The Expanse Season 5 Episode 8 “Hard Vacuum” is one of the most suspenseful episodes — here is my recap and review!
The ending of episode 7 had me on the edge of my seat and that suspense carried through to episode 8. Naomi seem to be rushing against the clock to make sure her friends don’t fall for Marco’s trap. This episode really showcases just how smart and resourceful Naomi is.
We also get a little bit more of what has been going on with Amos and Avasarala — although this is a Naomi heavy episode. I was happy to get quite a bit of Drummer as well, who has been one of my favorite characters since she came in to the show.
Below is my recap and review for The Expanse Season 5 Episode 8 “Hard Vacuum”. There will be spoilers of major plot points, so be warned! Read last week’s The Expanse Season 5 Episode 7 spoiler recap and review to catch up!
Warning: SPOILERS for The Expanse Season 5 Episode 8
“Hard Vacuum”
This episode starts on Earth with Amos and Clarissa traveling to Baltimore. The scenery is devastating as we can really see the effects the rocks had on Earth. There is a lot of desolate area and places under water. Not to mention, one around.
Clarissa mentions that her blockers have made their way out of her and she is feeling much better. She has even gotten her appetite back. When they stop to rest for a minute they find a ton of dead bodies wrapped up at an old people’s home. Realizing these people were killed and the ones able to leave must have evacuated, they mention they hope it was an act of kindness.
Things are really not going well on Earth, and they decide they need to leave the planet. Clarissa says she knows where they can find a ship but it will be hard to get to. Amos says then they need help — and it seems he is off to ask Erich to join them when they get to Baltimore.
Cut to Marco paying his respects to Cyn. This moment actually made my heart feel for Marco, at least for a second. We all know he is manipulative and just not a good guy. He asks Filip what happened and Filip explains what he saw. It seems they both think that Naomi is dead, and have no idea she made it to her ship. When Filip mentions that Cyn is dead because of Naomi, Marco says Naomi didn’t kill him, Filip did. Meaning it is his fault that Naomi was even aboard their ship to begin with.
Naomi wakes up aboard her ship, clearly in pain from being exposed to the elements of space. She tries to gain access to the ship controls and communications system but quickly realizes she is locked out. The ship is basically useless. Then she hears something and follows it to find the message Marco placed to set a trap for Holden. It is her voice calling for help, and asking someone to tell James Holden that she is in distress.
As the episode goes on we cut back and forth to Naomi trying to something, anything, to stop her friends from getting that signal and coming to the trap. She is scavenging whatever she can but nothing seems to help. She gets a suit that she can wear to go into exposed areas of the ship, but the suit has no oxygen. She goes anyways and holds her breath, marking by the door each time she goes out.
Eventually she is able to record a second message stating that the ship is a bomb and the distress signal is a lie. She says she cannot transmit but can receive. Of course, she doesn’t know if this will send out at all but adds please respond if you hear it — but do not approach the ship at all costs.
Cut to the Roci and they have completed scans and don’t see the protomolocule. Maybe it was destroyed destroyed the ship exploded? I don’t think it can be that easy to get rid of — and I expect this will come back into the picture eventually.
They decide to plot a course to the Razorback and are watching ships along the way, to see if any of them are Marco’s. At this point they still think Naomi is being held prisoner there. Then they get a message from Alex saying they found an emergency signal from Naomi’s ship — the one Marco planted. And that they are going to get there as soon as possible to rescue her.
Like I said above, there is some great Drummer stuff this episode! As her and her crew are salvaging a ship, they discover something unsettling. This ship belonged to the faction that ordered death to Marco — and they have all been killed. “Marco kills those who defy him.”
Karal explains this faction got the same offer, but they declined. Apparently Marco let them go in peace but they hijacked skiffs loyal to Marco. So then he retaliated and killed them. I can’t say that I 100% believe that story though. Marco doesn’t strike me as the type to just let them go.
Drummer is upset by it all but Oksana reminds her that if they didn’t agree to work with Marco, they would be dead too. Drummer says she’s not sure she can get through this though. Seems like her conscious is eating at her. One of my favorite scenes in this episode is a fun one! Her crew ends up laughing and joking together as they suck up floating water — a spill that happened because of a fight. It is kind of nice to see them getting along again and not worrying about Marco.
Cut to Luna and we see David Pastor giving a speech as he takes the office of secretary General. He tells everyone Avasarala and Felix saved millions of lives and he is honored to have them at his side as a part of his cabinet. He announces the largest man hunt in history as they hunt down Marco and his allies. He states they are terrorists, and they will pay.
Back to Amos and Clarissa who have just arrived in Baltimore. They are going to see Erich, just as I suspected. They ask for his help, and in exchange they will give him a ride to Luna with them. Clarissa knows of the ship because it is up in Winnipesauke where her family would summer. At first Erich doesn’t want to go because he has made himself a great place there. Amos tells him to look around, it is all gone, which he comes to realize is true. Clarissa adds that “starting over isn’t always bad.” and Erich agrees to go to New Hampshire with Amos and Clarissa.
Now we attend a cabinet meeting and the Secretary General mentions they are tracking Marco. They are discussing who gave him the ships and what his next move could be. The Admiral suggests to attack a Belter station, Palace, that has ties to Marco and would likely harbor him. Avasarala points out the majority of casualties would be innocent bystanders. The Secretary General tables the idea, but later meets with the Admiral in secret to discuss the pros and cons of attacking Palace.
Drummer has been given orders to engage any Inners they come across, but it is very obvious she wants no part of this. Just then Naomi’s distress signal comes across and Drummer says they should go after her. Karal, who was previously with Marco on his ship, tells Drummer the whole story. Naomi is dead and the the message is part of a larger plan she doesn’t need to know about. Drummer wants to attack her out of grief and hate, but holds back.
Toward the end of the episode Naomi gets an incoming message from Alex saying they are burning hot to get to her. Of course this is the opposite of what she wants to happen. As we know she can’t respond so she needs to come up with something else. She memorizes the message that has been sent out and repeats it as she continuously goes out to the comm wires, but within oxygen she can’t last long. She starts crimping the wires and this changes the message to “This is Naomi Nagata. Tell James Holden I am in control.”
Karal and Oksana are relaxing in the kitchen and they start to open up to one another. Karal mentions that she used to be close to Naomi but when she stopped believing in what they were fighting for, she turned her back on them when they needed her the most. Karal says that is the day she learned Naomi only truly cares about herself. Right before the episode ends, they hear the changed message and can’t help but wonder if someone is on the ship — and if Naomi is alive.
Overall Thoughts
The Expanse Season 5 Episode 8 is filled with suspense. There is a clock ticking as Naomi needs to find out a way to stop her friends from trying to rescue her. I loved seeing her resourcefulness and determination to save them. This proves that while Karal says she only thinks of herself, she is actually thinking of her friends in this situation.
As a fan of post-apocalyptic type shows, I really enjoyed seeing Amos on Earth and the aftermath of Marco’s attack. I am eager to see where this goes, and if he will be able to get off planet without a hitch. My predictions for the final episode are the same as they were a few episodes back — they will all come back together for an epic battle against Marco. Although I wouldn’t be surprised for season 5 to end in a cliffhanger either. Especially since we know next season is the last.
About The Expanse Season 5
Season five of the series picks up as multitudes of humans leave the solar system in search of new homes and vast fortunes on the earth-like worlds beyond the alien Ring, and a heavy price for centuries of exploitation of the Belt finally comes due and a reckoning is at hand.
For the crew of the Rocinante and the leaders of the Inner Planets and the Belt, the past and present converge, bringing forth personal challenges that have wide-reaching repercussions throughout the Solar System. Amos (Wes Chatham) returns to Earth to confront his past and the legacy of the life he fought to leave behind. Naomi (Dominique Tipper) reaches out to her estranged son in a desperate bid to save him from his father’s toxic influence.
Bobbie (Frankie Adams) and Alex (Cas Anvar) confront the collapse of Mars as they chase a shadowy cabal with ties to terrorists and criminals. Holden (Steven Strait) wrestles with the consequences of his own past with the Protomolecule, the aliens who built it, and the mystery of what killed them.
Drummer (Cara Gee), with a new crew, fights to escape who and what she used to be. And Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), refusing to be relegated to the sidelines, fights to prevent a terrorist attack unrivaled in history.
Watch The Expanse Season 5 on Amazon Prime Video.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.
The Expanse Season 5 Episode 9 "Winnipesaukee" Recap & Review
Wednesday 27th of January 2021
[…] Vacuum”. There will be spoilers of major plot points, so be warned! Read last week’s The Expanse Season 5 Episode 8 spoiler recap and review to catch […]
Tim
Thursday 21st of January 2021
You need to proofread your article better. Too many spelling errors and missing and/or redundant words.