TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains content regarding sexual assault.
Fans of the sci-fi smash hit, The Expanse, eagerly awaited its fifth season premiere on Amazon Prime Video. The first three episodes landed on Wednesday, December 16 and the current season will be the penultimate of the mega-popular series — the sixth and final season was announced in November and has yet to start filming.
According to the official synopsis, the fifth season will see Amos (Wes Chatham) return to Earth to confront his past and the legacy of the life he fought to leave behind as Naomi (Dominique Tipper) reaches out to her estranged son in a desperate bid to save him from his father’s toxic influence.
Meanwhile, Bobbie (Frankie Adams) and Alex (Cas Anvar) will confront the collapse of Mars as they chase a shadowy cabal with ties to terrorists and criminals, Holden (Steven Strait) wrestles with the consequences of his own past with the Protomolecule, the aliens who built it, and the mystery of what killed them.
Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), refuses to be relegated to the sidelines and will battle to prevent a terrorist attack unrivalled in history while Drummer (Cara Gee) will fight to escape who and what she used to be, accompanied by a new crew.
Incidentally, that new crew represents a new relationship for Drummer, in the form of polyamorous bond. It’s a concept that is nothing new for the series – James Holden is the child of five fathers and three mothers, for example — but it does represent a new beginning for the captain of the Medina Station.
Speaking to Den of Geek, Cara Gee spoke about the evolution of her character saying, “We are finally seeing Drummer in a love relationship, and it happens to be a polyamorous, beautiful, queer family. And I could not be more thrilled to represent that.” She continued, “the phenomenal actors who bring all those roles to life — I’m just so excited for the world to meet them. They are so beautiful, and we had truly a phenomenal time. Hopefully, that comes through on-screen.”
In fact, viewers will get to meet a slew of fresh characters in season five, including José Zúñiga as Bull, Sandrine Holt as Oksana, Brent Sexton as Cyn and Bahia Watson as Sakai, among others.
While it is as yet unknown when the sixth season of The Expanse will go into production (the show’s fifth season was fortunately spared from Covid-19 disruption as it had finished filming before widespread industry shutdowns began) we do know that one character will not be returning for the series’ swansong.
It was announced in early December that Cas Anvar won’t return as Alex Kamal after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct were levelled against the actor after season five filming had wrapped.
The accusations against Anvar revolve primarily around his behaviour at various sci-fi and fan conventions with multiple women alleging that the actor harassed them both in person and via direct message after meeting. He stands accused of aggressively pushing for sexual encounters and berating women who refused to meet up with him. There are several claims of sexual assault against Anvar from women who did meet up with him in addition to evidence supporting the allegations in the form of screenshots of text conversations where Anvar solicited and insulted his alleged victims.
Regardless, series showrunner and executive producer Naren Shankar is confident that the final season will live up to expectations.
“The dedication and artistry of everyone who helps bring The Expanse to the screen is incredible,” Shankar said. “Our fans are awesome, and we cannot wait to get rolling on season six.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual or physical violence, please call 1800-RESPECT, a national telephone support line or find more support services HERE.