Critical Mass (S01E09)
Airdate: February 2nd 2016
Written by: Robin Veith, Dan Nowak and Naren Shankar
Directed by: Terry McDonough
Running Time: 40 minutes
The Expanse, particularly in the episode Critical Mass, presents a haunting portrayal of space as a profoundly dark and unforgiving environment. The creators of the series consistently remind the audience of this bleakness, effectively encapsulated in the penultimate episode of Season 1.
Following the tragic revelation of Julie Mao's death in the previous episode, Critical Mass opens with a series of flashbacks that unravel the events leading to her demise. The first flashback features Detective Miller on Ceres, where he articulates his theory regarding the fate of the Canterbury, Scopuli, and Donnager to Octavia Muss. The second flashback, which occurs seven weeks earlier, confirms Miller's hypothesis: the OPA dispatched Scopuli to intercept the Anubis, unaware that it was a heavily armed stealth vessel. The boarding of Scopuli results in the elimination of its crew, save for Julie. Subsequently, after Anubis destroys Canterbury, a mysterious protomolecule is released aboard Anubis, leading to catastrophic consequences for its crew. Julie manages to escape with as shuttle to Eros station, but being infected, dies before receiving help from the OPA.
In the present timeline, Miller and the crew of Rocinante grapple with their next steps in light of Julie's death. Their predicament intensifies with the arrival of Dresden, a shadowy scientist played by Daniel Kash, who is intricately linked to the dark machinations surrounding Anubis. Dresden's acquisition of protomolecule samples from Julie’s corpse reveals his collusion with her father, Jules-Pierre Mao (portrayed by François Chau). Despite his grief over his daughter’s fate, Mao instructs Dresden to continue with a sinister plan involving experiments on Eros Station. A ship explosion serves as a pretext for confining Eros' inhabitants to shelters under the guise of anti-radiation measures while they are actually subjected to protomolecule exposure. As chaos unfolds, Miller and Holden find themselves separated from Amos, Naomi, and Alex, who attempt to reach Rocinante. They stumble upon the horrifying truth behind the shelter operations—leading to their imminent radiation poisoning.
Simultaneously, Chrisjen Avasarala visits Craig, the widower of her late friend Franklin DeGraaf. In her investigation into DeGraaf's suicide and his inquiries into mysterious ship constructions, she uncovers blueprints that correlate with Anubis. Shortly thereafter, Fred Johnson broadcasts a message from Tycho Station denying any OPA involvement in Donnager’s destruction and implicating Earth-based shipyards in constructing these stealth vessels.
The creators demonstrate astute awareness of their audience's potential confusion regarding the intricate plot threads woven throughout Critical Mass. To mitigate this complexity, they initiate the episode with a recap that clarifies key events and relationships.
Florence Faivre’s performance as Julie Mao is noteworthy; she is afforded an opportunity to showcase her acting prowess throughout this episode. Notably, there are scenes featuring her nudity; however, these moments are presented within a context that avoids exploitation or gratuitous fan service—serving instead to deepen audience empathy for her character.
While Critical Mass excels in many aspects, it does fall short with its cliffhanger ending. Although this choice is understandable given that it serves as part one of a season finale, it leaves viewers craving resolution—a tension that may frustrate some fans who prefer more conclusive storytelling.
What renders Critical Mass particularly resonant for contemporary audiences is its unsettling parallels to real-world events that occurred few years after the premiere. The fictional scenarios unfolding on Eros Station echo recent experiences with lockdowns, forced vaccinations, and unethical biological experimentation orchestrated by powerful figures. Critical Mass serves as a stark reminder of how fiction can mirror reality in disturbing ways.
Critical Mass stands out as a pivotal episode within The Expanse series. It adeptly balances character development with overarching narrative threads while immersing viewers in its dark thematic landscape. The exploration of human frailty amidst cosmic horror invites reflection on broader societal issues—an achievement that solidifies The Expanse’s reputation as not only a science fiction series but also a profound commentary on humanity's darker impulses when faced with existential threats.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
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