they’re under attack and fires upon the shuttle destroying it.

The debris reins down on the Rocci dislodging Lucia spinning her off into space. A quick-thinking Naomi tethers herself and jumps after the Belter woman. After a tense few seconds, she reaches Lucia and manages to pull her back in.

The incident drained a lot of needed power from the Roci, which drastically impedes their effort to move the Barb.

With the situation bleak, Lucia decides the only remaining course of action is to rescue the Barb’s crew and cut the ship loose.

But then Alex remembers that the Roci’s newly installed railguns have their own batteries. Firing them will act like a big thruster propelling the Roci and the Barb. If it doesn’t work, they can always evacuate the Belter ship.

He fires the first shot and it works. The two ships move into a slightly higher orbit, but it will take more shots for them to make any real progress.

——

At the camp, Chandra Wei invites Amos to join their camp, now that the blindness and slugs are no longer an issue, the next problem will be food and things could get ugly as people start to starve.

Amos expresses concern over Murtry and tells her that no matter how well someone treats his people, it doesn’t mean you can trust them.

Wei says the reason Amos doesn’t like Murtry is that the two are exactly alike. But Amos disagrees. He says the difference is he would never lie to her. She walks away.

Later, at the RCE camp, Murtry advises Wei that it’s almost time for them to take action. He wants to know the whereabouts of Amos and Holden.

When Holden can’t be found, he pressures Dr. Okoye into revealing his location.

She informs Amos that Murtry and Wei went after Holden and she thinks he’s in trouble. She leads him to the passage as he calls Wei and tells her he’s coming after Murtry.

When Amos and Elvi arrive at the bottom of the hole, Wei is waiting for them. She begs Amos to join her. People like them kill for money but never get rich. This time they can.

He can’t believe she bought into Murtry’s story.

He reminds her that he will never lie to her. He’s going after Holden, even if it means going through her. When she says she can’t allow that, he shoots her.

Murtry, who had been listening nearby shoots and severely wounds Amos. Elvi wants to help the big man but he sends her after Holden.

She finds Jim and tells him about Murtry shooting Amos and how the RCE man wants him dead.

Jim goes to help his friend leaving Dr. Okoye in the void chamber.

——

On his way to Amos, Holden encounters Murtry. The two stand off. The RCE man blabbers on about civilization and everyone’s purpose, and how he’s so much better than everyone else.

The two draw their guns and fire. Holden receives a glancing blow but Murtry’s wounds are more serious.

Murtry taunts Jim to finish him, but Holden intends to bring him back to stand trial. With Murtry not going anywhere, Jim returns to the void chamber.

——

Alone in the void chamber, Dr. Okoye hears a voice, it’s Miller. With Holden gone, he asks her to help him reach the void.

Now in the form of a metallic multi appendage machine, she guides him to the void.

When he’s less than a meter away he flips the switches he’s been talking about. All over the planet, machines that have laid dormant for millennia start turning on and the entire planet starts to glow blue.

But before Miller can finally enter the void, the Protomolecule machines attacks and drags him away.

As Elvi watches, thousands of metallic insect-like creatures swarm into the room. She ducks for cover as they narrowly miss her and fly into the void.

A badly mangled Miller machine falls to the floor. Unable to move on his own, Dr. Okoye drags him to the eye in the center of the room.

As Holden enters the room, Elvi gives Miller one final push into the void.

That’s the episode.

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