The Expanse 2×09 Review: “The Weeping Somnambulist”

I consider myself to be a pretty intelligent person, but sometimes I don’t think I’m smart enough for a show like The Expanse. “The Weeping Somnambulist” was mostly light on the action and heavy on the politics, featuring a long-awaited meeting and evidence that the crew of the Roci continues to be in over their heads.

Chrisjen was in top form in “The Weeping Somnambulist”, and though her meeting with Bobbie didn’t have quite the kick I was expecting, I also got the sense that this is very much not over. Chrisjen either knew something was up because Mars was so willing to take responsibility for what happened on Ganymede or because she could tell something was off with Bobbie. She caught Bobbie’s slip about the man without a vac suit and is still putting the pieces together, but every week I just get more and more confused. I have no idea what’s going on at this point; I’m mostly just along for the ride.

Mars’ willingness to take the blame for Ganymede, even going so far as to pay for most of the repairs, can mean any number of things. Either they know something that Earth doesn’t and they want to keep it hidden, or they want to do their own investigation into Bobbie’s outrageous claims. There’s also the fact that they know that they can’t go to war or they’d be obliterated, so they’re desperate to prevent one until they can stand a better chance. But Chrisjen isn’t going to let them get away with hiding the truth. I anticipate another confrontation between her and Bobbie.

Speaking of Mars, I appreciated the level of detail they went into when explaining how Martians need to acclimate to Earth – the higher gravity, the brighter sunlight, all of the medications they have to take. We also got a little more information about Earth, and how most people are on basic assistance because there aren’t opportunities for them, which explains why so many emigrate to Mars.

Meanwhile, the crew of the Roci is in over their heads. Their failure at commandeering a civilian ship, coupled with the hostility from the captain, led to a confrontation at the end of the episode that will surely weigh upon Holden’s conscience for quite a while. There’s no telling what the outcome would have been if he and Amos hadn’t shown up to fight the local muscle, but both crew members of the Weeping Somnambulist could have died instead of just one. Still, Holden remains a bit of an idealist, though he is very slowly losing his strict moral code as they get deeper and deeper into whatever is going on.

I sometimes feel that the Roci crew should just give up the ghost and go home, but they know too much to ever stop being involved and, with the exception of Amos, they probably feel at least partially responsible, considering their actions may have unintentionally triggered this whole mess. I, for one, can’t wait to find out what’s waiting for them on Ganymede.

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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