The Expanse Season 5 Review

The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out This is a mostly spoiler-free review of Season 5 of The Expanse. All 10 episodes are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. The Expanse has already been renewed for a sixth and final season on the streamer. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Even as The Expanse's ambitious storyline continues to venture further into the void of space in Season 5 on Amazon Prime Video, the series remains grounded thanks to fantastic character development, thrilling ship-to-ship battles, and memorable performances for its ensemble cast. While we're probably starting to sound like a broken record when it comes to our praise for The Expanse, it is remarkable how showrunner Naren Shankar is consistently able to adapt James S.A. Corey's (the pen name for co-writers Daniel Abraham and Ty Frank) novels into digestible 10- to 13-episode seasons. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=da92aa35-d4a2-4a8a-91d6-6a773bc4c664"] One of the aspects that makes Season 5 so captivating is that we get to see Amos, Holden, Naomi, Alex, and Bobbie in a whole new light, as they embark on separate journeys outside of their usual confines inside the Rocinante. This welcome change of pace and scenery is especially noticeable after Season 4's adventures were mostly centered planetside on Illus. Though most of the sprawling character narratives throughout the season are engaging in their own right, two, in particular, stand out from the rest. The first is Wes Chatham's Amos Burton, who begins his journey by taking a trip down memory lane via the mean streets of Baltimore. While searching for answers surrounding the death of a close friend from his past, Amos comes into contact with old comrades. Here we get a fascinating new perspective on Amos from his friend Erich (played by Jacob Mundell). While there's no denying that Amos' character has evolved from the "shoot first ask questions later guy" we knew in Season 1 to a man who's more in control of his emotions in Season 5, no one would dare call him a softy with that deadly stare. However, after some brief interactions with Amos, Erich can tell that his old friend has changed from the survive at all costs youngster he knew all those years ago. But the more time Amos spends on Earth away from the Roci, the more his past self begins to manifest. It's a subtle but effective performance from Chatham, as he begins to imbue his character with a bit more menace and less warmth as the season progresses. At one point, after realizing he's slipping back into his old destructive ways, Amos says, "I need to get back to my crew." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/15/the-expanse-season-5-exclusive-official-amos-clip"] The next impactful story from Season 5 is set millions of miles from Earth, where Dominique Tipper's Naomi Nagata attempts to save her son, Filip (Jasai Chase Owens), from his maniacal father, Marco Inaros (Keon Alexander). While I missed seeing Naomi and Holden's (Steven Strait) dynamic chemistry, as with Amos, Naomi's particular storyline offers us a new perspective as she tries to reconnect with her former Belter allies. Per usual, Tipper is excellent in her portrayal of Naomi, and she even alters her character's cadence to a heavier Belter accent whenever she's conversing with Inaros and his cronies. When Naomi and Filip finally meet, Tipper and Owens share some powerful on-screen moments together, as mother and son struggle to find common ground after so many years apart. Big shoutout to Owens for portraying such a relatable character who's simultaneously trying to show strength to his father while also struggling to be vulnerable in front of his mother. I wish we could have spent more time with Naomi and Filip, but with only 10 episodes in Season 5 and a large ensemble to include, I think the writers made the most of their time together. On the villain front, Keon Alexander's Marco Inaros is devilishly wonderful. Alexander radiates charisma whenever Inaros is giving a speech to motivate the troops, or warning the Inners that they better start respecting the Belt. That charisma, mixed with his good looks, makes it easy to see why people would want to join his army. Another boon to his character is that Inaros isn't overly used in Season 5, and by the time the credits roll on the finale, it still feels like there's plenty more we can learn about him and his motivations in future episodes. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/08/the-expanse-season-5-official-trailer-2020-steven-strait-dominique-tipper"] Surprisingly, Holden's Season 5 arc is probably the least interesting of them all. That's not a ding on Strait's performance, but for the first time in the series, his shipmates steal the show with their more enthralling adventures. Holden is more of a reactionary character instead of the focal point this time around, as he chases after Inaros and any sign of Naomi. I think there was a missed opportunity here, which would probably have called for another episode or two, where we could have seen how Holden was affected by having an entirely new crew on the Roci. Sure, there is some good banter between José Zúñiga's Bull and even Anna Hopkins' Monica Stuart, but for the most part, it's business as usual on the Roci with Holden calling the shots. Though Holden's overall story is not as memorable this season, he and his new crew do have some awesome ship-to-ship battles. The Expanse continues to excel in the special effects department, including great sound effects whenever the Roci is firing its rail gun or turrets. Clinton Shorter's musical score is equally impressive, adding to the series' moody atmosphere. Finally, to address the elephant in the room without going into spoilers: Caz Anvar's last season on The Expanse as Alex Kamal is enjoyable, as he shares many memorable (and often funny) on-screen moments with Frankie Adams' Bobbie Draper onboard the Razorback. Their pursuit of Inaros and Naomi is suspenseful throughout, adding a nice bit of tension to the Belter vs. The Inners events. By the end of the season, Shankar and his team set up what should be an exciting final season on Amazon. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-expanse-season-5-gallery&captions=true"]

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