The Expanse’s Holden and Naomi on How Love Endures Sci-Fi Chaos

The Expanse kicked off its sixth and last season final week on Amazon Prime, and in case you’re like us, you’re a bit involved for the crew of the Rocinante. Stuck preventing a seemingly hopeless battle, and having endured quite a bit to get thus far, they’re all feeling the pressure. But as all the time on The Expanse, there may be cause to hope that good will prevail—particularly with resilient heroes like Captain James Holden (Steven Strait) and Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper) main the cost.

At a latest Expanse press day, io9 spoke over video chat with Strait and Tipper about their weary characters, how they’ve advanced over six seasons, and what they suppose would be the lasting takeaway from the ultimate season of the The Expanse.

Cheryl Eddy, io9: How would you describe the way of thinking that Naomi and Holden are in once we meet up with them in season six?

Dominique Tipper: I believe Naomi has extreme PTSD. She is reeling from what she went via in season 5, her function in Alex’s dying, Cyn’s dying, the fallout of what occurred along with her son—after which they’re in the course of a battle. Everybody on the crew is exhausted, and we’re flying across the photo voltaic system killing Belters, which can also be tearing Naomi aside. I simply suppose there’s this deep state of bodily and emotional exhaustion. Also I believe she’s very uncomfortable and type of enraged with Amos bringing Clarissa onto the ship—but additionally she’s somebody that I believe Naomi’s taking part in goal observe at, and he or she receives numerous the brunt of her frustration about all the things.

Steven Strait: At the start of the season, Holden is frayed—I believe that’s one of the best phrase for it. You know, we’re over half a yr into this slog of a battle. Nothing has appeared to occur, there simply hasn’t been any discernible motion for all the ache that these folks have gone via. And it’s actually weighing on the household of the Rocinante in a really deep manner. For Holden, he’s desperately making an attempt to carry his household collectively on the ship. He has the burden of constructing some type of progress with the battle that simply appears infinite and out of attain. And additionally, having the protomolecule ever-present behind his thoughts, understanding precisely simply how terrible the prospect of that being unleashed is.

He’s slightly below great pressure. And I needed to indicate that, not solely simply internalizing the the fixed doubt of “Am I enough for this moment? Am I the leader I need to be for this moment? Am I going to break in this moment?” but additionally bodily. I misplaced fairly a little bit of weight earlier than the season began; I needed him to look gaunt and like he hadn’t slept and he hadn’t been consuming. He’s holding it collectively, however not effectively. All of them in their very own manner have simply type of come to the top of their rope.

io9: And but amid all of this chaos, one way or the other the bond between Naomi and Holden nonetheless feels very robust. What do you suppose it’s about their relationship that makes that attainable?

Tipper: I believe any relationship that lasts requires a alternative, a selecting of that individual day in, day trip, no matter how troublesome it’s, no matter the place you differ, and discovering a standard floor. I believe there’s a deep maturity to their relationship at this level. And additionally I believe with what Naomi went via in season 5, it reconfirmed that if she desires to be with anybody or anyplace, it’s with Holden. So, I believe we discover them at this level: They’re so completely satisfied to be collectively, even underneath these actually terrible circumstances and in the course of a battle. They are one another’s dinghy boat, they usually maintain one another up. He’s actually discovered, particularly, easy methods to take care of her in the easiest way, and her him I believe, they usually’re leaning on one another via this entire factor. I believe it’s a extremely lovely model of them. They’re fairly stable all through this season, which is cool.

Strait: I agree. I believe this yr actually simply exhibits how a lot they depend on one another to get via these items. And I believe for Holden, the duty to her and to the household and to the general macro surroundings turns into very, essential within the choices that he makes via the season. There’s only a degree of respect and love that permits them to tug via all of this. I’ve all the time seen them as two folks simply clutching one another in the course of a storm. They’ve discovered a technique to hold one another on the bottom with all of this chaos occurring.

io9: Looking again again to the primary season and up till now, how do you suppose Naomi and Holden have advanced as characters?

Tipper: I actually suppose season 5 was fairly an ending in a manner that Naomi wanted to discover. I believe numerous what she was operating away from in season one and the way we come to seek out her on the Canterbury and what she’s been via will get type of mined out in season 5. She’s advanced a lot, and he or she has numerous closure truly by season six, by way of the connection along with her motherhood and her relationship along with her son, and likewise her child daddy. She’s come a great distance on many various ranges, and season 5 was essential exploring what that was in her previous, and the way it’s affected her for the 4 seasons earlier than that. It’s been fairly a harsh and brutal evolution, however an necessary one. And I believe we discover her in fairly place of understanding who she is and the place she’s come from and what she’s completed.

Strait: I believe for Holden—simply as an actor, I understand how exceedingly uncommon it’s to have the ability to play such an enormous arc over so a few years, with the type of writing that we’ve had. He begins in a really completely different place than the place he ends, and the entire manner via he’s all the time had his moral and ethical core. He acts from intuition from that, for higher or for worse. And I believe there’s been a extremely beautiful exploration of discovering his energy via his humility, by rising via his errors and stumbles and failures through the years.

It’s been an actual pleasure to discover a unique type of heroism than is commonly seen in these sorts of tales—one which’s extra primarily based on empathy and on take care of the folks round him [rather] then victory, even when that’s the final word intention of issues … I’m actually happy with him on the finish of the sequence for the type of choices [he makes] and the person that he turns into. It was a messy technique to get there. Holden has tousled loads through the years, however to have the ability to play the sensible evolution of a person and the chief inside these circumstances, who wasn’t simply born with the power to do it, was unimaginable as an actor … it’s been a enjoyable, sophisticated factor to play.

io9: Without entering into spoilers, in fact, what would you say is the overarching theme of season six?

Tipper: I believe it’s the elements finishing the entire, and that everyone contributing even within the smallest manner offers the end result the specified end result. We see this type of mass contribution in small elements all throughout the journey of the sequence that culminates on this end result that type of works out for lots of various folks. It’s positively a meditation on small contributions and the way they repay on the finish. I don’t what the best title for that theme can be, however I believe it’s like a soup, soup, a vegetable soup of small, good deeds. [Laughs]

Strait: If one theme stands out to me, it’s the exploration of household and what which means and the way it impacts these characters personally and the way it likewise impacts the general image. In some ways, he occasions that transpire huge and small on this season are household issues. I believe it’s a extremely attention-grabbing exploration of that and a extremely nuanced manner of taking a look at these problems with sensitivity and care—which, , once more, simply speaks to the extent of our writing that we’ve all the time simply been so privileged to have.

The Expanse streams Fridays on Amazon Prime. We’ll have much more Expanse arising on io9, so keep tuned!

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