3-01. "Fight or Flight"
Written by Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
Directed by Breck Eisner
First aired 11 April 2018
SYNOPSIS
Errinwright manipulates the UN Secretary General Esteban Sorrento-Gillis into declaring war on Mars, then frames Avasarala for the Eros incident, claiming she's part of a government conspiracy and secretly working with Jules-Pierre Mao.
On the outer hull of the Rocinante, Holden, Alex and Amos strip the ship of Protomolecule residue, although they miss one small spot underneath the decking plates damaged by the hybrid they killed. After learning that Earth and Mars have gone to war, Holden tells Naomi to rename the ship. Tensions are strained between Naomi and the crew: she wants to head for Tycho Station, confident it's the safest port in the System, while Holden, having spotted a Protomolecule "shout" emanating from Jupiter's moon Io, uses hope of finding Prax's daughter to convince the crew to go there instead.
Fred Johnson tells Anderson Dawes that he has the Protomolecule sample hidden by the Roci, and suggests that Cortázar can provide the assistance the Belt needs to utilize the Protomolecule. At a bar on Tycho Station, Johnson approaches Drummer to retrieve the Nauvoo, and retrofit it for use by a newly-unified Belter nation.
After Avasarala saves Cotyar's life, Bobbie convinces Theo to help them take control of Mao's yacht. Avasarala obtains a copy of Errinwright's message as proof that he's a traitor, then flees with Bobbie aboard the Razorback, Julie Mao's racing ship, while Cotyar and Theo use the UN shuttle to escape.
ANALYSIS
"That's the wisdom of the pines."
Firing solidly on all eight, Season 3 starts off with an awesome, rollicking episode overflowing with a fan-pleasing smorgasbord of action, drama and humor. Now that all of our favorite characters' personalities are thoroughly fleshed-out, we're able to fully appreciate the innumerable priceless moments we're offered, running the full gamut of emotional charges. Indeed, I had a seriously tough time selecting the best scene and line. Consider some choices:
Regardless of what one might think of him, I happen to find Errinwright's argument for war with Mars to be kick-in-the-balls potent: "In five years Mars will have the strength to impose their will on the System, to shut Earth off from the resources of the Belt. I mean, at that point, we may as well be their colony." At the opposite end of the spectrum: while Naomi is in the process of renaming the ship, Prax walks in; she asks him for help, and he recommends Pina Contorta, a type of pine tree. "In order for them to survive, they have to die with fire... the seeds come out of the fire." Pay close attention to Dominique Tipper's sublimely subtle expressions here. Then, during his message to his family on Mars, Alex makes a poignant confession of being "an awful husband, and a worse father." It's Cas Anvar's best performance in the whole of the series.
There are countless delightfully playful bits. Once Cotyar recovers from being poked in his wound by Avasarala to keep him conscious, he croaks loudly, "She needs com access!" Nick Tarabay's delivery absolutely slays! After Avasarala saves Cotyar's life and he regains consciousness, he groggily asks, "Where's our Martian tank?" She raises a gun. "So, you're in charge of defense?" "Damn right." "Suits you." When Bobbie returns with Theo, Avasarala tries to shoot her in a panic, while Cotyar struggles to take the gun away. "Well done, Madam!" Avasarala injects Cotyar with antibiotics and growls, "This plan sucks!" and Cotyar groans, "I'm not going to totally disagree!"
Plus an endless supply of terrific lines. Fred Johnson asks Drummer to retrieve the Nauvoo, and she half-drunkenly replies, "Can I finish my drink first?" (I also love how she pronounces "de-tour-rent.") As Bobbie leaves Avasarala alone with Cotyar to go get help, Avasarala shouts, "You're fired!" When Cotyar questions Avasarala on the wisdom of staying to search the ship's com logs, she describes Errinwright as a "treasonous piece of shit whose balls should be ground..." (I wish Cotyar had let her finish that line.) After Holden destroys the Roci's coffee maker in frustration, Prax dryly recommends, "You should try tea." Bobbie and Cotyar bid farewell at the Razorback: "Good job, Marine." "Same to you, spy." There are so many great moments... As Luke Skywalker once said, "They're coming in too fast!"
Also... Kudos to the writers for using the word "bloviated."
Best Scene: As Avasarala and Cotyar separate at the Razorback, she hands him antibiotics for his wound, and their expressions betray a hint of romance budding amidst all of the excitement. The final shot of Avasarala's tear-filled, loving eyes yanks firmly at the ol' heartstrings. (There goes Shohreh Aghdashloo and those eyes of hers.)
Best Line: Bobbie announces it's time to get under way with, "Hitch your tits and pucker up, it's time to peel the paint!"
SCORE: 
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Best of the Best