Title: The Expanse Season 3 Episode 10: “Dandelion Sky”
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction
Platform: TV – Syfy
Director: David Grossman
Writer: Georgia Lee
Rating: TV-14
Release: June 13, 2018
Cast: Steven Strait, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Frankie Adams, Cas Anvar, Wes Chatham, Dominique Tipper
Feature image: Source
[Spoilers]
“You’re the patron saint of lost causes, kid. Quit running from it.” Joe Miller – The Expanse
Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar) and Amos Burton (Wes Chatham) watch a video message James Holden (Steven Strait) left for them. He tells them that he is going to the station in the Ring’s nucleus. “I have to do this on my own,” he explains. “Just stay safe. Thanks, both of you, for everything. And do not follow me. That’s an order.” Holden is on his way to the nucleus. Joe Miller (Thomas Jane) accompanies him. Holden: “After all the shit we’ve been through, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m cursed.” Miller agrees that Holden does appear to end up in the middle of events. Miller notes, “You’re just following your programming, just like me.” Holden: “Programming. I always had this crazy notion about free will.” Miller: “You’re the patron saint of lost causes, kid. Quit running from it.”
“Where angels fear to tread, if they had any g–damn sense.” Kolvoord – The Expanse
The U.N.N. Thomas Prince prepares to enter the Ring. Everyone seems apprehensive except Reverend Doctor Anna Volovodov (Elizabeth Mitchell) whom seems exhilarated. Lt. Nemeroff (Matt Bois) appears very uneasy about entering the Ring. He begins talking to Anna. Lt. Nemeroff: “I haven’t been sleeping very well since we got the orders to go through this thing.” Anna: “In the face of all this, sleep seems disrespectful, maybe?” Lt. Nemeroff: “Do you think God wants us to be here?” Anna: “As far as I can tell, the scripture is quiet on this one.” It’s apparent that Anna isn’t really paying him any attention. The ship crosses over into the Ring. Everyone looks relieved except Lt. Nemeroff. After looking at their readings, Anna asks, “What is this place?” The chief scientist Kolvoord (Chris Owens) responds, “Where angels fear to tread, if they had any g–damn sense.” This adds to Lt. Nemeroff’s unease.
Naomi Nagata is heading towards the Rocinante. She keeps trying to make contact with her crew but is unsuccessful. Naomi: “Come on guys. Why aren’t you talking?” The Xuesen contacts Naomi and orders her to turn back; they are in the middle of a police action against Holden and his crew. Naomi tells them Holden would not blow up a ship, but the Martians aren’t listening to her, they tell her not to try to board the Rocinante. She flips them off.
“Like a fuckin’ Pharaoh.” Amos Burton – The Expanse
Amos and Alex realize the Xuesen has sent a skiff with a Martian fire team after Holden. What they don’t know is that Bobbie Draper (Frankie Adams) is on the team. Their job is to apprehend Holden. The other Marines think Holden is a threat, but Bobbie assures them Holden would not blow up a ship. Her fellow Marines seem suspicious of Bobbie and her relationship with the Rocinante crew. Amos wants to go after Holden to help him with the Marines, but Alex points out they couldn’t get there in time. Alex asks Amos how he can act so cool about everything happening now. Amos: “I get it…alien shit? Magic gates? Naomi bugging off to go play Belter? Holden doing? I have no clue what Holden’s doing. I wish that I could tell you I was freaked out, but I’m not. I haven’t felt fear since I was five years old.” Alex: “Man…I wish I could go through life without feelin’ fear.” Amos: “No…you don’t.” Alex worries that what is happening out here could be the end of humanity. Amos tells him about a woman he know back in Baltimore who told him if the world were to end, she’d take a bottle, her two cats and jump off the building. Alex: “With her cats?” Amos: “Like a fuckin’ Pharaoh.” Amos tells Alex if this is the end, “Don’t worry I’ll take you with me.” That isn’t reassuring to Alex.
On the Thomas Prince, the scientist along with Anna are trying to figure out why the Gate holds objects. They theorize it’s trying to isolate potential threats. Kolvoord’s theory about the void: “It’s a field that manipulates inertia in ways that we don’t understand.” Anna feels like it’s alive in some way. This further disturbs Lt. Nemeroff. Clarissa Mao (Nadine Nicole) is talking to the ship’s computer trying to figure out how she can get to the Rocinante before the Martians do.
On board the Behemoth, Klaes Ashford (David Strathairn) is complaining to Camina Drummer (Cara Gee) about her letting Naomi leave in front of Diogo (Andrew Rotilio) and other crewmembers. Ashford: “Oh it’s too bad we don’t have our chief engineer to build us some probes.” Drummer: “You have something to say?” Ashford: “Yeah, I said it.” She tells him there is some farm equipment the Mormons had on the ship that she can turn into drones. Drummer reminds him a captain needs to know her ship.
“I concur. He’s cracked.” Lt. Meyer – The Expanse
The Martian skiff is close to Holden. The team’s commander Lt. Meyer (Simu Liu) tries to contact Holden but he doesn’t respond. Bobbi asks the lieutenant to let her try. Bobbie gets in contact with Holden and asks him to come with them. Holden is trying to hold a conversation with both Miller and Bobbie. The Martians only hear Holden’s side of the conversation. He tells Bobbie that he, Alex, and Amos are innocent of the Seng Un bombing. Bobbie tells him she believes him. Holden ends the transmission and closes his channels. Lt. Meyer: “That sound rational to you?” Bobbie: “Not entirely. No sir, he did not.” Lt. Meyer: “I concur. He’s cracked.”
Holden arrives outside the station. Holden: “You tell me what that is and I’ll keep going.” Miller: “There used to be something here. A lot of something. A civilization, billions of years ago. But now, all that’s left is a bunch of locked doors and some lights and a timer.” Holden: “So what do we do?” Miller: “You figure out how to pick the locks.” The station opens up and Holden enters.
Lt. Nemeroff walks into his room and blows his brains out. Clarissa plans to blow up the Rocinante. On the Behemoth, there is some unrest against Drummer. Diogo: “Captain should be you.” Ashford: “Tread carefully my good boy.” Holden is inside the station. He has some questions for Miller. Holden: “Is this some kind of machine?” Miller: “Yeah. I’m going to need you to do something for me later.” Holden: “Not sure what I can do that you can’t.” Miller: “Help me get the system back online.”
“You’re not here to praise the Lord.” Tilly Fagan – The Expanse
They inform Anna that Lt. Nemeroff weapon ‘accidently discharged’ and he’s dead. She understands what happened to him. They ask will she conduct his funeral service. Tilly Fagan (Genelle Williams) sees Anna and tells her the XO is trying to restrict their access, she didn’t know blackmail was so much work. She notices that Anna looks somber and asks who died. She quickly realizes from Anna’s expression that someone did die. Anna tells her that Lt. Nemeroff committed suicide and she feels responsible. Tilly: “It’s not your fault.” Anna: “Well, he was begging for help and I was too distracted.” Tilly: “It’s completely understandable. We’ve had some pretty unprecedented distractions.” Anna: “I should have been more focused on why I’m here. I’m not a scientist, I’m a minister.” Tilly: “You’re not here to praise the Lord.” Anna: “No, I’m here to talk to people, to offer comfort where comfort is needed, to sit with people, when they’re scared, that’s what ministers are supposed to do.” After Tilly leaves Anna, she runs into Clarissa. When she asks “Clarissa”, Clarissa pretends like Tilly is mistaken.
“Reach out to those in need. It will increase our joy and diminish our pain.” Anna Volovodov – The Expanse
Anna begins her sermon, she admits she didn’t know Nemeroff that well but she wish she had gotten to know him better. She mentions that Nemeroff had asked her if God wanted them to be here. Anna: “What I do believe is God wants us to be together. To care for each other. We can treat each other gently. Reach out to those in need. It will increase our joy and diminish our pain.” Tilly commends Anna for her sermon after the service and tells her that she ran into Clarissa Mao. She thinks that Clarissa is hiding out because of her father’s misdeeds. Tilly thought about informing the captain, but she didn’t want to add to Clarissa’s problems. Anna suggests she talk to Clarissa and try to help her.
The Martians see Holden enter the station. Lt. Meyer is afraid that Holden might be able to control the station. He orders his troops to lock and load. A circuit materializes and Miller pushes Holden to put his hand in the space in the circuit. Miller: “This is what I need you to do. Complete that circuit.” Holden: “What happens if I do?” Miller: “The answers to the case. Or maybe just the next clue. Tick tock, tick tock, finish the job.” Holden asks if there is any Miller there. He won’t complete the circuit unless he knows he won’t be killing the people he loved, the same people Julie tried to save.
“Just can’t stop giving me advice, can you?” Camina Drummer – The Expanse
Drummer is in a storage bay with farming equipment working on a drone. Ashford finally finds her. He tells her she shouldn’t be somewhere where the crew can’t find her. He starts telling her what she should be doing. Drummer: “Just can’t stop giving me advice, can you?” Ashford: “I’m trying to help you.” Drummer: “Yet you still call me out in front of the crew.” Ashford: “Yeah, I could have done that better.” Drummer: “You did what you meant. You put it in everyone’s head. And after I left, I bet you were all praise from me yeah. So when the turn come you can let them know you had no choice.” Ashford: “Oh we have a problem, and we need to work it out.” Drummer: “Or else what?”
Clarissa is fooling with some controls when Tilly walks in on her. She offers Clarissa her help. Clarissa starts talking about her family’s problems being Holden’s fault. She activates her super strength and walks menacingly towards Tilly.
“If you fall with me, it won’t be for halfway.” Joe Miller – The Expanse
Miller sits down and tells Holden a story that Julie told him about an angel that told a child the Angel would meet them halfway so they would not be scared. Miller: “I tried to be the angel…but I was so scared. So…I held her hand and I told her, “If you fall with me, it won’t be for halfway.” Holden: “It’s good to see you Miller.” Before he can complete the circuit, the Marines show up. Bobbie asks Holden to step away from the alien device and go with them. Holden: “It doesn’t want to hurt us.” When Holden moves, Bobbie begins to shoot at him with the other three Marines following suit. The bullets stop in mid-air, Lt. Myer throws a grenade and the station picks him up and dismantles him and makes his particles part of the station. The Ring makes everything stop, including Clarissa’s attack on Tilly, Naomi’s skiff, and all of the flotilla’s ships. The other Marines on the station are down. Miller: “Now or never Holden. Finish it.” Holden puts his hand in the circuit and completes it. Holden goes on a psychedelic trip seeing things through the station’s eyes. Holden can see the past and the future and he sees solar systems exploding. Holden falls out.
The U.N. ships finally join the Belters and Martians in the Ring. A marine soldier and Rev. Cortez were terrified of entering the Ring in the last episode. Lt. Nemeroff is terrified of being in the Ring. He tries to talk to Anna about his fears but she is too exhilarated to hear the anxiety in his voice. Lt. Nemeroff commits suicide and Anna feels guilty for not doing what she should be doing on the Thomas Prince; instead of playing scientist, she should be a minister. She remembers that she should be talking to those afraid and offering comforts. She inspires Tilly to talk to Clarissa once the former realizes who she is. I’m afraid that might be a bad idea for Tilly. Naomi is on her way to the Rocinante. Unfortunately, for her Holden isn’t aboard the ship. He and Miller head for the station in the Ring’s nucleus. Bobbie and her fellow Marines are in hot pursuit. Things aren’t much better for Drummer who continues to butt heads with Ashford. Intentionally or not, he is stirring up trouble between Drummer and the crew. She calls him out on it. When Holden reaches the station, Miller wants him to connect a circuit. He doesn’t explain what will happen if Holden does it. Miller finally persuades Holden to do it. Bobbie and the Marines try to stop Holden, with the Marine lieutenant throwing a grenade in an alien station. That wasn’t a good idea; the station disassembles him and as a defensive mechanism, stops all of the ships. When Holden connects the circuit, he sees a vision of planets being destroyed.
The episode seems to be setting up the end of the season. Everyone is in place now in the Ring. Miller admits he isn’t Miller but a construct created in Holden’s mind to communicate with him. There is still enough of Miller’s memories in the construct to convince Holden to cooperate. Holden has a vision that shows massive destruction, we don’t know if it’s a view of the past, or something in the future. It’s too much for Holden to handle. Elizabeth Mitchell gave another standout performance with her grief at failing Lt. Nemeroff. Her sermon at the funeral was heartfelt. We should care for each other and help carry others burdens. Amen.
Grade: B+
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