THE EXPANSE Recap: (S03E11) Fallen World

Melody McCune

DISCLAIMER: This recap of The Expanse contains more spoilers than the number of times a fight has broken out aboard the Roci. Our heroes are famous system wide, you know. You’ve been warned. Prepare for interplanetary war, and enter at your own peril. 

Welcome back, Beltalowda! The Expanse gave us quite the action-packed penultimate episode this week. If you’ll recall from last week, Holden completed a circuit at apparition Miller’s behest inside the Station (the nucleus of the Ring). Well, said circuit completion caused every ship within the Ring to decelerate drastically. Now, those ships are being pulled toward the nucleus. We know the protomolecule has a tendency to latch on to accelerating objects within its range. Of course, Holden’s actions also had repercussions of the human variety – casualties and injuries were aplenty aboard every ship within the Ring. One might say we are on the brink of a “fallen world.” Get it? I’ll see myself out.

Alright, ready to delve into “Fallen World?” Just be sure to keep an eye on Melba. She’s quite the sneaky one. 

We open with Bobbie (Frankie Adams) desperately trying to wake an unconscious Holden (Steven Strait) inside the Station. Apparition Miller has vanished (may he RIP…again). Bobbie and her fellow Martian soldiers are attempting to conjure an escape plan out of the Station. Bobbie notices that the bullets, still frozen in mid air, are moving almost imperceptibly. Eventually, they’ll reach their target: the humans. Bobbie urges her fellow colleagues to move slower than normal, so as not to disturb the protomolecule, or coerce it into catching them. Good thinking, Gunny! 

Meanwhile, Naomi (Dominique Tipper) comes to inside her Belter skiff. Everyone inside the Ring is experiencing the fallout from Holden completing that circuit. She’s still en route to the Roci. Suddenly, her navigation system bursts into flames. Uh oh. Knowing it’s hopeless to attempt to fix her skiff, she dons her space suit and continues her trek toward the Rocinante sans ship. Nothing can stop Naomi from reuniting with her boys!

Then, we see the MCRN soldiers are aboard their own skiff, heading back to the Xuesen. Holden flatlines, but thankfully Bobbie saves him in a jiffy. The other soldiers believe Bobbie is too biased to view the Holden situation rationally. He’s a wanted criminal! However, Bobbie believes he didn’t blow up the Seung Un. She also wholeheartedly believes that the Station itself acted out defensively against their fallen Lt. It has a mind of its own. Bobbie soon learns that every ship within the Ring just decelerated on a massive scale, which most likely caused hundreds of casualties and critical injuries. 

Next, we see Drummer (Cara Gee) is trapped by a heavy piece of farming equipment within the Behemoth. Well, impaled through the leg is more accurate. Ashford (David Strathairn) is behind her, also pinned down by farming machinery. Well, so much for morphing said equipment into homemade probes. 

Pictured: Cara Gee, syfy.com

Meanwhile, Melba (Nadine Nicole) wakes up aboard the Thomas Prince. She discovers an impaled Tilly (Genelle Williams) floating mid air. Zero gravity will do that. Melba assumes that whatever phenomena occurred just took out Tilly for her. Thanks, protomolecule! Anyway, she flees the scene to do sneaky Melba things, I presume. 

Then, Anna (Elizabeth Mitchell) emerges from a cabin where she was previously napping. Her eyes widen at the massacre that lies before her. Lifeless bodies floating in zero g, blood pooling around them. The effects on The Expanse never cease to amaze me. Anna finds the med bay where the wounded are being treated. She offers her assistance, as she has nursing experience. However, someone informs her that sounds will clot in zero g, making healing an impossibility. He urged her to utilize her chaplain experience instead. 

Next, Drummer and Ashford spot a communicator floating aimlessly in the air above them. They can use that to call for help. Ashford is able to get the crane on the machine he’s pinned behind up and running. Drummer directs him on where to go, as his view of the communicator is obstructed. After a few failed attempts, our duo finally snatches the communicator. Success! That is, until the machine shorts, which in turn smashes the glass communicator. Unsuccess. 

RELATED: Read All THE EXPANSE Recaps Here

Meanwhile, Anna finds Melba clutching a broken arm. She escorts the secret Mao to the med bay for immediate treatment. Melba’s arm is encased in a brace to begin the healing process. Anna receives a call from Tilly, who is apparently still among the Land of the Living. Anna immediately flees the bay in search of her critically wounded friend. Looks like Melba’s enemy lives on!

Later, Bobbie’s fellow soldier urges her to get rid of Holden. You know, shoot his brains out. The pair argues over the morality of killing Holden when their orders are to return him to the Xuesen. Bobbie thoroughly believes Holden isn’t a murderer, and will have valuable information for them when he wakes. Bobbie also learns that, should their new speed hold, it will take them seven months to return to the Ring. Yikes. 

Meanwhile, Anna locates Tilly, whose life is hanging by a thread. She’s been impaled in the shoulder by a massive pole. Anna learns that Melba is really Clarissa Mao, and she’s hellbent on wiping Holden off the map. Oh, and she attempted to murder Tilly. And, with that, Tilly takes her last breath. Anna is rightfully distraught. But now she knows the truth. 

Next, Drummer and Ashford trade war stories – tales of when Death almost came calling for them. Ashford’s tale was painted with young hubris and love, while Drummer’s story was wrapped in Anderson Dawes. They learn that perhaps they aren’t so different after all. Strathairn and Gee stole this episode for me. Their scenes were incredibly powerful. 

Then, Anna notices that Melba has fled the med bay. She obtains Melba’s coordinates and finds the latter fleeing the Thomas Prince in her space suit. Clearly, she’s heading for the Rocinante. Anna calls out to her just as she’s leaving, but it’s too late. 

Pictured: Elizabeth Mitchell, syfy.com

Later, Naomi boards a seemingly desolate Roci. She finds Alex (Cas Anvar) unconscious in the kitchen, his famous Martian lasagna floating aimlessly. Oh no! Someone save the pasta! Naomi also spots Amos (Wes Chatham) in the communication deck, also knocked out cold. Thankfully, Naomi also revives him. Of course, in typical Amos fashion, he makes a dry remark regarding Naomi’s purple hair. 

Meanwhile, Drummer utilizes her “Belter ingenuity” to unleash Ashford from his pinning, at the cost of her life. She unplugs the farming equipment and plugs it in another socket, which revives the machine. It moves forward, which frees Ashford but in turn presses against an already critically injured Drummer. Ashford immediately calls for help. Thankfully, though, our favorite Belter captain will live. Nobody takes on Drummer and lives to tell the tale – not even Death. 

Next, Amos wakes up in the med bay aboard the Roci. He spots Naomi working tirelessly on an unconscious Alex. He asks her if her stay is permanent or temporary. Naomi replies that it’s for keeps – her trek with the Behemoth made her realize that the Roci crew is her family. Amos appears to be conflicted. Perhaps he has yet to truly forgive Naomi? 

Pictured: Dominique Tipper and Wes Chatham, syfy.com

Then, the Behemoth crew arrives to take Drummer in for medical attention. She’s breathing, which is a start. Ashford affectionately credits her in saving his life. He’s immediately crowned the Captain, just as he initially wanted. However, I don’t believe he wanted this at the expense of Drummer potentially losing her life. So, there’s that. 

Suddenly, Melba makes it aboard the Roci and breaks into a bout of fisticuffs with Naomi. The two duke it out. Melba begins choking Naomi and demands to know where Holden is. Naomi admits her ignorance on this subject, but even if she did she wouldn’t disclose his location. Then, Melba is electrocuted by Anna, who just so happened to be following the former since her departure from the Thomas Prince. Go, Anna!

Pictured: David Strathairn, syfy.com

Then, Ashford makes his first command as active Captain – he orders his crew to “spin the drum.” Of course, this act could split the ship in two, but they must get as far away from the Station as quickly as possible. He also sends a message to all the other ships within the Ring. Ashford welcomes the wounded and dying to take shelter aboard the Behemoth – their two g situation is ideal for healing. What a nice dude. 

Meanwhile, Bobbie and co. are still en route to the Xuesen. However, the rest of the Ring ships are sending skiffs chock full of their wounded to the Behemoth. Bobbie encounters a conscious Holden. Holden appears to be unaware of his surroundings, but Bobbie knows that his brain is buzzing with activity. He utters his first sentence – that he’s seen the end of everything. Uh oh. That can’t be good. 

Pictured: Steven Strait, syfy.com

The Expanse sure knows how to raise my blood pressure. This week gave us a glimpse of the beginning of the end. The protomolecule has the ability to inflict incredible amounts of damage on humankind. Holden’s circuit completion proves this. With all ships gravitating toward the Station and the Behemoth “spinning the drum,” I can only surmise more casualties will pop up in the two-hour season finale. Yes, you read that correctly, Screaming Firehawks: two glorious hours. 

Do you think the Behemoth will suffer damage from “spinning the drum?” Will Holden give Bobbie more insight into what he’s seen? Where the frak is Avasarala? How will Naomi and Anna handle a super strong Melba? Join me next week as I recap The Expanse, here on Geek Girl Authority.

The Expanse will air its two-hour season finale Wednesday at 9pm on your SyFy affiliate. 

RELATED: 10 Essential Episodes of THE EXPANSE Everyone Should Watch

 

 

Melody McCune
Follow me!

Leave a Comment