The Expanse's Dominique Tipper And Steven Strait Talk About That Big Emotional Scene In Redoubt [Exclusive]
The latest episode of "The Expanse" includes a lot of emotionally intense moments, but one that especially stands out is that scene between Holden (Steven Strait) and Naomi (Dominique Tipper).
/Film had the chance to ask Strait and Tipper about that scene and what it meant for their characters as well as what it was like for them as actors to perform it. Read on for a very spoiler-filled conversation about "Redoubt," the sixth season's fourth episode.
The Last Scene They Shot Together
The scene in question is when Holden tells Naomi that he was the one who disarmed the nuke heading toward the Pella, which not only held Marco Inaros (Keon Alexander) but Naomi's son, Filip (Jasai Chase Owens).
That scene was not only an emotional one for the characters, but also the last scene that Strait performed on the show. "That was our final scene together," Tipper shared. "It had a lot of weight for many different reasons. And again, we always enjoy crafting these scenes together and this one was especially beautiful."
"We worked really hard on it," Strait added. "We've always had a culture of commitment and rehearsal in a way that is very unique for television. I mean, we have devoted every weekend to rehearse these episodes since the first season of episode one and we never missed an episode."
For this scene in particular, Strait went on to describe why Holden made the choice to disarm the nuke:
"I had such a wonderful time working with Dom and finding that vulnerability of this man choosing the one he loves over the fate of the system. And you know what, it's just honest. He just can't do it. He just can't. And it's just the way it is. And however one may judge him, it's just the way it is. He just can't pull the trigger. He can't kill her child. And he can't be that to her and for better or for worse, Holden has always acted from the instincts of his morality and he chooses that."
An Unusual Hero Arc
The scene also speaks to how far Holden and Naomi have come in their relationship. "Naomi and Holden's arc throughout this season is my favorite," Tipper said. "We find them, despite of what's happening around them, in such a mature, grounded place with each other finally. And them being able to have this conversation that they have as honestly and emotionally vulnerable as they do, especially with what Holden comes to her with — it's just one of my favorite moments."
Strait also shared what it was like to play Holden, a character who has dramatically changed over the show's six seasons:
"Something that I really love about Holden and it's something it's been such a privilege to play over the years is that it's a very unusual hero arc to have a hero centered on his humility and his empathy and finding his way through his mistakes and flaws. He makes decisions as best he can and it's just, he's not a man just born with the ability to do these things. Like it's something that he's had to learn over the years and at this moment. And then it culminates at the end of the series with another moment that, that I think really shows that in a complete way for his arc."
What moment is Strait talking about later on in the season? To reveal that would get into spoiler territory, but we'll share Strait's insight there as well once the season finale airs.
New episodes of "The Expanse" drop on Amazon Prime Video on Fridays.