With the death of four settlers at the hands of Murtry, who now seems to be on a one-man warpath, Naomi and Lucia find themselves on the run. Bobbie tries to do the right thing once more, and Drummer and Ashford attempt to negotiate their way through complicated Belter politics.

A much more fast-paced episode compared to the previous two as Naomi (Dominique Tipper) and Lucia (Rosa Gilmore) end up having to flee across the planet to get to the Roci, pursued by goons sent by Murtry (Burn Gorman). Naomi’s rapidly declining health, caused by the planet’s stronger gravity, gives the whole episode a more urgent feel. Amos (Wes Chatham) ends up getting captured, and the subsequent scene between him and Chandra Wei (Jess Salgueiro) demonstrates each actor’s ability and their great chemistry together.

Bobbie (Frankie Adams) finds herself once again trying to do the right thing, this time by reporting the theft of the item in the previous episode to her boss. But once again Mars turns out to be essentially corrupt and very unlike the idealised version of the place she has fought so hard for all her life. Bobbie loses her job, and there’s a constant sense of unease in this episode as it really begins to sink in how much Mars is suffering now that it no longer has the shared purpose of either being in a perpetual war or pushing for terraforming. This culminates in her getting drunk and lashing out in an angry tirade at her nephew. Excellent acting from Adams, and the slow build-up to this atypical behaviour from a much-loved character, begins to explore an issue not often touched on in genre TV. Namely, with disappointment following disappointment, the difficulties veterans face when returning to civilian life after time on the front line.

However, the real star of this episode turns out to be newcomer Marcus Inaros, played mesmerizingly by Keon Alexander. Long alluded to and talked about, the character is the father of Naomi’s child and his dark presence hung over her character throughout the previous three seasons. It is exciting to see that the build-up has paid off. The political interplay of the distinct Belter viewpoints held by Ashford (David Strathairn), Drummer (Cara Gee) and Inaros is fascinating to see, leaving the viewer to guess what the characters are really thinking. With one chilling speech, the writers and the director (who positions Inaros below his judges in a Christ-like pose) are able to convey how truly charismatic and dangerous he is.

Verdict: An excellent episode that does what The Expanse does best, with gripping characters that hold your attention and excellent world-building and suspense that elevates the story onto a whole new level. 9/10

Emily Day