The Expanse S05E04 'Gaugamela' - FULL REACTION!

On a side note Kat & Sonny, did you like the Logicoma reference send-off with the red spiderbot that got the protomolecule? A Logicoma from the Ghost in the Shell Universe? It was kind of 'squee!' when it punched Holden. On the real real. I am glad our boy "Superior Space Jon Snoooooohhh!" has plot armor. Otherwise he would have been like a George Foreman victim and would be slurring his speech. Lulz.

Julius Vladimir Francisco

I think you're misunderstanding then. Never excused what they did, merely pointing out where they are coming from and I truly understand the frustration, but I'll never excuse their actions, because that's NOT the right way to do it.

Sonny Mike Olsen

Marco doesn’t realize he just recreated Pearl Harbor, the belters will have to deal with the awakened giant.

Doug Weldin

I hope Naomi spaces Filip. Nothing in my mind can redeem him after not even flinching at shooting those scientists , even if he somehow pulls a Clarissa in the end.

bwr

Fred was always trying to use wedges and edges and diplomacy to achieve equal footing for the Belters. He was always trying use building things (stations and ships) and making ships and getting jobs for Belters. And to have him assasinated like that is so tragic. I wanted to see more of Fred's way (with the help of the Rocinante crew) but that road has been cut off. This leaves a power vacuum for someone to take over the peaceful road. Can't wait to see how they handle this!

DrEEsky

So watched with you. It is a gut wrenching episode that seems completely jam packed and also seems to last forever because so much happens. Initially I had to watch the episode in bits because I kept getting so emotional about each part. All the actors were stunning. Bobbies story was touching but brings home the point that Mars is dying and they need to be doing something important. You were on the money about Amos visiting Peaches (others are completely shocked!) and again both actors were amazing. Tycho station was off the chain and Sakai murdering Fred and the protomolecule being stolen!! And Monica for the win!! She saved Holden not once but twice in the span of a few minutes! Chrisjen working to get the word out to Nancy Gao was also just awesome and she literally has saved millions of lives in a few seconds! Finally Naomi. I misread Sonny a little bit but I get it. Genocide on a scale unknown in human history on the hands of Filip. I saw a review saying that this episode is one of the finest episodes of TV ever written! Where "on Earth" are those emmy's??

DrEEsky

When do they start handing out Emmy's for some of the performances in this show? Aghdashloo, Tipper and Chatham really bring it this episode.

KeithJ

I agree. The writers are very good about planting seeds that seem innocuous at the time, but turn out to be massive later on.

KeithJ

Anyone ever wonder how Marco was able to purchase all this stuff from Mars, plus have a Martian warship? Hmm...

Deana DeWall

Disagree about the situation not being black and white with hating those belters. They committed genocide of thousands, possibly millions, of innocent people. They have very legitimate grievances, but they can fuck themselves after throwing those asteroids. That many people dead is pretty black and white. As Naomi said last season, Belters aren’t children, they can make their own decisions, and as the Bull said, just because they are underdogs doesn’t mean they are the good guys. He wants to become the oppressor, not stop oppression. Marco’s crew are adults who knew what they were doing, don’t feel bad about hating them.

The news reports said the first impact was estimated at 300-400 kilotons. That seems like a mistake or goof because those impacts look a lot bigger than 400 kilotons. In the previous episode the admiral said the rocks could cause a 4 megaton impact (4000 kilotons.) I live in Philadelphia, so I looked this up, a 400 kiloton impact 40 kilometers away isn't going to cause much if any damage to Philly, but 4 megatons certainly would cause some damage and injuries. Based on the shot of the 2nd asteroid impact and that it said 40 kilometers outside Philadelphia I'd guess the rock hit around Collegeville PA or Lansdale PA. I spent way too much time looking this up, but it's cool seeing your city mentioned in the Expanse.

Frankie H

I haven't even watched this yet and I can tell that Sonny wants to protect his favorite characters (here it is Naomi and I am guessing to some degree Filip) and her situation makes one feel completely helpless!! All three actors were amazing but especially Dominique!! She is just stunning!

DrEEsky

Just shout out to Dominique Tipper for her performance, the absolute anguish on her face as everything came crashing down broke me. Being forced to see your abuser, on top of realizing he has completely indoctrinated your son, on top of the guilt of thinking maybe you could have stopped this. It would honestly be enough to break anyone in that moment and if Naomi can continue she's the strongest character in the show. Fantastic episode

Nik Dela

Many can get behind Marco’s ideology ... namely ending oppression, exploitation, etc. Freedom fighting tactics have been used by revolutionaries, the natives with the European colonizers, in defending their home and their lives. But what Marco did was something on a much much ..much grander scale that would cause immeasurable grief and devastation to an entire society mainly populated by completely innocent people, oppressed ones just like the Belters. These people were the same as the people Marco is supposedly fighting for.

Alexis Cardarella

Sonny's Marco hate is incandescent. And I'm kinda here for it.

Also.... remember the martian's talk about asymmetrical power from inside the ring space.... If i were a betting man, Marco's group already thought of that

Dan Guisinger

❤️

Sonny Mike Olsen

Amazing episode and title. Guagamela is Alexander's most decisive battle despite being outnumbered 3-1ish. In just one day, the balance of power shifted drastically and Alexander became the defacto king of the known world (known to the Greeks anyway). I haven't read the books but his new battleships plus the events in episode four make it seem like the balance of power has shifted. I feels like a sea changing event that Earth isn't going to recover from.

Chaos T

Kat & Sonny, Karasu over here. Thanks for this content this was wonderful. Even in the books I disliked Wanna be Space Hitler (really he is just Space Bin Laden). Clarissa is right some Stains you cannot clean away. I love the changes they made from the show and the books. I actually enjoy some seasons of the show more than I liked the book source material. It keeps me on the edge all the changes they made in the show, coalescing certain characters, switching up the order of some events, pulling switcharoos. Just wonderful. This was a early new years present from you two. Thank you Sonny for working all day to put new content up. Don't be too hard on yourself. :) .

Julius Vladimir Francisco

So angry! LOL One of the best episodes of TV I've seen Both Guagamela (as you mentioned) and the Pella (Marco's ship) are references to Alexander the Great The actor who plays Marco has been a riot this past week on twitter.... So many people focussed on Bull being cranky thinking he was the mole... Its hard to read the news broadcasts, but they showed the seawalls failed in New York.... and they were saying New York lost communications. And Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, are all within about a 100 mile radius of where that hit. Based on the population centers on the east coast, and the overpopulation of the world in the expanse.... I'd expect the toll to be in the billions. The 3rd strike was in asia, so you can imagine how much carnage that unleashed. Something else to think of, Drummer left both Ashford and Fred, and both got killed.... you thought she was feeling guilty after Ashford. But you have to admit, Marco gives great speeches, and the actor they chose to play him is really good at it. Don't know if that comment you mentioned of "Oh no" was before or after this episode aired. If it was before, book readers didn't even know exactly what was coming as there is some tweaking of the story... so I don't know the context... sometimes people just say it like "On no? You like someone? All of your favorite characters die".... if that was written after it aired, then that person shouldn't have said anything

Dan Guisinger

Sonny I think you should react however you want to. I agree with you completely regarding Marco. Man what an episode. Rip Fred.

Mo

I love those prints! I definitely want to check out that Etsy shop. Been waiting to see what you guys thought of this episode.

Mo