The Expanse season 6 finale, "Babylon's Ashes," ties up many of the Prime Video series' loose ends, though simultaneously leaves a multitude of unanswered questions. While they may instill a sense of dissatisfaction for some, The Expanse's open-ended threads are entirely intentional, as the TV series adapted only six of its source material's nine novels. With so much more story to tell, The Expanse's finale more fittingly serves as a pause in the narrative than a definitive closure.
Based on book 6 in The Expanse series, Babylon's Ashes, season 6 centers on the crux of the solar system's war with Marco Inaros' Free Navy. Additional material from the novella Strange Dogs lends itself to foreshadowing the series's subsequent novels, as it fixates an eye on the rising empire on the distant planet of Laconia. The Expanse season 6 ends with Marco vanquished and newfound peace in the solar system, however, its unanswered questions hint that much more lies ahead.
Many of The Expanse season 6's loose ends relate to individual character arcs, though several broader unanswered questions loom large. Ending the series this way works to set up a potential future adaptation of the remaining novels. As the show’s ending wasn’t meant to tie up every loose end, these are the most outstanding questions after The Expanse season 6 finale and what one can infer based on where the story concludes.
What Happens To Cara And Xan?
After their parents' visceral reaction to Xan's resurrected form, Cara and her brother took off into the Laconian wilderness. Although the Strange Dogs storyline ends in a rather open-ended fashion, it's heavily implied that Cara eventually dies from hunger or some other danger. As evidenced by The Expanse season 6's prior episodes, death on Laconia only means the opportunity to be reawakened by the planet's mysterious "dogs." When Xan expresses his worry that Cara may meet her demise, the girl's line of "It's OK. If I die, the dogs will fix me," perfectly sets up the siblings' future, in the series' next novel, Persepolis Rising, Cara and Xan reappear, both in the altered state of gray skin and dark eyes generated by the Laconian "dogs."
What Are Duarte's Plans For Laconia?
The Expanse season 6 finale makes it clear that Admiral Winston Duarte had used Marco as a distraction while he smuggled the universe's last remaining protomolecule sample through the ring gate while the Free Navy rained asteroids down on Earth. Duarte's communication to Marco that he is closing the Laconia ring and that he has "gods to kill" foreshadows the admiral's plans to address the threat of the protomolecule builders. Additionally, with the protomolecule scientist Paolo Cortázar in its ranks, Laconia has planted the seeds to explore the alien substance than ever before. Most prominently, Duarte has involved the protomolecule in the construction of ships — which paints a daunting picture of the empire's power when it reemerges in the future.
How Will Clarissa's Illness Impact Her Future?
The revelation that Clarissa is suffering from "complex endocrine collapse syndrome" foreshadows a grim future for the redeemed convict. She never shares the news with any of her Roci crew members, meaning a difficult conversation lies ahead. At the end of The Expanse season 6, Clarissa appears content to remain a mechanic on Holden's ship alongside Amos, however, the implication that her days are numbered raises a giant question. The Expanse accelerated Clarissa's timeline from the novels by introducing her declining health in season 6, and with a 28-year time jump before the beginning of the proceeding novel, it's possible that more changes could occur. Should The Expanse adapt the remainder of its source material in the future, it could justify Clarissa's existence by shortening its time jump or leaning on probable advances in medicine that would allow her to exceed her suggested five-year life expectancy following her diagnosis.
What Became Of Camina Drummer's Polyamorous Family?
In The Expanse season 6, episode 5 "Why We Fight," Drummer appears to separate from the two remaining members of her polyamorous family, Michio and Josep. The two stayed on Ceres after Josep lost his arm during their raid of Marco's supply depots, and left Drummer to engage in the final battle alone. When Drummer walks away from them and says, "I wanted us to build something together," it carries the weight of a goodbye. The Expanse season 6 finale doesn't reveal if the trio ever reconcile, but Michio and Josep's presence at the moment Drummer is named president of the Transport Union indicates that their relationship is still intact. In light of Drummer's new role on Medina Station, it's unclear whether Michio and Josep will remain on Ceres or if they will accompany her, but it's plausible that the three of them can still be together under these new circumstances.
What's Next For Filip?
In The Expanse season 6 finale, Filip unceremoniously deserted the Pella aboard a repair skiff and changed his last name to "Nagata" after fully realizing the extent of Marco's manipulation of him. The ending leaves no indication of where he will go next or what he will do, but in Babylon's Ashes, he applied for employment on Callisto after failing to board Marco's ship before it departed the station. Naomi doesn't know that Filip is alive and it's likely she will never discover the truth, though at least Filip can choose his own life path and exist in anonymity.
Will The Transport Union Solve The Solar System's Power Imbalance?
With Drummer as its president, the newly established Transport Union aims to administer trade and control traffic through the ring gates. More importantly, it institutes an independent Belter government — something that has never existed before in The Expanse's timeline. Drummer's stature as the universe's most powerful individual sets the Belt on a course for economic stability and heightened leverage in the power struggle with Earth and Mars. The Transport Union suggests a future in which Belters no longer face oppression at the hands of the aforementioned planets, though with the ambitious Laconian Empire carefully planning its next steps, only time will tell how long the Sol system's harmony will last.
What's In Store For The Rocinante Crew?
Holden's resignation from the Transport Union means he will continue captaining the Roci for the foreseeable future with Naomi, Amos, and Clarissa at his side. The apparent addition of Bobbie Draper as the ship's pilot comes as a welcome surprise. The solar system may have reached a temporary peace after its spell of war, but Holden and Naomi's final scene proves that there is plenty more for them to do. Holden mentions addressing the protomolecule, possibly flying security for freighters, or finding a consulting gig on one of the colonies. All of these are likey endeavors for the Roci crew to undertake over the nearly three decades leading up to the universe's next major challenge.
How Will The Protomolecule Shape Humanity's Future?
Although the protomolecule lies at the core of The Expanse's narrative, it was largely sidelined in seasons 5 and 6 in favor of the Free Navy conflict. With the universe's last remaining protomolecule sample in the hands of Laconia, humanity's journey with the alien substance promises to take an intriguing turn. Outside of Laconia, the threat of the ring entities and the seemingly awakened ancient alien civilization of protomolecule builders remains The Expanse's greatest mystery. It's clear that the protomolecule won't stay off the board for long, as it promises to return as a major factor if The Expanse continues beyond its conclusive season 6.