The Expanse #3: Abaddon's Post - [spoilers for book only up to latest tv show episode]

[akh]

12 minutes ago, Astromech said:

A slower episode that bored me for most of it. The hard science was interesting though.

Agreed. Perhaps the worst episode of the season so far, imo.

[Wethers]

4 hours ago, Astromech said:

A slower episode that bored me for most of it. The hard science was interesting though.

 

4 hours ago, akh said:

Agreed. Perhaps the worst episode of the season so far, imo.

Wow, not what I thought at all.  I liked it.  Ashford's subtle sabotage and Drummer sacrificing herself (as Ashford knew she would do) in the end even though she knew what Ashford was doing.  The interaction between Naomi and Amos.  The horrific consequences of the ring station's AI ratcheting up the restraint in response to perceived threats (ring station gets hurt by a grenade going 100 kph?  Ok now nothing can go over 100 kph effective immediately).

Certainly not the best episiode of the series but not bad at all I thought.

[Spockydog]

Drummer and Ashford's predicament was exceedingly implausible.

 

[mcbigski]

Why are folks so sure about

Spoiler

Ashford destroying the hand terminal intentionally?  So his plan was to get stuck indefinitely while Drummer bleeds out slowly?  Or did they actually discuss that moving the vehicle forward was an option the whole time?  The set up was awfully contrived.  

I dont think it was a big leap to realize they could spin the drum.  Isnt that how they simulate gravity pretty much everywhere besides moons that doesn't have an epstein drive? 

 

[Corvinus85]

2 hours ago, Spockydog said:

Drummer and Ashford's predicament was exceedingly implausible.

 

In what way?

[Wethers]

1 hour ago, mcbigski said:

Why are folks so sure about

  Hide contents

Ashford destroying the hand terminal intentionally?  So his plan was to get stuck indefinitely while Drummer bleeds out slowly?  Or did they actually discuss that moving the vehicle forward was an option the whole time?  The set up was awfully contrived.  

I dont think it was a big leap to realize they could spin the drum.  Isnt that how they simulate gravity pretty much everywhere besides moons that doesn't have an epstein drive? 

 

Spoiler

No other folks are sure, just me.

A) No Ashford's plan was not to get stuck indefinitely.  The whole point is that both Ashford and Drummer have read each other very well at this point.  Just like Drummer knew that after she left the bridge in anger, Ashford would stand up for her so when the "turn" came, everyone would know it was because he had to do it.  Similarly Ashford has a read on Drummer.  He knows that ultimately she will sacrifice herself rather than let the ship and the Belters on it be without a captain.  He just has to wait for that to happen once she realizes she has no more options.  And the thing is, I think she even knows what he's doing - she comes to realize that he is waiting for her to sacrifice herself, but she does it anyway - because he's right about her motives (Belters needing a captain, even if it's not her).

Furthermore, rewind and take a look at Ashford's quick calculated look down at the controls just before the "accident" with the hand terminal.  He knew what he was doing, and he knew Drummer couldn't see his face.  Though again, I think Drummer deep down has figured out that it was probably intentional..

B ) Sure it's not that big a leap to figure out about spinning the drum.  I was just saying that book Ashford would never have figured it out.  He had neither the basic intelligence, nor the thought to care for his (or others') wounded.  Show Ashford may not care that much for the wounded either, but he is much smarter, knowing that by making this grand gesture, he is furthering his own image and power.  Maybe he cares for the wounded some too.

 

[Spockydog]

8 hours ago, Corvinus of Teranga said:

In what way?

In almost every way. Both improbably wedged at opposite ends of an enormous piece of machinery (that we know was held in place by magnets)? How is that even possible? Inertia? Give me a break.

 

 

[Spockydog]

*MINOR NITPICK ALERT*

Who the hell climbs up and down stairs in zero-g?

I get the budget limitation thing, but when they go to the trouble of demonstrating that tears do not fall from your eyes in zero-g, a little part of me dies when I hear their mag boots clicking their way up and down those feckin' stairs.

 

 

[Caligula_K3]

Finally am catching up on the last three episodes after being out of the country. I still haven't seen the latest, but I feel like they're doing a pretty good job with Abaddon's Gate. I've loved the stuff with Holden and Miller in the slow zone, Alex and Amos are killing it, Bobbie is back (!), and the Drummer/Ashford stuff is so much more interesting than the Bull/Ashford plot in the book.

My only complaints: I feel like they could have gotten more from Naomi on the Mormon ship- if they were going to stick her there, might as well use her there for longer. Some of the visuals in the slow zone are pretty wonky, but in a kind of charming old-school sci-fi way. More seriously: Melba's motivations are very dumb in the book and I wish they had done more to change them. With everything else going on, it's very hard to care about her daddy issues or pointless vengeance plot. Though it was nice to see Julie in the flashbacks again.

[boojam]

Show's rating did better last week .... I am still a bit surprised that with the buzz for last month that it did not tick up a little more ... hope it does on Amazon ... one of the more extraordinary shows on TV.