The Expanse - S05 E04: Gaugamela
amazon/syfyAfter last week’s cliffhanger, audiences are in for an explosive episode, and it is no surprise that Gaugamela delivers that promise. Directed by series newcomer Nick Gomez, season five’s fourth episode is one devastating crescendo of tension released pervasively in almost every minute. Series producer and writer Dan Nowak doesn’t waste any moment, crafting a teleplay that is paced to perfection and riddled with adrenaline.
The Expanse’s fourth episode title is a direct reference to Alexander the Great’s battle against Darius III’s Persian army. The King of Macedon surprises the Persian Empire with a strategy that makes use of tactics and resources instead of numbers. This historical conflict parallels Marco Inaros (Keon Alexander), whose devastating strategy involving rogue asteroids is set in motion and takes the entire system off-guard. Nothing can prepare us for the system-wide catastrophe that is about to occur, and even when the threat is firmly established from past episodes, it’s a guarantee that everyone will be left speechless, both in amazement and horror.
Alex (Cas Anvar) and Bobbie (Frankie Adams) are sidelined in this episode, but the opening vignette featuring the two Martians is a melancholic introduction that sets up the episode’s bleak tone. While following the lead of Mars’ black market in the Razorback, the latter voices out her bitter acceptance of the dying Martian dream in a lengthy monologue after the former is upset by her nonchalance. Alex remains hopeful, but the words hang in the air. Their heart-to-heart conversation is interrupted when the news of the first asteroid hit on Earth appears on their screens.
The Expanse is no stranger to large-scale cataclysms. Many instances of the show have the members of the Rocinante averting a worst-case scenario towards a less dire consequence. The closest example of which is during the fourth season when they, along with a group of Earth scientists and Belter settlers, seek refuge in a dormant alien structure from a tsunami during their expedition in Ilus. However, the difference is, the Rocinante has detected the forthcoming disaster, whereas almost everyone is oblivious until the disaster has finally struck. It’s a completely harrowing sequence with Amos (Wes Chatham) experiencing it first-hand while visiting a familiar face in prison, and the well-aware Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo) racing to reach contact with the higher-ups before the next asteroids enter the atmosphere.
Holden (Steven Strait) and Fred Johnson (Chad E. Coleman) aren’t in safe harbor as well. Amid the chaos, Marco’s people also make an advance to Tycho Station. What transpires is another action-packed segment, but with less effective results as the plot armor of some specific characters slightly weighs it down. That isn’t to say, casualties aren’t there, but the entire sequence is partly odd whenever villains haven’t decided to shoot the heroes immediately. Regardless, the byproduct of this scene heightens the tension of the grand picture.
Once his plan is all said and done, Marco Inaros has successfully tipped the balance of power in the galaxy. Keon Alexander once again commands his scenes with daunting dictation. Debuting in the middle of the fourth season, his appearance remains scarce until now. But when he does, he embodies this authoritative figure that grows more fearsome than before. Never has The Expanse had a truly malevolent adversary that isn’t glowing in blue and alien in their biostructure, and Marco Inaros appears to throw the protomolecule out of its throne as the series’ best villain.
As the credits roll, the rules have changed, and so does The Expanse. With everyone in separate situations, it’s hard to imagine how the remaining six episodes will proceed. Amos is trapped on Earth; although evident that she has a future role in this and won’t abstain from politics any longer, Drummer (Cara Gee) has no more control over any faction except her little pirate crew; and Naomi (Dominique Tipper) helplessly watches the news in despair as she is locked in enemy and familial quarters. This leaves it up to Holden, Avasarala, Bobbie, and Alex, but the question remains: what is their next move?
