Why do Joe Miller), the central quartet have forged a strong bond since The Expanse began, with unique chemistry, fascinating dynamics and a genuine family feel among them.
The relationship between the central four characters is arguably The Expanse's greatest strength, but in the season, the group will be separated, heading off on their own separate missions. As evidenced by The Expanse's season 5 trailer, James Holden's arc will largely take place on Tycho Station, searching for a solution to the Free Navy attack led by Marco Inaros. Although they begin The Expanse season 5 as lovers, Naomi leaves Holden's side in order to pursue her son Filip, who has been indoctrinated into the Free Navy by Inaros - who also happens to be the boy's father. Meanwhile, Amos heads to Earth to deal with some unspecified finished business, and Alex is seen in the trailer accompanying Bobbie during her investigation on Mars.
The Expanse has adapted roughly one book per season, with season 5 based on Nemesis Games. The splitting of the Rocinante crew was a key feature of this novel, and while The Expanse doesn't always follow its source material to the letter, the division will play out on TV as it does in the books. Splitting The Expanse season 5 into four separate narratives is both a massive departure and a sizable risk. The Rocinante crew has been the beating heart of The Expanse since the debut episode (almost - Shed?) and to strip away that 4-way relationship will inevitably give the episodes a distinctly different feel.
However, the Nemesis Games storyline proved vital to The Expanse's original books, and the fifth installment was widely praised by readers as one of the strongest in the series. Season 5 could do the same for Amazon's TV show. From the moment of their formation, the Rocinante crew largely stick together, sometimes breaking into pairs or groups, but never straying too far from the rest of the crew. When the entire system is at war, there aren't many places for Holden and his friends to hide, forcing them together for the majority. The Expanse has proved definitively that the central four characters work as a unit, but season 5, just as Nemesis Games did for the books, will show how Holden, Naomi, Amos and Alex operate in isolation.
Dividing the Roci will prove especially vital for Naomi, Amos and Alex. As the lead protagonist, Holden has enjoyed the most time dedicated to backstory and insight, but his three crew mates have only been fleshed out in small bursts - references to Naomi's child, Amos' troubled upbringing or Alex's estranged family are few and far between. In the rush of the Protomolecule business, these stories have been on the back burner thus far in The Expanse, but season 5 pulls the trigger on all of those lingering personal plot threads. Then once the Rocinante crew inevitably reunite, viewers will possess a far greater, more detailed understanding of the crew's four , strengthening the chemistry between them.
As well as broadening the audience's perspective on each individual character, The Expanse season 5's Rocinante split is important in establishing Marco Inaros and the Free Navy as a formidable threat. In previous seasons, major events were witnessed through the eyes of the Roci crew as a group, with Avasarala offering an Earth perspective and Bobbie Draper handling the Martian side. With the crew split geographically, however, The Expanse season 5 can cover the arrival of the Free Navy from every angle, building them as the big new baddies in town.