2-13. "Caliban's War"
Written by Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck and Naren Shankar
Directed by Thor Freudenthal
First aired 19 April 2017
SYNOPSIS
The crew of the Rocinante find the Protomolecule hybrid in the cargo bay. In their first attempt to kill it, Amos' helmet is damaged and Holden is pinned to the wall by a cargo container. Then the hybrid begins digging through the floor plates trying to reach the engine reactor. Amos insists that if they pressurize the cargo bay, they can blow the beast into space, although the move would likely kill Holden. While Naomi searches for an alternative, Prax realizes that they should be able to lure it outside with a nuclear warhead. Naomi helps Prax with the bait, and they successfully draw it outside. Prax tosses the nuclear core into space, the hybrid follows, and Alex swings the ship around to incinerate it with the ship's drive plume.
Aboard Jules-Piere Mao's private yacht, a wounded Cotyar helps Bobbie sneak into a duct so she can retrieve her power armor from their shuttle and come save him and Avasarala.
The science team aboard the Arboghast prepares to descend into Venus' atmosphere, with the Martian ship in hot pursuit. Just above the surface, the Martian ship disappears, while the Arboghast halts, and is instantly disassembled.
Back aboard the Roci, Naomi confesses to Holden that she didn't destroy their Protomolecule sample, but instead gave it to Fred Johnson in order to protect the Belt.
On Io, Mei is seen being prepared for stasis by Dr. Strickland, joining dozens of others.
ANALYSIS
"Firing up the barbeque!"
A fitting follow-up to the utterly incredible "The Monster and the Rocket," this episode wraps up a number of loose ends while simultaneously creating new ones. In dealing with the hybrid, Roci's crew goes through hell and back, with the surprise being that the "plant guy" Prax devises the solution. "Prax! It's not Mei!"
Huddled behind a table for protection, Cotyar and Avasarala argue over his motives for protecting her. She claims Cotyar owes her, while he asserts he instead owes her dead son for having failed to protect him. It's a complex, delicate relationship that required a lot of subtle acting on the part of Nick Tarabay and Shohreh Aghdashloo. The commentary also reveals the great difficulty the writers faced getting such a tricky scene to work. But it was worth the effort, since it sets up a poignant payoff down the line.
Still, good drama always benefits from good humor, and we're treated to some great bits. Who didn't love Avasarala's grand entrance on Mao's yacht, with that look and walk of total ownership? "My aides." Or Bobbie as she quietly attacks a plate full of cucumber sandwiches? Or the wonderful new relationship between Janus and Iturbi on the Arboghast? "Well, there was that one time in college..."
Best Scene: The penultimate scene of the season is a remarkable six-page monologue delivered by Naomi as she prepares Holden for a confession. Laden with philosophical observations on warfare and weaponry, it plays out over slow-motion shots of Bobbie, decked out in her power armor, wreaking havoc on the Martians in order to rescue Avasarala and Cotyar. The editing is simply brilliant, as is Avasarala's look of awe and gratitude as she gazes up at Bobbie, who extends her hand out to Avasarala. (Shohreh Aghdashloo can convey volumes with those eyes of hers.) And then: "Naomi, what did you do?" "I gave the Protomolecule to Fred Johnson." BOOM. Absolute. Genius.
Best Line: During Holden and Naomi's heartbreaking heart-to-heart, she asks him if he regretted all of the things they'd done up to now. "No... Yes... But only because I didn't get to spend more time with you." Tissues, please.
Best scene transition: This is a new category, created just for this episode. As the hybrid disintegrates in the Roci's drive plume, we dissolve to the Arboghast descending into Venus' atmosphere. The way the sounds of the two shots blend seamlessly together makes it the most effective transition I can recall.
Picking Nits: I felt the very final scene showing Strickland preparing Mei for stasis on Io diluted the impact of Naomi's confession. Trouble is, I'm not sure where else to put it; I want to say "The Monster and the Rocket," perhaps, but why wonder since there's no changing it?
Hard Media Commentary: Showrunner/Executive Producer/Writer Naren Shankar; Supervising Producer/Writer Ty Franck; Dominique Tipper (Naomi Nagata).
SCORE: 