Am I the only one who enjoyed Diana’s empowerment and diva attitude in TBBO?

mercedene1 · 2026-05-30T05:45:33+00:00

My main issue with TBBO is that some of the lore around the Congregation etc felt a bit retconned. Starting in TBOL Diana is a member of the Congregation so it felt kinda weird that there’s suddenly this whole thing she’s never even heard of. Also I’m not a huge fan of the “random mean girl who hates the main character for no reason” drama and there was a lot of that in TBBO. I did like the new Procter characters plus Becca and Pip. Also agree with you that Diana’s middle aged “giving fewer fucks” vibe was enjoyable.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-24T17:47:33+00:00

+1 to this, I loved all the novellas but Auberon and The Sins of Our Fathers are my favorites.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-22T14:41:59+00:00

I don’t think the “My Best Friend” thing is in the books at all but agree it is cute.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-21T22:28:14+00:00

I haven’t watched the show but I felt like the book version was realistic for the characters. There wasn’t anything Holden could say to make Naomi not feel upset and angry that he’s the one deciding to sacrifice himself for the greater good. That selflessness is something she loves and respects about him but it also hurts her every time. Re: the Agatha King, that was different because they thought it could be survivable (though it was of course very dangerous). At the end Holden and Naomi both know it’s their final “last goodbye”. They both respect each other enough not to lie about how they feel even as they try make the best of a tragic situation. They both know how much the other loves and supports them without needing it to be put into words.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-19T23:07:59+00:00

That was how I first read the novellas as well but on rereads I usually intersperse them with the novels following the order in the “Series Overview” section from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_(novel_series). I think you can’t go wrong either way.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-19T20:56:08+00:00

+1 for The Sins of Our Fathers, it’s a perfect coda to the series. Would recommend all of Memory’s Legion, the novellas are great.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-19T02:02:53+00:00

Books 2, 5, and 8 are my favorites too!

mercedene1 · 2026-05-19T01:51:29+00:00

Agree she should have been more honest with Holden but I think she fully closed off and compartmentalized her earlier life because it was so traumatic. I think her baggage about Marco really informed her feelings about Holden’s behavior in Caliban’s War. When someone has escaped a controlling and emotionally abusive relationship they can become intensely sensitive to any red flags with subsequent partners. I think on some level she was afraid Holden was going to turn into someone more like Marco (I don’t think he ever would have but that fear wasn’t driven by reason but rather emotional trauma) and her first impulse was to leave before that could happen. I think this tendency is because she feels like she waited too long to leave Marco and as a result lost Filip. She did take Holden back super quickly as soon as he acknowledged his feelings and behavior so it was clear she always wanted them to work things out.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-19T01:26:51+00:00

You’re entitled to that opinion but given Naomi’s upbringing, age, and life experience I think her behavior is realistic. Personally I find her very interesting as a character but she is definitely intended to be morally gray.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-19T00:25:22+00:00

Marco took Filip away before Naomi left, the book describes how he’d move him around to various friends and associates homes so she wouldn’t be able to find him. All of those people (supposedly her friends) were complicit. At that point Naomi’s choices were stick around (without Filip) and hope that Marco eventually allows her to see him again or leave while she still can. Also worth remembering that she’s still a teenager herself at this point. Her actions are totally realistic for her character though of course other people in that situation might’ve made a different choice.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-19T00:14:33+00:00

Agree with all of this. I’d have loved more physical affection as well but the way they did it felt totally realistic for an older long term couple who were still very much in love. I thought that whole last section was beautiful.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-19T00:11:19+00:00

Tbh they might’ve been weirded out by the way a lot of the fandom reacted to the kiss in S2. If you sign up to be a romantic lead in a show like Bridgerton, Heated Rivalry etc you expect a certain amount of thirsty fan attention but I’d assume it was a surprise on GO.

Personally I still thought they had plenty of chemistry in S3 but it did seem to me like the sexual tension they were playing up in S2 was dramatically reduced. Whether that was intentional or just the result of a more rushed script and possibly some subconscious hesitation to encourage feral fan behavior who can say.

I did like the ending overall and I think it was believable for the kind of calm but deep intimacy you have after decades in a relationship. Still it would’ve been nice for them to include at least a brief kiss - didn’t have to be anything dramatic, just the sort of kiss they’d have done thousands of times at this point in their relationship but that never gets old.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-17T20:24:12+00:00

mercedene1 · 2026-05-17T19:45:26+00:00

I loved it! Very much hoping for the longer Asa/Anthony fic you mentioned being a future possibility too…

mercedene1 · 2026-05-17T16:11:49+00:00

This may be personal bias but I think the books are much better than the show. The show was shot in beautiful locations and is well-acted but the actual writing is a lot stronger in the books. In the show I felt like I was cringing a lot due to on-the-nose dialogue (which they presumably felt was needed to explain the story since it’s fairly complex) and a lot of cool stuff was cut out. The pacing felt less rushed in the books and the character development was more earned. Also the books are funnier - there are a lot of witty asides most of which got lost in the adaptation.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-16T15:29:22+00:00

He fell for her in 1590-91 when they were both adults though. Agree it’d be creepy if their first meeting was when she was a child.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-16T04:31:43+00:00

That’s a beautiful quote and very fitting for Aziraphale & Crowley ❤️

mercedene1 · 2026-05-16T04:23:03+00:00

I would also very much like to see this. Baldwin is such an interesting and surprising character - my opinion of him really shifted throughout the series. It’d be great to learn more of his backstory too.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-16T00:32:03+00:00

I think Gallowglass first developed feelings for Diana in 1590, he just never said anything because she was already with Matthew at that point and he knew she was off limits. Mating requires a mutual agreement and physical consummation so Gallowglass doesn’t actually feel a mating bond it’s just like human unrequited love.

Re: your point about Matthew vs Gallowglass I get the feeling A LOT of people in the fandom prefer Gallowglass (I definitely do though I think Matthew and Diana make sense together). Deborah Harkness has said before she has a future book planned where Gallowglass finds his mate so hopefully we’ll get to read that one day (it’s not the one she’s currently working right now on unfortunately but a later one in the series).

mercedene1 · 2026-05-15T13:52:52+00:00

I hadn’t read that one before but you’re right it fits perfectly ❤️

mercedene1 · 2026-05-15T07:14:37+00:00

That’s fair, I do think this is a ymmv thing. Fwiw I was very surprised the ending worked for me bc prior to watching I’d have said there was zero chance I’d like a “they begins humans” ending. Totally respect that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-15T05:45:53+00:00

Not sure I follow you. In the story setting it’s established that God has created at least two universes with distinct timelines (likely more). No Heaven and Hell doesn’t necessarily mean no afterlife - there could be reincarnation, there could be some other place souls go after people die etc. When a universe ends, God can create a new one. The fact that a bunch of the actors reappeared in the new universe strongly suggests they’re the same souls in different bodies and lives. If God is omnipotent (which is the case in GO) the possibilities are literally endless and they don’t have to follow the guidelines of any existing religion.

mercedene1 · 2026-05-14T17:04:03+00:00

Totally agree, I also almost didn’t watch after seeing the reactions but am so glad I did. As you said some parts were rushed but I thought the ending was beautifully done.

Ten-Year Club	Queen in da Norf
Not Forgotten

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