Could Clarissa Mao get a redemption arc in Jules-Pierre Mao, who first obtained a sample of the alien creation known as the Protomolecule and played Earth and Mars against each other for profit, triggering a clandestine arms race in which many innocent lives were lost. Meanwhile, Jules' daughter Julie defected to the OPA (Outer Planets Alliance) and attempted to hijack her father's Protomolecule experiments. Instead, Julie was inadvertently infected and acts as ground zero for the infection of Eros, becoming one with the Protomolecule.

The Expanse season 3 introduced the third important member of the Mao family, Clarissa. Since it was Holden and his Rocinante crew who were responsible for finally taking down Jules-Pierre Mao's Protomolecule operation, Clarissa finds herself without a family and stripped of the luxurious life she'd become accustomed to. Seeking revenge, Clarissa attempts to frame Holden for the destruction of the UN Seung Un vessel and then kill him, but while she succeeds in blowing up the ship and besmirching Holden's name, she's caught before completing her mission. After learning more about Holden and watching the Rocinante crew struggle to save the solar system, Clarissa switches sides and helps her nemesis before ending the season in jail.

Related: The Expanse: What The Rocinante's Name Reveals About Holden & Miller

Clarissa is largely absent from The Expanse's fourth, most recent season which would seem to suggest that her story has concluded. In truth, it may be just beginning. The Expanse season 5 will almost certainly be based on the Nemesis Games novel which sees the main quartet all on separate missions. Amos heads to Earth to confront his past and pays a visit to the incarcerated Clarissa while he's there. His arrival just so happens to coincide with Marco Inaros attacking the Earth with asteroids, and Amos is forced to make a run for it with Clarissa in tow, desperately trying to find a way off Earth and back to the Roci. Ultimately, Amos vouches for his new friend, now affectionately nicknamed "Peaches," and Clarissa becomes an unlikely addition to the Rocinante crew.

Nadine Nicole as Clarissa Mao in The Expanse

This storyline has already been subtly set up on Amazon's The Expanse TV series. Season 4's premiere episode featured a short scene where Amos is chatting to Clarissa remotely via a futuristic interplanetary Skype call. Viewed in isolation, this exchange doesn't have any real impact on Amos' season 4 arc, but it serves perfectly in setting up a potential in-person visit for season 5. Furthermore, the arrival of Marco Inaros as the next main villain means another big attack on Earth could be forthcoming. Certainly, there seems to be a meatier role on the horizon for Clarissa.

It could be argued that Clarissa's moment of redemption actually came when she helped Holden switch on the Ring Gates, thereby preventing the destruction of the Sol system. This was undoubtedly a major turning point for the character, but The Expanse has a track record of taking ing figures from the books and embellishing them in a major way. Avasarala, The Expanse season 5, in which the character atones for her revenge mission against Holden and proves herself as a genuine protagonist.

More: The Expanse: How Many Seasons Of Story Amazon Has Left

The Expanse season 5 is currently without a release date.