Regarded as one of the best sci-fi shows of the last decade, The Expanse has been a sterling example of what the genre has to offer with memorable characters, stellar visuals, and an increasingly engrossing plot. As Season 5 wrapped, and Earth found itself a target of both the Free Navy and the Martian Congressional Republic Navy, things looked bleak for Secretary General Avasarala, Captain James Holden, and the rest of the crew of the scrappy Rocinante.
With Earth an apocalyptic shell, Marco Inaros and the majority of Belters now in control of the Sol System, and a rogue Martian faction marshaling alien tech above Laconia, the power dynamic is definitely shifting. On a smaller scale, Alex has been replaced with a new crew member on the Roci, something which may lead to flared tensions later on. With so much lost and so much still at stake, these are the questions that need to be answered as the series approaches its sixth (and possibly final) season.
Will The Ring Gate Creatures Be The Next Big Threat?
In the first episode of Season 5, Holden explained to Fred about the creatures that lived inside the ring gates, whose anger he could feel every time the Roci passed through them. In the finale of Season 5, the Barkeith went through the ring gates and time stood still while they swirled around those on board.
During his time with The Investigator, Holden discovered that these aliens (referred to as the "Unknown Aggressors") wiped out the alien race who had created the protomolecule and used it to rule the galaxy long before Earth took to the stars. They were dormant until the protomolecule was used in the Sol system, and now it appears they've become incredibly active by making their first decisive strike by destroying the Barkeith.
What's Drummer's Relationship To The Rest Of The Free Navy?
In order to protect herself and her crew, Camina Drummer had to make a horrible choice; do the bidding of Marco Inaros or watch her family get spaced. She did what she had to do, all the while working on a plan to mutiny at the soonest opportunity. While it was successful, she paid a heavy price for her actions, and her unit broke apart at the end of Season 5.
With only Michio and Josep remaining part of her crew, she will once again have a big choice to make. Will she become master of her own fate, and take her chances taking on the Free Navy loyal to Marco who will doubtless be coming after her for her betrayal? Or will she work alongside the Inners, something she used to chide Fred Johnson for?
Will Filip Turn On Marco?
While Filip's loyalty to his father Marcos Inaros seems unshakable, Naomi's time aboard the Pella made him question many of the truths he took to be firmly rooted in fact. With her perspective, something he'd been denied for years, he finally got a more holistic view of his father and his reputation.
Even though Marco tried to spin Naomi's escape as a selfish act, it's clear that Filip had already begun to see his father as the selfish one. With a few glances, and a knowing scene involving Filip arming himself when he goes to the bridge to speak with his father after the botched raid on the Roci, there could be a show-down in Season 6 as Marco loses power.
How Will The Roci Crew React To Peaches?
Season 5 begins with an established connection between Amos and Clarissa Mao (now called "Peaches"), one which presumably was cultivated off screen while she was still in prison. By the end of Season 5, after the Free Navy attack on Earth, Peaches is free and about to join the Roci crew.
While Amos might have gotten to know her well, Holden only knows her as someone who tried to kill him. Considering Amos blundered asking his captain whether or not he wanted a former assassin as part of his crew, it's unlikely Holden -or Naomi- will welcome her with open arms.
Will Bobbie And Avasarala Be Able To Work Together?
At the end of Season 5, Bobbie has finally accepted the position of liaison to Secretary General Avasarala. Both women have strong personalities, and known for being unwieldy. As much as they respect each other, it remains to be seen how they'll work together and be able to handle criticism constructively.
One option is that Avasarala will ask her to be her representative on the Roci. Given Alex's untimely death, a Martian presence on board seems appropriate. It will also prevent tempers from getting too high if the women are around each other for prolonged periods.
How Will The UN Approach The Free Navy And Martian Traitors?
The Free Navy has become the dominant military force in the universe, with direct control over the Sol System. With the Martians being in control of the protomolecule, the UN more than ever is in a very vulnerable and precarious place, outgunned and outmaneuvered.
The UN cannot possibly take on the Free Navy and the Martian traitors by itself. Will it try to destroy the ring gates? Will it try to appeal to those Belters who want Marco Inaros dead as much as Avasarala does? The books handle Marco a certain way, but the series may take a detour from that storyline.
Who Will Be Earth's New Allies?
After the Free Navy assault on Earth in which entire swathes of its population were destroyed within minutes, it became clear that Earth was being sent a very grave message; it was no longer a dominant player in the universe, and would no longer be directing the fate of The Belt.
Given that Earth, a planet already strapped for resources, has been reduced to an apocalyptic husk, Secretary General Avasarala will need to look for allies that can help it survive. Will they take the form of Belters unwilling to join the Free Navy?
What Is The Protomolecule Building On Laconia?
In the Season 5 finale, Cortázar excitedly explains to his new Martian overlords that the protomolecule is already helping to construct a mysterious structure in the sky, which the books suggest is one of the left over ships abandoned by the Ring Builders years before.
There's also brief video evidence that there are structures on the planet surface very similar to the ones Holden and his crew stopped from activating in Season 4. Will the Laconians fall victim to the same mistakes of everyone else who has tried to control the protomolecule?
Will the Laconians Be The Next Big Threat?
In the books, a time jump of thirty years shows the Laconian Empire becoming a major contender for dominance in the universe. With Season 6, being the final season for the series, fans don't know whether or not it will decide to incorporate that jump or not.
Cortázar is on Laconia with other rogue members of the Martian Congressional Republic Navy, but it's difficult to determine how many of them there are, and after the destruction of the Barkeith, the Laconians will need to get the Ring Builder tech going sooner rather than later. Will it be soon enough to pose a threat to Holden and company?
Will The Investigator Ever Come Back?
The Investigator was a construct projected from the Ring Station, hoping to investigate what happened to the Ring Builders by using Holden's mind to communicate. Though no one else could see it but Holden, it successfully got him to help the protomolecule further understand the circumstances surrounding its creator's demise.
The Investigator seems to be no more as of Season 5, but perhaps the protomolecule will come to Holden by another method, and use another entity to include him in its plans on Laconia. In the books, The Investigator only wanted to find Ring Builders, and was indifferent to the human race, selecting Holden as a conduit because of Miller's high esteem for him. However, Holden may serve the protomolecule's programming if he's near a sample again.