6-01. "Strange Dogs"
Written by Naren Shankar
Directed by Breck Eisner
First aired 10 December 2021
SYNOPSIS
On the alien plane Laconia, a young girl explores the planet, naming various plants and animals. A bird-like creature is injured, and she carries it away to find help.
On Earth, Avasarala and Bobbie are faced with ecological collapse from the unrelenting asteroid bombardment.
In the Belt, the Rocinante destroys a Free Navy ship, then find evidence that a single ship, the Azure Dragon, is coordinating all of the asteroid strikes.
On Ceres, Maro declares the station to be the Belt's new capital. Meanwhile, Filip is having difficulty reconciling his duty to his father and his role in killing millions of people. In a drunken rage, he shoots a friend dead.
Aboard Ashford's old ship, the Tynan, Drummer and crew destroy a Free Navy bounty hunter pursuing them, losing the DeWalt in the process.
ANALYSIS
"Every rock kills us a little more, even when they miss."
We begin with a hopeful start: A young girl is out exploring Laconia, lovingly rendered as a verdant Earth-like alien planet brimming with semi-familiar creatures. Things then turn somewhat incredulous as she appears to do a quasi-Snow White bit with a couple of animals. No matter; the sequence ends and we're back in familiar territory with familiar characters, namely Avasarala and Bobbie, who have an tense conversation about the grim toll the bombardment is taking.
We then move to the Roci and her exhausted crew. Recon missions are taking their toll, and Holden is nearly killed as they investigate a small asteroid with engines attached.
What's even more interesting is the changing dynamic between Marco and his son. Jasai Chase Owens is becoming a little stronger in his role as Filip, giving us a glimmer of hope that he might turn to the light side of the Force. Meanwhile, Keon Alexander expertly reveals Marco's slow descent into madness as he becomes ever more brutal and single-minded. Also, Kathleen Robertson as Rosenfeld Guoliang, Marco's second in command, is an excellent match for her boss; she embodies a steely resolve without going over the top.
I will add that, even though I knew it was unlikely we'd ever see Anderson Dawes again in the flesh, I was still saddened to learn that he was assassinated by Marco.
Best Scene: The glint in Marco's eyes as he declares Ceres as the new Belter capital betrays a man about to do something truly evil. It's quite unsettling to watch.
Best Line: Naomi is not in a good place. "I just realized this is the first time I've flown the Roci. First time I've had to."
SCORE: 