TV REVIEW: THE EXPANSE - Episode 5: Back to the ButcherTV REVIEW: THE EXPANSE - Episode 5: Back to the Butcher

My look at the art and practice of storytelling focuses, this time, on the promotion of the piece more than the construction of the episode itself.

Here’s the pitch from the SyFy Channel for the episode: “While Miller makes headway in Julie Mao's disappearance, Holden and his crew are offered salvation. But how trustworthy is their savior?” When pitching a story, throwing up an obstacle ahead of time brings an expectation the issue will be resolved. Unfortunately, at the end of the episode, there are plenty of questions but not enough answers. That might bring viewers back for another week. At the same time, the promotion is bogus.

Before continuing, I must issue a //Spoiler Warning//. This being an ongoing story arc, it is difficult to avoid spoilers. 

Miller making headway in Julie Mao’s disappearance may be good for plot development, but there is a real question of why he’s pursuing it at all, much less than the focus and drive we see. He knows she was on a ship that was destroyed, so getting a reward for sending her home doesn’t enter the equation. The ship appeared to be on a secret mission of some kind, the objective unknown. His associate’s comment that what he’s doing belongs far above his pay grade was the most objective statement made. He ignored it, of course, and pushed on in spite of riots and his partner being skewered. Miller is a hard-bitten noir detective with a heart of gold. It could be so, but I have trouble buying it.

Holden and his comrades let their ship tumble through space, trying to act like a piece of debris so as not to attract unfriendly attention. As they see it, showing up on Ceres in a Martian vessel will be seen as sufficient reason to immediately kill them all. The Martian government won’t want to be nice either since they survived the destruction of their own ship as well as the flagship of the Martian navy. Nobody can come up with a destination that makes even a little sense.

Then a call comes in from someone who knows where they came from, and that they are alive. The offer is for sanctuary. Holden and company see no alternative to agreeing. The offer comes from a man who was shown in a flashback, of being fully able and willing to kill men, women, and children just to make his own life a bit simpler. He obviously wants something from them, but that won’t be known until they arrive. Their destination is now an interstellar generation ship which is nearing completion. Their savior knew about the attack on the Martian naval vessel.

I have not yet ordered the trilogy this series is based on. At the same time, the story is rocking along at a pretty good pace, so I’ll save up my bandwidth for another gander at the universe of The Expanse. 

For personal and unrelated news, we have two new foals in the pasture, a result of our herd's stallion and mares indulging in horseplay. For anyone wanting an equine companion, we have them in almost any color that a quarter horse can have. Until next time, I am writing horseback.