The Expanse season 6, episode 6 recap – the finale and ending explained

January 14, 2022 (Last updated: 4 days ago)
Daniel Hart 23
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Summary

While everything suggests this is the end due to a thrilling final chapter of war, The Expanse decided to leave some hope that the story will be continued.


This recap of Amazon’s The Expanse season 6, episode 6, “Babylon’s Ashes,” — the finale and ending explained — contains spoilers.

Read the recap of the previous episode.

Is this the last ever episode? For now, let’s pretend that this series will not continue. It feels crazy that we are ending here. Also, the finale’s ending was not exactly concrete, was it? The writers definitely left a few crumbs remaining so it can be revisited. Let’s hope so. Anyway, let’s recap the last ever episode of The Expanse. As an FYI, I’ve not read the books, so if I’ve missed anything crucial, holla at me in the comments.

The Expanse season 6, episode 6 recap – the finale and ending explained

On a planet in the Laconia system, Cara reveals that the dogs “fixed” her brother. Her brother comes through the door, and the parents are spooked. The father slashes the boy’s hand, and he heals instantly. There is something not right with the boy. The father locks the boy in a cabinet. Cara fools her parents and frees her brother. In space, Duarte’s plans are coming to fruition near the Ring.

Avasarala leads a war strategy meeting for their fight against the Free Navy. They need to take Marco Inaros head-on. Holden has a plan B to capture Marco’s railguns at the Ring Station using an assault team — the Rocinante will act as a distraction. This is their best chance to disarm and defeat Marco Inaros. The writers were saving everything for the finale.

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The finale then flits to The Free Navy en route to The Ring. Filip is wondering why his authority has been reinstated, but it’s clear his father needs him in the war efforts. Marco appears to have something up his sleeve.

While preparing for the war efforts, Peaches is struggling badly; she runs a diagnosis on herself and learns she is suffering from “Compex Endocrine Collapse Syndrome (CECS),” which causes fatigue, dizziness, salt craving, seizures, and weight loss. This results from using mods and then no longer relying on them. There is no treatment, and the condition means a life expectancy of five more years, which brings a sad undertone to the last ever episode. However, she acts normal around her crewmates. Naomi recognizes that Peaches is trying to “wash the blood off her hands.” She wanted Filip to do the same.

But the feeling is that this feels like the end: family… one last time before one last fight.

And war efforts begin; Drummer’s Battle Group is ready — they’ve located The Pella. The attack on the Free Navy begins with Drummer ordering her team to “fire.” The Pella is hurt, and the navy falls back. Avasarala figures out that it wasn’t The Pella. It was a decoy.

Marco and his team fight back at Drummer’s Battle Group. Drummer is briefly hurt, and there’s a large hole in the side of her ship. She asks the other ships to disengage and leave The Pella to her. One of her ships slams into The Pella, and Commander Rosenfield is hurt badly. Filip tends to her aid. Drummer feels they’ve done all they can for now.

Meanwhile, Plan B is in action with the Rocinante heading to the Ring Station. They empty cargo containers towards the ring station, so the rail guns have more to aim at; Bobbie, Amos, and other squad members are concealed in the containers. The rail gun activates, and the Rocinante losers power. The reactor is in trouble, so Peaches offers to fix it. She manages to bring the reactor back online.

Bobbie and Amos are released from their containers with their squad, with the plan working well. Naomi heads down to the reactor to find Peaches almost unconscious; she hurt herself to save the mission. Bobbie and Amos land on the Ring Station safely with their squad. They are immediately drawn into a gun firefight from enemy forces. There are casualties immediately. Holden cannot help them from the air as they have to stay behind the Medina Station until the rail guns are under control.

Amos and Bobbie decided to be brave and face the fight ahead of them. Bobbie goes full-on assault to fight the enemy. She manages to bring some assault systems down, but the enemy soon shoots her relentlessly. Amos heads out to protect her, but they have to endure plenty of bullets. The Rocinante arrives to help out from the air in a timely fashion. They had no choice, and they had to take out the rail guns to help them.

Meanwhile, Duarte video messages Marco Inaros; he thanks him for his help but makes him aware that the Ring to the Laconia system is closed and that he no longer needs him. Filip asks Marco about those they’ve lost in the fight and if he feels anything within his conscience. Marco is shocked that his son still cannot see what he’s been given in life. Marco turns back into leader mode and reinvigorates his team — he talks about their incoming moment of victory and the struggle to be over. He calls it the end of The Inners and their beginning. Filip does not seem convinced, and he looks away from the commotion. It’s like the penny has dropped — his father will always fight, even if it means being a martyr. It’s like he finally saw the ideology for what it truly is.

The Rocinante crew regroup — they refuse to give up in their fight. Naomi believes they can trigger the Ring entities by pushing as much mass and energy at once in a timely fashion as Marco and his crew head into it. She believes this could end Marco Inaros “once and for all.” As Marco and his crew head through the Ring, Naomi sets up her plans, but she knows that doing so will kill her son. They put enough energy into the Ring to trigger the entities by triggering the reactor in one of their ships. Marco and his team are decimated as they go through the Ring.

It’s finally the end of Marco Inaros. The war is over. My only wish is that we got more time with this aftermath; seeing Naomi cry in Holden’s arms in a one-off scene is not enough.

The ending

However, with plenty of finale left, The Expanse season 6 divulges into politics and the future to conclude the series.

With the war seemingly over, Avasarala wants to find a way to have old enemies, new friends, as she holds an important meeting. She wants to ensure the entities inside the Rings do not obliterate them all. Drummer wants a promise of a voice and a future — she’s struggling to contain herself. She wants to be rewarded for the help provided to the Inners. Avasarala promises that they will be represented. Holden says Inaros isn’t all wrong, but he was evil. He understands that not trusting each other will bring another Marco Inaros.

Avasarala proposes having an independent agency with someone who is apolitical and sits above them; someone that has never taken sides — James Holden. Holden is shocked, but it’s evident that he’s the right person in the room. He wants assurances in writing.

The Transport Union is formed, and one of Holden’s first statements is about using the Ring safely. He announces himself as the First President of the Transport Union. Camina Drummer is the Vice President. His first official act is to resign as President to give Belters a voice, allowing Camina Drummer to be the President. Avasarala is furious, knowing that they did this behind her back. Holden insists this is the only way they secure peace. Avasarala smiles and states that she hopes he is right.

Naomi tells Holden that he followed his conscience and that the universe never tells them if they did right and wrong. As Naomi speaks about the way of life, the scene flits to Filip; he flies off before Marco, and his crew is obliterated. He survived. Holden talks about how many ships will be going through the Ring, but Naomi wants to hug and take in the moment. At this point, all fans will be absorbing this moment. Peace at last. The Expanse season 6, episode 6 has a sweet ending.

But is it over? While everything suggests this is the end due to a thrilling final chapter of war, The Expanse decided to leave some hope that the story will be continued.

What did you think of The Expanse season 6, episode 6 (finale), and the ending? Comment below.

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23 thoughts on “The Expanse season 6, episode 6 recap – the finale and ending explained

  • January 14, 2022 at 2:52 am
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    Indeed, sweet ending, and yet so many questions with Laconia and the “entities”. Would be nice to have a conclusion but I guess that would have been another season

  • January 14, 2022 at 4:45 am
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    What the heck with the Laconia storyline??

  • January 14, 2022 at 6:24 am
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    It definitely isn’t over. They called the last episode they season finale not the series final, plus they left way too many plot holes open. They didn’t even let Naomi know her son was still alive!

  • January 14, 2022 at 6:33 am
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    We need another season.

  • January 14, 2022 at 9:27 am
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    That ship the Martian general was looking at was coming through the ring at the very end towards the tail end of the credits…

  • January 14, 2022 at 12:45 pm
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    I wish they were making another season. Incorporating Strange Dogs into the beginning of each episode was the biggest tease as a fan of both the show and novels. Fantastic ending but definitely more story that can be told

  • January 14, 2022 at 2:05 pm
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    From what I understand, the reason they chose this as an ending point for the series is due to the 30 year time jump between books 6 and 7. And having having your entire cast in old age makeup for multiple seasons would probably be prohibitively expensive from a production standpoint.

  • January 14, 2022 at 2:10 pm
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    Did anyone else notice the names used in the Bravo assault team? They were the marines from Aliens 2.

  • January 14, 2022 at 2:28 pm
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    Did anyone else notice the names of the assault team Bravo were the marines on Aliens 2, too include Ripley

  • January 14, 2022 at 2:50 pm
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    Certainly leaving us hanging on the “Strange dogs” part in Laconia. There’s no way you can have so many holes like that and the series to be completely done!? I’m hearing there is more in the works down the road, but may be different cast members etc.? If that’s the cast it makes sense, but if it’s totally done for good I’d be disappointed. You can’t have all of that at the beginning of each episode with the Laconia stuff this season and then not finish it out. What does it have to do with the bigger picture of the show in general? What happens with the girl, her brother and their family? Where does she go and why would the show that if they aren’t going to pick back up on that storyline somewhere else. I have too many questions. And what about Filip, and Naomi? Does she ever find out her son got out and reconnect with him? Love the way everything else played out for the most part. The other Characters you can mostly assume for them, but these two storylines if left untouched will keep me up at night and bother me for years to come!

  • January 14, 2022 at 5:36 pm
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    like the books The Laconia Star Empire will return, in some years time

  • January 14, 2022 at 6:06 pm
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    It was an ok ending, but too much left up in the air. Entities, Laconia, Philip Anaros…I need answers!

  • January 14, 2022 at 11:40 pm
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    Nice spotting on the aliens. There is so much more in a tribute to all that has gone before. stargate, battlestar gallactica, space tripping, terminator authors of Sci-fi series. Guess is everyone apart from characters in The Expanse has some reference. Wish they had added R.Tam

  • January 15, 2022 at 12:02 am
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    If this was the series finale it is very disappointing. I have,a,feeling laconia will be,a,spinoff program. Too many questions no real resolution except to the war which is not enough. Disappointed

  • January 15, 2022 at 4:16 am
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    The show was once saved back when Syfy stop being a Sci-fi channel and became C movie channel. Can it be done again? Can another petition and fan camping make Netflix to take this show? Netflix already waste millions on s**t. Maybe pick up The Expanse would be a better use of money

  • January 15, 2022 at 9:28 am
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    Honestly, very disappointed by the ending of Season 6. A Series of this importance and beauty can’t end with so much to be explained and shown! Moreover, the main theme of the story is NOT SOLVED: what with the ring and the past it had in space history? There is no way the Expanse can end without closing the main theme of the series. Amazon says the costs are too high to make Season 7. No comment. The story has to continue and close with a sense to all the story, it’s theme.

  • January 15, 2022 at 6:24 pm
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    Really the girl and brother go off in the woods thats the ending for them I don,t mind the ending but what happens to those two?

  • January 15, 2022 at 8:25 pm
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    I have read all nine Novels twice and the showrunner teleplay deviation from Novels 6-8 is unbelievable. The deviation is probably due to the fact that they had to end “The Expanse” and this is how they did it.
    Naomi identified why ships were disappearing in the Ring during transit and it had nothing to do with “energy”. According to Novel 6 it had to do with too much mass attempting to transit the Ring at the same time which is what Marco and his whole fleet, not just his ship, tried to do to get to Medina Station and the Roci and as a result disintegrated (went Dutchman) at the molecular level.
    Cara and her brother were not introduced in Novel 6. There is nothing substantial about Laconia in Novel 6. What the showrunners did was bring some of Novel 7 into Episode 6 to give a hint at a future “The Expanse” that could be if some other entertainment entity picks it up.
    Bobbie doesn’t die until Novel 7: “Your turn today, my turn some other day.”

  • January 24, 2022 at 9:54 am
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    I’m gutted that they rushed and ultimately ruined season 6 I know they had to chose what to leave out and finish on a high for the fans but I’d rather they’d left a bad ending so fans went berserk and got it reinstated later tjis is purely from a selfish point of view I’m with cancer so now if its reinstated in a few years I won’t be here to see it!?

  • February 22, 2022 at 8:58 pm
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    When Filip ran away from his father’s ship, he entered his name into the computer as Filip Nagata instead of Filip Inaros. He’s using his mother’s last name.

  • January 16, 2023 at 4:49 am
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    It wasn’t only team B that was interesting, Team A had D.Idaho (Duncan from Dune), G.Ackbar ( Admiral Ackbae-Star Wars) team Charlie had Johnny Rico from Starship troopers, Will Riker Star trek and Kara Thrace Battlestar Galactica
    Prob loads of others I don’t know

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