When The Expanse returns to Amazon on December 16 for its fifth season, longtime fans will find that it's structurally very different than the preceding years. While the Rocinante crew has always been at the heart of the story of divided human factions spread across galaxy, now they themselves will be on their own separate journeys.
Naomi (Dominique Tipper) in particular will be embarking on a voyage of self-discovery that's been in the works for years, in order to reunite with her estranged son and confront her volatile ex Marco Inaros (Keon Alexander) once and for all. Though their views on Belter rights once very closely aligned, Naomi felt betrayed when Marco went too far and killed innocents in his quest for freedom - and even more so when he separated her from her child.
Tipper and Alexander spoke to Screen Rant about their complicated and fiery dynamic, the years of history they pour into their performances, and whether Holden's lingering presence causes further tensions in their new situation.
What was it like for you both to craft this adversarial family dynamic that we're finally getting to see on screen, and to incorporate all of those years of history into your performances?
Dominique Tipper: It was a challenge, for sure. Obviously, we had some great source material, and also four seasons of seeds being planted that I think if you watched it from the beginning - and even if you went back and watched now - there is stuff from season one in Naomi's life and things that are happening; things she's hiding that literally get to play out in season five.
Keon and Jasai were incredible to work with, and the moment that I saw Jasai, I was like, "This is my son." I felt like we were family, because I looked at Keon on one side and looked at Jasai, and I was like, "He's our child. He looks like us." That really helped quite a lot, actually, to imagine we were a family and we were a unit. Then, Keon's an incredible actor and so is Jasai, and we all just went in for it. Everybody's done the work and was focused on the work, and we rooted our work in what we knew and what we thought this would be like; what their history would be like.
We found that it was probably rooted in love more than anything else. A very teenage passionate, kind of first love; the one that's not really like anything else. And we kind of ran with it.
Keon Alexander: Yeah, we definitely did run with it. We ran pretty far. We often think of ourselves as unitary creatures, because we're here and now. We have our past, but we think that we are where we are now. But there are moments where we're reminded that we are actually all of those at the same time, simultaneously. And I think that we were able, Dom and I, to find how we are existing in the present now while holding space for that teenage connection, and everything in between.
It's almost like what she's talking about: that real teenage love. It's almost like, if you connect to those formative moments that were the most real for you, you can almost invisibly plot the trajectory of what got you to where you are. And I think that Marco's relationship with Naomi was one of those formative experiences. I think this is the most real connection he's ever had, and I think that that break made him who he is; who we meet in season four and season five. [He's] willing to take the measures that he's willing to take, and underneath all of those strategies and political moves and moving chess pieces is a heart that's had certain traumas and experiences.
Holding those layers simultaneously - which Dom is able to do, and we were able to connect on all those layers - I think made the scenes that much more multi-dimensional. I think that's how you make it work.
Even though this is not a love triangle, Holden's presence is there between you. In your scenes, how do you each react to Holden's existence even when he's not physically there?
Keon Alexander: Who's Holden?
Dominique Tipper: I think for Naomi, when you meet Marco and see them together in the season, you get a gauge of maybe why she's gone for a guy like Holden. I think what you see is that what she finds in Holden is the safety and the settledness and the non-radicalness.
I would even go as far to say that maybe that relationship is not as passionate in the same way that her one with Marco was. And, obviously, they don't have a child together. So, there's just like this real lightbulb moment of being like, "Oh, this is why." I always find with people, when you see their partner from before, you're like, "Oh, you went the other way." Whatever happened, then your next one was the complete opposite.
I think what you see is not only her fighting to save her son - in her own head, saving him - she's also in between these two things. She went away from him, towards this thing she now is. Marco represents one, and Holden represents the other. And I think what's gorgeous about the interactions with Marco is there's always that thing of like, "Is he going to manage to pull this way?" Away from that Holden safety she's created, or is she always there? She's just come for her son.
I think what's beautiful about the scenes is you're never sure, and I think Naomi's working out as well, actually. It's the most danger she's ever been in emotionally; Marco's dangerous for her.
The Expanse's fifth season will begin streaming on Amazon Video on December 16.