There are huge twists in The Expanse season 5, but season 1 actually foreshadowed two of the major events. At the start of season 5, the crew of the Rocinante — James Holden (Steven Strait), Amos Burton (Wes Chatham), Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar), and Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper)  — temporarily separate to deal with unfinished business in their personal lives, while a new Belter terrorist threatens the shaky peace between Earth, Mars, and the Belt. Although they were shocking reveals, both Marco Inaros' (Keon Alexander) asteroid attack on Earth and Naomi's reunion with her estranged son Filip (Jasai Chase-Owens) in The Expanse season 5 were actually set up in the show's first installment.

Based on the novels by Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham under the pen name James S.A. Corey, The Expanse is set in the 24th century in a solar system colonized by humans. Earth, Mars, and the Belt stand as the central players in a ruthless political power struggle that sees humanity reel over the discovery of an alien substance known as the protomolecule — a conflict at the center of which rests Holden and his crewmates. The series premiered on Syfy in 2015 and was canceled after season 3, but Amazon saved The Expanse by ordering additional seasons.

Related: The Expanse: Marco Inaros And Naomi Backstory Explained

The Expanse season 5's overlying conflict revolves around the rise of Marco's Free Navy as the ruthless new identity of the long-overlooked Belters. Marco's plan involves launching stealth-hidden rocks at Earth, which has a devastating impact on the planet. Meanwhile, Naomi tracks him down in an attempt to rescue her son Filip from his father's manipulation (and criminal activities). Both Marco's plan and the reveal of Naomi's secret son were actually set up in the first season: the former was foreshadowed by comments about rocks being thrown at Earth, while the latter was hinted at by a request made by Naomi. 

Chrisjen Avasarala laying on a roof with her grandson

In The Expanse season 1, episode 4 “CQB,” UN Secretary-General Chrisjen Avasarala stargazes with her grandson on her roof, and as they remark on the shooting stars in the sky, she tells him, “I worry about people who throw rocks.” The boy scoffs and replies with "Nobody could throw rocks that big. It just happens sometimes, because, you know, gravity." The added irony of Avasarala’s grandson's response doubting such an event makes season 5's payoff all the more astounding. Similarly, season 1, episode 6 “Rock Bottom” clearly sets up Naomi's reunion with Filip in The Expanse season 5. Toward the end of the episode, after the Roci crew accepts a deal from Outer Planets' Alliance leader Fred Johnson (Chad L. Coleman) Naomi tells Fred, “In return, I want you to help me find someone. Someday, I’ll come to you with a name. No questions asked.” The line doesn't pay off until season 5, episode 1, "Exodus," when Fred privately concedes to Naomi that he has something for her. Accordingly, he reveals Filip's location on Pallas Station, to which Naomi sets off soon after.

Interestingly, Franck and Abraham, who also serve as writers for the TV show, published the series' fifth book Nemesis Games the same year of The Expanse series premiere. The alignment of the two releases provides a reasonable incentive for the clever foreshadowing at the show's beginning. The Expanse has similarly set up events for the sixth and final season, notably at the end of The Expanse season 5 finale, in which Marco, Filip, and the Free Navy celebrate their victory over Earth's defenses at the Sol Gate. Subsequently, Lt. Sauveterre's Martian vessel vanishes into thin air while attempting to pass through the Laconia Gate. Furthermore, the reunion of the Roci crew on Luna alludes to an all-out war pitting the forces of Earth, Mars, and the neutral Belt against the Free Navy in The Expanse season 6, setting up an intense finish to the TV series.

Next: The Expanse Season 5: Why Belter Marco's Free Navy Is So Dangerous