The Expanse Final Season Trailer Teases An Epic Showdown

"The Expanse" is the Amazon Studios sci-fi space opera series based on the book series of the same name by James S. A. Corey. They take place in the far future, when humanity has colonized most of the Solar System's planets and moons, and broken up into various factions that are constantly at odds with each other. On "The Expanse," humanity is always facing one threat or another. While some of those threats have been extraterrestrial in origin, the most dangerous has traditionally been humanity itself — but that could change in Season 6.

Season 5 concluded in February 2021. When it ended, Marcos Inaros (Keon Alexander) and the Free Navy of the Outer Planetary Alliance were stepping up their attacks on Earth and Mars. While that was going on, a rogue faction of the former Martian military who colonized the exoplanet of Laconia, brought the protomolecule to their new homeworld. This apparently awakened the powerful life forms that annihilated the Ring Builders, the ancient civilization that first colonized Laconia. By the end of Season 5, it had become clear to James Holden (Steven Strait) and the crew of the Rocinante that these unknown aggressors were waking up for an encore.

Luckily, fans won't have to wait much longer to see what happens next, as Amazon just dropped a trailer for Season 6 at New York City ComicCon, which provides a preview of the final season as well as the official premiere date. 

You can check out the trailer on YouTube, or read on for a full breakdown.

The trailer kicks off with Free Navy ships battering the Rocinante, accompanied by a voiceover from U.N. Secretary General Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo). "We're broken, trying desperately to keep ourselves going by pretending we're not," Avasarala says. "We must remember the lives we've lost, the pain we've suffered, because with every new attack, Inaros' power grows."

Avasarala's speech seems to be a eulogy for victims of a recent Free Navy attack on Earth, but it also sums up with the crew of the Rocinante is going through. In the Season 5 finale, beloved pilot Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar) died while trying to rescue Naomi (Dominique Tipper). Most likely, Season 6 will pick up with Holden and the gang mourning his loss, while adjusting to his replacement, Bull (José Zúñiga).

Then the trailer shifts over to Inaros, who is indeed growing stronger with each successful attack. But not everything is peachy with the rebel leader. His son, Filip (Jasai Chase Owens) still apparently has doubts about his father's mission. We see Marco again trying to manipulate Filip into joining the cause, pressing a gun into his son's hand. Looks like that will continue to be a major storyline in the finale.

Finally, we get a quick glimpse of the other main threat in Season 6: the Unknown Aggressors. There's a girl infected by the protomolecule, as well as the arrival of a mysterious new ship. Will humanity meet with the same fate as the Ring Builders? We'll find out in about two months. 

Season 6 premieres on December 10, 2021.