2-12. "The Monster and the Rocket"
Written by Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
Directed by Rob Lieberman
First aired 12 April 2017
SYNOPSIS
Errinwright meets with Martian Defense Minister Pyotr Korshunov to discuss how to move the peace process forward. However, Errinwright has poisoned him with a banned drug that makes it appear as though he suffered a heart attack.
Avasarala informs Errinwright about being contacted by Jules-Pierre Mao. Accompanied by Bobbie and Cotyar, Avasarala boards a shuttle to meet with Mao aboard his private yacht, where Mao agrees to give both Earth and Mars access to the Protomolecule. Errinwright contacts Mao, advising them of Korshunov's death, and that he'd ordered the destruction of the MCRN Karakum, sent by Korshunov to Ganymede to collect the Protomolecule project. Errinwright then orders Mao to kill Avasarala and return to work on the Protomolecule weapons project.
Holden becomes increasingly obsessed with killing the escaped hybrid, ordering Alex to pursue it into the ag dome wreckage on Ganymede. Meanwhile, as Naomi makes repairs to the Somnambulist, they learn that the ship is unable to refill its air tanks, and that they can only take 52 of the 100-plus people waiting desperately on the docks. With the help of a muscular Belter, Naomi manages to select 52 refugees, and they lift off. When the Somnambulist is threatened with destruction for violating the MCRN blockade, Alex convinces Holden to break off his pursuit of the hybrid, and destroys a missile fired on the Somnambulist. After a brief standoff with the MCRN fleet, Alex escorts the Somnambulist to safety, although we glimpse the hybrid aboard the damaged Roci.
ANALYSIS
"Where's your pride, Beltalowda?"
Courtesy of a single scene, this incredibly potent episode matches or quite possibly tops "Home" as the all-time champ of the entire series, and remains the single most difficult episode for me to watch.
There are countless memorable scenes and lines... Errinwright gets all philosophical with Korshunov as he dies: "Give a monkey a stick, inevitably he'll beat another monkey to death with it." Avasarala's many snarky remarks to Cotyar as their shuttle lifts off, capped with "That's Earth's real gravity." Errinwright's chilling instruction for Jules-Pierre Mao to kill Avasarala: "You will return to Earth. Alone." Cotyar and Bobbie lining up to protect Avasarala as bullets begin to fly; Bobbie to Cotyar: "You're shot." Cotyar: "That's disappointing." Naomi fails to put Amos down until she gives him a second sedative shot right over his heart. Melissa congratulates Naomi as they escape: "You did good today." And so on.
Best scene ever: Naomi's struggle to get only 52 people aboard the Somnambulist, starting with her putting Amos down, is truly gut-wrenching, and the big Belter's parting comment to her just destroys me! Not to mention their exchange of the Belter sign of respect (tapping two fingers over the heart), and the way he hangs his head when the doors close. Michael McLachlan deserves an Emmy for his performance as "Big Guy." It's a rare scene that makes me cry just thinking about it—and, trust me, it was mighty rough writing about it, too. This is simply the single most powerful scene in the whole series, as well as one of the most memorable of any scene from any film or television program I can recall.
Best line ever: "You're not finished yet." OMFG... I'm crying as I type this.
Hard Media Commentary: Executive Producer/Writer Mark Fergus; Steven Straight (James Holden); Shohreh Aghdashloo (Chrisjen Avasarala).
SCORE: 
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Best of the Best