The Expanse âRedoubtâ and the Importance of Agency
 Naomi and Holden will always be among the strongest romantic pairs on television because they continue talking things through. And where Holden understood last week that Naomi needed to keep busy, this week itâs critical to note that both parties realize where theyâre wrong
Holdenâs big on preaching that everything needs to go through him, but sometimes, he needs to take his own advice. While his choice is entirely understandable (and honorable), he shouldnât have taken agency away from the rest of the team even though the moment demanded it. By choosing not to confide in Naomi before making his decision, Holden inadvertently takes away her agency, and simultaneously, everyone elseâs. And though itâs significant to note that the spur of the moment makes it difficult, itâs still worth noting what it represents.
Itâs also essential that the conversation leads to both confronting whatâs necessary about their characteristics and how they mesh together. Naomi vocalizes that he needs to stop treating her like she is broken, but Holden states that she needs to stop running away from her feeling. And itâs a moment of great importance to showcase what strength looks like.
Because ultimately, what this moment solidifies is the fact that brokenness doesnât equate to weakness, and admitting to pain doesnât equate to a loss of strength. Naomi Nagata is one of the strongest women in the galaxy  because she continued to do the right thing even after the pain tried to break her. However, she is still very much a human being with feelings capable of governing her. And the immense trauma she lived through, plus confronting those feelings matters. More than anything, Holden wants her to understand that he sees so much of what she attempts to conceal. And her feelings matter especially to him because he knows that losing Filip is a cross she will always carry with her. Itâs not a form of pain that will ever truly leave her.
In hindsight, itâs a terrible situation for both of them to be in, but as two people whoâve decided theyâre going to be partners through life, these details matter tremendously for their future. Naomiâs strength is something Holden has always valued, but more than that, itâs been her heart through everythingâthe emotions that have made her who she is and the compassion sheâs full of. Those emotions are part of the bigger picture. Filip is a part of Naomi, and thus, Filip is a part of Holden even with so much of Marco in him.
The entirety of The Expanseâs âRedoubtâ essentially orbits around the fact that teamwork equates to having difficult conversations, but more importantly, itâs about cementing the essence of agency, which means that sometimes, before people can get to that understanding, theyâre going to make mistakes. Holdenâs mistake might be his decision-making, but it isnât one he should regret. Because this decision, no matter what it leads to, at the very least, allows Filip to understand that someoneâs looking out for him still. After everything he did, someone in the world believes his life is worth sparing
