3-08. "It Reaches Out"
Written by Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
Directed by Kenneth Fink
First aired 30 May 2018
SYNOPSIS
After killing her coworker, Melba hides the body, cleans up the blood, and returns to the Thomas Prince.
On the Rocinante, Holden repeatedly scans himself for Protomolecule infection, yet finds none. Miller shows up once again with more cryptic police stories. Holden uses Monica's documentary footage to determine that Miller first showed up just as the Belter slingshot racer entered the Ring. Monica's cameraman tampers with the Roci's systems.
Melba detonates the bomb she planted, destroying the Seung Un, then broadcasts a message showing Holden claiming he'd done it on behalf of the Belt.
On the Behemoth, Ashford orders Drummer to fire on the Roci to prove the OPA was not responsible for the bombing. Naomi begs Drummer not to fire, to no avail.
Convincing Amos he needs to be alone, Holden sees Miller, who cryptically advises him to slow down. Holden orders Alex to reverse course and head for the Ring, then decelerate as they enter it. As the Roci enters the Ring, the missile is right behind it.
ANALYSIS
"This is gonna be nasty!"
There seems to be a lot of setup with this installment, and at times it leaves one wondering where they're going with it all—which isn't to suggest there aren't any worthwhile moments; indeed, there's some decent scriptwriting to be found. The Thomas Prince personnel argue over the consequence of the slingshot racer's poke in the Ring's eye, and Anna is asked what her religious take is. "If we are going to meet God as a bunch of angry fools, we should turn this ship around and go home." Ashford and Drummer come to terms over his assignment on the Behemoth: "...neither one of them care if you and I are happy with the agreement." Drummer: "Finally, some truth." Amos comes in on Holden's one-sided argument with Miller. "Break some shit if you have to, I don't care. Just not the coffee maker again."
And just as it is in real life, things can get messy, and the closer we get to the climax, the messier things get. The climax presents us with some strong scenes, in particular Naomi pleading with Drummer to not fire on the Roci. She fires anyway, triggering a cascade of events on the Roci. I was a little surprised that a brief follow-up scene was tacked on showing what happens at the threshold of the Ring; ending the episode with the (existing) cut-to-black just as the missile catches up would have been more thrilling, I'd think. Oh, well.
Best Scene: The frantic last few minutes as the Roci enters the Ring are heart-pounding, enhanced by a potent music cue.
Best Line: Ashford brings a bottle of liquor and three glasses to Drummer and Naomi, and toasts (among other things) the slingshot racer who turned on the Ring Gate. "They'll be naming babies and ships after him for fifty years."
Technobabble Alert: This episode marks the beginning of a streak of technobabble-driven story elements, in particular the "ProtoMiller," with whom only Holden can communicate. Holden: "Maybe he's not exactly dead." Amos: "Maybe he's not exactly Miller." Now, while technobabble doesn't necessarily spell doom for an episode, it can still cost it points, depending on how much the plot hinges on it.
SCORE: 