The Expanse Season 5 Improves Two Characters (At A Cost)

The Expanse season 5 is a marked departure for Amazon’s science fiction series, but while two characters in particular benefit from the new format, is the cost too high? For four frantic seasons, The Expanse has followed the Rocinante crew of James Holden, Naomi Nagata, Amos Burton and Alex Kamal as they zip around the galaxy fighting back against rebellious colonists, political turmoil, and a sinister alien presence lurking in the background. With each season of The Expanse adapting one of the original books by James S.A. Corey, season 5 draws primarily from the ominously-titled Nemesis Games.

Following the novel’s lead, The Expanse season 5 sends the main four characters on separate journeys for the very first time. Holden is stationed in the Belt investigating yet another insidious conspiracy, Naomi sets off on a journey to find her estranged son, Amos returns to Earth to address some unfinished business, and Alex makes a pit-stop on Mars. Where previous seasons have kept the Rocinante gang together, more or less, The Expanse season 5 spreads across disparate locations, with each Roci character witnessing the same events from a different perspective.

This radical new structure was always likely to divide opinion, and as The Expanse‘s season 5 finale comes into view, we pick up the advantages and disadvantages of splitting up the Rocinante crew.

Naomi Is The Biggest Improvement In The Expanse Season 5

Exposed to a hard vacuum, trapped on a sabotaged ship set to explode, and to top it all off, slapped by her son, Naomi hasn’t enjoyed an easy ride of late, but Dominique Tipper’s character is comfortably the big winner of The Expanse season 5. After a slow start in season 1, Naomi quickly emerged as a standout figure, with Tipper adding more emotional layers to the Rocinante’s engineer with each passing season. Thanks to a split allegiance between her crew and fellow Belters, a growing romance with James Holden, and a damn near mercurial engineering ability, Naomi was already a deeply compelling character. Even so, season 5 kicks her arc into a hard burn, adding family drama, an aborted suicide attempt, and at least three different completely hopeless situations. Naomi is undoubtedly the most interesting and heroic character in The Expanse at the present time.

Season 5 dives headfirst into Naomi’s troubled past, addressing her decision to walk away from Filip, and flashing back to her history as a young, angry citizen of the Belt. Naomi has shown inspirational resolve and strength on her solo journey, and a lonely stint trapped on the Chetzemoka allows Dominique Tipper’s performance to shine brighter than ever. In a confined setting with no other character to spar with, Tipper effortlessly convinces the audience to care about Naomi’s fate as she potters around the stripped vessel. None of this would’ve been possible had Naomi not removed herself from the hubbub of the Rocinante and struck out alone in The Expanse season 5. Among her crew mates, Naomi is just one quarter of a larger whole, but season 5’s Marco Inaros story finally gives her a starring platform. When the cast are reunited, Naomi will return a far more sympathetic and complex player in The Expanse‘s game.

Amos’ Backstory Makes Him A Better Character

Naomi isn’t the only beneficiary of The Expanse‘s season 5 crew split. Wes Chatham’s Amos is the most emotionally diverse personality in the Rocinante quartet, but he’s also the least likely to drop a monologue or engage in a revealing heart-to-heart. Consequently, the inner workings of Amos Burton had only been revealed in short flashes thus far – dots of backstory that hadn’t yet connected. Similar to Naomi, however, taking Amos from The Expanse‘s traditional crew setting and casting him as the star of his own solo adventure yields an entirely new shade to the Roci’s spanner monkey. Through his interactions with Charles and Erich, as well as intimate flashbacks of his childhood with Lydia, the viewer learns who Amos truly is, both literally as “Timmy,” and figuratively, as a man who has softened considerably since his season 1 debut, but still has a long way to go before losing that unpredictable, violent edge.

Amos’ evolution in The Expanse has been a slow burn, transitioning from a routine thuggish type to the lost soul who relies on his friends for guidance in season 4. The Expanse season 5 throws more ingredients into the Amos pot, and once again, these improvements were made possible by isolating the character from the other leads. When he’s kicking in doors on Ganymede or fighting thugs on Ilus, Amos has a defined role within the Rocinante group, but alone on Earth, Amos needs the leadership skills of Holden, the diplomacy of Naomi, and his own trademark brand of brutality in order to survive the post-apocalyptic nightmare wrought by Marco Inaros. By his own admission, Amos doesn’t necessarily succeed in replicating his friends’ qualities, but watching him lead “Peaches” to safety reveals aspects of Chatham’s performance that have previously been buried among the flurry of punches and fun nicknames.

The Expanse Season 5 Sidelines Holden

Unfortunately, the Naomi and Amos level-up comes at a cost. The Expanse is a show with four distinct lead characters, but Steven Strait’s James Holden is clearly intended as the main protagonist. The classic reluctant hero from Earth and the captain of his ship, Holden has anchored The Expanse through all four seasons, and even with less screen time in season 5, he’s still involved in major storylines such as Fred Johnson’s death. But there’s no denying that Holden has been a supporting act in The Expanse season 5. A man famed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Holden, surprisingly, becomes a passenger after his crew go their separate ways. He can only watch as Tycho is attacked by the Free Navy, then wait patiently while his makeshift Roci crew close in on Marco’s location. Much of The Expanse‘s action this season has simply passed Holden by.

Since Holden was already the most developed of The Expanse‘s main cast, some would argue that Cap’n Jim is getting a well-earned rest in season 5, and by taking a back seat, Holden affords Naomi and Amos more space for development, bringing the rest of the crew up to his level of development. With that said, James Holden is still The Expanse‘s hero, and season 5 has done very little to move his character forward. Holden is, essentially, the same person he was when The Expanse season 4 ended. Alex has also dipped in and out of The Expanse in season 5, but since Cas Anvar’s character has been cut from the forthcoming final run, it’s difficult to say how much this might’ve been impacted by the pilot’s exit.

The Expanse Is Missing One Of Its Best Features In Season 5

The Expanse season 5’s crew-splitting maneuver is a narrative double-edged sword. Naomi and Amos have been transformed for the better by their time away from the Rocinante but, in exchange, the crew haven’t been together for the entirety of season 5 so far. The dynamic between The Expanse‘s four main characters, developed over many years, has always been one of show’s greatest strengths. Viewers may come for the realistic sci-fi, political intrigue or thought-provoking mysteries, but they stay after becoming hopelessly invested in the four-way relationship between Holden, Naomi, Amos and Alex. Each and every season has brought the team closer together, pitting them against untold hardships, and each time they emerge from adversity stronger than ever. Eschewing that formula in season 5 has kept The Expanse fresh and spotlighted characters whose potential might’ve gone untapped otherwise, but the group scenes have been sorely missed.

Viewers familiar with the source material knew the split was coming, of course. But fans also would’ve been forgiven for expecting the gang to reunite at the season’s midway point. Instead, it appears that The Expanse will take the bold step of waiting until the final episode of season 5 to bring everyone back together. Whatever advantages might’ve come about as a result, that’s a awfully long time to deny viewers the unwavering friendship of Amos and Holden, or the lingering resentment over Naomi’s Protomolecule lie, or the simple interactions that make the ragtag underdogs of Earthers, Martians and Belters aboard the Rocinante so easy to cheer for.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3659 Articles Published)

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Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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