The opening episode of the third series sees the story continue to push forward cohesively and decisively.
In fact. this episode is one of the densest to date... So much happens in the 40 odd minutes that a full review's length would become unwieldily.
Each and every character still in play gives their best in this episode.
First off, Errinwright is fabulous and plays his role as the foil to the protagonists with panache and utterly annoying suavity. He is so effective in his role that I personally wanted to flush his head down the nearest privy... He is James Bond villain level cool! So glad they decided to mash several character together to expand his role.
The thrust of the plot this episode focusses on Mao's luxury barge and the prisoners' attempt to escape.
We see the relationship between Avasarala and Cotyar become more and more complex as we catch a few precious glimpses into their storied pasts and realise that they share a lot more that was at first thought.
Draper continues to inspire the prisoners with her bravery and courage and we see her resourcefulness come to the fore several times this episode. She is clearly to become a central character.
On Tycho, we feel tension as Johnson attempts to get into bed with Dawes who abducted the lead scientist on the PM project.
And the indomitable Drummer steals every single second she is on screen with a scintillating performance as Johnson's second... She is an amalgamation of several characters from the book so it's clear, that like Errinwright's role, they were super happy with the actor's screen time. I'm secretly hoping she manages to find that someone special to look after her... Maybe even shipping her with someone from the former Roci.
Speaking of the Roci, Ironically, this episode, it's the crew of the former Rocinante that actually takes a back seat in this episode as their relationships continue to disintegrate due to Naomi's subterfuge last season...
Summary: What a rip-roaring start to the new season... But for me, standout performances by Shawn Doyle as Errinwright and Cara Gee as Drummer made the episode. They were startlingly effective in their roles, dominating their screen time and shaping the episode.