The beauty about The Expanse is its relatability. Its themes that hit close to home, especially political themes. Unlike other sci-fi properties that see the future of Earth as a bright, egalitarian society, The Expanse shows the world struggling with itself and other political opponents. In fact, it shows a future where corporations have even more power and control than they do in modern times, painting a disturbing picture for its audience.
Earth contends with several other political opponents throughout the series. While the Martian Republic has advanced technology to compete with Earth's United Nations and an equal voice, the Outer Planets Alliance proves to be formidable as the series progresses. The OPA started out as a labor union seeking rights for its people, but it gradually grew into something much bigger.
People Comprising the Outer Planets Alliance
Unlike Earth and Mars in the universe of The Expanse, no government entity manages those who live in the asteroid belt (known as Belters) and beyond, including different moons and space stations. Instead, large corporations control that portion of the Solar System. Corporations are typically more concerned with their bottom line than the well-being of people, and the Outer Planets Alliance hopes to change that.
However, the OPA isn't a single entity. As much as many people want it to be one, they're split into several factions with different leaders. Fred Johnson, for example, leads those under the OPA banner on the Tycho station, whereas Anderson Dawes leads those on the Ceres station. Each faction has its own agenda and ideology, which causes frequent infighting. What unites this loosely affiliated network is the way the Inner Planets treat the Belters.
The OPA is an unofficial organization at the series' beginning, and it grows into a formidable force as time goes on. Earth, Mars, and various corporations see the OPA as a terrorist organization, while Belters view them as a group fighting for their rights. One man's freedom fighter is another's terrorist.
Who is Fred Johnson?
One of the most prominent characters in the series also has one of the most mundane names, which is refreshing. So many sci-fi creators give their characters unfamiliar names such as Spike or Elektra to set them apart from ordinary folk. Meanwhile, it's the everyday people who end up committing the most jaw-dropping atrocities.
Fred Johnson is one of the few people who wishes to see the OPA unite under one banner and become a provisional government entity instead of a splintered group. Running the largest OPA faction gives him legitimate credence from the United Nations and the Martian Republic. However, the event that earned him the nickname "The Butcher of Anderson Station" doesn't sit well with many Belters, giving him an uphill battle on top of the politics he has to play with the other governmental bodies.
Johnson was a former United Nations Marine for Earth with command over three missile frigates. It was because of him that piracy in the Belt saw a drastic drop. During his time as a Colonel charged with policing the Belt, insurgents took over Anderson Station. Johnson took swift action, killing the 173 armed terrorists. However, he killed over a thousand innocent civilians in the process, prompting him to resign from the service and go into hiding. Clearly, he was not a favored person among Belters, but that didn't stop him from stumbling into bar after bar in the Belt as a means to cope with his self-loathing.
OPA leader Anderson Dawes eventually found the disgraced Marine and recruited him into the OPA, giving Johnson a means to redeem himself. And redeem himself, he did. During a revolt on the Pallas Colony, Johnson successfully negotiated peace between the insurgents and the ruling body. This gained him favor with Belters and OPA members alike, earning him a leadership position. More importantly, it helped Johnson climb out of his drunken stupor and build some self-esteem again.
Main Characters In the OPA
The Expanse primarily follows the crew of the Rocinante, which is a microcosm of the system they traverse. Each member comes from a different region of space with vastly diverse backgrounds. Captain James Holden comes from Earth with a military record, while the ship's pilot flew for the Martian Congressional Republic Navy. However, a few members were born in the Belt, placing them in a unique position when the crew interacts with other factions.
Naomi Nagata, second-in-command and engineer of the Rocinante, grew up on prospecting ships in the Belt. Despite witnessing enough violence to last two lifetimes, Naomi became the chief engineer aboard the Canterbury, a ship that supplied water to residents throughout the Belt. She kept her past a secret even from her closest friends, but they eventually learned of Naomi's connections to the OPA. She always saw herself as a Belter first, and based strategic decisions on her loyalty to the people of the Belt.
While not an official member of the Rocinante crew, Detective Josephus Miller spent plenty of time with its crew and formed a bond with them. Miller grew up in the Belt on Ceres Station, but eventually joined the ranks of Earth's Star Helix Security as a cop. While it frequently put him at odds with the interests of his fellow Belters, he took comfort in the knowledge that he was no longer the two-bit criminal on Ceres that he started as and survived the best way he could.
