The Expanse - Season 1 Episode 4: CQB REACTION

Want to request a song or a video for us to react to?
Go to our Patreon Page for details on how to request, pricing, etc.
Patreon bit.ly/35qdbmQ
We also have PayPal: [e-mail]
Use Patreon prices for PayPal requests please :)
Let us know if you want to watch and listen to us react to something specific!
Facebook page: WelpHereWeAreOnKZbin
Come join our Discord channel. You can watch us LIVE making mistakes as we record videos or just join the general chat: / discord

[@kirkdarling4120]

You are absolutely correct that even minor one-off characters bring their A-games to The Expanse. It's also a tribute to the writers that they give juicy dramatic scenes to one-off characters. You will see a lot more of that, and it really fills out the universe. One of the things the series has had to do differently from the novels is that they've had to combine novel characters into a single series character, and bring novel characters into the series more often or earlier than in the novels. That's because they learned a hard lesson that an actor can't just be "parked" like a car for a season...they have to get work, and will wind up on another contract. Also, in this show, we the audience are not given any more information than the viewpoint characters have. We do get that information from a number of different points of view, but if none of the view point characters know something, the audience doesn't know it either. Moreover...the viewpoint characters may be wrong, and the audience doesn't necessarily know that, either. Wes Chatham, who plays Amos, was indeed a fan of the books before the series began, and he spent time with psychologists to learn to play his character more accurately (you'll see the benefit of that later). The Mormons are having the Nauvoo built to go farther out than any other vessel has gone. Therefore, their ship has the most powerful sensors and communications ever built. That's why Fred Johnson was using it to monitor the Donnager battle. But don't forget that the Nauvoo has the most powerful communications and sensors ever built.

[@Psycorde]

As an actor you probably always want to give it your all just in hopes of being invited again for more jobs

[@RocketToTheMoose]

Not sure it's been mentioned, but Wes Chatham, who plays Amos, was an aviation firefighter in the navy on the USS Essex. He was Petty Officer Third Class when he left.

[@PsychoMuffinSDM]

If you haven't caught on by now, keeping track of ships names is just about as important as keeping up with character names! There are a lot! Also place names, and you might want to consider reading up on some of the names, like, in wiki, as attributes about these actual solar system objects play a role, Ceres, Phoebe, Eros, moons of Jupiter and Saturn, etc. But you don't have to, the show gets to explaining things. It is just neat how the writers used our actual solar system!

[@DrEsky914]

haha! Get used to that: "what?! Its over already!!" The Expanse is the master of cliff hangers! Lots of jump scares in this one. So glad you are enjoying it because everything will get more and more complex from here on out. But so good!!

[@WelpHereWeAreOnYouTube]

More complex ?! I’m in trouble-Ryan

[@Kiintny]

That Martian that was roughing Holden up on the bridge was doing that off the huff, wasnt in the script. It annoyed the actor playing Holden so he bumped him back later, which made it look even better 🤣

[@WelpHereWeAreOnYouTube]

Hilarious

[@br3wmaster]

Wes Chatham was a big fan of the books before he auditioned and was floored when he found out he was auditioning for his favorite character: Amos!

[@cinedelasestrellas]

That’s cool - imagine having a favorite character and then getting to be that character for several years.

[@br3wmaster]

Must be a dream come true. It shows on the screen too. He does a fantastic job with the character as he develops through the seasons and it’s a big reason why he is a fan favorite.

[@axlm.808]

@@cinedelasestrellas He's definitely that guy (even though he's the opposite of Amos in real life)

[@agnieszkab.9343]

Love this format! I really enjoyed it. I can't give you any answers this time, you will get them soon enough. I can't wait for your next reactions :)

[@PsychoMuffinSDM]

I agree, great format!

[@Brownyman]

The last time I saw this much genuine love for everything put into bringing a book ceres to life was watching “Lord of the Rings” for the first time in back in 2001. Peter Jackson, Weta, all the cast and crew, nothing else comes close, and it only gets better with every season. And as always - answers are coming!

[@IanHillan]

Guys. You are in for one hell of a ride. Can't wait for another re-watch with you both. It will, I promise, all come together soon. Nothing is wasted and all the details matter and you can rewatch this a dozen times and still pick up more details. Subbed for this.

[@WelpHereWeAreOnYouTube]

🤟❤️🙏👩‍🚀👩‍🚀

[@TArnoldFerguson]

Really enjoy seeing you guys react together, but you should try to pay closer attention to the dialogue…almost every line spoken is important. Answers to your questions will come…but so will a lot more questions.

[@WelpHereWeAreOnYouTube]

it's a fine line as a reactor to talk and review and also say nothing if that makes sense?...appreciate your patience as we navigate this

[@TArnoldFerguson]

@@WelpHereWeAreOnKZbin I understand and appreciate your reactions in spite of that. Even single reactors “flying solo” never catch everything. 😀

[@PsychoMuffinSDM]

@@WelpHereWeAreOnKZbin I quite frequently catch new things watching along with reactors. Some things are a lot easier to see in retrospect, so it can be especially hard to see the importance of things on your first watch through. The Expanse is such a rewatchable show!

[@jamesholland5761]

There are no wasted lines or scenes in this show!!

[@Thyrwyn]

This episode is the one where you go "It can get worse?!?!?!". No one is safe, there are no absolutes, and truth is a mystery. It's pivotal for other reasons that will become clear as the show develops. Enjoy the ride - it's a great show with great characters that are thoughtfully written and brilliantly portrayed.

[@davidgreene805]

All the times where Ryan says 'whats going on with ..., maybe someone could explain that' - you're basically asking to be spoiled. One of the main genre's of this show is 'mystery', and there's a whole ton of pieces laid out in ways that you can eventually put things together, but you're not supposed to know what's going on with everything all the time. You just need to remember things as best you can and trust they will come together at a later time.

[@briani4959]

Something else to keep in mind, you're supposed to be confused at times. It makes it better later on when you have the "eureka" moment and put it all together, having someone explain it to you ruins that. Also a lot of times, questions you may have will be resolved within a few scenes.

[@richardgoddard37]

The writers figured the Mormons of the future would be the first religion with enough cash & incentive to want to build a generation ship.

[@kevinw2592]

I still don't think that's fictional, but prophetic.

[@pablom-f8762]

Were they Amish I'd be scratching my head till today.

[@BrunoBarata78]

It wasn't just what religion. According to Ty Frank. It was "what group of people would likely do it."

[@benjaminodonnell258]

This is the episode that hooks most people. And let me make it even more addictive for you: the space battles just get better and better every season...

[@snarflcat6187]

"This is too advanced for the OPA, they're like rock throwers." "I don't like people who throw rocks." LOL

[@fishbikehike]

And with seson 6

[@jamiecordell3133]

This is a good format, I like it! The 'Who', and the 'Why' are really great questions, and don't get frustrated because you don't know, you're not supposed to, you're taking a journey through the mystery!

[@johncrab67]

With this show, it's best to not make predictions because you'll never foresee what's going to happen next. And of course, avoid all spoilers.

[@Awol991]

The strong willed ship captain of the Donnager is mainly known for her role on a sitcom, Kim's Convenience.

[@Thleepricon]

Really enjoying these reactions, I'm happy to join you guys on this journey of experiencing the 'Expanse' can't wait for the next episode! really good discussion during and after the episode as well.

[@WelpHereWeAreOnYouTube]

Ty !! ❤️🤟🙏🤟❤️

[@sweetybnz7482]

Cool to see a couple of guys with a Mormon background reacting to this series. Mormons feature a bit in the first 2 seasons. Some of the most sympathetic bit characters.

[@WelpHereWeAreOnYouTube]

We will offer what Little Welp we can

[@marcc1830]

Seriously though, first 2 seasons the Mormons give and give and everyone just rip them off. I was hoping the UN or Mars would compensate them somehow :p

[@ZakhadWOW]

@@marcc1830 where do they give and give? Individuals perhaps, sure as hell not the REligion's leaders. They dont give anything to anyone at any point.

[@marcc1830]

@@ZakhadWOW Don't want to get into spoiler territory for the guys here. But no one compensate them for the rather sizeable "donation" in s2e4 :p

[@ZakhadWOW]

@@marcc1830 THat wasnt a DONATION, PLease dont act as if they did *anything* voluntarily. Court actions etc.

[@TheDetailsMatter]

As Mr. Johnson told the Mormon representative, the Nauvoo is intended to be an interstellar ship, and as such it's sensors are the most powerful in the solar system, bar none. Therefore, as an interested party with OPA ties, Johnson is not above utilizing those sensors for his own ends while they are available. Pointing them at the Donnager may allow him to get clear images no one else can, which in turn might conceivably be of use to the OPA. Until the gravity came back on, it almost seemed like Shed was trying to regrow his head. Like he was going to say "Hah! Is that the best you've got, you pussies?!" But then gravity resumed, and Splat.

[@dennistomsen5822]

This is the right format, guys. Stick with it 👌

[@WelpHereWeAreOnYouTube]

Thank you. Think we will

[@LeeCarlson]

Josephus Miller was born and raised in Ceres and works for the Earth-based security company Star Helix. That's part of the reason for the animosity that the OPA agitators have for him and it is also why he wears a hat (an affectation which no other Belter is seen wearing).

[@flyingardilla143]

22:00 'I don't know what's going on, but I love it though' Yup, that sums it up.

[@jamesholland5761]

Subscribed for The Expanse! Great reaction!! It was this episode that hooked me forever about this show!! Hearing you say " I didn't want it to end! " we've been saying that all the way into season 6 with only two episodes left. Breaking my heart, this show is on a completely different level! I will say this, sometimes they do things that I don't understand that give me pause and concern. But to my surprise they repeatedly show me just how damn smart the writers are!! As you stated they acting is so well done!! With the modest budget they are given they continue to produce one of the best damn shows ( not just scifi ) on TV today! Yes some of the actors do read the books! Enjoying your journey and can't wait for the next one!

[@WelpHereWeAreOnYouTube]

🙏🤟🤟❤️

[@LeeCarlson]

Bizi Betiko is a sling-shot racer. He takes a small ship with limited fuel and "races" it around the system utilizing the gravity wells of moons, planets, and asteroids to increase his velocity. In the episode, his sling-ship got too close to a planetary body (one of the gas giants) and burned up.

[@LeeCarlson]

Julie Mao is Josephus Miller's "Dulcinea" (you'll find a lot of Don Quixote references in this series), that is she is the person who gives Miller a reason to become a better man while he loves her "pure and chaste from afar."

[@Si_Vert]

I like that we get to see Morman's react to Mormons in Space lol

[@LeeCarlson]

The Donnager was attacked by six destroyer-sized vessels that closed with them in line so that the Donnager could only spot the lead ship (the others were in its radar shadow. Then they separated to attack. They are pounding the Donnie because these ships are packing railguns as well, which are (theoretically) not possible on ships that small.

[@RaoulKunz1]

Mini mention here: *Keep in mind* that Naomi is remorseful about "not getting to say goodbye" - this is something for later, like ~four seasons later and of profound importance, this show is one of the best long-form narratives on TV, better even and more complex than B5 with less filler.^^ There are *no* pointless dialogue lines in this show, keep seemingly "feel establishment" things like the OPA operative that Avasarala (she's *the sari* lady - she has a new one in every scene in six seasons ;) ) tortures was caught up in in mind.^^ Best regards Raoul G. Kunz

[@frannydai]

Thanks for putting in the effort to shoot together. I hope it'll enhance your enjoyment of the show!

[@KylaTalks]

I love that y'all love Jay Hernandez as much as I love Jay Hernandez. Lol.

[@BrunoBarata78]

I'm an ex-mormon myself. The authors are not Mormon at all. But there is a reason why they were written into the story. I won't go into it for spoiler reasons. But be rest assured that the show is quite respectable about them and never ridicules Mormons or any other group of people.

[@cinedelasestrellas]

The story goes that the Martian ships are more advanced than the UN ships, but there were less of them. So the UN has a large numbers advantage over Mars - they have less capable ships, but they have a lot more of them. A “PDC” is a “Point Defense Cannon.” As you can see, it’s a lot like a CIWS; it shoots down torpedoes or anything that gets close to the ship. Bizi Betiko is just the name that Julie’s “tinder date” (an informant) stole. So when Miller goes looking for him, he sees that Bizi is just some guy that has nothing to do with his case.

[@axlm.808]

The "real" Bizi was attempting a slighshot race, a highly dangerous and popular advertisement in the belt It's race around the solar system with low power ships which use the gravitationnal pull of planets, satelites or big asteroids to slingshot themselves to their destinations. But he got to close from Jupiter and burned into its atmosphere

[@cliveklg7739]

U.S. is really close to having a finished railgun on its ships. They've done prototype tests on ships already.

[@Prodigalzson]

Man, you guys are in for a treat. I wish I could watch it again for the first time. I guess, I'll just have to do so vicariously.

[@Prodigalzson]

Lmao @ 24:43 "They just cannot get a good ship!!" Ha!

[@LeeCarlson]

Alex is from Mars. The reason that he's taking the sedative (to slow his breathing and conserve oxygen) is because Amos can carry him if he's unconscious.

[@sircrapalot9954]

There’s another layer to this conversation. Alex says “he’s an Earther, he uses the most air!” Amos replies “I can carry you. You can’t carry me.” Earth may be overpopulated and wasteful, but it still has the [agricultural] resources to carry Mars and the rest of the solar system. Mars doesn’t.

[@LeeCarlson]

@@sircrapalot9954 however, Amos says what he means, and that is not what he means in this interest. What he does mean is that he's physically strong enough to carry Alex even if he is unconscious, while the converse is NOT valid.

[@sircrapalot9954]

@@LeeCarlson He's not making a metaphorical statement, but I think the show writers are.

[@LeeCarlson]

@@sircrapalot9954, not based on what Daniel and Ty have said in interviews.

[@sircrapalot9954]

@@LeeCarlson Can you explain? Did they refer to this specific quote on the show?

[@thestrum71]

When you get to the end of season 3. Watch season 1, 2, and 3 again. It'll connect all the dots better and you'll find a lot more small bits you might have even missed the first time. Including a lot of easter eggs. Enjoy!

[@axlm.808]

The Donnager is the flagship of Mars navy, their most powerfull and advanced. The kind of ship wich can fight against several UN ships and win the battle untouched And it had been taken down by a single smaller rogue ship It shows you that this mysterious adversary is one you don"'t mess with

[@GSFBlade]

I believe it was six smaller ships, the Martians thought they were being approached by one ship because the others were hiding in the lead ships drive plume. As they got close enough to engage they broke "formation" and attacked from all sides.

[@sallyshipwreck4315]

Sorry to flail around in Discord. I'm not unfamiliar with the platform but only familiar with chat. OK, time to learn this - main guy is James Holden.

[@LeeCarlson]

Shed lost his head to a round from one of the enemy railguns. The railguns fire 30mm tungsten rounds at a velocity that allows them to punch clear through a ship like the Donnager, venting atmosphere and (if possible) damaging the engines or reactors.

[@TealJosh]

What always bothered me is why aren't the rail gun rounds designed to destruct into smaller pieces at impact. Would cause much more damage.

[@LeeCarlson]

@@TealJosh, because when a round fragments the energy is divided among the fragment as shrapnel which reduces penetration (that is why personal weapons use frangible rounds so that they don't penetrate hulls) while you want a railgun round to punch clear through the ship, venting atmosphere and (possibly) punching through the reactor.

[@TealJosh]

@@LeeCarlson I agree, sometimes there's a benefit of going clean through. But sometimes it would be beneficial to just literally kill everyone on the ship. By using the shrapnels to create a mix of swiss cheese and molten metal. The idea is that if the round goes clean through, not much of its energy was converted to anything on impact. The opposite happens when the ship absorbs all of the energy and stops the projectile.

[@LeeCarlson]

@@TealJosh, the problem is that any material that "shatters" to produce shrapnel may create a few injuries while bouncing off of armored bulkheads, however, a penetrating round will vent the ship's atmosphere (more of a threat than shrapnel), can puncture water stores (more of a threat than shrapnel) or puncture the drive bottle of the fusion reactor (much more of a threat than shrapnel). You have torpedoes to produce shrapnel.

[@AnthonyUbelhor]

Love your reactions. Despite what you might have been told, not keeping track of all the names they throw at you (people, places, ships, etc.) will not make watching the series difficult. Like a lot of other shows, there's a good deal of complicated world-building up front. However, unlike a lot of shows, this one is fortunate in that it has an outstanding writing team, including the book's authors. As you move through the episodes, you'll start remembering the names that are important. Just relax and enjoy the ride! I would like to suggest a video that might make you feel more comfortable, however. It's called "The Worlds of the Expanse (no spoilers)" (kzbin.info/www/bejne/jH_No3xmjtuNj6M) by Alt Shift X. It was written in collaboration with Daniel Abraham, one of the books' authors, and it provides a nice overview of the people, politics, and technologies of the Expanse. THIS VIDEO CONTAINS NO SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES. It's just a general overview, with a lot of its material coming from the first novel that wasn't included in the series.

[@sallyshipwreck4315]

Naomi is great! Ever see a movie The Girl With all the gifts? she was in that.

[@emwungarand]

Definitely like when you can watch together, just please be extra mindful of talking over dialogue. Even the smallest lines can have a big impact many episodes or even seasons down the road. Like, in the sedative scene, you talked over what they were doing and why they chose Alex, and then asked "What are they doing?"

[@davebcf1231]

Wes Chatham (Amos) and Ty Franck (one of the book authors/executive producers) have a podcast called Ty and That Guy where they go over each episode of the show. Worth a listen if you like behind the scenes stuff about how they wrote it, what they changed, how involved the actors were etc.

[@C76Caravan]

Thoroughly recommend "Ty & That Guy" too, though I would recommend waiting a while, because they do have some spoilers going on every now and then.

[@davebcf1231]

@@C76Caravan Good point. They're usually pretty good about not giving spoilers on there, but they do slip up from time to time. Especially Wes.

[@snarflcat6187]

"Who built this armada..." Put this story contemporary terms. What if a military force emerged from No Known Nation, sinking US and Russian ships? Who or what would have the resources for something like that?

[@Kennia1998]

there are 2 female characters i love and one of them is Naomi, if i tell the other one it'd be spoiler haha

[@axlm.808]

When you reach the final season, you realise most of the best writen and audience favorite characters are female ones

[@marcc1830]

Expanse side characters are about the best there had been. Champa, man... (Technically, it's not a spoiler because that character name is not even spoken once but that side character is so good that I just had to look it up in the credits).

[@gill2105]

I like the discord format and nice edit work for youtube too.. bad ass show

[@Kennia1998]

ahhhh i love the expanse

[@satnamlitt7577]

Great reviews guys, as people have said it will make sense, just give it a few more episodes the show is great with tying up all storylines

[@rauminen4167]

How do you don't "catch" a conversation that JUST happened 1 minute ago? What were you doing?

[@WelpHereWeAreOnYouTube]

Confused to what you’re referring to. Time in video ? Context ?

[@pamelahofman1785]

OK, please excuse me for saying something that is going to sound really rude. I apologize in advance! Is there any way Nathan's breathing sounds could be edited out? It's very distracting. I'm sorry!

[@WelpHereWeAreOnYouTube]

He had COVID. Was very sick

[@pamelahofman1785]

@@WelpHereWeAreOnKZbin Welp, I already felt like an a$$hole and now even more so. All I can say is I really hope he is feeling better now. I have Covid right now, actually. It's not too terrible probably because I was vaccinated. I am grateful. I sincerely hope Nathan is better.