1-04. "CQB"
Written by Naren Shankar
Directed by Jeff Woolnough
First aired 29 December 2015
SYNOPSIS
On Ceres, Miller identifies the corpse he found after the riots as Bizi Betiko, although he later learns the ID was spoofed—the real Betiko is a "slingshot pilot" (competitive racer) in the midst of a run. With the help of Octavia Muss, Miller's former partner, he finds a data storage device implanted in the corpse's body containing top-secret files, some of which offer more clues about Julie Mao.
Out in the Belt, Holden realizes the six ships bearing down on the Donnager are of the same design as the one that destroyed the Canterbury. Facing an unexpectedly fierce battle with the unidentified ships, Captain Theresa Yao orders Lieutenant Lopez to escort Holden safely off the ship so he can testify that Mars was not responsible for the Canterbury's destruction. She also gives Lopez a chip containing a detailed analysis of their attackers.
As the Donnager is boarded by the enemy, Holden strikes a deal with Lopez to testify in exchange for the release of Holden's shipmates. After Holden finds medic Shed Garvey had been killed by a railgun strike, Lopez helps the rest board the Tachi, a heavily-armed frigate stowed aboard the Donnager, which Alex successfully pilots away just as the Donnager self-destructs.
Elsewhere in the Belt sits Tycho, a large circular space station. The station's manager, Frederick Lucius Johnson, is overseeing the construction of the Nauvoo, an enormous spaceship being built for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who are planning a 100-year voyage to a planet in another solar system. Johnson, who is revealed to have ties to the OPA, trains the Nauvoo's sensors on the Donnager, then sends the Tachi an invitation to safely dock at Tycho Station.
ANALYSIS
"Get us out of here!"
Now things are beginning to get more interesting. It's refreshing to realize the Martians, who had earlier been hinted at being the "bad guys," don't appear to be the antagonists. The effects, cinematography and music are all excellent.
Notably, we're treated to more reminders of how the Universe works, as the people aboard the Donnager experience alternating periods of gravity and zero-G in response to the ship's engines running or not. Bonus points are awarded for an initially perplexing scene where Holden and Naomi, suddenly faced with zero-G while attempting to run, do a weird dance in mid-air: Holden attaches a safety line to Naomi, then shoves her away with his foot. Why does he do this? His action forces the two of them apart in opposite directions, which returns him to the gangway where he can activate his mag boots (essential gear everyone in space wears at all times). Once he's firmly anchored to the gangway, he yanks her back down so she can also engage her mag boots. Somebody was paying attention in physics class!
Additional bonus points are awarded for vividly demonstrating both the effects of gravity as well as the difference between a pressurized environment and the hard vacuum of space: when Shed is decapitated by a railgun strike that penetrates the hull, the blood gushing from his neck is sucked out into space; then, when the hole is plugged and gravity is restored, it all sloshes down onto his body. Yeah, it's pretty gruesome, but it illustrates how the show makes an effort to respect real physics.
Also: no ray guns! Ships fire nuclear missiles and shells ("PDCs" or Point Defense Cannons); their fanciest weapon is a railgun, which is also a real thing; meanwhile, people do battle with machine guns and pistols. This is the way near-future science fiction ought to be! Incidentally, the episode title, "CQB," stands for "Close Quarters Battle," in which the Donnager was engaged.
Best Scene: Without question, the Tachi's narrow escape from the mortally wounded Donnager is genuinely thrilling.
Best Line: While Miller is visiting Havelock in the hospital, Havelock—whose chest was pierced by a piece of rebar—complains about Miller accepting bribes and doing the least amount of work. Miller fires back, "Do you see any extra holes in me, pal?"
SCORE: 