The Expanse episode 5 revealed Fred Johnson, who was at the time a Colonel in the United Nations Marine Corps, is “The Butcher of Anderson Station.” The latest sneak peek hints at an intense episode 6 as the storyline of the Canterbury survivors on their way to Tycho Station continues. Take a look:
There’s not much action in the trailer, just dialogue between Holden, Amos and Johnson as they all meet for the first time. It’s clear the three are skeptical of each other. “I think Holden ultimately trusts Fred. I’m not sure he trusts him, I think trust is a strong word,” said Steven Strait, who plays James Holden character, during an inside look at Episode 5.
Naomi made it clear in the last episode she has hesitations about meeting with Johnson. Dominique Tipper, who plays Naomi, confirmed she does not trust him during SyFy’s post-episode interview. However, Johnson seems to be on edge as well. During the last episode he said, “You have chosen to remain anonymous. I can only hope you have no hostile intent.” This came after the Canterbury (and Donnager) survivors cloaked their Martian shuttle by changing the name to Rocinante, Spanish for workhorse.
Johnson, now Director of Operations at Tycho Station and suspected OPA associate, needs to convince Holden and his crew that he is more trustworthy than Earth or Mars. However, as you may remember from the beginning of episode 5, 11 years ago Johnson blasted Anderson Station which was full of hundreds of men, women and children protesting mining conditions on the belt. This makes it hard to tell if Johnson has an ulterior motive. Holden and the Canterbury (and Donnager) survivors are the only people to witness all of the recent explosions, which makes their testimony extremely valuable to find out who is responsible.
Back on the belt, Miller is on the verge of understanding the scope of the Julia Mao conspiracy. At the end of the last episode, he was kidnapped. The latest sneak peek didn’t reveal any information about Miller’s investigation or where he is being taken.
Episode 6 is called “Rock Bottom.” SyFy has released a short synopsis: “Holden makes an uneasy alliance, Avasarala makes a power play and Miller unearths a major secret.”
Tune in tonight, Jan. 12 at 10 pm EST on SyFy.
