Problems seem to be everywhere in Subduction. Written by Dan Nowak, and dropping on 13 December, 2019 like the rest of season four, there is a lot going on.

On Earth, Chrisjen (Shohreh Aghdashloo) is having issues running for office, a role she should have in the bag, and may have again, now that something has been revealed about her opponent. On Mars, Bobbie (Frankie Adams) is having problems keeping her nephew out of trouble and dealing with a corrupt cop and his side hustle.

But it’s through the gates that the real problems are happening, specifically on Ilus/New Terra. The storm which travelled in a straight line seems to have activated something under the surface which Alex (Cas Anvar), Holden (Steven Strait) and Dr. Okoye (Lyndie Greenwood) discover when they pinpoint the seismic activity.

Naomi (Dominque Tipper) has arrived at the Belter settlement to help patch things up after the storm, but the gravity, and the meds she’s taking for it, maybe too much. She could be risking her life if she doesn’t go back up the well.

And Amos (Wes Chatham) is ready to go toe-to-toe with the UNN rep, Murtry (Burn Gorman) who executed a man in cold blood and is more than willing to do it again, drawing the lines between the Belters and Inners once again.

Trouble is coming, and what the hell is that thing under the surface of Ilus doing? Great episode and I’m getting very eager to see how it all plays out, as I remember some of it from the novels, but also know that there are changes coming.

Retrograde was written by Matthew Rasmussen, and takes us back to Medina Station for awhile. It seems Drummer (Cara Gee) and Ashford (David Strathairn) have captured the OPA pirate responsible for conducting raids on the ships congregating at the rings waiting for a chance to pass through them.

His name is Marco (Keon Alexander) and he has a connection to the OPA and to Naomi that runs deep. And despite an initial sentence of death, Marco is able to persuade the other OPA factions to spare his life, leaving him alive, and a possible threat to everything down the line.

On Mars, Bobbie’s efforts to do the right thing after aiding the corrupt cop, Martin (Paul Schulze) go sideways when she quits her job and gets arrested for the crime he blackmailed her into.

Back on Ilus, Holden and Alex are able to stop the underground mechanism, but soon find themselves caught up in Murtry’s brutal actions at the settlement. Amos is in chains, and Naomi and Dr. Lucia (Rosa Gilmore) are on the run to the Rocinante, even as Naomi fights her body and gravity. The truth of Naomi’s situation is revealed to Holden, he just wants her to be ok, and they’ll be happy wherever they are, together.

Naomi, alongside Alex and Lucia, is able to get off planet and Holden decks Murtry to show him he’s not in charge anymore. But I think that just means Holden’s made a new enemy.

While all this is going on, we learn that there is still something happening beneath the surface of Ilus!