The Expanse Season 6 Episode 2 review: The Rocinante strikes back

3.5/5

Story: The Rocinante is hot on the heels of the Belter spotter ship that was co-ordinating the asteroid strikes on earth. Turns out, the mission for captain Holden and crew is not just to destroy the ship, the Azure Dragon.

Review: The release of a new episode of The Expanse is, no doubt, delightful, but that, sadly, also means that the end is nigh. In four weeks, this sci-fi show will bid adieu one last time; sigh! No more swear bombs from Chrisjen Avasarala, protomolecule tales, the Ring, or, most importantly, The Rocinante and its crew that we’ve come to love. So, the hope is that the makers will ensure that The Expanse bows out with a bang, which will be remembered for time to come.

After the events of the opening episode, during which Naomi figured out that the asteroid strikes on earth were being co-ordinated by a Belter spotter ship, Holden figures that the best course of action would be to go after it and destroy it, if needed to prevent further attacks. But as The Rocinante and it motley crew, including Amos and Clarissa Mao aka Peaches, prepare for this mission, they get word of a specialist joining them. Holden is less than pleased at first and orders Peaches to remain in her quarters until she gets word from him because she was, after all, a prisoner back on earth and had unleashed a lot of violence earlier.

The specialist turns out to be Sergeant Bobbie, who is on a secret mission commissioned by Secretary General Avasarala. Her arrival means there’s a change of plan. The Roci is not to take out the Azure Dragon, but board it and retrieve vital information related to the attacks. The mission is not without its hiccups, but is successful nevertheless – Strike 1 for Earth.

Marcos, meanwhile, has two troubles to tend to – there’s Philip who is not handling the attacks on earth well, even though he chose to be a part of it, and then the more pressing matter of an impending war – it’s coming to him soon than expected, because now that Earth knows of all the rocks and can destroy them well before impact, it’s military fleet can deployed after Inaros again.

Also playing out amid all this drama is Drummer’s little play. She has forged an uneasy alliance with Walker of the Golden Bough, a former Inaros sympathizer, who knows a lot about the latter’s supply depots and how to be a true pirate.

Laconia, the settlement at Ring #673 is also in focus, although it is not clear what role it plays in the larger scheme of things. For now, all we know is that something has been built in orbit and it may or may not be a good thing.

Verdict: Finally, strike 1 for Earth, which means a war is afoot and Inaros is gearing up for it. With only four episodes to go, looks like the action is set to get hot and how!