Rating: 9/10

Synopsis

Holden and crew are taken prisoner aboard the Martian navy flagship, the Donnager and are forced to turn on one another. Miller contends with riots on Ceres, he connects Julie to the mysterious derelict ship, the Scopuli. Avasarala engages in a nasty game of politics with an old friend.

Review

This episode is the darkest episode you’ll ever find for a sci-fi series. It confounds all thought of human decency and consigns them into the bin. Tensions are brewing. The fantastic music that is created for this show brings alive the power of confusion between races. Humanity has been divided for centuries ever since the beginning. Ever since God created man for seven nights and seven days. This episode, ladies and gentlemen, is a dark twist, a mirror upon which we are called to reflect on ourselves. Humanity’s darkest nature.

You see that this entire series has started a misunderstanding that has implications for the Belters in Space, the Martians who are very unsuccessfully trying to turn a red rock planet into a second Earth, and there aren’t any real signs that have become successful. Earth has become a very corrupted institution that one can’t trust. Chrisjen Avasarala is shown as a woman of power that deals behind the scenes. Making deals with untrustworthy politicians. Discussing with the Admiral what to do ever since the Canterbury was destroyed. She is a true force to be reckoned with because she will do anything in her power to win. There is also a bigger implication here: Is Mars working with the OPA? Did James Holden’s message that was spread on every broadcast spread fear among the Belters? The Belters in this episode soon began to chant OPA all the way. They believe James Holden’s message that the Martians destroyed Canterbury to take freshwater away from the Belters. And let’s be honest, it is not as if the Belters are getting the best deal here. Chrisjen is still not convinced that Mars and the OPA aren’t secretly working together because they very well could be.

We also see the unraveling of the characters abroad the Martian Ship as they are interrogated. Naomi is revealed to have worked as an OPA operative. But she also maintains her distance from them when the Martians want to find out what her true purpose was. Amos is that man that’s a tough guy, but when he gets dangerous, he gets dangerous all right. Holden, I think plays more political games out of everyone out of that crew. Holden is smarter, and even if he is convinced that he is the hero in this situation, he isn’t. Remember that just because we are watching from Holden’s perspective, this shouldn’t disqualify the other characters that have their motives and goals. Another thing I didn’t like about this episode was the constant black and white filtering, and then the look on the actor’s faces. I know what they’re trying to do in terms of making the audience feel immersed, but it doesn’t need to be that way in my opinion. There were plenty of loose framed shots, plenty of camera angles that should have been straight rather than turned upwards or downwards for that matter. And Detective Miller. I won’t say much but as you figure it out, it all begins to make sense.

This was one of the best episodes I’ve seen. Full of tension, brimming action. Full of consequential stakes. Powerful echoes. It is a series worth watching.