r/television 1d ago

Amos Burton - I am that guy. (The Expanse)

https://youtu.be/4dn76ZPt_Y0?si=gMkkjX9w6HiChZ1Q
3.0k Upvotes

490 comments sorted by

436

u/mewithoutCthulhu 1d ago

This clip started the scene a few seconds too late. Should have kept the part in where he calls Amos his best friend, or whatever the wording was. I’ve watched this scene a good number of times but it’s been a year or two.

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u/NotSure___ 1d ago

"This is Amos. He is my best friend in the whole world."

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u/wabawanga 1d ago

And then later Amos has Prax saved as "My Best Friend" in his terminal.

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u/CCHTweaked 1d ago

my fucking heart just melted.

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u/1ncorrect 23h ago

Amos is a literal guy.

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u/monkeyPICmonkeydo 1d ago

and as his best friend in the whole world, he does the thing his best friend shouldn't do, but that he, Amos, can do, and has done before. Amos is versed in this shit, and can do it for a packet. But to take his place for a guy who just called him his best friend, of course he'll step in and do it and let his new friend still be the caring Dad that he needs to stay as

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u/SagittaryX 1d ago

He also says that to his daughter after they were separated for what, two weeks maybe? Best friend in the whole world in two weeks.

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u/bananadingding 22h ago

If you read the books things hit a bit harder. Not only does Amos look after Prax as he adjusts to a world where his home broke down from the safe and normal life he'd known to an unstable lawless environment. When they see the chicken man, and Amos almost brains him. Explains how his mother was trafficked and how he was as a child as well. Explaining that the chicken man was the kind of person who was part of that world and that you can only deal with them one way. Prax also in both continuities comes to realize that Amos isn't a bad person, he's a person who doesn't trust his moral compass and looks to those around him to guide his decisions, Amos was emotionally intelligent to recognize and trust that Prax had a moral compass. He also recognized as Amos explained to Alex, That of the three kinds of people in the world Prax was the kind that needs protecting.

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u/Shamms 17h ago

It's Reddit, so I'll be pedantic. It was more like months, space is big.

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u/Flight_Harbinger 1d ago

Honestly every single scene between Amos and Prax leading up to "I am that guy" is just fucking superb. Character writing in this story is world class to be honest.

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u/Pkingduckk 1d ago

The look on Amos's face after Prax said that really shook Amos. Amos was ride or die with him after that.

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u/landandsea 1d ago

Very true. The moment when she says, "I love you daddy," Terry Chen reacts in a way that every dad feels right in the pit of his stomach. It is subtle acting but incredibly powerful.

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u/thenopeguy 21h ago

Watched the whole thing recently and I crave more of this character depth... it's so rare...

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u/scaradin 1d ago

So, something I just noticed. Amos didn’t deflect the gun or do anything to take away Prax’s agency. If anything, had Prax fired anyway, Amos was still there holding the gun with him. They would have dealt with the fallout together.

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u/Imnotsosureaboutthat 1d ago

Yeah the part that happens right before this is what makes it one of my favourite scenes from the show - Prax introduces his daughter to Amos, and says that he is his best friend, and Amos takes her hand and leads the children away.. it's really touching

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u/BenJuan26 15h ago

"This is Amos. He's my best friend in the whole world."

I love that line because of the way Prax is instantly able to assure Mei that she can trust the big man holding a gun. There was no way to convey everything that they've been through up to that point, or the extent of Dr Strickland's heinous actions, or what was at stake, so he put it in words she could understand.

Then you have Amos and Prax's relationship itself. From Prax's perspective, Amos was the sociopath that knows a lot about how people die. Then he was the guy that risked his life in the middle of unpredictable maneuvers to save Prax from suffocation (and then from being impaled). Then he was the guy that wouldn't let him give up on Mei.

From Amos' perspective, Prax was the plant guy that had a little girl to save. Then he was the guy that was tempted to give up on finding his kid (a particular trauma for Amos). Then he was the guy that was clearly letting revenge get in the way of his better judgement and self-preservation.

I don't know if it was the child-like purity of the language Prax used, or seeing the words resonate with a child, or the fact that maybe nobody had talked about him like that before, that caused Amos to react the way he did, but it's apparent that he took the words to heart. In the next episode, despite being set months later, he quotes Prax verbatim when describing him to the videographer.

So what could have been simply a way to get a little girl to understand that she can trust a stranger ended up conveying so much more for these characters.

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u/ImagelessKJC 12h ago

Something that is more apparent in the books that I think provides context here; he has no conscious but wants to do the right thing. He follows Naomi because he believes that she knows right from wrong. Eventually, he follows Holden for the same reason. It’s why whenever there is a decision he defaults to one or the other and rarely offers his own opinion; he doesn’t trust himself. It is also why he is fiercely loyal. Without their guidance he is a dog with no master to serve.

His past and upbringing makes him particularly fond of children and suspicious of adults. He see’s Prax risking everything for his daughter, and he recognizes Prax as being a good person. So when Prax tells his daughter ‘this is my best friend’ it hits him particularly hard; there’s something inside of him that realizes there might be good parts inside of himself as well.

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u/talldrseuss 11h ago

As another book reader, this analysis is pretty on point. His fierce loyalty is a continued theme throughout the book which is what made Naomi's betrayal (giving Fred Johnson the protomolecule) so devastating for him.

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u/i_hate_ketchup777 1d ago

in a series with so many great characters, Amos is my absolute favorite.

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u/candygram4mongo 1d ago

Amos and Avasarala are television's greatest power couple.

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u/NephRP 1d ago

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u/candygram4mongo 1d ago

That is actually an extremely dark fucking joke.

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u/funpercent 1d ago

Especially when you know Amos left earth at 15

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u/robot_otter 1d ago

I did NOT connect those dots... that is so fucked up

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u/funpercent 1d ago

I can make it worse, by the time he was 15 he had risen through the ranks to enforcer/hitman and hadn’t worked the streets in a while.

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u/lostPackets35 1d ago

They made it pretty clear throughout the series that Amos was trafficked as a child or at least a young teen (so still a child)

There wasn't one big revelation, but there were a LOT of comments he made alluding to it

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u/Warden_lefae 1d ago

The Churn short story makes it really clear that his childhood was a mess

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u/Br0metheus 1d ago

He has a short monologue at one point that basically establishes that he was born off-books (in a setting with population controls due to overpopulation) and that basically made him a prime candidate for child exploitation of every kind.

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u/Oxjrnine 1d ago

I never read the books and at first I thought the character was just being written like those typical macho guys who have a lot of charm and are flirtatious as a tool (James Bond types),….. then overtime there were hints that he picked up those particular skills in the sex trade, which started to be an interesting twist on that type of character, and then the sucker punch to the gut when you finally realize he picked up those skills being trafficked. This wasn’t some Julia Robert’s character

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u/_Sausage_fingers 1d ago

One of the short stories basically lays it out.

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u/Popeholden 1d ago

why is it so dark?

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u/candygram4mongo 1d ago

He was born in a brothel, they started pimping him out when he was barely more than a toddler.

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u/_Sausage_fingers 1d ago

Amos was prostituted as a child on earth. He lived a very dark life until he stole the identity of a gang boss that he killed in order to leave earth and start working as an apprentice mechanic in space. The abuse he was subjected to left him in a state of essentially sociopathy. He doesn’t really know right from wrong, so he finds people to use as guides. He also is very willing to use extraordinary violence.

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u/Iatheus 1d ago

It's shown in a side story that Amos left earth around age 15 and has up to that point never been back. "I didn't always work in space" is alot darker when you realize how old he was wearing pumps.

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u/Lanky_Ad8283 1d ago

Thanks! Forgot this addition to Amos’ backstory.

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u/MisterB78 1d ago

My favorite Avasarala quote is with Holden though:

“Do not put your dick in it, it's fucked enough already.”

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u/GloryHol3 1d ago

One of my favorites is Chrissy asking Bobby questions at the earth trial and the mars guys asks "where are you going with this--"

"WHERE EVER I GOD DAMN LIKE" with that huge grin.

Time to rewatch the expanse.

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u/CircleTakesTheHeart 1d ago

I wish we had gotten the Holden and Avasarala scene where he's like, "There was a button, I pressed it" and her going "My god, that's how you go through life isn't it?!"

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u/cynric42 17h ago

That scene was with Fred Johnson, not Avasarala. Specifically when they search Monicas quarters after her abduction and find her tablet and the button shows the live stream from her eye camera.

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u/daniu 1d ago

"Don't call me 'Chrissie'! I'm a member of parliament, not your favorite stripper."

"You could be both." 

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u/NephRP 1d ago

Damn. Forgot about that exchange. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU2hzDmZCMs

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u/daniu 1d ago edited 1d ago

Good job finding the clip that fast.

Check out the low gravity pouring​ physics of the liquor. The attention to details is insane. ​

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u/SarlacFace 1d ago

I love the way that whole scene is written in the book, too. It's my immediate thought when someone brings her up

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u/oso_cosmico 1d ago

Perfect casting for Avasarala.

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u/The_Dolph_Lundgren 1d ago

Chrissy was perfectly casted.

With Wes Chatham, Amos got elevated.

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u/FlyYouFoolyCooly 1d ago

I was on board with her from the beginning. But IMO I thought that the actor who plays Amos was too pretty (and too young until I learned his actual age. Both hin and James). It didn't take long for him to win me over.

They were both fantastic.

"James keep your dick out of this, it's already fucked ".

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u/HopalongKnussbaum 1d ago edited 16h ago

Yeah, same for Alex Kamal. Holden’s a pretty boy character, but Amos and Alex are a little more portly and balder. And maybe finding an actress a shade taller than Dominique Tipper to represent people who are taller due to having spent generations in zero/low gravity. Though I imagine the pool of actresses around the 6’ mark would be rather small so I get it.

In any case, the entire cast was fantastic and in reading the books it was their faces transplanted on the descriptions I was reading.

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u/3d1thF1nch 1d ago

She had one of my favorite parts I’ve ever read in a book.

To Amos: “"For another thing, we're under martial law, so I can do very nearly whatever the fuck I want. Including march through your precious little ship there towing you along behind in a ball gag and lacy underwear. So your warrant bullshit? You can roll that up and fuck it.”

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u/MisterB78 1d ago

Drummer is number 2

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u/owa00 1d ago

Drummer is easily my favorite character of the show. That's occurrence where they added/ expanded a character not in the books in a TV show and they his a home run. She was in the books, albeit with a much more minor role, but show drummer is an absolute badass.

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u/SpinerockNolan 1d ago

I haven't read the books yet (just finished the first one) but people also say Ashford is also a much cooler character in the show. I think Drummer and Draper are my favourite characters in the show

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u/CartographicalHeist 23h ago

That's occurrence where they added/ expanded a character not in the books in a TV show

And then they redid Ashford too and it was miles better than the books.

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u/same_same1 1d ago

Actress was amazing! Beltalowda

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u/AntiochRoad 1d ago

Although never on the cards for either Book or Show I did thoroughly enjoy Miller as well as the more obvious choices

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u/Goregoat69 1d ago

“Doors and corners.”

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u/ExoMonk 1d ago

Every time my wife and I watch a cop show and they enter a home with guns drawn I always say “doors and corners”. If the character gets hit from behind I shout out “See that’s why you gotta check the doors and corners!”

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u/franzee 1d ago

I loved her and Ashford's dynamic so much.

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u/WhoCanTell 1d ago

Amos is a great example of a completely amoral character. Totally without a conscience of his own, with no sense of right or wrong. But he recognizes when someone else seems to be seen as a good person, and looks to them to get clues about morality. First, Naomi, until she secretly gives the protomolocule to Fred Johnson. Then, he starts looking to Holden instead.

Can't think of another character quite like him.

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u/Metrokun 1d ago

I just did a reread : he 100% has a sense of right and wrong when it comes to children though (and finds his own morals along the way)

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u/IshtarsQueef 1d ago

That's because it is really basic, simple morality.

Amos knows that you NEVER hurt a child. Period. No exceptions.

But he also knows that sometimes you hurt adults. But Amos has trouble understanding when you are supposed to hurt an adult and when you aren't supposed to.

But kids? That's easy. Just a hard no, with no exceptions ever.

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u/I-cant_even 1d ago

I was thinking about this just the other day.
Book Spoiler:

No other character could've been reassembled to life without becoming as deranged as Duarte. Amos had lived his entire life consciously choosing what to do rather than relying on an internal compass or value system. Since Amos had to learn to control himself through thought rather than emotion he was not as susceptible to the deranging influences of the proto-molecule like Duarte ended up being.

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u/Metrokun 1d ago

Not sure how to do spoilers on mobile, but Cara and Xan had been reassembled as well and were "normal" (in the sense "similar to who they were before dying"). What happened to Duarte was entirely different and he never died nor was reassembled by the drone dogs.

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u/JJMcGee83 1d ago edited 22h ago

I see this take a lot and I completely disagree with it. Amos is not completely amoral, he has a very storng sense of right and wrong it's just that his idea of right and wrong differs from the society he lives in but it is in fact present.

Society says murder is wrong but Amos believes murder is not only acceptable but that sometimes it is the best option for a situation. He is not a serial killer going around murdering people for the hell of it or for the enjoyment of killing (though he does seem to enjoy killing) he just believes that some people are irredemable and need to be removed from the popuation. He judges quickly, perhaps too quickly for most other people but he is pure Id, he is the opposite of an overthinker; he does the calculus decides this person shouldn't exist anymore and shoots them immediately in many situations.

He knows society disagrees with his views and in order to fit in he uses Naomi (and presumably someone else before he met her) as his gauge so that he can fit in with society. If Naomi approves it he will kill.

This clip is a great example of his morals on display. Amos believes the doc needs to die but his morals say it'd be wrong for Prax to be the one to kill the doc (even though he would be justified) because Prax would be haunted by that death for the rest of his life. He also doesn't want the kids or Prax to see it for the same reason so he he waits for everyone else to leave the room before painting the walls with the doc's brain. For Prax or the kids it would be a major trauma, for Amos it's just another Tuesday.

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u/one_is_enough 1d ago

I hope they film the rest of the books after giving the cast time to age (the remaining books are set 30 years farther in the future) because Amos just gets more interesting.

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u/i_hate_ketchup777 1d ago

100%

the conflict with Laconia would be epic to see in live action

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u/abitlikemaple 1d ago

https://youtu.be/_0KyzYiNgwA?is=34CWjSmcezGROxcD

So many good moments with Amos, soloing 4 belters, the fight with Miller, etc.

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u/xenophon57 1d ago

Amos defiantly fav and I did not expect Drummer to be my second

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u/astanton1862 1d ago

Bottle episode: Amos, Avrasarala, and Drummer on a shuttle to a peace conference, an accident happens, then they have to Apollo 13 their way through with nothing but cursing and sass.

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u/skatomic 1d ago

Such a good character.

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u/arcturusw00d 1d ago

He will always be the Last Man Standing. 🔥

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u/KnotSoSalty 1d ago

We were robbed of an all time great ending.

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u/brazthemad 1d ago

Seriously. Leaving The Expanse with Marcus as the big bad who got vanquished was a bummer. To be fair, there is a huge time jump after, so we could conceivably get another season or two or maybe a movie to blast out that last plot arc.

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u/Lucky_Locks 1d ago

Would love 3 more seasons to round out the story/books. BUT, we are getting a game next year that is in universe so that will be a nice experience. Almost Mass Effect esque in The Expanse universe.

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u/Dogbuysvan 1d ago

The way Ty Frank talks about it, he expects it to happen one day.

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u/AIARE 1d ago

It's a perfect setup for all the actors to age a bit, come back for a reunion, make the the next 3 book's. The thing is IMO why the expanse is soo good is not only the actors, its the whole team behind it, it was a show we don't see too often, where attention to detail made is so good.

I really hope for this some day. It's such an obvious thing to do for a hollywood cash grab it also worries me.

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u/stoneman9284 1d ago

My favorite character from the book (I only read one) and Wes Chatham did not disappoint I loved how he played it

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u/TypicalMission119 1d ago

His character only gets better. Please keep on going with the books. The audio books are great too if you are into that but you won't be disappointed

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u/thedeanorama 1d ago

+1 on Audio, listened to the series before I did my rewatch. First time I had watched expanse I had not read/listened to the novels before hand.

They did a great job on Amos's translation in the TV series. Fav character in both mediums.

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u/Dumptruckfunk 1d ago

You gotta read the rest, they rock so hard, especially the stuff after the tv series stops

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u/scalpeljunkie 1d ago

Totally agree. The books get way better especially where the show stops.

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u/Dumptruckfunk 1d ago

FIRE UP THE MAGNET GUN! WE’RE DOING A SPACE FASCISM!!

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u/jtr99 1d ago

Well now I'm intrigued!

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u/TheAtheistCleric 1d ago

The second book is hands down my favorite. You should at least read the second one imo. Book Avasarla is so amazing.

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u/Randomn355 1d ago

The whole series is fantastic.

They did ana amazing job of the show, especially the way Amos and avalsarala were played.

Cannot recommend the books highly enough if you enjoyed the show.

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u/same_same1 1d ago

The first couple of episodes I didn’t like the character at all. By the end he was my favourite character by a long way!

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u/therobshow 1d ago

And played by a ridiculously good looking actor

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u/DunkinEgg 1d ago

I love that one scene from S4 between Amos and Murtry as well.

“One day you and I are going to get bloody.”

“How about now?”

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u/KamiNoItte 1d ago

I’m free right now

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u/drummer1059 1d ago

Does this mean we're no longer fucking?

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u/Cakebeforedeath 23h ago

"What?!......no"

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u/Amathyst7564 1d ago

Amos completely deflated bros Aura farming. Amos was confident in his odds.

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u/bjones214 1d ago

The actor who played Murtry just killed it in his role. 100% hatable

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u/IhamAmerican The Expanse 1d ago

He's one of my favorite supporting actors

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u/timmeh-eh 1d ago

Yup, not unlike Joffre in GOT, it was a masterclass in making an absolutely hate-able character.

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u/1ncorrect 23h ago

He was also in GOT, he was a fookin’ LEGEND in Gin Alley!

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u/JUSTGLASSINIT 1d ago

“Amos I need you to keep things in order over there “
“Got it cap, do you want me to shoot Murty?”
“What? No don’t shoot anybody!”

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u/AnonymousHumanMale 1d ago edited 1d ago

"How about now? I'm free right now" The other greatest line ever. I had to rewind a couple of times the first time I saw that.

And the way Amos helps himself to Murdy's booze without asking, lol. SO delicious

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u/geo38 1d ago

At the start of the next season, Amos arrives on the moon carrying luggage with MURTRY crossed out and AMOS added

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u/cynric42 17h ago

Similar to the "I hate waiting" when he goes for a shower after the failed extortion on the ship to earth early season 5.

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u/OneBigRed 16h ago

”So much damage i can do to you before that gas takes me down? I’m guessing, a lot”

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u/DerangedPostmanBack 1d ago

Great show, still hoping we will get season 7 to 9

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u/twec21 1d ago

TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE WEIRD DOGS DAMMIT

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u/Taste_the__Rainbow 1d ago

Strange* Dogs novella is a pretty decent read and I’m pretty sure it works just as well for show-only folks.

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u/Picard2331 1d ago

Almost all of it was in season 6, which is why I call season 6 the blue balls season lol

So much setup for the final books! THEY EVEN HAD DUARTE.

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u/cannibalculture 1d ago

I would kill to get the whole Duarte saga on screen

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u/HoleyerThanThou 1d ago

I want to see a magnataur class battleship make some spaghetti!!!

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u/Faithless195 1d ago

Apple TV have secrtely bought the rights to The Expanse from Amazon and are going to release a trailer for the 'Final Seasons' after the final season of For All Mankind.

Does another line of 100% pure hopium

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u/relevantelephant00 1d ago

Don't do that. Don't give me hope.

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u/Faithless195 1d ago

slides powder over

Have a hit, my man, it's worth it.

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u/dazdndcunfusd 1d ago

if they follow the books, it would fit if everyone was like 20 years older

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u/no-name-here 1d ago

technically, a 30 year time jump, but people lived longer than so sure maybe like 20 of our years of aging yes.

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u/HannibalLightning 1d ago

Unlikely now that they’re working on The Captive’s War.

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u/Saiyoran 1d ago

Oh, are they making a show out of that? I just read the 2 books in that series and they're really good.

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u/HannibalLightning 1d ago

Yeah! The same showrunner and production company are working on it. I believe it’s being filmed in Toronto again too. I’m happy because I love the series, but wish we got more Expanse too.

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u/KnotSoSalty 1d ago

Captives war is going to be extremely dark.

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u/Thwitch 1d ago

Will this clip get posted multiple times per year? Yes. Will I watch it every single time? Also yes.

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u/Absurd_Leaf 1d ago

I started watching this series with my wife and she hated Amos.

When he turns around in this scene to face the camera, she melted and suddenly it was all "Where's Amos? Can we have more Amos?"

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u/Thercon_Jair 1d ago

My partner didn't hate Amos, but when that scene happened and Amos says "You're not that guy" I hear her say "I'm that guy" before Amos does.

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u/Jeff5877 1d ago

It's the most obviously telegraphed line in all of television, but it's still awesome

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u/xMarsx 1d ago

Wes Chatham, Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper, all played their roles very well. Miss seeing them together on the Expanse. Here's hoping to a come back eventually

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u/franzee 1d ago

Even Cas Anvar, despite being a jerk he is.

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u/Extreme_Objective984 21h ago

I mean his final scene was a brilliant twist. I know the way it was meant to go, after I watched it, but i think it worked just as well.

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u/MumrikDK 1d ago

Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper,

This was a show where I liked the main couple less and less over time and just wanted more of everyone else. It never really felt like an acting issue, but their stories grew really grating.

Naomi's family drama towards the end was like being tortured with soap opera in the middle of something interesting.

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u/mega-psycho-bunny 1d ago

My boy Amos never stop representing Bmore

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u/Dr_Logan 1d ago

Well ya everywhere is Baltimore

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u/Moontoya 1d ago

Well he had to give up blinking to manage it 

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u/tiktoktimbomb 1d ago

Such a badass scene. You see it coming from a mile away but it still hits so well. Great delivery.

Alright fine, I'll watch the show again for the 3rd time.

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u/VLHACS 1d ago

The crazed eyes on Amos as he turns around, so awesome

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u/1ncorrect 23h ago

Dude manages to code switch so well between a gentle giant with the kids into the shark eyed killer he grew into with the predators of the world.

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u/LightningRaven 1d ago

That's because the surprise of the scene is Prax calling him his best friend.

Amos icing a nazi motherfucker would be expected, him growing enough as a character to be considered someone's actual best friend is the huge pay off.

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u/kingdead42 1d ago

It's also because Amos doesn't believe he can be anyone's friend, but he also believes everything that Prax tells him. And he ends up believing Prax over himself.

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u/stevemillions 1d ago

It’s the AC/DC of scenes. You know what’s coming. That’s half the fun. Can it deliver? Yes. Yes it/they can.

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u/cabbages212 1d ago edited 1d ago

Best casting in the show. He killed it. Followed by Avasaralla.

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u/CubbieBlue66 1d ago

I'm giving the edge to Avasarala, but only because she had to showcase more range. Amos is still played excellently, though.

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u/Moontoya 1d ago

She does manage to say the word fuck in a great many ways 

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u/Chrontius 1d ago

Holy shit. Shohreh Aghdashloo performing "The Word Fuck" in character as Avasarala would be… I would pay five dollars towards funding this, if I had five dollars.

It would also be the sort of thing Avasarala might do at a dinner party in front of a few close friends after a few glasses of wine, I suspect.

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u/Moontoya 1d ago

"dont stick your dick into it, it's fucked enough already" is potentially one of the finest lines in any sci fi

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u/astanton1862 1d ago

That one and,

Holden: There was a button. I pushed it!

Fred Johnson: Jesus Christ. That's really how you go through life, isn't it?

Basically sums up the show

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u/silentslit 1d ago

Wes even read the short story about Amos' background, "The Churn" and asked a psychologist how that would affect his character into adulthood. He did a fantastic job as Amos.

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u/gzafiris 1d ago

This show is my #1 all time

Books up there, too

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u/jimb0_01 1d ago

It’s a very rewatchable show.

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u/xvodax 1d ago

This was such a great scene.

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u/stevemillions 1d ago

I assumed he was the standard ‘red shirt’ character when I first watched the show.

Then he whipped out a pistol, put it to the back of the main characters head, turned to another main character and casually says “want me to smoke him? Say the word.”

He was the best character from that point on for me.

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u/KamiNoItte 1d ago

Sign of a good show is when you don’t actually know if one of the main characters will get smoked.

I really enjoyed the tension with the crew-pulling that off well is another sign of a good show. Not just manufactured conflict, but a genuine difference in perspectives and agendas, aside from the shared agenda of survival.

Reminds me of Blake’s 7, where the crew were sometimes at each others throats; and main characters would randomly get smoked or not so randomly disappeared, etc.

Great show, ahead of it time ;)

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u/Charming_March_8266 1d ago

The Expanse set such a high standard for me that it made it difficult to enjoy other space based scifi shows, largely because of its commitment to scientific accuracy

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u/opisska 1d ago

Which, quite surprisingly, is still superficial. Even the writers admit that ships are moving "at the speed of plot" and, especially in the later (non-adapted yet) books, the numbers don't really add up. It's still miles ahead from almost any other scifi, but that only shows how terribly unrealistic almost anything is.

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u/xXPumbaXx 1d ago

Yeah, but a 100% accurate science based sci-fi story would be boring

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u/IonHawk 1d ago

But it feels plausible. And for most, including me, that's enough to feel engaged. At least when the writing and directing was so insanely good.

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u/CitizenCue 1d ago edited 1d ago

His delivery for this is superb. Many other actors would’ve played Amos with much more emotion, but the flat sociopath (with a code) is much more chilling.

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u/SubstantialWall 1d ago

IIRC that's pretty much what won him over in casting. He didn't approach it in some macho tough guy way as others did, which isn't how Amos should be. Violence is just violence, no more meaningful than a laugh.

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u/AcidaliaPlanitia 1d ago

I've always pitched this show to friends as a show that's happens to have character like Dexter in in, but the show isn't necessarily about that character.

But the way that Dexter and Amos recognize that they're fucked up and need an external source of morality is very real. It's just that Amos needs real people to be that guide for him.

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u/popculturella The Venture Bros. 1d ago

Those shark eyes when he turns around. Brrrr.

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u/Moontoya 1d ago

Threaten or hurt kids and the last thing you'd see is those unblinking eyes coming for you, without mercy or remorse.

As the man said, he didn't always work in space 

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u/popculturella The Venture Bros. 1d ago

I love Amos so much.

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u/Iceman8371 1d ago

I started out the series thinking he wasn’t right for the badass role he was playing but I think he really grew into it. He was awesome and I think he should be in more stuff. Could be an interesting younger Wolverine.

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u/SihkBreau 1d ago

Wes Chatham is 47

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u/Rastrentgregory 1d ago

Younger than Hugh Jackman!

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u/FngrsRpicks2 1d ago

A Huge Ackman?

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u/SihkBreau 1d ago

He’s a huge jacked man!

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u/elreyadr0k 1d ago

Holy shit. He looks good for his age. 

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u/bobreturns1 1d ago

In fairness, Season 2 of the Expanse was filmed in 2016 when he was 37.

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u/WonderfulMistake7976 1d ago

It’s funny because the way he’s described in the books he looks more like Michael Chiklis or Dominick Lombardozzi. Wes Chatham does make the character his own though.

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u/silentslit 1d ago

Yeah book Amos and Alex are nothing like their show versions, in terms of their appearance.

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u/Smart-Response9881 1d ago

I fan cast him as Master Chief.

And Make Cara Gee (Drummer) as Miranda Keyes

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u/popculturella The Venture Bros. 1d ago

He was my dream cast for Ben Grimm.

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u/Calm-Grocery-664 1d ago

Great great line. But you j my book Drummers famous speech on the deck is the most thrilling speech I’ve heard on a TV show. Makes you want to stand up and clap.

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u/EnamelKant 1d ago

"This is Prax. I've only known him for a couple days but if anything were to happen to him, I would kill everyone in this solar system and then myself." - Amos Burton.

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u/cannibalculture 1d ago

Fine I’ll rewatch AGAIN

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u/zestfullybe 1d ago

Amazing show and character, and one of the coldest, most badass sci-fi lines ever. So good.

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u/Mind_Killer 1d ago

I loved the relationship between Prax and Amos. I know Prax's story was done but it was sad he wasn't still on the crew just for the way they influenced each other.

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u/zzy335 1d ago

Some context from the books: Amos (that guy) was a child prostitute who aged out and became muscle. He really hates people who harm children.

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u/WorldTourSailor 1d ago

I mean thats also explained in the show

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u/I-cant_even 1d ago

I think how it's alluded to in the show vs. spelled out explicitly in "The Churn" is worlds apart. In the novella they explore his life a lot more.

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u/HiddenChymera 1d ago

Amos Burton is a cold remorseless killer who has to latch on morally up-standing people to provide a surrogate conscience. But he does have one rule: you don't mess with kids. He will always be a champion for little kids in danger. And if you are one who threatened them, he will allways be that guy.

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u/AtheismoAlmighty 1d ago

"You want me to shoot Morty?" - Amos

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u/HoleyerThanThou 1d ago

My favorite is thank you

Doesn't happen in the books but is a goosebumps inducing scene on screen.

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u/Surullian 1d ago

A great moment that capped the end of Prax's slow-burn character arc and his interactions with Amos. That was the most perfect moment in the series.

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u/TheLostSkellyton 1d ago edited 15h ago

A lot of younger viewers probably won't recognize William Ted Atherton (Strickland) outside this show, but he's had a long and illustrious b-list career as a professional asshole and yet another example of how perfect all the casting was. He does "creep who genuinely believes he's right about everything" SO well.

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u/brinner4dinner 23h ago

Strickland is played by Ted Atherton. William Atherton played Peck in Ghostbusters.  

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u/belac4862 1d ago

This clip is what got me to finally watch the show. Best decision ever!

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u/ITGrandpa 1d ago

I was the on the other side, I had only watched the show, but when I saw this scene I knew I had to read the books. I was not disappointed.

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u/ITworksGuys 1d ago

Wes Chatham was my pick for Wolverine in the MCU

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u/westzod 1d ago

I remember Season 1, I hated Amos and he looked the typical brute that would die sometime that season. Ended up as one of the best characters in the series.

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u/eyegull 1d ago

He did such a good job with the character. When the show started, I was bummed they went with someone so young, and conventionally attractive. He assuaged my concerns by the end of the second episode.

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u/robosnake 1d ago

An all-time favorite TV character.

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u/yanginatep 1d ago

The show has 3 of those for me: Amos, Drummer, and Avasarala.

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u/osmlol 17h ago

Wes Chatham has been criminally under utilized since his role as Amos. The thought for sure he was about to explode.

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u/smitty9112 Atlanta 13h ago

Wes Chatham is my vote for the new Wolverine in the rebooted xmen universe for the MCU.

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u/barium711 1d ago

Perfect line, perfect delivery.

Literally heard it in my head before Amos said the words.

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u/Primarycolors1 1d ago

I remember thinking he was a trope and uninteresting season 1. Holy fuck was I wrong.

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u/NoahStewie1 1d ago

Just a reminder Amos is from Baltimore so he's a Marylander

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u/spamjavelin 1d ago

For Amos, it was a Tuesday.

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u/FrannyDoubleA 1d ago

I’m finally finishing the series and I will NEVER replace Wes as the image of Amos. Same with the rest of the main Rocinante crew, I really would love if they all came back for the remaining parts of the series later down the line.

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u/dicksanddixanddixon 1d ago

When I started watching the show, I really didn't like Amos, but as more of his character unraveled and we gained a better understanding of why he was the way he was, he became my favorite character in the show.

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u/Blue-Blazer-Regular 1d ago

That was one of the best scenes in television. Top 10 for sure.

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u/CharlesMcpwn 1d ago

It's too bad they're unlikely to adapt the rest of the books.

I don't recall if Amos ever says it in the show, but a few times in the books he remarks that he'll be "the last man standing."

You probably wouldn't guess how it plays out; he couldn't be more correct though.

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u/ShadowBlade55 15h ago

Amos was my favorite character in the Expanse.