These are some thoughts about Alex Kamal's character arc in The Expanse.
Major Season 5 spoilers.
I'm a fan of The Expanse, having watched it with various people (seasons 1-3 three times, season 4 twice and just finished season 5).
I wanted to comment on the exit of Alex Kamal played by Cas Anvar.
Of course, anyone unaware of the reason why Cas Anvar has exited the show will likely have watched Alex's death in Season 5, Episode 10 and thought a massive (Game of Thrones disappointment style) WTF?!
It was an anti-climatic end to a character arc which deserved so much more.
But many people who knew of the allegations of sexual harassment by Cas Anvar (of crew and fans) stretching back years and becoming public knowledge via The Expanse's subreddit after season 5 had finished shooting, will have felt uncomfortable (at least) by his presence in season 5. Maybe especially the scene where he goes on a date under false pretences.
I only became aware of the controversy when I Googled to see when season 6 would air. Just a few days before episode 10 of season 5 was released. It somewhat spoiled that episode for me because I was continually wondering whether they were going to explain his exit from the show.
Considering principle shooting had ended before the allegations came to light, shoehorning the exit of a main character into the last episode would have been quite a tricky task.
Using footage already shot and some dialogue from a different scene somewhere ("Whoa! That was one hell of a ride!"), I think they did as good a job of manufacturing a death as they possibly could. Alex motionless in his seat with droplets of blood floating around him. "It was a stroke. It's a risk we all take with every hard burn" says Holden to Naomi later in one of a number of re-shoots made to consolidate the changed storyline.
I think the producers acted appropriately to organise a proper, independent investigation into the allegations against Anvar and following that, his exiting the show is the only possible outcome. I wonder whether this career in showbusiness (like Kevin Spacey and others') is over.
Thinking back, while Alex did have a decent back story, of the four main protagonists, I think his character was the least developed and perhaps the least interesting. (Amos is my favourite). But even knowing why he left, the exit of Alex the character is still disappointing enough for me to want to vent in this thread.
Still, the story of Marco Inaros and his band of Belters & Martians vs everyone else is poised to be spectacular TV. I look forward to season 6. I think it's going to be a humdinger.
Major Season 5 spoilers.
I wanted to comment on the exit of Alex Kamal played by Cas Anvar.
Of course, anyone unaware of the reason why Cas Anvar has exited the show will likely have watched Alex's death in Season 5, Episode 10 and thought a massive (Game of Thrones disappointment style) WTF?!
It was an anti-climatic end to a character arc which deserved so much more.
But many people who knew of the allegations of sexual harassment by Cas Anvar (of crew and fans) stretching back years and becoming public knowledge via The Expanse's subreddit after season 5 had finished shooting, will have felt uncomfortable (at least) by his presence in season 5. Maybe especially the scene where he goes on a date under false pretences.
I only became aware of the controversy when I Googled to see when season 6 would air. Just a few days before episode 10 of season 5 was released. It somewhat spoiled that episode for me because I was continually wondering whether they were going to explain his exit from the show.
Considering principle shooting had ended before the allegations came to light, shoehorning the exit of a main character into the last episode would have been quite a tricky task.
Using footage already shot and some dialogue from a different scene somewhere ("Whoa! That was one hell of a ride!"), I think they did as good a job of manufacturing a death as they possibly could. Alex motionless in his seat with droplets of blood floating around him. "It was a stroke. It's a risk we all take with every hard burn" says Holden to Naomi later in one of a number of re-shoots made to consolidate the changed storyline.
Thinking back, while Alex did have a decent back story, of the four main protagonists, I think his character was the least developed and perhaps the least interesting. (Amos is my favourite). But even knowing why he left, the exit of Alex the character is still disappointing enough for me to want to vent in this thread.
Still, the story of Marco Inaros and his band of Belters & Martians vs everyone else is poised to be spectacular TV. I look forward to season 6. I think it's going to be a humdinger.
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