One Expanse Season 5 Scene Amazon Should Have Cut | Screen Rant
The Expanse should've cut an Alex sequence from the opening episodes of season 5. The critically acclaimed adaptation of James S.A. Corey's The Expanse has returned to Amazon Prime for its fifth season, but the narrative takes on a different format than audiences might be used to. Instead of the usual "Rocinante vs. the world" story, The Expanse season 5 splits up the main cast. James Holden investigates a conspiracy on Tycho Station, Naomi Nagata searches for her son, Amos Burton digs up the past on Earth, and Alex Kamal returns to Mars to make amends with his family.
As has been reported previously, Alex will not appear in The Expanse's sixth and final season. Following a series of harassment and sexual assault allegations, Alcon Entertainment launched an investigation into Cas Anvar, who portrays Alex, in June 2020. After months of silence, the announcement of The Expanse season 6 came with the caveat that Anvar would not be returning.
Inevitably, the Cas Anvar allegations cast a shadow over The Expanse season 5, and it's impossible to watch Alex's character in the same way. However, one scene in particular takes on an unfortunate tone due to events in the real world. Investigating a Martian Admiral suspected of arming Marco Inaros, Alex agrees to a drink with Emily, Admiral Sauveterre's assistant. Emily is clearly attempting to extract as much information as possible from the conversation, and while Alex is doing the same, he obviously has another goal in mind, and isn't as keen as Emily to let the night end in the bar. Staggering back to his room, Alex believes he's found another female admirer, until she turns out to be an assailant. As a backdrop to these exploits, The Expanse season 5 appears to be building toward a romance between Alex and Bobbie.
Under normal circumstances, the sequence would merely be cringe-worthy, but it's impossible not to view the episode through reality's lens. Although Emily remains in charge of the situation, Alex is pushy during their date, not quite taking the hint when his companion is no longer interested. Alex also uses his fame as the Rocinante's pilot as part of his charm offensive. Although the scene would've passed by uneventfully in any other season, both plot elements share subtle but undeniable parallels to the genuine accusations aimed as Cas Anvar.
It goes without saying that The Expanse was left in a difficult position ahead of season 5's release. While production has been praised for removing Anvar ahead of The Expanse's final season, season 5 was already in the can when allegations began to emerge. To remove Alex completely was impossible by that point. But while Alex's arc couldn't be excised from The Expanse season 5 altogether, it might've been pertinent to slim down the sequence with Emily in light of the revelations. The purpose of the date scene is for Alex and Bobbie to confirm Sauveterre's involvement, and dig up the next lead in their smuggling investigation. This could've still been achieved with the date itself cut from the episode. Alex's story would move straight from plotting with Bobbie to returning home drunk - the attack cements Sauveterre's guilt, and Alex could verbally confirm the details of Emily's departing ship after the date occurred off-screen.
Some might see this change as pedantic and unnecessary; The Expanse's fans are intelligent enough to separate fiction and reality and the character from the actor. However, the nature of the situation finds The Expanse walking on eggshells by necessity, at least in season 5, and any measures that could've feasibly been taken to avoid storylines that rang too close to real life should've been implemented.