The Expanse

[Drunk Monk]

Oh right. That was intriguing. I guess there was so much of his story in the previous eps that I got a little spoiled. He and Bobby remain my fav characters. Drummer is growing on me. Amos’ story and Naomi’s have had the most development so far this season and I’m just not that into Naomi. I’m not sure why.

I hear Alex was fired from the final season because of some sexual scandal. I hope his character isn’t critical to the conclusion.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Oh, I hope Alex didn't scandalize. He is the most replaceable cast member, though. It looks like they are going to leave several books unadapted. Final book is due soon.

[Drunk Monk]

One of my Den editors, Kayti, covered it. 

The Expanse’s Cas Anvar Won’t Be in Season 6

Following a third party investigation of sexual harassment and assault allegations, Cas Anvar will not be in The Expanse's final season.

By Kayti Burt

|November 24, 2020
[i]Photo: Alcon Studios[/i]
Buried in the Deadline announcement that [b][i]The Expanse[/i][/b] has been renewed for a sixth (yay!) and final (oh) season, was another very important news item: Cas Anvar, who has played Martian pilot Alex Kamal in the first five seasons of the show, will not be returning for the final season. This announcement comes after an official investigation by a third party on behalf of Alcon Studios due to the many allegations of abuse and harassment made against Anvar by both coworkers and fans, some of whom were under the age of 18. (You can read more about this on [b][i]The Expanse[/i][/b] subreddit, where statements from the accusers, the cast and crew, and Anvar have been compiled.)
Anvar will be in Season 5, set to premiere on December 16th. Filming on the fifth season finished before the allegations against Anvar came to light. While it’s unclear what Anvar’s presence in Season 5 might look like, the actor/character has appeared in promotional content for the upcoming season.
For many [b][i]The Expanse[/i][/b] fans, Anvar’s presence in the upcoming season complicates the viewing experience. Personally, while I am looking forward to Season 5, I, like many other [b][i]Expanse[/i][/b] fans, am anticipating that the behind-the-scenes allegations against Anvar, many of which allegedly occurred at conventions, will affect how I watch any plot involving Alex. I am not yet sure how the knowledge that Anvar will not be returning for Season 6 will further impact that experience. On the one hand, it’s heartening to know that Alcon Studios has taken these allegations seriously and has seemingly acted on the results of their investigation. On the other hand, as of right now, the connection between Anvar’s alleged behavior, the investigation, and his departure has not been made explicit, which is disappointing.
This [b][i]Expanse[/i][/b] news comes a few weeks after the announcement that Johnny Depp will not be returning for the third movie in the [b][i]Fantastic Beasts[/i][/b] franchise, which came only days after a U.K. court’s ruling that British tabloid The Sun was not committing libel when they described Depp as “a wife-beater” in 2018. In both cases, the reason for the actors’ departures have been left for fans to interpret rather than made explicit by The Powers That Be. Presumably, the decision to stay mum on the details of someone being asked to resign or not being rehired (or whatever other euphemism we’re using these days) is at least partially informed by a studio not wanting to invite legal trouble. It’s also just one more way our institutions are constructed to protect abusers and/or a company’s bottom line.
That being said, Anvar’s Season 6 departure does appear to be [i]some [/i]level of accountability, and is seemingly a rare example of a TV or film production addressing allegations of abuse.
Written by
Kayti Burt | @kaytiburt
Kayti Burt is a full-time pop culture writer who serves as a staff editor at Den of Geek. A long-term lover of all things science fiction…

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

I’m sorry for the pain he’s caused.

[Drunk Monk]

Watching that recent ep where Alex's old C.O.'s assistant was playing him took on another level of meaning.

[Drunk Monk]

E5: I'm liking the reversal of the Belters from underdogs to terrorists. All the Roci crew are on track with thrilling story arcs. I'm looking forward to when the crew unites. Still not that into Holden though.

[Drunk Monk]

E6 Mr. Mehta from Kim's Convenience! It seems I'm into Canadian TV now...

Here's something for Drummer fans 

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Well, Cara Gee *is* hawt.

[Drunk Monk]

She comes off really well in this interview. I’ve been watching some of these after shows. Amos hosts. 

I didn’t realize that Drummer was an amalgamate of several characters or that Cara was 8 months pregnant while shooting. The story about her psych game with Marco when filming there confrontation scene was hysterical.

[Drunk Monk]

E7: Naomi story. I'm not that into Naomi's story. I don't know why. No Drummer, no Amos, only a little bit of Bobbie. I gotta say they casted the perfect dude for Phillip. The ending almost blew me out but then they pulled a Last Jedi Leia. That was a bit unsatisfactory.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Too much Soap Opera not enough Space Opera. Hopefully they are done with this nonsense and get back to the plot.

[Drunk Monk]

Hopefully they are done with this nonsense and get back to Bobbie, Amos & Drummer. 

Was it wrong of me to want Naomi to get spaced? 

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Yes. You are a bad person. Also, once all this nonsense is done, she becomes very useful and tough.

[Drunk Monk]

Yes. You are a bad person. 

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

OK, family crap is done, time for the show to back to kicking ass.