The Expanse Season 5: Why Amos’s Old Crew Wants To [SPOILER]

Why does Amos’ old friend from Baltimore ultimately choose to leave the Earth behind in The Expanse? The events of The Expanse season 5 orbit around a single, landmark atrocity committed by Marco Inaros, who assails Earth with a stream of asteroids, of which 3 strike the surface. Since the attack, the various factions of The Expanse have been responding in their own ways. Chrisjen Avasarala is back in a position of power, helping to coordinate Earth’s next move, Alex and Bobbie are investigating Marco’s connection to the Martians, and Holden is hunting down the Free Navy leader himself.

Amos, meanwhile, is down on Earth facing the aftermath of the incident in person. The Rocinante’s mechanic was visiting Clarissa Mao in prison when the rocks hit, and now both are on the run, desperately attempting to survive against all odds. Through her wealthy family, Clarissa has an exit strategy, but the duo require a helping hand for their idea to work. Amos and Clarissa visit Baltimore gangster Erich, who is busy stockpiling food and preparing to hole up with a nice glass of tequila while everything blows over. Eventually, Amos and Clarissa convince Erich that there’s nothing to be gained by remaining on Earth. The crime lord and his crew will help reach Clarissa’s ship in exchange for a ride to Luna, but why is Amos’ old associate so willing to leave his empire behind?

Erich’s decision speaks to how desperate the situation on Earth has become. The Expanse already confirmed that VIPs have been evacuated to the moon, but the vast majority of Earth’s citizens can’t afford that luxury. As Amos points out, Earth was struggling with poverty, starvation and overpopulation long before the rocks hit, and now that regular life has been upended by Marco Inaros, those issues are only going to intensify. Erich was in a good position compared to most – stacks of food, a roof over his head, and a Baltimore power vacuum waiting to be filled. Only after speaking with Amos and Clarissa does Erich admit that whatever power he once held is now meaningless.

The physical impact of the rocks smashing against Earth’s surface proved damaging enough, but the planet’s biggest problems are the aftereffects of Marco’s attack. Erich claims that the resulting shockwaves were strong enough to destroy buildings, and Amos reveals the extent of the flooding caused by breached flood defenses and tsunamis. If Earth before The Expanse season 5 was a pit of inequality and lawlessness, the planet is now verging on a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Amos and Clarissa even find a collection of deceased care home residents that appear to have been mercy-killed, sparing them the inevitable hardships to come. Essentially, anyone who can leave Earth in The Expanse season 5 should do so as soon as possible, regardless of the position they hold in society.

Thinking about Erich’s gang in particular, there’s reason to suggest the crew would be better off starting afresh off-planet than trying to carry on with their previous business on Earth. Firstly, no one in Baltimore is going to be buying drugs right now, forcing Erich to shift his business from narcotics to general supplies like fuel, food and medicine – all of which are harder to manufacture. Given their choice of industry, Erich also can’t seek the authorities’ help if things turn bad for him. In the current climate of The Expanse, criminals like Erich and his crew have a better chance of taking their business to the Belt and starting from scratch than ruling over a pile of rubble on Earth.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3631 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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