*ahem* Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior Camina Drummer

[sholio]

In other words I watched the Expanse finale tonight.


I really really liked it! (Well, except what turned out to be the red-herring-ness and general waste of narrative space of Laconia, given that they don't have another season to deal with it.)

But I was worried about a repeat of last season's finale, which was a too-compressed mess that was hard to follow and poorly paced, with too much time on some things and not enough on others. In spite of what a huge amount of plot they had to tie up, I didn't feel that way about this episode at all. The action scenes were incredibly tense, but they also worked hard on giving all the characters something interesting to do, and lots of neat little check-ins with a bunch of different character relationships - Amos and Clarissa, Bobbie and Amos, Clarissa and Naomi, Holden and Drummer, Avasarala and Holden. Even in the cases where something wasn't explicitly tied up, there was enough shown to guess at the gist of it, like Drummer's estranged family being in the front row at the press conference even though we never actually saw their reunion, or the Ceres lady who accused her of being a quisling last episode being the first one to start Belter-clapping after Holden handed over the political reins to her.

Gotta say I was absolutely terrified for several characters at several points - Drummer, Clarissa, and Bobbie all seemed to be on the chopping block at one point or another. I assume they don't die here in the books, but with this being the last season, they totally could, and this show has never been shy about killing characters.

But no, everyone got to be badass and everyone lived! I just really like how everything turned out. Given how little of the aftermath we actually saw, I think the last few minutes of the episode did a really nice job of getting across the general feeling of "the war's over, now we have to pick up the pieces." I had a few little quibbles, such as having wanted Drummer to have a more active role in Marco's demise, but I liked that there really wasn't a big damn hero in the final battle; the whole point was that everyone had some small role to play, some of which were bigger and some of which were more in the background, and in the end, they won.

I said in my last episode reaction post that I really hated how depressing Drummer's last couple of seasons have been, but in the end, I love her overall character arc - from Fred Johnson's lieutenant to Avasarala's opposite number in the Belt. I said last season that what I wanted for her most of all was to watch her pick up bits of leadership experience from all the more experienced leaders she worked with (Fred, Ashford, etc) and finally pull all of that together and come into her own as a leader, and that is exactly what she did. (I felt like the moment when she chooses to stay and patch up her damaged ship and let someone else deal with Marco was a watershed moment for her there, actually. She might have had a blaze-of-glory moment a little earlier, but she's not going to kamikaze herself and her crew to take him out. It's handoff time. She's a team player now.) She and Holden even got a neat little mini-arc across seasons 3-6.

But I also really appreciated that everyone wasn't holding hands and singing kumbaya in the final political scenes - all the old divisions and prejudices that created Marco are still there, and Drummer wasn't wrong to suspect that the Belters would be pushed to the back of the line once the crisis was over. The show was very honest, I felt, about how these things often end up, even with good intentions in play. Still, I appreciate that they pulled out a win for the Belt at the end anyway, because it's more narratively satisfying.

And this is honestly a really nice place to leave everyone.

I guess I'll have to read the books to find out what the hell is up with Laconia (don't tell me, plz), unless the show gets picked up for another season on some other site.

Comments

[rachelmanija]

I also really liked it! (Except for the complete ??? of Laconia.)

The entire thing was really tense, had lots of great character moments, and ended in a satisfying place.

There was even one surprise, which was Filip bailing - possibly the first time I was ever pleased to see him. If he'd gotten a full-on redemption arc I'd have been annoyed, but his small one, which affected no one but him, was satisfying given one of the major themes of the episode, which was that you don't have to go out in a blaze of glory even when you have a good reason to, and it would be easier to do that than deal with a lot of messy consequences.

Clarissa and Drummer didn't sacrifice themselves, tempting as it must have been, when they realized that they had an alternative. Filip couldn't bring himself to frag Marco, but realized that he had an option that wasn't either doing that or staying under his thumb. Naomi helped kill her own son (she thought), mourned him, and went on with her life.

The episode had a feeling of generosity toward the characters. It acknowledged that everything wasn't easy or perfect, but everyone ended up in a good place that made sense for them, and there was a feeling that their lives and stories would go on.

[sholio]

Yes to all of this! I hadn't actually noticed the repeated mirroring of the theme of "there's a different way" (choosing not to take the blaze-of-glory out, doing things the hard way instead) but you're absolutely right, and it's especially interesting because up to this point in the show, all the significant character deaths I can think of were exactly that - big, glorious sacrificial hero deaths. (Miller even managed to do it twice!) But this episode explicitly had characters choose the opposite. The only person this episode who went out in a big damn blaze-of-(un)glory fireball was Marco, dragging a bunch of people with him. The people who won did it by fighting as small cogs in a big whole, and some of them died, but it was an incidental sort of heroism more than an Individual Hero kind of thing.

... Man, the scene with the containers dropping toward the railgun and the characters casually talking about the expected casualty rate on the drop maneuver was really a gut-punch. I know that's exactly what D-Day and similar maneuvers were like, but the sheer mechanical nature of it, I guess, really drove home what that kind of direct assault really means. There are times when this show drops the ball a little bit on the political issues they're dealing with, but I felt like this time they nailed it, from the battle scenes to the political aftermath; it felt like they had put their research in, and it showed.

The episode had a feeling of generosity toward the characters.

Yes, that's a great way to put it! I was trying to figure out exactly what the feeling was that I wanted to express, but I think that's it. It's that feeling where the show puts in the extra effort to give you little touchstone moments for each character in a way that makes them feel important, even if it's just making sure to put a minor character in the background of a scene so that we know they survived, or touching base with a character relationship so their arc feels complete.

I even liked Holden this episode! I think the show explicitly dialing back his Hero Savior aspects and giving him, also, a minor-cog role in the final battle, then stepping away from his big reward at the end in order to valorize someone else, helped a lot with that.

Holden's handoff to Drummer made me think of an essay I read a long time ago in Asimov's, Norman Spinrad's "The Emperor of Everything." You know how sometimes you read a piece of litcrit that really sticks with you? That was one of those for me. I don't know how well it's aged, and I also don't precisely agree with all of his examples or his Campbellian-hero's-journey focus, but he was putting forward his theory that a lot of modern fantasy/SF misreads the entire growing up/coming into your own power theme of Campbell's hero's journey as, basically, an adolescent power fantasy, in which the hero learns nothing and instead gets showered with money, gifts, power, and girls at the end. But becoming the Emperor Of Everything isn't what being a hero is. Spinrad's essay contrasts that against what he calls the true hero's journey, in which the hero grows up, and chooses to give up the big reward or power boost he's offered at the end for everyone's good - he gives back instead of takes.

It's something I've thought about, off and on, ever since, and it has occurred to me that a lot of my favorite endings are exactly that kind of thing: victory through teamwork rather than individual glory, and heroes choosing to give their power/reward to someone else or give it back at the end.

[rachelmanija]

I also liked Holden here. The whole ending sequence with the Transit Authority was great. Drummer was absolutely right and not going to win by herself, Avasarala came up with the "compromise" candidate who fit the criteria she herself came up with while conveniently being an Earther, and then Holden used his designated protagonist power for good and handed the position to the person who actually deserved it and would do a good job of it. Everyone was behaving in character though at cross-purposes, and for once the paladin out-maneuvered the politician. But Avasarala didn't really lose, because she actually did want stability and Drummer will provide that.

I did wonder if Filip was going to shoot Marco in the head when he was doing his patented wild-eyed rant thing, but watching him get slowly consumed by Ring entities was also satisfying. I don't think it was an accident that while everyone played a part in making that possible, it was Naomi who came up with the idea that actually killed him.

[sholio]

Holden handing off the leadership role to Drummer was such a perfect example of using your White Protagonist Dude privilege to uplift someone else instead, which made it a glorious way to end the show. And he gets an ending he'd rather, too! He doesn't want to run things! He'd much rather just bum around with his crew.

I also loved that Naomi was the one who figured out how to finish off Marco. I guess by this point the number of people who had been victimized by Marco was just about everyone on the show, but Naomi most of all, and I am an absolute sucker for narratives in which a character gets to turn the tables on their abuser (a la Ward, a la Jessica Jones). This is honestly why I would've liked Drummer to have more of a role in the big fight, since she was probably the person who had suffered second-most (of Our Protagonists) but I think there's a good solid thematic reason why she has to sit out the big fight - it's the thing that makes the most sense for her character growth at that point - and Naomi getting to push the button to end Marco was a glorious moment for her, all the more so because she had a tremendous personal cost for pushing that button, but did it anyway.

[booksarelife]

I also was wondering if Filip was going to shoot Marco or something, so I feel you

[sholio]

Yeah, I was very "FILIP JUST PLEASE DO SOMETHING USEFUL FOR ONCE" but when he finally escaped, I think Rachel's right that his decision affecting only himself, and getting a chance to get out in the world and figure out who he is without his father's influence, is the best and most appropriate thing for him right now.

[booksarelife]

Agreed! But I feel you on the “please do something useful and constructive for once”. I could see his brain doing something as he and Marco were talking but I wasn’t sure what it would turn out to be

[(Anonymous)]

And while Filip shooting Marco at that point maybe wouldn’t have made a ton of difference to anyone’s situation since they were about to get destroyed but I don’t think he would want to deal with the aftermath of killing Marco either

[booksarelife]

(This is me, I don’t know why it’s showing as anon)

[sholio]

I figured probably! WHO KNOWS.

[sovay]

one of the major themes of the episode, which was that you don't have to go out in a blaze of glory even when you have a good reason to, and it would be easier to do that than deal with a lot of messy consequences.

I hate the trope of death by redemption like burning, especially when surviving into the consequences would be dramatically and emotionally more interesting, so I approve sight unseen of The Expanse mass-averting it.

[booksarelife]

Seconding all of this!!

[musesfool]

There was even one surprise, which was Filip bailing - possibly the first time I was ever pleased to see him. If he'd gotten a full-on redemption arc I'd have been annoyed, but his small one, which affected no one but him, was satisfying given one of the major themes of the episode, which was that you don't have to go out in a blaze of glory even when you have a good reason to, and it would be easier to do that than deal with a lot of messy consequences.

I also like how tied to Naomi it was - she tells him that sometimes all you can do is walk away (what she did when she left) and that Marco would be happy for Filip to die for him rather than the other way around, which I think Marco drove home with his, "If you died, I'd lose a piece of myself" without anything else that was about Filip in it. And of course, we get Naomi's voiceover that sometimes you'll never know if you helped someone or did the right thing as Filip changed his name on the ship's registry to hers.

All in all, I was very satisfied with the finale.

The Laconia stuff is all set up for the final three books, and it did take time away that could have been used better here, but it did give us that wonderful parting shot from Duarte to Marco, which I enjoyed.

[sholio]

I also like how tied to Naomi it was - she tells him that sometimes all you can do is walk away (what she did when she left) and that Marco would be happy for Filip to die for him rather than the other way around, which I think Marco drove home with his, "If you died, I'd lose a piece of myself" without anything else that was about Filip in it. And of course, we get Naomi's voiceover that sometimes you'll never know if you helped someone or did the right thing as Filip changed his name on the ship's registry to hers.

Yes, I loved all of that too! It tied together very nicely. I also really appreciated the way that part of the narrative was structured, with the reveal on Filip having left the ship coming after Naomi making the choice to end it and grieving for him - and never learning (at least in this part of the show) that he survived. It gave her decision and grief the full impact that it had for her, without cheapening it if we-the-audience knew that he wasn't dead.

[booksarelife]

That finale was just so good wow!!! I was also very worried about several characters but they did a great job keeping the tension and stakes despite not killing anyone we knew! The whole scene with Holden resigning and handing things over to Drummer made me laugh and was very good and right. And I agree that they did a great job of touching base with a bunch of characters before it was over! And Filip!!! That was unexpected and wonderful

[amalthia]

I loved this finale. I'm also glad that Filip walked away and hopefully he's able to start over. I liked that he realized he didn't really have a choice in joining his father's crusade since that was all he knew growing up.

I also liked Drummer's ending and that her family was there. I liked that it left a few loose threads.

[sholio]

Yeah, it was a really satisfying ending without feeling like it had closed a door to future seasons if they get picked up somewhere else!

[gwyn]

I was mostly satisfied too, with a few issues but they aren't dealbreakers. It was one of the tensest, most nerve-wracking hours of TV I've ever watched, and I was so worried about my faves.

She might have had a blaze-of-glory moment a little earlier, but she's not going to kamikaze herself and her crew to take him out. It's handoff time.

I really liked that it was Sardonic Pirate Belter who had the kamikaze moment and did make a dent in Marco's forces, enough that he had to regroup and allowing time for both Duarte to give him the kiss-off and Filip to finally see some damn sense. Somehow they've managed to get me to love a number of characters I loathed at first (I'm still just staggered that I love Clarissa!!), but I'm not sure I'll ever like Filip. Still, it was nice to see him finally wake the fuck up.

But yeah, my queen. She just looked so fucking regal standing there in her more formal outfit. God, I love her. One of my favorite moments of this season occurred totally by voice: "Captain Drummer--we was Golden Bough. Now we fight with you." I was like FUCK YEAH WE DO because everyone knows she is the damn best. Shit, why do I not have any icons for the Expanse.

[lyr]

I also really liked it! I was so sure we were going to lose Camina or Clarissa at several points, and I like that we didn't. I also liked the team victory theme, and the check-ins with character relationships. And I think it's in keeping with the realism of the series that everything isn't fine when we win; we are still the same people who created the mess to begin with, but maybe if we've learned something from those mistakes, we can start the hard work of making things better in spite of human nature. Also, I agree that Camina's whole character arc was just gold. I think Chrisjen's really was, too.

The Laconia stuff was to set up the films and possible sequel series, as I understand it. I haven't read the books, but I know Laconia is central to a lot of book plots in some way. I think Holden's listing of ongoing issues there at the end serves that same purpose. Like, yeah, there's still that protomolecule sample kicking around that we lost... Also, of course, there's Filip.

[booksarelife]

Have you seen this vid? It’s excellent: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_8mUuE_1c_8

[booksarelife]

I had to drop in and share this from tumblr/Twitter: https://jamesholden.tumblr.com/post/674828948554842112