#The Expanse season 5 episode 4 delivers Fred Johnson stunner

The Expanse season 5 episode 4 arrived on Amazon today with high stakes, and it’s fair to say that it delivered. It also handed an emotional farewell to one of the series’ most-fascinating characters.

(Warning: Massive spoilers within from this week’s new episode.)

Midway through the latest installment, we saw the end of the road for one Fred Johnson. Chad Coleman did a brilliant job in this part over the years, but we have long been concerned that the Tycho Station leader would find himself in some peril. This time around, it seemed in part due to something that he had that Marco was desperate to seize: The protomolecule sample.

Why did Fred keep it in a place so obviously close to him? That is a good question, but clearly he was so confident in his personal survival and never felt like anyone else could take it. Maybe he underestimated Marco or just about any other group, but it’s a reminder of how dangerous it was to be saving the protomolecule for a rainy day. Now, Marco can use this as leverage for his latest plan: To seize more control for the Belters while also threatening Earth and Mars. His plan at the moment is clear: To create a whole new empire where Belters can be free, one where they have control of everything beyond the planets and where they can spread their own influence. Have these people faced discrimination and great hardship? Absolutely, but their violence (in particular towards innocence) is that of war, as opposed that just that of unity or fighting for their own piece of the pie.

War isn’t just coming on The Expanse anymore — it’s already here, and we have a significant casualty at the center of it all now. We’re going to miss Fred Johnson — also, in between this and The Walking Dead, can characters played by Coleman stop dying? This death, or at least the timing of it, also can serve as somewhat of a surprise to book readers; it was much earlier than many expected, even though we personally have wondered about it for years in the context of the series.

Related News – Be sure to get some more news regarding The Expanse, including more on the next new episode

What did you think of the end of Fred Johnson’s story on The Expanse season 5 episode 4?

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This article was written by Jessica Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.