The activation of the proto-molecule on Illus comes with big repercussions for the Rocinante crew. Bobbie has an errant nephew to keep an eye on, and Avasarala’s campaign to retain her post as Secretary-General begins…

With Murtry (Burn Gorman) responsible for the death of a Belter, and the foreboding unease that always comes from the unpredictability of the proto-molecule, there is a palpable tension at the start of this episode. Damage caused by the proto-molecule temporarily shifts the focus away from the characters, and much of the tension in the rest of the episode deriving from the conflict between the original inhabitants of Illus and the people from Earth.

Watching Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo) begin to pursue her campaign we are reminded of how comfortable she is with using any method, no matter how morally dubious, to arrive at what she believes is the desired outcome. Having only seen her in political situations in the past where she has been able to operate in the shadows, it will be interesting over the rest of the series to see how she copes having to go about this while trying to woo voters to her side. Arjun, Avasarala’s husband, is now played by Michael Benyer (previously he was played by Brian George) and seems to be much more present in this season compared to the previous three. Sadly I have not yet warmed to the new actor, but hopefully, as the role becomes more fleshed out, Benyer will be given plenty of exciting material to work with.

The descent of Bobbie (Frankie Adams) further down the organised crime rabbit hole continues as she goes off on a self-imposed mission to save her nephew. The last conversation between Bobbie and Esai (Paul Schulze) comes with a sense of dread, as the existential question of what happens to Mars. Their sense of self has been strongly tied to the eventual dream of terraforming Mars, but now there are over a thousand habitable worlds out there waiting to be colonised.

Some stand-out acting and character moments come in the form of a conversation between Murty and Amos (Wes Chatham), their conversation highlighting both their similarities and their abiding differences.

Verdict: This episode generates much the same feeling as the previous, with a steady pace and a teasing out of some themes that will doubtless be returned to in the coming episodes. 7/10

Emily Day