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This page is about the Tv icon TV character. For the books incarnation, see Michael Souther (Books).
Book-icon-simple Books character Tv icon TV character

My dear friend Admiral Michael Souther once said, "The war does not end when people put down their guns. It ends when they reconcile. Until then, the war has only paused."
— Chrisjen Avasarala, on ADM Michael Souther

Michael Souther was an Admiral (ADM) in the United Nations Navy, initially serving as Fleet Admiral (FADM) before stepping down and being assigned command of the Jupiter Fleet and the UNN Agatha King as Vice Admiral (VADM)

Biography[]

Background[]

Souther's background has not been discussed in the show, though it is evident he has served in the UN Navy for a long time, having attained the ranks of Admiral and Fleet Commander, and being widely known and respected among his soldiers.

Personality[]

Souther is honorable, steadfast, and rational. Unlike many of his colleagues in military command, he heavily dislikes war and violence and is always seen attempting to dissuade hostile responses and dissolve conflicts. He values the lives of his soldiers above all else, and is reticent to commit troops to any maneuvers that would be deemed as an escalation. His character and experience have garnered a lot of respect and admiration from UN soldiers, as roughly half of the UN fleet was willing to oppose direct orders from Commander Nguyen and defect, on Souther's word alone.

Souther has a discrete and reasonable approach, refusing to jump to conclusions when he doesn't have all the information, and is uncompromising when it comes to his morals, as he stepped down from his prestigious position in fleet command due to his ethical disagreements with UN leadership. Avasarala has pointed out that this quality of his is a flaw as well as a virtue; after all, his refusal to be complicit in the UN's actions caused him to lose all of his influence, which ended up costing him and his soldiers heavily.


Throughout the series[]

"Remember the Cant"[]

After the Canterbury's destruction, Admiral Souther tells Avasarala and Errinwright that it makes no sense for Mars to blow up an ice freighter. Avasarala's hypothesis is that they are trying to destabilize Ceres, noting that the water shortage has worsened the tensions between Ceres' frustrated Belter population, and its ineffective Earther government, increasing the likelihood that the OPA will start violent revolts and give Mars a perfect excuse to insert themselves as a pacifying force and take over the Station. Souther rolls his eyes as Avasarala asserts that this is a security issue and warrants a strong response from the Secretary General, like redeploying Earth's fleet. Souther retorts that such action would only inflame the situation and that they don't know if Mars is truly behind this, as the only indication is James Holden's word. Errinwright notes that Holden was a naval officer, but Souther does not approve of his record.

Souther and Avasarala argue in front of Errinwright, with Avasarala believing they can't just sit and wait and saying that they need to intervene before Mars takes over Ceres and uses the resources to finally become independent of Earth, while Souther believes that if they act too harshly, they could start a real war with Mars that will result in many soldiers dying.

Souther finally puts his foot down that Fleet Command will not support deployment unless the government has proof of Mars' wrongdoing, and Errinwright concedes to Souther's point of view, much to Avasarala's disappointment.

Later, Souther sits in a conference room with many other officials, including Avasarala, Errinwright, and Secretary General Sorrento-Gillis, where they receive a report that DeGraaf communicated with Mars High Command about the possibility of someone selling illegal stealth tech to the OPA, causing a meticulous inspection on Mars' side that revealed the existence of three more manufacturing facilities than what Earth was previously aware of. Avasarala realises they were taking inventory, and reveals that she lied to DeGraaf, who did exactly what Avasarala expected he would. She concludes that, as the Martian government seemed unaware of their stealth tech being funneled away from Mars, they are not the ones who destroyed the Canterbury. Souther asks who is responsible then, and Avasarala replies that it is someone who is trying to start a war.

"CQB"[]

Souther is briefing Avasarala on the Donnager's battle, reporting that they can't get any information on the identity of the Donnager's pursuers or any of the ships' current status due to massive jamming. Avasarala presses that the Martians are holding their people hostage and they need to get one of their own ships there, but the closest Earth ship is two days away from the location. Avasarala and Souther agree that someone in the System has acquired a brand new fleet of warships, but they don't know who.

"Salvage"[]

After the UN send a ship to investigate Fred Johnson, Souther reports to Errinwright and Avasarala that Tycho Station asked why the UN is sending a battleship towards them, and they gave a plausible lie about reactor malfunctions necessitating an urgent stop, though he doesn't think they believed it. Errinwright is operating under the assumption that Fred Johnson is running a stealth tech program and is responsible for the destruction of the Donnager and the Canterbury, which Avasarala disagrees with. Errinwright is nonchalant about their inspection of Tycho as it is an Earth corporation and thus they have jurisdiction, but Souther warns that the OPA will not see it that way. Avasarala waves the matter aside and brings up Errinwright's intent to assassinate Holden, which she says will cost them the information that he has and will turn him into a martyr, but Errinwright matter-of-factly coutners that the Secretary General has given the order and that they will make it look like habitual street violence on Eros.

Souther and Errinwright are shocked by a report they receive, stating that Frank DeGraaf committed suicide in his home. Avasarala is visibly affected and Errinwright offers his condolences, saying that they can finish later, but she boldly replies that they can finish now.


"Leviathan Wakes"[]

At the UN building in New York, Admiral Souther shares his belief with Avasarala that Fred Johnson is lying to get revenge against Earth, but is surprised when she seems to believe Fred and asks for a full investigation of the fusion drives he talked about in his transmission. They are approached by Errinwright, who informs them that the drives were indeed built on Earth, though he claims it was not for the UN. According to him, the missing drive cores have been making their way to Tycho and Fred Johnson throughout the last years, and he congratulates Avasarala as her research into Heikki Sabong and the OPA smugglers was instrumental to recovering the information in question. Though he assures that he has gone through the full report himself, Avasarala doesn't seem to believe him. Errinwright notices Avasarala is staring skeptically at him, but she claims she's just troubled because of Frank DeGraaf's death and decides that they will crack down hard on the OPA, expose the truth, and take down Fred Johnson, much to Errinwright's approval. He informs them that the Secretary General is calling an emergency meeting with the UN's key contractors to discuss security, and Avasarala agrees to join. He then introduces Souther and Avasarala to a recently arrived Jules-Pierre Mao, who cordially shakes hands with them.

"Safe"[]

In the meeting, Errinwright shows the gathered officials a 3D display of the movements of MCRN ships within the Solar System, including the Scirocco headed for Phoebe, claiming that they are mobilizing for war. Errinwright and Admiral Nguyen advocate for an aggressive, militant response to secure their bases and make a show of dominance, while Souther calls for de-escalation, reasoning that the bases in question are pretty unimportant and that Mars would prefer to focus on terraforming rather than war. Despite his attempts, Secretary General Sorrento-Gillis goes with Errinwright's plan after Avasarala supports him, ordering for the fleet to be deployed.

In the next meeting, the UN's leadership receive reports on the Scirocco firing at the Nathan Hale in response to it accelerating towards Phoebe. Avasarala tries to mitigate the escalation of violence, reasoning that it takes two to play war, though she wonders why Mars is protecting Phoebe so viciously, when it is a relatively unimportant station. Nguyen feels Mars has attacked them and theorizes they could be preparing a System-wide strike, but when Avasarala asks him if any other Martian ships have acted provocatively, he is forced to admit they haven't.

Avasarala doesn't see a first strike of war, but a warning to back off, though Errinwright theorizes that, with the comms delay, it will probably have evolved into an all-out gunfight, which he feels won't be the end of the tensions. Much to Souther's surprise, Avasarala claims to know the commanding officer of the Nathan Hale, Captain Yvgeny, from his youth at the academy, to persuade Sorrento-Gillis to de-escalate. A frustrated Errinwright insists they must attack the entirety of Mars' fleet, but Avasarala asserts that Mars isn't stupid enough to start a war that will end civilization over a "rat-hole" like Phoebe, and manages to convince Sorrento-Gillis to let the confrontation between the two ships play out.

Later, Avasarala pours herself a drink at the edge of the room, when she is approached by Souther. He tells her he didn't know they shared Captain Yvgeny as a friend, to which she replies that he is an exceptional man. Souther agrees, pointedly informing her that he never went to the academy.

The entire room gathers around a screen as Captain Yvgeny sends a report: The Nathan Hale has not fired on the Scirocco, because their missiles weren't intended for the Earth ship. Everyone in the room celebrates, save for Errinwright, and Avasarala who watches him closely. Yvgeny then reveals that the Martians had instead targeted Phoebe station, and completely destroyed it in the process, sending some of the ice on it spiraling down into Saturn.

"Doors & Corners"[]

The leadership of Earth's government and military convene around a roundtable to examine the situation between the Nathan Hale and the Scirocco over Phoebe Station. Nguyen observes that Mars destroyed the station to avoid Earth reaching it first, and grumbles that they'll never find out what was going on there, but Souther urges that they already precipitated the situation by sending their ships to Phoebe, and points out that the Martians clearly did not intend to harm the Nathan Hale. Avasarala is thankful for Captain Yvgeny's cool head, which prevented the confrontation from escalating into a system-wide war.

Souther insists that they should de-escalate, as Mars destroyed an expendable, abandoned base, but Nguyen aggressively retorts that Phoebe was a joint facility run by an Earth corporation, they can't know what happened as the only intel of it being abandoned came from Mars, and now a large portion of the MCRN fleet is heading towards Earth. Despite Souther's attempts to reason, Secretary General Sorrento-Gillis sides with Nguyen and wants to make a strong response.

While Nguyen angrily protests Souther's more peaceful trade embargo proposal, insisting they must start destroying Mars' ships, Avasarala looks thoughtfully over at Errinwright. Sensing an inevitable escalation of violence, she sends Errinwright a message through her hand terminal, which makes his eyes light up when he sees it. Looking up to see her nod at him, Errinwright interrupts the argument to bring up the proposed target: A deep radar station on Deimos, which houses minimal personnel and thus the casualties will be light. Souther gravely points out that attacking one of Mars' moons will be seen as a declaration of war, but Errinwright retorts that it's a warning, to show Mars that Earth can strike at the heart of their territory.

Sorrento-Gillis wants to consult the Security Council, but Errinwright is certain they will back his decision. Souther is seething and expresses that sharing the blame will not change how wrong their decision is, and personally refuses to support this escalation. Errinwright and Sorrento-Gillis are unphased by this, so Souther indignantly rises from his seat and announces that he is stepping down as fleet commander. Avasarala watches him closely as he leaves.

Later, Avasarala enters a bar and sits next to Souther, who is having a drink, dejected. She finds Souther has already ordered her a drink, and he tells her she isn't as subtle as she thinks, to which she replies that she is not a covert operative. She tells Souther he should celebrate, as he got transfered to Jupiter fleet command, a good job, but Souther sarcastically thanks her for giving his old job to Nguyen.

Avasarala tries to convince Souther that this was the best outcome, reasoning that it was obvious they weren't going to leave the room without an escalation and that Deimos was the least harmful target that Sorrento-Gillis could swallow: big symbol, minimal human loss. Souther is irked at her rationalizing an escalation of war, but she explains she wants him to know how his outburst lessened his influence and control over his wider goal. Souther retorts that, when Avasarala finally has her war, he will be out there trying to minimize the body count. He tries to leave in indignation, but Avasarala convinces him to sit back down and orders a scotch for him.

Avasarala then tells Souther to "grow a pair" and tell her what he really thinks, citing that they are just two people having a drink with no ranks. She jokingly offers to get the ball rolling, and starts to describe herself as a "smug old bitch who enjoys playing with life and death on her big chessboard, a snake in a sari-" at which point a livid Souther interrupts her and adds "with dead eyes and a poison tongue". He heatedly asserts that the System is in tatters because of people like Errinwright and herself and that, despite her delusions to the contrary, Avasarala is the worst person that Souther has ever met.

Avasarala smiles as Souther collects himself and drinks some of his scotch, admitting that it felt good to get that out of his system and telling Avasarala to also "grow a pair" and tell him why she came. She asks Souther about Fred Johnson, noting that Souther was the only person to stay silent as the rest of his colleagues besmirched Fred upon his joining the OPA. Souther is angry and accuses Avasarala of not knowing what she is talking about, but she earnestly says that she wants to know the true story, and Souther acquiesces. He tells Avasarala that he got this information from someone he trusts who was there, but her predecessors in Earth's government covered it up: The Belter protesters in Anderson Station had been trying to negotiate for days, but UNN command was jamming their communications and, when they finally gave up, the UN did not tell Johnson that they had surrendered, as if he knew, he would never have ordered the strike that killed them. Avasarala asks why they didn't tell him, and Souther reasons that those in power wanted to send a message to the Belt that if they defied Earth, the UN would wipe them out. Avasarala asks why Fred switched sides, and Souther explains that the UN gave him a medal for Anderson Station, making him a hero on Earth and despised everywhere else. Fred didn't even try to clear his name, even though his reputation was based on a big lie; He just walked away. Avasarala asks if that makes Fred a hero or a traitor. Souther doesn't know, but he says that Fred is an honorable man who held onto his soul, which is hard to do in their line of work. He tells Avasarala that the scotch she ordered for him wasn't bad, but he prefers beer, before getting up and leaving.

A moment after Souther is gone, Cotyar gets up from one of the booths in the back of the bar and approaches Avasarala, remarking that he didn't think Souther had that in him. Much to his shock, Avasarala says she needs to send a message with no traces back to her, so she can talk with Fred Johnson. Cotyar hushedly points out that doing so would constitute treason, which Avasarala gravely confirms.

"Assured Destruction"[]

Admiral Souther leads the UNN Agatha King towards the wreck of the Guanshiyin, as they have been sent in a rescue mission. He asks Lieutenant Commander Shaffer about the number of survivors, which she replies is unknown, noting that they didn't get any information out of the dropship's registry. She wonders why the UN sent their flagship to rescue a single dropship when they could have sent any other ship, to which Souther replies that, even in low-g, shit still rolls downhill. Shaffer asks if this reminds him of Vesta, though Souther feels the two situations are nothing alike.

They take an elevator to the command deck, finding the lights flickering within. Souther asks Lieutenant Mancuso about the electrical failures, which he says are being currently fixed, noting that the wiring in the Agatha King needs an overhaul. Shaffer jokes about how old and terrible the ship is, but Souther affectionately defends it, certain they will eventually grow to love it.

Admiral Nguyen sends an unexpected tight-beam to Souther, where he orders him to take every person on the dropship prisoner, and that no one is to talk to them until Nguyen himself arrives on board. Shaffer and Mancuso find it strange that Nguyen is going to personally board the Agatha King, and the upcoming visit leaves Souther uneasy.

Meanwhile, Avasarala is treated in the Rocinante's med-bay. Upon waking up, she requests to speak to Holden and tries to convince him to send proof of Errinwright's treason to Souther in order to end the war, but Holden refuses to take the risk of broadcasting their location, despite Avasarala's efforts.

On the Agatha King, Cotyar is shackled to his chair in the med-bay, while Souther watches him through the command deck's cameras. Shaffer confirms his ID as Cotyar Ghazi, adding that he used to be in SIGINT and is currently in Avasarala's security detail, which leads Souther to conclude with a scowl that he is Avasarala's spy. Mancuso calls all the officers in the deck to attention as Admiral Nguyen arrives, being formally greeted by Souther who shows him the footage from Cotyar's cell, naming him as the only survivor from the dropship.

Nguyen sends the nearby officers away to give him and Souther a wider berth, and whispers to him that he knows the visit is unusual but secrecy was critical, informing him that the Secretary General has ordered to apprehend Avasarala on suspicion of treason. Souther is shocked, but Nguyen tells him that she was conspiring with Jules-Pierre Mao and that her last known location was the yacht from whose debris they fished Cotyar. Nguyen heads off to interview Cotyar, and when Souther asks to accompany him, Nguyen smiles and replies "of course".

Cotyar struggles with his constraints as Nguyen and Souther arrive and dispatch the guard in the room. Souther introduces himself and Nguyen to a nonchalant Cotyar, who jokes that he didn't expect the honor of being taken home by a UN flagship. Nguyen pointedly notes that Theo wasn't as lucky as him, which Cotyar attributes to him not getting strapped in on time, earnestly adding that he was a good man. Nguyen notes it's a shame, as Theo sounds like he would have been very cooperative, while now they will only get Cotyar's story.

Cotyar claims that Avasarala was executed by Mao's goons and that Bobbie fled on the Razorback, but Nguyen doesn't fall for it, instead hypothesizing that Avasarala defected to Mars, to which Cotyar growls that Nguyen should have called and asked her before the UN blew up the Guanshiyin. Souther finds it preposterous that Cotyar is suggesting the UN destroyed a civilian vessel, but Cotyar tells him it's not a suggestion, but a full fact. Nguyen laughs and threatens that Cotyar might avoid a death sentence if he cooperates, to which Cotyar tries to explain that Errinwright is the real traitor and the one who was collaborating with Jules-Pierre Mao. Nguyen passive aggressively dismisses him, but Souther holds his gaze with a very serious expression.

Later, Souther stares around the command deck of the Agatha King, before looking down at the security camera feed from Cotyar's holding cell. He casually approaches Mancuso, asking him about the electrical problems on decks 2, 3 and 11. Mancuso, confused, replies that decks 2 and 3 are fixed, while deck 11 never had problems to begin with. Souther, however, pointedly asks him how long he believes the systems will be down on deck 11, and Mancuso catches on, estimating around 20 minutes before the systems are "fixed".

As Mancuso manually disables the power on deck 11, Shaffer approaches the guard outside Cotyar's cell and, despite his protests, takes him away to help with an apparent electrical fire on another deck. As the corridor clears of people, Souther approaches Cotyar's cell. Nguyen approaches Mancuso and orders him to chart a new course for Io which, when Mancuso asks what is there, Nguyen replies that it's classified. Lieutenant Boyer notices something is wrong, and Mancuso attributes it to the Agatha King's age. Nguyen, in the meantime, notices Souther's absence, asking which decks are experiencing electrical issues. When Mancuso tells him it's 2, 3 and 11, Nguyen immediately realizes that the med-bay is on the 11th deck and he and Boyer run off.

Souther enters the cell, and tells Cotyar that he rarely agreed with Avasarala or her methods, calling her a "ruthless son of a bitch" but also a patriot, certain that she would die before betraying Earth and instructing Cotyar to talk fast. Cotyar quickly relays that Avasarala made a secret deal to apprehend Jules-Pierre Mao and, in exchange for immunity, he would testify that he and Errinwright had been colluding to develop the protomolecule into a weapon, and would turn over all data to the UN instead of the Martians, but Errinwright turned the tables on all the parties involved and emerged on top. Souther deduces that Nguyen is working with Errinwright, and also that Avasarala is still alive, which Cotyar confirms she got away with Bobbie but he doesn't know what happened afterwards. Souther asks for proof, which Cotyar doesn't have, but he does know Avasarala has the message that Errinwright sent to Mao where he admits everything. As Nguyen and Boyer close in, Cotyar grabs Souther's hand and tells him Avasarala called him an honorable man, asking him if he will do something about the fact that this war was built on a lie. The lights turn back on, giving Souther just enough of a warning to get away right before Nguyen arrives at Cotyar's cell. He orders Boyer to find the guard that was supposed to be guarding the cell, but enters to find a relaxed Cotyar sitting by himself.

Returning to the main deck, Nguyen relieves Souther of command, taking over the Agatha King. Though Souther gives over his position without incident, it is evident that Nguyen is onto him.

"Reload"[]

After stopping the Martian ensigns' attempted takeover of the Rocinante, Bobbie and Holden bring Sinopoli before Avasarala. They explain that a faction within the UN started the war, and Avasarala informs Sinopoli that he and his comrades will be allowed to return to the Martian fleet, on one condition: She gives him the proof of Errinwright's treason, asking him to have his superior officer send it to Souther on the Agatha King.

"Triple Point"[]

Sinopoli and his comrades Ranhofer and Loftis are rescued by the MCRN Hammurabi, and he is brought before the ship's captain, Sandrine Kirino. He shows both Kirino and her Lieutenant, Durant, the message that Avasarala gave him, and relays her request to have it sent to Souther. Durant instantly rejects the notion, while Kirino checks on the Agatha King's course and, finding it strange that they are heading to Io, has the Hammurabi follow suit. Despite Sinopoli's attempts to reason with her, however, she decides that they don't have enough information to do as Avasarala asked them, and sends the ensign away.

On the Agatha King, Mancuso informs Nguyen of the Hammurabi's change of course, which Nguyen is confident they can take, but Shaffer notes that the numbers would be in their favor above Callisto. Nguyen bluntly cuts her off, prompting Souther to ask why they are going to Io, as Callisto is the key to their victory. Nguyen insists that they have no need to know why, and that they will proceed to Io as planned. After dispatching Boyer to relay his orders to the rest of the fleet, he passive-aggressively tells Souther not to return to the CIC unless he has specific business, an order he begrudgingly follows, while Shaffer and Mancuso share a worried look.

Later, in the galley, Souther tosses his food around on his plate, looking visibly disappointed. Shaffer and Mancuso sit down beside him, and he discreetly sends the other soldiers out of the room, after which Mancuso asks for permission to speak. He reveals he has been monitoring Nguyen's comms, having found that he's been constantly communicating both with Earth and with Io, violating UNN regulations and erasing all evidence of those conversations. Shaffer adds that now, he is diverting a capital ship away from their main engagement to go to a deserted moon, and complains about him having very rudely relieved Souther of command for no reason. The two Lieutenants feel that something is off and have been communicating with other ships in the fleet, cementing the other officer's loyalty to Souther. Souther is very cautious and worried, and dislikes the implication of a coup against Nguyen, but their discussion is interrupted by Boyer's arrival.

Souther leaves the room, and when he's gone, Shaffer and Mancuso get in a debate with Boyer about whether Souther or Nguyen is the best commander. Boyer feels that Nguyen is tough when he has to be and that he's earned his position, while Shaffer and Mancuso find that he's a prick who only got his job because of Souther stepping down, and because of Nguyen's kissing Errinwright's ass. Boyer shares that Nguyen was on the Yasijuro during the Vesta Blockade and has a burning hatred of Mars due to having lost 29 of his fellow soldiers during the fight. He heatedly asserts that Nguyen knows the enemy and he is glad to have him in charge at a time like this, to which Shaffer and Mancuso don't reply.

Kirino ends up changing her mind, however, as she sends Errinwright's message to the Agatha King addressed specifically at Souther, and Mancuso and Shaffer discreetly work together to snatch it from under Nguyen and Boyer's watch. Shaffer brings the message to Souther, and they watch it together. She is certain that Errinwright has Nguyen in his pocket, but Souther is adamant that he needs to confirm it is real first. She asks him what his orders are, and he tells her to be ready for anything before they part ways.

Souther intimidates Iafrate, the guard outside Cotyar's cell, into letting him through, and asks Cotyar to repeat Errinwright's exact words in the message. Cotyar doesn't remember the specifics, but when the important details line up, Souther's expression turns shocked and wary. Seeing his reaction, Cotyar realizes with great relief that Avasarala survived and got the message back to Souther. He is about to ask something when Boyer and Iafrate barge in, informing Souther that Nguyen wants to see him. Souther shares a tense glance with Cotyar before walking off.

On the Hammurabi, Durant notices Kirino's tactical approach to the battle seems to be very unaggressive, and is displeased upon realizing she has sent the message to Souther, which he tells her could be considered treason. Kirino maintains that thousands of lives are at stake, and hopes that the video might be enough to get all of them to talk instead of fighting.

As the Hammurabi's weapons are better than the Agatha King's, they get in range of firing without being close enough for the Agatha King to fire back. Despite the obvious advantage, Kirino doesn't fire, which causes Nguyen to wonder why she isn't initiating the battle, as she has the opportunity. Souther realizes that the Martians don't want to shoot; they are testing them to see if, at their core, they are honorable or not. Nguyen smugly says that there's no honor in defeat and orders the crew to prepare the weapons. When Souther counters that order, the entire deck springs into action, holding all of Nguyen's loyalists at gunpoint. Souther relieves Nguyen of command for conspiring to wage an illegal war, and orders for Nguyen to be taken into custody. He then broadcasts to all ships, both UN and MCR, announcing that he's standing down and has relieved Admiral Nguyen of command under charges of conspiracy and fighting an illegal war. Kirino, Sinopoli and Durant listen to the broadcast, as Souther promises to transmit proof to both fleets.

Taking Mancuso and Shaffer by surprise, Iafrate and Boyer disarm them, and Nguyen shoots Souther mid-speech, killing him. Nguyen has the soldiers who supported Souther arrested and brought to prison, but begins losing control of the fleet, as some ships defect due to being loyal to Souther. Nguyen decides to fire on the UNN Jimenez, murdering thousands of his own soldiers to dissuade the defectors. Shaffer and Mancuso attempt to fight back, but are both murdered, though Shaffer manages to injure Nguyen in the fight. Due to Nguyen's actions, a fight begins between a divided UNN fleet, with half of the ships supporting Nguyen and the other half being on Souther's side. In a last ditch effort to destroy Mars, Nguyen launches Jules-Pierre Mao's protomolecule pods, intending to infect Mars with the protomolecule.

The battle fades out eventually, as Kirino has the Martian fleet stand aside and offer a truce to any peaceful UNN ships, while Nguyen and the entire Agatha King are obliterated when Cotyar overloads the reactor, killing everyone still left alive on the ship. The protomolecule pods launched by Nguyen are destroyed in a joint effort between Mars and Fred Johnson, putting an end to the war.

"Jetsam"[]

In her first state visit to Mars, Avasarala attends a banquet along with other MCR delegates. She gives a speech before the gathered officials, where she calls Souther her dear friend and claims he once told her "The war does not end when people put down their guns, it ends when they reconcile. Until then, the war has only paused." She agrees with this message and encourages everyone in attendance to celebrate their shared humanity and forge true peace through reconciliation. She speaks words of admiration for Souther, and everyone like him who followed their conscience to protect humanity, and adds that some of those heroes are in the banquet today, gesturing towards Bobbie. This seems to make Bobbie deeply uncomfortable.

After the banquet, Bobbie is leaving when she is approached by Avasarala. Avasarala is jolly and playful, but Bobbie is upset because Avasarala barely spoke to her and Arjun was her only company among the Martians who hate her. She asks Avasarala if Admiral Souther really said any of the things she attributed to him, and Avasarala replies that she has no idea as they barely spoke. Bobbie lashes out, saying that Avasarala's invitation was just her manipulating Bobbie, the same way she toyed with Souther's memory for her political intrigues.

Media[]

Appearances[]

Season One
1 "Dulcinea"
2 "The Big Empty"
3 "Remember the Cant"Appears
4 "CQB"Appears
5 "Back to the Butcher"Absent
6 "Rock Bottom"Absent
7 "Windmills"Absent
8 "Salvage"Appears
9 "Critical Mass"Absent
10 "Leviathan Wakes"Appears
Season Two
1 "Safe"Appears
2 "Doors & Corners"Appears
3 "Static"Absent
4 "Godspeed"Absent
5 "Home"Absent
6 "Paradigm Shift"Absent
7 "The Seventh Man"Absent
8 "Pyre"Absent
9 "The Weeping Somnambulist"Absent
10 "Cascade"Absent
11 "Here There Be Dragons"Absent
12 "The Monster and the Rocket"Absent
13 "Caliban's War"Absent
Season Three
1 "Fight or Flight"Absent
2 "IFF"Absent
3 "Assured Destruction"Appears
4 "Reload"Absent
5 "Triple Point"Appears (assassinated)
6 "Immolation"Absent (credit only)
7 "Delta-V"
8 "It Reaches Out"
9 "Intransigence"
10 "Dandelion Sky"
11 "Fallen World"
12 "Congregation"
13 "Abaddon's Gate"
Season Four
1 "New Terra"
2 "Jetsam"Mentioned
3 "Subduction"
4 "Retrograde"
5 "Oppressor"
6 "Displacement"
7 "A Shot in The Dark"
8 "The One-Eyed Man"
9 "Saeculum"
10 "Cibola Burn"


Notes[]

  • While Admiral Souther initially wasn't given a first name in the seasons 1-3, in the fourth season, Avasarala mentioned him in her speech on Mars as "my dear friend Admiral Michael Souther".[1]

See also[]

References

  1. The Expanse TV Series - Season 4, Episode 2: "Jetsam" (24:10)


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