The Expanse season 5 finale is jampacked with action, but it also honors a seemingly-forgotten character from the books. The sci-fi drama is based on a series of novels by James S. A. Corey, and as with any screen adaptation of literature, the Amazon show makes some modifications. In some cases, The Expanse omits or changes key aspects of the books, such as combining several characters from the novels into one character for the TV series.

Belter captain Camina Drummer (Cara Gee) has been a part of the show since season 2, where she was introduced to fans as Fred Johnson’s security chief on Tycho Station; however, in the novel, she plays a less significant role. As the series progressed, she became increasingly important, taking on storylines from other characters in the book series. In The Expanse season 5, the Belter joins the crew/polyamorous family aboard the Dewalt as its new captain and leader. Her crew member-spouses include Oksana (the former head of the family), Josep, Serge Kylo, Bertold, and Michio Pa.

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Although she had a relatively minor role in The Expanse, Michio Pa is an important character in the book series. In the novel Nemesis Games (after which the finale is named), it’s Michio who leads this Belter faction. But in the show, Michio (Vanessa Smythe), whom viewers first meet in season 5, is mostly a background character; however, in the novels, she’s not just far more influential — she also sets the mold for Drummer’s character. In the books, Michio serves under Klaes Ashford as executive officer of the Behemoth. Michio is also the character within The Expanse books who leads what the show depicts as Drummer’s pirate fleet rebellion.

Drummer is an amalgamation of multiple book characters. In addition to what’s drawn from Michio, Drummer’s TV version also takes on Carlos “Bull” De Baca’s back injury (which she sustains in season 3) and Tycho Station engineer Samara Rosenberg’s closeness with Naomi from the books. But, even so, having Michio in the adaptation but relegating her into the background seems like a missed opportunity. Luckily, The Expanse season 5 finale found a way to give this seemingly-forgotten main book character a little more attention: by having her be the character who takes out the villainess Karal.

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In the finale, Michio Pa takes the initiative to bash Marco’s Free Navy operative, Karal, over the head with a fire extinguisher during an onboard scuffle, which causes the latter to fall and fatally hit her head. In addition, during Serge’s tragic death at Marco’s hands, Michio can be seen reacting in tearful shock with the rest of the crew as they watch his fate. While there’s still a stark contrast between the Michio in the Corey novels and her character in the TV version of The Expanse, it’s refreshing to see her have a moment of glory in the TV show.

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Lindsey DeRoche
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Lindsey DeRoche is a TV and movie features writer for Screen Rant. She received a BA in English, with a concentration in writing, from Plymouth State University in 2018. She’s had a passion for reading, writing, TV, and movies since her early years.

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