The Expanse season 6 needs to call Bull on finding a new Rocinante pilot. Currently airing on Amazon Prime, The Expanse season 5 features the original Rocinante crew of James Holden, Naomi Nagata, Amos Burton and Alex Kamal, but when season 6 was confirmed as the show’s final run, it was simultaneously announced that Alex would not be returning. This follows an internal investigation by Alcon Entertainment into accusations leveled at The Expanse‘s Alex actor Cas Anvar.
Given that The Expanse season 5 wrapped filming before this matter came to light, it’s not yet clear how the show will deal with Alex’s exit. The nature of the situation means fans will likely forgive any hasty rewrites at the beginning of next season, but forgiveness won’t solve the Rocinante’s pilot problem. The Expanse has routinely reminded viewers that driving the Roci is no mean feat. Holden’s ship is a Martian beast of war, and not the kind of vessel that any amateur ace can tame. Fortunately, The Expanse season 5 has introduced an ideal replacement.
After the departure of Camina Drummer, Fred Johnson hired Bull to serve as his right-hand man on Tycho Station. The gruff Earther made an aggressive debut by giving Naomi and Sakai (boo!) a hard time about the Rocinante’s half-price repair costs, but since the situation on Tycho went sideways, Bull and Holden have made an effective team against Marco Inaros’ Free Navy insurgents. Despite not being especially fond of each other, the duo have worked even more closely since Fred’s death, and when Holden set out in the Rocinante to reclaim the stolen Protomolecule sample, Bull announced that he’d be driving the bus. Holden questioned whether Bull could handle a ship as rough as he is, but his flying skills have been nothing short of exemplary.
When the Rocinante faces off against the Zmeya in The Expanse season 5’s “Oyedeng,” Bull demonstrates his skill by spinning the Roci and destroying an entire volley of missiles. It’s a narrow escape that Alex might’ve dealt with faster, but Bull does a more than adequate job, establishing himself as a clear front-runner for the ship’s pilot vacancy. Piloting skills aside, Bull’s dynamic with Holden shows enough spark to suggest he’d make for a worthy addition to the Rocinante’s tight-knit family. Furthermore, Bull is a character rooted in the original Expanse novel series. Although there are some big differences between Bull in the books and on TV, fans are more likely to accept him as a Rocinante crew member than a random newcomer with no connection to the books whatsoever.
The only fly in the ointment is Bull’s Earth heritage. The whole point of Holden’s Rocinante is that the crew represents all three major civilizations in the Sol system. Holden and Amos hail from Earth, Naomi represents the Belt, and Alex is from Mars. Team Roci prove that harmony between all three factions is theoretically possible, and it’s vital that each side is represented in The Expanse season 6 but, as an Earther, Bull upsets the balance. As fortune would have it, a solution has already presented itself. The Roci crew are friends with Bobbie Draper, a former Martian marine whose narrative is currently intertwined with Alex’s. Bobbie will be at a loose end without Alex in The Expanse season 6, so could perhaps join the Rocinante as a fifth member, keeping the Martian presence alive. The final Roci lineup in The Expanse season 6 would then be Holden as captain, Naomi as the engineer, Amos making repairs, Bull at the wheel, and Bobbie roughing up any bad guys that dare to confront them.
