3-03. "Assured Destruction"
Written by Dan Nowak
Directed by Thor Freudenthal
First aired 25 April 2018
SYNOPSIS
At the UN, Errinwright pushes Sorrento-Gillis into ordering a preemptive attack on Mars' first-strike missile system. Sorrento-Gillis initially refuses, owing to Anna's plea to keep losses to an absolute minimum, but Errinwright persists and finally convinces him to fire. Owing to Sorrento-Gillis' earlier delay, the system malfunctions and a Martian missile hits South America, killing two million people.
On the escape shuttle, Cotyar and Theo receive a response to their SOS from the Agatha King, flagship of the UNN Jupiter Fleet, under the command of Admiral Souther. Cotyar kills Theo to prevent him from revealing what actually happened on Mao's yacht.
UNN Fleet Admiral Augusto Nguyen announces he will be boarding the Agatha King to interrogate any prisoners from the escape shuttle. Disbelieving Cotyar's story, Nguyen threatens him with treason, although Admiral Souther later questions Cotyar himself, against Nguyen's orders, and believes him. Nguyen then takes command of the Agatha King and orders the ship to change course for Io.
Mao and Mei begin to bond, and seeing Katoa being tortured in order to make an improved hybrid, Mao tells Strickland to shut down the program. However, Strickland secretly continues his work with Katoa, best friend of Prax's daughter Mei.
Aboard the Rocinante, Avasarala reveals that Jules-Pierre Mao is behind the Protomolecule hybrid soldier program, then becomes incensed when she learns Naomi gave the Protomolecule to the OPA. Holden refuses to get involved.
ANALYSIS
"You're right. We're not going to be friends."
Errinwright and Sorrento-Gillis practically steal the show as our master manipulator gets his bobblehead boss to poke the Martians in the eye, which backfires spectacularly with darkly delicious irony. Meanwhile, it's Nguyen's dangerous agenda against Souther's honorable intentions, and Avasarala's struggle for peace versus Holden's preference for neutrality. "You're not a child. I suspect you never were. So stop acting like one. It doesn't become you." It all adds up to three great simultaneous chess matches.
Best Scene: Cotyar's anguish over having to kill Theo is palpable.
Best Line: As Bobbie and Alex get into an argument, Holden shows up wondering how things are going, and Amos informs him, "The Martians are bonding."
Picking Nits: Alex's soap opera-ish family relationship feels like an afterthought, with their communications awkwardly shoehorned into the episode: everything comes to a sudden standstill so we can watch another unconvincingly-staged message.
SCORE: 