Belters and Earthers find themselves trapped together, with only Holden and Amos to keep the peace. Alex and Naomi have their hands full up in orbit, with the lack of fusion power continuing to cause major issues. Meanwhile, Avasarala faces more difficult choices while also trying to stay in the fight for the forthcoming election.

The residents of Ilus are trapped inside a seemingly inert protomolecule alongside Holden (Steven Strait) and Amos (Wes Chatham). The return to a very claustrophobic setting – a departure from the previous scenes above ground – prompts a deep feeling of foreboding as tensions between the Earthers and Belters seems on a knifes edge. Elvi (Lyndie Greenwood), the only scientist to stay on the ground after episode 1, has discovered an outbreak of alien single-celled organisms that will make everyone blind within a day, which only adds to the growing sense of dread this incident invokes. When Holden informs Amos of this, his reaction is a surprise: that of true fear. The scene is incredibly well-acted, and the viewers are so familiar with Amos never being fazed, that this first time of seeing him scared is truly unsettling.

At the same time, we have Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo) declining in the polls, thanks to the fall-out from the close call in the previous episode. Avasarala, who does not like to lose and is clearly unused to have to justify and answer for her action while in power, is not taking it well and we start to see the darker side of her ambition in a series of angry tirades. Conflict starts to brew between her and Arjun (Michael Benyaer) as he too starts to question just how far Avasarala will take this. The scene between them at the university is complex in the emotion conveyed, and the acting and writing speak well of the long relationship between them. The resolution of this scene leaves us on an uneasy note, both Arjun and Avasarala questioning if she is doing this for the right reason.

Naomi and Alex are also trying to maintain the orbit of the Barbapiccola, and the tension between mother and daughter – Lucia (Rosa Gilmore) and Felcia (Kyla Madeira) –adds a very human dimension to matters. The conversation between Naomi (Dominique Tipper) and Felcia is something very unusual on TV at the moment, as we witness a conversation between two female engineers about education and its importance, though it also allows us a glimpse of the mother Naomi could have been if she’d had the chance.

The episode concludes with the catastrophic ending to a high-risk infiltration by UN marines at the behest of Avasarala. This will clearly have consequences and highlights whether Avasarala is still doing what is best for the Earth, or herself, and leaves the episode hanging on a precarious note.

Verdict: A gear shift from the last episode, but no less bad for it. The growing dread and unease built up through the episode are palpable and the stakes keep ramping up for everyone involved. 8/10

Emily Day