Rock Bottom is the sixth episode in the first season of The Expanse. It premiered on January 12, 2016 on Syfy.
Contents
Synopsis[edit | edit source]
Miller discovers revealing information on a hidden data cube. Holden and crew arrive at Tycho Station, surprised by their host’s hidden agenda.
Recap[edit | edit source]
On Earth, Chrisjen Avasarala asks her ex-colleague Carlos Davila for access to his spy on Tycho Station in order to keep an eye on Fred Johnson. When Davila refuses, she persuades him with talk of his imprisoned son, Esteban, who's up for parole.
After Davila goes crying to him, Errinwright disciplines Chrisjen for her actions. Chrisjen insists she only "politely asked" Davila about spying on Johnson, whom she considers to be a potential threat due to him building the Nauvoo, the "largest spacecraft in history" … and the fact that he's OPA. Errinwright points out that the OPA killed Chrisjen's son and Johnson turned his back on Earth … is she sure this isn't a personal vendetta? "Of course it's personal," she replies, after which Errinwright gives in and grants her permission to use Davila's spy.
Speaking of Fred Johnson, he's given the crew of the Rocinante safe harbor on Tycho Station … though he's somewhat taken aback when he discovers that he's harboring James Holden, the poster boy for all the Belter unrest on Ceres. After some initial tension, Johnson recruits Holden, Naomi, Amos and Alex to find Lionel Polanski, the sole survivor of the Scopuli … a ship that Johnson himself commissioned for an OPA recon mission.
Johnson's crew disguises the Rocinante as a simple gas freighter and the gang is off on their rescue operation … whilst Johnson retrieves some sort of data cube found on the body of Lt. Lopez.
Elsewhere in the Belt, we catch up with Diogo, the "gutter punk" whom Miller busted for stealing water on Ceres earlier. He's assisting his bitter, cranky Uncle Mateo, a working-class 'rockhopper' who explores asteroids looking for precious ore.
Soon, their ship, the scrappy Xinglong, is intercepted by the MCRN Scipio Africanus, a Martian border patrol vessel. Mateo is busted for an expired transponder and ordered to impound his haul.
Enraged by how Martians treat Belters, Uncle Mateo kicks Diogo off the Xinglong and goes after theScipio Africanus. "A man has to stand up!" he drunkenly exclaims as he unleashes his haul of rocks upon the Martian ship, pummeling it with an impromptu asteroid field. The Martians destroy the Xinglong as Diogo is left floating in space, hoping that someone will find him.
Back on Ceres, Miller is being interrogated and tortured by Anderson Dawes, who demands to know what the detective knows about Julie Mao. During their "talk," Dawes tells the tale of his sickly younger sister, whom he had to leave for dead in order for the rest of his family to survive. Disgusted with what he perceives to be Miller's lack of loyalty to his own people, Dawes leaves him to be murdered by his two goons … though luckily Octavia Muss comes to the rescue.
Based on the information on the data cube he found in Julie's mechanical hamster, Miller presents his now rather epic conspiracy theory about the disappearance of Julie Mao, which involves some sort of bioweapon that was being developed on Phoebe Station. Captain Shaddid rewards his impressive detective work by firing him. "Dawes got to you, too," Miller snarls as he's escorted out of the Star Helix offices by security.[1]
Cast[edit | edit source]
Main[edit | edit source]
- Thomas Jane as Josephus Miller
- Steven Strait as Jim Holden
- Cas Anvar as Alex Kamal
- Dominique Tipper as Naomi Nagata
- Wes Chatham as Amos Burton
- Florence Faivre as Julie Mao (credit only)
- Shawn Doyle as Sadavir Errinwright
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Chrisjen Avasarala
Guest Starring[edit | edit source]
- Chad L. Coleman as Fred Johnson
- Lola Glaudini as Shaddid
- Athena Karkanis as Octavia Muss
- Greg Bryk as Lopez
- Elias Toufexis as Kenzo
- Daniel Kash as Dresden
- Jared Harris as Anderson Dawes
Co-Starring[edit | edit source]
- Alex Karzis as Mateo
- Andrew Rotilio as Diogo
- Bruno Verdoni as Carlos Davila
- Caleb Olivieri as Hustler
- Felicia Simone as Thug Girl #1 Lida
- Jason Weinberg as Crew Cut
- Kevin Vidal as Fred's Asst./Space Tech
- Phillip Samuel as Bug Eyes
- Tig Fong as Thug #2 Kaipo
- Yatharth Bhatt as Avasarala's Grandson #1
Transcript[edit source]
anywhere without a reason.
fine people anymore.
being ambushed?
spy on Tycho Station.
on Fred Johnson.
for their toilet seats.
Johnson's outfit
his competitors.
of money to me.
cream in the snack shop?
enough?
Esteban?
play that card?
some other time, Carlos,
the Intel desk?
for the good guys.
you make the phone call.
for station dock at Berth Z4.
your guidance systems to Tycho TC.
Tycho Station.
docking clamp capture.
of genius, Mr. Holden,
in the solar system.
invite us here?
a series of catastrophic events.
to stopping all-out war.
only witnesses.
business a long time, son.
these days.
you're known for.
put those guns away.
to come out.
of that ship for you.
rid of our ship.
Tycho on a daily basis.
frigate parked there,
for me too.
messenger,
pissed-off Martian Marines
for some payback.
frigate that typically crews 30.
hard to hide your numbers.
more, as a show of force,
brought them out.
four people left on your ship.
no Martian Navy on board.
here speaking with me now.
because you're in charge.
and your position to the entire system.
your only option.
your best option.
continue to play games,
how to help each other?
want to be friends,huh?
used to burn like that.
cook your skin.
animal Kothari go,
interested in him.
nice long talk, you and I.
depends on you.
now, Uncle Mateo.
stealing water on Ceres,
the charges?
like you said.
money, béchemang.
started, it was over pretty quick.
knew what hit 'em.
by the same class of stealth warships.
to testify.
that you and the OPA
yourself a seat at the table?
be a pawn, Holden,
on the right side.
where those ships came from.
Mmm.
you're building out there.
wouldn't be impossible.
debate with you.
to our ship now.
go back to the ship.
doesn't like goodbyes.
of the Tachi right now.
Right there!
help you anymore.
to find out if that's true?
a poncho, Holden.
this particular guy.
your kind by the hundreds.
trigger, slow on the uptake.
right through me,
and sisters standing behind me.
the ends of the Belt.
to call off his men,
his bloody station.
Uh, sir,
data broker's place?
all the good stuff.
Julie Mao's apartment?
what happened to this girl?
I'm onto you, so...
far you wanna take this.
Freighter right now,
precious here, Miller.
of the docks.
like an Earther.
chaos, you stir shit up
save the day, right?
how close we are, huh?
independence!
as governor.
that Scopuli disaster
on your doorstep.
the point!
the Mao case disappear.
I didn't see it before.
with Julie Mao.
the net?
money floating away?
we secure the haul,
enough to cover the trip.
this is MCRN Scipio Africanus
to be boarded.
on the table.
recon mission out of Ceres,
ship is the Scopuli.
I need this frigate
the lone survivor.
Who?
coordinates from him
after the disaster.
than anyone else
and who's behind it.
ship you can send.
hot out there.
nothing like this.
If you get killed...
just as much as I did.
your witnesses.
statements.
I can't do that.
spending a lot of time
across the dock out there.
the same thing,
I can see them.
any weapons?
problem, bosmang?
transponder.
pebble jockey?
to renew your license?
the scrip, kopeng.
always got an excuse.
to AO-66 you.
until your fines are paid in full.
must be something...
Dzeet! Dzeet!
doing this, huh?
your taxman, to pochuye ke?
too hard on you?
a break?
feed our families, okay?
gonna do for you.
right to life's riches, huh?
us where we can and cannot go.
with your glass palaces
are starving to death.
for blowing up the Donnager,
With both hands.
big Martian warship with, huh?
He didn't mean...
on you before,
gonna pass through
your way home, "bosmang."
Not enough fuel.
not mine.
at those coordinates?
does Fred Johnson.
m the fan,
clean of you.
set-up in the first place.
about the Scopuli?
up in this mess?
ever-lovin' mind
trust that guy.
to crew me up.
Tycho till all this blows over.
back to your lives.
You're using his crew?
you the second you get out there?
so it only responds to my command.
trust Fred Johnson.
to each other's head.
for you is more trouble.
so hell-bent, Holden?
call on the Cant.
cleared this up.
right thing.
said something.
because she believed
fighting for is just.
forced her to do your dirty work.
Asked me to help her.
make a sacrifice for us.
in your hands
see the blood on 'em.
let her die out on the Belt?
you like to leave out.
that story.
kids, right?
on the Belt.
magboots or something?
to keep her safe.
tell you the real story?
so many lies about it
remember what happened.
the hand of God.
all the Belt, the smartest.
lifetime in zero-g.
going to recover.
dirt-poor family of rock-hoppers.
too ill even to travel...
sisters to think about.
scrip to bury her,
that we discovered together.
that I have millions
sisters in the Belt.
an Earther.
for the cause,
the truth about Julie.
if she's alive.
she despised,
on his own kind.
every drop of water on Ceres
and tears and spit,
be a thousand times more.
never comprehend this.
the hail of stones
through their precious blue skies.
Sir and Madam and grovel,
second-class citizens.
days in...
belong to Belters,
belong to Belters...
Uncle, what are you doing?
What are you doing?
Get out!
I'll try harder!
I'll work harder!
wowk mo gut!
round us all up... Please!
in a nuclear fire,
I'm sorry!
What are you doing?
Please. Uncle, please!
reamed me out for half an hour.
You can't go squeezing his berries.
borrow his spy on Tycho.
in Fred Johnson?
and wants redemption.
sand in each other's faces,
in the Belt.
asteroids.
advanced stealth warships.
largest spacecraft in human history.
resources on a massive scale.
stealth composites.
shut me down?
his back on Earth.
isn't personal?
it's personal.
in the loop.
treat you here?
better than most.
ogling you?
on his left hip.
their union rep?
places like this.
have figured that.
have been as happy
(CHUCKLES)
mean it like that.
Two more, please.
a lot about a place
treat their people.
spend some scrip?
good for you.
Oh, come on.
in places like this.
about was getting back home.
all I could dream about
have what it takes to
flying the Rocinante back there,
feeling I have ever had.
run-of-the-mill gas freighter.
don't try to avoid it.
give you a second look.
We're altering that too.
lives getting us onto this ship.
you off the Donnager?
we need to take care of?
He's in the rear hold.
is returned to Mars.
Thank you.
the fail-safe, right?
areas that they shouldn't,
will self-destruct.
you got us covered.
let them do their thing
in the crew lounge.
to Fred's tab.
please.
to do this.
stand up.
to stand up!
live so long
to our necks.
We'll be okay!
on unauthorized intercept course.
It's okay, Diogo.
find you out there.
Uncle. We'll be okay!
little prick.
miss you, pal.
needs medical attention.
crazy bastards
the Donnager.
but respect.
hypnotized by a uniform,
saved themselves,
to their families,
back for us.
some convincing.
because of you.
back for us?
there because of me.
come back for me?
those bullets flying?
for Naomi Nagata?
remaining brain cells
last remaining brain cells.
on that, shall we?
anyone before.
year on the job,
(CLEARS THROAT)
Lower Levels.
out of a drug den.
old lady by the hair,
his piece around.
tell you in basic,
pull the trigger or you ain't.
iron smell of it that got me.
girl in the window
lever killed.
you remember something,
just a little,
your worst memories,
biggest illusions.
just forget it.
Oh, spare us the speech.
here in a sec.
on some coffee.
a hard bargain.
statements.
home if he's out there.
help me find someone.
to you with a name.
Should I even ask?
it's giving off heat.
reactions,
all across the spectrum.
am I looking at?
know, some kind of bio weapon?
recording come from?
where'd you get it?
from a data broker.
this black-bag ship
all souls aboard.
ends up dead
the strings?
it through.
discover something,
tip the balance of power.
to steal it.
anything to keep it quiet,
he holds the key.
are off the charts.
the next phase.
sample off Phoebe,
about this?
and cancel all his clearances.
a whole police force?
Undying loyalty?
speaking to a child.
of smelling this shit.
find the door.
feel free to shoot him.
is gas freighter Rocinante
for departure.
filed and logged.
three Martian trade zones.
MCRN patrols is high.
You are clear to disengage.
Media[edit | edit source]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- The opening scene with Avasarala and Davila was filmed at the Ripley's Aquarium of Canada in Toronto.
- "Rock Bottom" was the intended title for this episode, but due an issue in SyFy's listings grid, the episode was mistakenly titled "Retrofit". Ty Franck believes the title "Retrofit" was taken from a very old draft of the script.
- The Xinglong takes its name from the Chinese term 兴隆 (xīnglóng), meaning "prosperous."
- According to the script for this episode, Mateo's ship Xinglong is described as a "crappy two-person ship that looks like a Winnebago."[2]
- The conflict between Scipio and Xinglong was taken from the single paragraph in Leviathan Wakes. Chrisjen previously mention this in the episode "CQB".[2]
- The Nauvoo, the massive ship being constructed by Fred Johnson and his team, has the most powerful sensor and communication array ever built. Johnson used it to spy on what was happening during the Donnager battle. .[2]
- In September 2017, it was noted that credits shown for streamed episodes on Amazon Instant Video were revised to include more stunt performer credits especially those stunt performers supporting major roles. In the case of Rock Bottom, that was Miller's stunt double. Also added were stunt wire team credits. These additions were included in the Amazon Instant Video Ultra HD 4K stream.
References [edit | edit source]
Cast credits on-screen[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
"Dulcinea" • "The Big Empty" • "Remember the Cant" • "CQB" • "Back to the Butcher" • "Rock Bottom" • "Windmills" • "Salvage" • "Critical Mass" • "Leviathan Wakes" |
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