Static (S02E03)
Airdate: February 8th 2017
Written by: Robin Veith
Directed by: Jeff Woolnough
Running Time: 40 minutes
After the first season, even the most ardent admirers of The Expanse must acknowledge that even the most ambitious science fiction productions face inherent budgetary constraints. These limitations become particularly evident when attempting to visualise worlds fundamentally different from our own, forcing creators to employ narrative sleight of hand to compensate for what cannot be practically depicted. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the opening sequence of Static, the third episode of Season 2, where the production's financial realities begin to fray the edges of its otherwise impressive world-building ambitions. While the series has consistently delivered exceptional storytelling within its means, Static represents a moment where the gap between narrative ambition and production capability becomes uncomfortably visible to even casual viewers.
The episode opens with Earth executing its retaliatory strike against Mars, a decision made at a United Nations meeting in the preceding episode. What unfolds is, to this point in the series, the most spectacular visual event—the complete destruction of Mars' moon Deimos. This isn't merely a tactical strike against a radar station; it's a planetary-scale alteration of the Solar System's geography. The implications are staggering: an entire celestial body obliterated, fundamentally changing Mars' orbital dynamics and permanently altering what generations of Martians have known as their sky. The series wisely suggests that while the immediate body count might be minimal (given Deimos' sparse habitation) and Mars' technological capabilities allow them to manage the debris field, the psychological impact on the Martian population should be seismic. After all, one's sky is perhaps the most fundamental constant in any civilisation's collective consciousness—change that, and you fundamentally alter a culture's relationship with its environment.
Yet Static curiously fails to depict these very consequences on Mars and its ordinary citizens. Instead, the Martian reaction remains confined to speculation in discussions between Avasarala and Errinwright, political figures whose perspectives are inherently detached from the common populace. The only direct Martian reaction we witness occurs aboard the MCRN Scirocco, where Draper's Martian Marine unit vents their frustration on their Earth-born comrade Private Travis (played by Mpho Koaho), before Draper herself intervenes to end the fight. While Draper shares her crew's outrage at Earth's action, Lieutenant Sutton informs her that instead of the anticipated war, they've been assigned a seemingly routine mission to Ganymede Station. This narrative choice represents a significant missed opportunity to ground the episode's high-stakes politics in the lived experiences of ordinary people—a hallmark of the series' earlier strengths.
Meanwhile, on Tycho Station, the aftermath of Miller's killing of Dresden has burned all bridges between him and both the Rocinante crew and Fred Johnson, who asks him to leave. In a moment of unexpected humanity, Miller meets Amos and two men who were recently bitter enemies, only to find them suddenly reconciled through their shared experience of violence—a subtle commentary on how trauma can forge unlikely connections. With Dresden eliminated, the only remaining source of information about the protomolecule and Eros' situation is Cortazar (Carlos Gonzalez-Vio), his surviving subordinate and chief scientist. Cortazar's apparent lack of cooperation and violent tendencies are later revealed to stem from brain surgery that removed his empathy centres, enabling him to work callously on experiments that would murder hundreds of thousands. Amos suggests unconventional methods to "indulge" Cortazar into talking, and the plan succeeds, revealing crucial information about the corporation known as Protogen and their diabolical schemes.
Miller, now adrift with nowhere to go, is temporarily welcomed by Diogo in his room, where he learns about strange noises emanating from Eros that have been sampled into a musical hit. Later, Miller visits a Latter Day Saints temple to inquire about the Nauvoo generation ship, while Johnson receives intelligence from Avasarala about UN factions pushing for war with Mars. The episode culminates with Miller approaching both Avasarala and the Rocinante crew with his plan to use the Nauvoo to destroy Eros—a plan that would have profound consequences for the series' trajectory.
Static exhibits a relative lack of action compared to other episodes, theoretically allowing more space for character development. However, this potential is only partially realised. While scenes depicting Holden and Naomi attempting to deal with their new relationship offer genuine depth, other attempts at character exploration fall flat. The Scirocco scene, for instance, is poorly written and reduces the Martian Marines to every tired military fiction cliché imaginable—aggressive, undisciplined, and prone to violence against perceived outsiders.
Perhaps the most interesting element of Static is its use of the "Eros Song," which creates a mixed impression. The scene reveals Tycho Station residents enjoying music that incorporates samples from the strange noises emanating from Eros, creating an unsettling parallel to the infamous Zion dance sequence from The Matrix Reloaded—though thankfully avoiding that scene's level of cheesiness. More importantly, this sequence provides unexpected depth to Camina Drummer (Cara Gee), who transitions from her initial depiction as a stern, Prussian-style authority figure to someone enjoying the club scene alongside ordinary citizens. This subtle character expansion proves to be one of the episode's strongest elements, making Cara Gee's Drummer arguably the best casting addition of the season.
The episode's greatest failing lies in its inability to visualise the Martian population's reaction to the destruction of Deimos. While budgetary constraints undoubtedly played a role (depicting widespread Martian society would require extensive sets, costumes, and extras), the narrative choice to focus exclusively on military and political perspectives creates a significant gap in the story's emotional resonance. The destruction of an entire moon should trigger societal upheaval, cultural trauma, and widespread anxiety—not merely contained military frustration aboard a single ship. This omission transforms what should be a series-defining moment of collective trauma into a relatively minor tactical consideration.
At the end of the day, Static represents a transitional episode that struggles to balance its ambitious narrative with practical production limitations.The series' creators, forced to make difficult choices within their budget, opted for military and political perspectives over civilian experiences, resulting in a somewhat hollow treatment of what should have been one of the series' most emotionally resonant moments. Despite these limitations, the episode's stronger character moments and the continued excellent performances—particularly from Cara Gee—demonstrate why The Expanse remains compelling viewing, even when it stumbles in its execution. The series' willingness to tackle complex political and social dynamics continues to outweigh its occasional narrative shortcomings, though Static serves as a reminder that even the most ambitious science fiction must sometimes compromise its vision to accommodate practical realities.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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