January 17-23
“Hard Vacuum” | The Expanse
Dominique Tipper
The Expanse continues to deliver exceptional performances in the midst of episodes that can sadly at times be too heavy this season. Here’s the thing, we love this show, but we’re not going to pretend that having the crew split up throughout the entire season doesn’t sting a bit. (And that we’re not screaming on our TV screens for some peace.) But that said, the past two weeks have been Dominique Tipper’s world and we’re all just living in it.
This is Naomi Nagata’s season, rightfully so and between last week and this, Tipper has been bringing her A-game. It was easy to ache for her. It was easy to be uncomfortable. (I had to actually look away multiple times because I could not bear it.) And by the time we get to the end of the episode, Naomi was on her way towards finding solace again. Tipper’s physicality throughout the episode, her posture, and the incredible way in which she brought to life emotions that could have easily been overdone are a superb showcase of her gifts as an actress.
Even the way Tipper brought to light nuances of the Naomi we didn’t know before in last week’s episode were prodigiously telling of her skill sets. We can’t wait until she is safe and warm on a ship that is not a threatened as so, but we cannot deny how much we appreciate the layers she has been exhibiting this season. Tipper took the Naomi we knew and gave her even more depth. She was good, complex, and strong before, but every little thing she lived through this season was heartbreaking to say the least, and while we hate that Naomi had to go through it, we can’t complain about the excellent work it allowed Tipper to put in.
From every scream to the the constant hollowness and heartbreak in her eyes–even the way she would react to hearing herself on the radio told us of her inner and exterior turmoils remarkably. Naomi isn’t okay. What she has gone through with Marco and Filip has broken her in a way nothing ever could–she is physically wounded and emotionally stripped by the one person she would have given her life for, but she is going to be okay, and Dominique Tipper shows the audience this through her resilience. She might not be okay right now, but she is headed towards the freedom she deserves–physically off a dangerous ship and emotionally towards reconciliation. (Which hopefully involves Filip, too.)
Who was the most noteworthy performer you watched this week?