The Expanse Set Up A Pilot To Replace Alex In Season 6 – Why It's A Bad Idea
Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar) won't be in The Expanse season 6, and the Amazon Prime TV series looks like it has already set up Bull to be the replacement pilot for the Rocinante. Bull (José Zúñiga) is changed dramatically from the version of the character in James S. A. Corey books (the show's source material), and is largely an original creation of the show. As such, his future in the story is undecided, which presents an opportunity for the show's writers to have him take over Alex's role. While there is some logic to this direction, it ultimately would be a mistake that would hurt The Expanse's final season.
Alex is a Mars-born pilot who learned to fly gunships during his time in the Martian Congressional Republic Navy (MCRN). He has been a core part of the main cast since The Expanse season 1, and as a former MCRN pilot, Alex is uniquely suited to helm the Rocinante, a state-of-the-art Martian gunship. Although Alex's story in the books continues past the events in seasons 5, Amazon announced that the actor Cas Anvar would not be in The Expanse season 6 following reports of sexual misconduct.
The surprise announcement begs the question: who will fly the Roci in The Expanse season 6? The core crew comprises James Holden (Steven Strait), Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper), Amos Burton (Wes Chatham) and Alex, with the latter being responsible for piloting the ship. While there are other established crew members capable of flying the gunship — Naomi in particular has demonstrated experience operating ships — none of the other members have skills that match Alex's, and they could easily be out maneuvered when facing another vessel with a more experienced pilot. Bull proves he is more than capable of flying the Rocinante in The Expanse season 5, already filling that role in Alex's absence. The problem is, Bull's skills alone aren't enough to make him an adequate replacement.
In some ways, Bull is very much Alex's equal: both are roughly the same age with military backgrounds; both are loyal to the people they work with and for; and both have a strong personal moral code. But unlike Alex, Bull is a very cold individual and is therefore a poor choice to replace Alex in The Expanse season 6. Season 5 has shown Bull to be angry, hateful and jaded. Already, the energy onboard the Rocinante is dour: James Holden leads his crew with world-weary frustration and angst, scowling and grunting his way through conversations. Amos, who suffered significant emotional trauma as a child, borders on sociopathy. Naomi is a brighter presence onscreen, but she carries herself with a determination and dignity that alone can't balance out the rest of the main crew.
Since The Expanse began, Alex played an important role in the narrative of balancing out the main cast. While Alex may be cantankerous at times, he is still undeniably a warm, friendly person. Alex is haunted by his past mistakes, but also loves deeply and expresses himself openly. Throughout The Expanse, Alex often serves as comedic relief, cutting the tension with his self-deprecating humor and unapologetic love of country music. Because of the actor's unacceptable behind-the-scenes behavior, however, this character has largely been ruined for large segments of the show's fanbase who are disgusted by Avar's conduct; in order for The Expanse to fix this, the show will have to replace Alex with a character who serves a similar function in balancing out the crew's dynamic. Bull is not that character.
If Bull becomes a main cast member and a core part of the Roci crew in The Expanse season 6, the show runs the risk of its core cast becoming unlikable. Already, the scenes between Holden and Bull are some of the weakest of season 5, and based on personality alone, it seems unlikely that Zúñiga's character will have a better onscreen rapport with Naomi or Amos. This doesn't reflect on the actor's abilities — it's simply a problem of too many characters with similar dispositions. What's more, it's hard to imagine either Amos or Naomi welcoming Bull — an aggressive Earth-born ex-military man — with open arms, given his past behavior interacting with Belters on Tycho Station. The Expanse season 6 will have to find a more positive character to pilot the Rocinante — thankfully, there are already several great options to choose from.