It sure was a busy week on The Expanse. For one thing, we learned the story of Solomon Epstein, this universe's equivalent of Zephram Cochrane. The needs of the story are always going to trump scientific accuracy, and the Epstein drive solves two big problems for the show. First, it cuts the transit times around the solar system. And second, it's a handy way of adding gravity. The show takes place at least two hundred years from now; that's sufficiently far out that it's reasonable to suggest propulsion breakthroughs that seem like magic to us now.

Holden remains charmingly naïve. Why wouldn't Fred Johnson want 30 planet-busters? And why would he think there were no more samples of the protomolecule left? I hope everyone noticed that Naomi ran a simulation rather than shooting their sample into the Sun.

Then there's the Venus situation. We saw Chrisjen Avasarala for the badass she really is, but Earth has been planning for war with Mars, not with aliens. A war that Bobbie Draper is all too happy to bring to the Earthers.

On this week's podcast, I'm joined by Ars science editor John Timmer. We discuss a particular science fiction trope he can't stand and recap the latest goings-on. We also have an interview with Dominique Tipper, the actor who plays Naomi Nagata.

I'll be analyzing, debating, and dissecting The Expanse every week with a different guest, and we'll post the podcast on Fridays throughout the season. New episodes air on Wednesdays in the US, so you have time to watch before we get into major spoilers. The Expanse season 2 will air in the UK on Netflix, although possibly not for another month or two.

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Decrypted is Ars Technica's weekly podcast about the TV that obsesses us. Currently we're dissecting The Expanse. Listen or subscribe however you please above, and let us know what you think—ideas, questions, and so on—through the comments section, on iTunes, or via e-mail.