The Expanse Season 2

[lsgreg]

Amos seems to be going "mad" (see what I did there?) by degrees. This ep he got positively scary with "Chicken Man."

I almost think there is some hidden in Amos's past that he isn't telling. Remember when he was talking to the doctor at Tykos station about the crazy scientist being altered by bombarding his frontal lobe to not have remorse? Amos instantly looks concerned and asks, "Is there a cure?" but when he is told no, he looks disappointed. Then he immediately goes into the scientist's and is able develope a report with him. I kinda took that Amos had something similar done to him in his past and that is starting to show more now. I don't think his troubled past would account for his behavior.

[MadAmosMalone]

Definitely something in his past, as you say. Remember where he said why it is he hates bullies so? He outlined the potential future of girls in the situation almost like he's seen it before. Little clues keep popping up about him that don't paint a rosy picture of his background. He has also freaked out his crew mates a couple of times before. He's definitely the most dangerous member of the Roci crew.

Thanks again for the podcast links. They provide a little extra insight to the show.

[MadAmosMalone]

A question occurs to me about the episode, Pyre. Actually it occurred to me some time ago but I forgot to mention it. Why would the people who spaced Prax's friend allow him to witness it? They could have walked him back to that windowless room instead of letting him see all those people killed.

[MissKittyFantastico]

The way they were thinking - clearly they were justified in killing a bunch of helpless refugees because they're "them" not "us" - maybe they figured they had nothing to worry about, even if he did talk nobody on Tycho would punish them for disposing of some useless Inners and saving them the effort. Maybe the ship's captain would've preferred no witnesses if he'd known, but the guy on the refugee deck just didn't think about it. Maybe that guy didn't like that a Belter like Prax, even a refugee he didn't really want on the ship anyway, was acting all friendly with an Inner, and thought it'd be funny to give him a cold dose of reality. Maybe he wanted to wake Prax up to the fact that he's on their side, they're at war, and that's what they do to the enemy.

My personal headcanon for that scene was that there was a ship headed for the inner system, docked on the other side going "Guys, we're hooked up to the starboard side airlock, where's the refugees?" "Wait, did you say starboard side? Uhh..." I know, I'm a bad person.

[MadAmosMalone]

The way they were thinking - clearly they were justified in killing a bunch of helpless refugees because they're "them" not "us" -

Yeah that is one of the major themes of the show, the dangers of tribalism.

maybe they figured they had nothing to worry about, even if he did talk nobody on Tycho would punish them for disposing of some useless Inners and saving them the effort.

Plausible, but the nurse on Tycho seemed to agree that it was a crime that needed to be dealt with.

Maybe the ship's captain would've preferred no witnesses if he'd known, but the guy on the refugee deck just didn't think about it. Maybe that guy didn't like that a Belter like Prax, even a refugee he didn't really want on the ship anyway, was acting all friendly with an Inner, and thought it'd be funny to give him a cold dose of reality. Maybe he wanted to wake Prax up to the fact that he's on their side, they're at war, and that's what they do to the enemy.

And we're back to the tribalism thing. I guess these, or any combination of these, are all good explanations for how it went down. Still, though, no formal declaration of war has been made, has there? I mean the Earthers and Martians are taking shots at each other and Belters always know they're always caught in the middle. "Whoever wins, we lose," kinda thinking there.

I just wonder if that ship was the same one that dropped him off at Tycho. If he had to transfer to another one to go there, he'd probably not go near their airlocks. I know I would have completely wigged out if I had just seen what he had.

My personal headcanon for that scene was that there was a ship headed for the inner system, docked on the other side going "Guys, we're hooked up to the starboard side airlock, where's the refugees?" "Wait, did you say starboard side? Uhh..." I know, I'm a bad person.

Y'know I never thought I'd get a laugh out of that scene but I just did. Thanks for that. It makes it just a little less "nightmare fuel" for me.

[ORCACommander]

a little bit about amos background that was revealed in the main book series but only touched upon once in the show or not at al, Amos spends a lot of time with prostitutes when on shore leave, Also long ago he had himself sterilized so he could never father a child

[MadAmosMalone]

That was an hour that went by way too rapidly. Alex is definitely my favorite character of the series now. The rest of the gang are wigging out over what happened to the station and Alex drives up in the Roci like Ganymede has curb service. Another zinger from Avasarala over Draper's defection. Prax learns to use a shootin' iron. Looks like he'll need it if he's gonna help Holden hunt down that "ringwraith" or "Shadow" or whatever that thing is walking about on the surface like it's no biggie.

[lsgreg]

I agree with you on the show going by quickly. I would gladly watch this show for two hours or 90 minutes if they are gonna be as entertaining as this. I like how they are developing all the characters in this show. I actually chuckled when the Captain called Draper a spoilt brat that didn't know the meaning of struggling after she found out that she was basically being used as a guinea pig. Seems like every generation criticizes the next one. I am super excited that they are gonna bring back the Weeping Somnambulist will play a big part in the next episode.
I like Alex too, and his evolution through the two season. How did the computer know that a black ops was landing though? Seems like something you want to keep secrete. Those Martian computers on the gunships must be able to pick up all frequencies even secure ones? But it was brilliant to use that landing point and plot a random course to seem like space debris so he could land the craft.

[MadAmosMalone]

I think that scene was meant to illustrate how the Roci is more than a ship, it's a "character" of the show. It may not be as fast as the Millennium Falcon, but it's way smarter.

[Crowley]

I recently started watching the first season. The way the series keeps going on about water really bugs me, especially since it tries to be hard science fiction. Is it really more cost-effective to haul in ice from the asteroid belt than purify water that is already on the planet?