The Expanse Book vs. TV Recap: Retrofit

I think at this point, it’s clear that while The Expanse has been following Leviathan Wakes more or less, it isn’t exactly going to be a page-by-page adaptation—and that’s okay, because the latest episode, “Retrofit,” did a good job uniting the crew and sending us deeper into the story’s overarching mysteries. It was also my favorite installment yet, and it feels like the series has really hit its stride.

We open up this week with Avasalara, who’s trying to get information about Fred Johnson’s organization, blackmailing a former associate so that she can use one of his assets.

Meanwhile, the Roci arrives at Tycho Station, where Holden and Amos meet up with Fred Johnson. The “Butcher of Anderson Station” wants Holden and company to testify so he can get a seat at the table when Mars and Earth settle a peace treaty over the recent incidents in the system. Neither Holden or Johnson trust one another, but neither can get the upper hand.

Back on Ceres, Miller wakes up after his kidnapping. The OPA operatives torture him for information on what he found in Julie Mao’s apartment. They’re particularly interested in why Miller is sticking with the case, and Anderson Dawes mocks the detective for falling in love with the woman.

There’s a fourth story in this episode, one that wasn’t out of the books, focusing a pair of belters mining an asteroid. It feels a little out of place, but it also demonstrates how arrogant and brutal is the Martians’ treatment of the Belters; it complements Anderson Dawes’ story, and illustrates why the OPA is struggling to form a nation of their own.

There are significant real world political overtones here—and in the series as a whole; I’m most reminded of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: a geopolitical struggle with one faction fighting for recognition for decades. As Battlestar Galactica gained a considerable amount of critical traction by looking back at the Iraq War, I think The Expanse will earn accolades by doing something similar.

When Holden and company arrive on Tycho Station, Johnson reveals that he was the person behind the Scopuli: the OPA discovered something dangerous and powerful, then it vanished. There was a survivor, Lionel Polanski, and the OPA leader wants to use Holden’s ship to retrieve him from Ceres Station, believing he would provide vital information to help Johnson’s case. Holden says that only he’ll pilot the ship: they’re not giving up the Roci.

This is the episode where it feels like the crew really comes together, in contrast to the book, where they meshed pretty closely early on. Holden and Naomi are starting to get along, and Amos and Alex are bonding. By the end of the episode, they’re ready to ship out with Holden as he sets off for Ceres.

Back on Ceres, Miller’s chat with Dawes comes to an end when he’s saved by Octavia. Together, they look over the data that he found in Mao’s apartment: it’s a message from someone on Phoebe station. Miller realizes that there’s something big going down, and pieces together that the OPA tried to get their hands on whatever was on the station and failed. Now, they’re trying to hide it. When he goes to Captain Shaddid with his suspicions, he’s abruptly fired, and realizes the OPA has its fingers in yet another pie.

We’re up to page 222 in Leviathan Wakes, but there have been quite a few departures and tonal changes already. On the page, Holden and Miller’s relationship is far more antagonistic, while Ceres Station has already collapsed (that still could happen). Much of Miller’s story is brand new, and I think that how they’ve approached it onscreen makes a great deal of sense for the format.