BEST AMOS MOMENTS
THE EXPANSE
By Michael Ahr
The Expanse season 6, premiering December 10th, will be the last for the space drama, and fan favorite character Amos Burton will be among the most missed when the show ends.
Part of the charm of the Rocinante’s mechanic was his penchant for darkly humorous or harshly honest one-liners.
Amos showed his rough edges in Season 1 when glibly responding to his captain’s threat to put him down: “You got a clean shot, back of the head. Take it if you need it.”
But Amos’ deadly nature held to its own moral code, and he outlined three types of people to crewmate Alex in season 2: “Bad ones, ones you follow, and ones you need to protect.”
His black-and-white views led to humorous moments of honesty, such as when Bobbie asked him if he thought defacing the Martian flag was funny. His response: “Maybe not now.”
No moment better defines Amos than when he kept his friend Prax from killing an enemy, saying he wasn’t that guy… then performing the execution himself, intoning “I am that guy.”
Since his own childhood was troubled, Amos felt particularly protective of children, saying, “A kid needs at least one person who never gives up on them, no matter what.”
He grew up in a brothel, so when Avasarala asked him how he knew what walking in pumps felt like, he blithely responded, “I didn’t always work in space.”
Amos’ simple wisdom was often quite profound, such as when he told Pastor Anna, “Everyone leaves unfinished business. That’s what dying is.”
By season 4, Amos had a reputation for being nonchalant about violence, telling the villainous Murtry he was ready for blood: “How about now? I’m free right now.”
More recently, Amos wisely counseled Clarissa how to survive in a UN prison: “You take whatever they give you, and you give nothing in return."
Clarissa’s mantra hit Amos hard, knowing he could feel no fear. She told herself, "I have killed, but I am not a killer. Because a killer is a monster and monsters aren't afraid."
Fans of The Expanse don’t consider Amos a monster, though; to them, he is a blunt, cold, damaged protector of the innocent with his own brand of heroism.