The Expanse season 6 finale pits former Martian marine Bobbie Draper (Frankie Adams) in the heat of battle during the allied fleet's decisive assault on the ring station to defeat Marco Inaros' (Keon Alexander) Free Navy. With Amos Burton (Wes Chatham) at her side, Bobbie suits up in her signature Martian power armor and eliminates the station's lethal rail guns. The Expanse's final season culminated Bobbie's arc by reuniting her with the crew of the Rocinante, as well as with UN Secretary-General Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), taking part in high-stakes combat sequences in addition to an advising role to Earth's leader.
Screen Rant interviewed Frankie Adams about Bobbie's pivotal moment in the finale and her journey from season 2 to The Expanse's conclusive season 6.
Screen Rant: I've really enjoyed watching your work as Bobbie from beginning to end, and I thought season 6 was such a good way to end things. To start, tell me, what has it been like for you taking in the fact that, at least for now, your journey on The Expanse has come to an end?
Frankie Adams: It's been a little bit surreal. Because we had to shoot in COVID, we didn't really get to do the big farewell and have the wrap party and things like that. We just got shipped off to our own places. It's kind of sad. It's alright. I think I'll always be good friends with that group, but it is quite sad that we're not going to be shooting the show together anymore.
Let's talk about the finale, itself. That assault on the ring station has to be one of the most breathtaking battles of the entire series. Can you take me through the shooting process of that whole sequence?
Frankie Adams: I think we shot that over three days. Wes and I did a lot of yoga and stretching before we had to get into those suits for 12, 14 hours. It was really well organized. Breck Eisner was our director for those two episodes and he had storyboarded everything. We had Zoom meetings, we had talked about what side I was going to shoot on and everything was very intricately planned out. Wes and I just had to not complain too much and get the job done. But it was a long couple of days and there were some moves that we had to do that felt somewhat impossible that we pulled off, which was amazing.
I love that moment when Bobbie launches herself at the rail guns and takes them out herself. She has always been pretty fearless in the heat of battle, but how would you say this scene especially defines her character?
Frankie Adams: I think that was the moment she had been preparing for, all the training and everything that she had done her entire life. I know that there was no fear behind that and it felt very right for her to do it. I think anything to save the people that you care about and that you're fighting for. She had no other options, really, so it made sense. She's got no fear and she was ready — ready for that moment. No fear around dying, that one.
Season 6 was so great for Bobbie because she spends a lot more time with Avasarala and the Roci crew than she did the last two seasons. How did you feel about being more involved with the rest of the main cast?
Frankie Adams: I loved it! I've been friends with all of them for years now and somehow I was always on my own and they all got to hang out. It was so nice to be able to be back on the Roci and for things to be OK. I think the last time Bobbie was on it was season 3 and she was very pissed off about someone who defaced the Martian flag — it was Amos, right? It was nice to come on and be welcomed on and not feel any tension with any of the other of the crew.
I love the relationship between Bobbie and Amos that we see in season 6. There's such a fun dynamic in their interactions. How would you describe their relationship at this point?
Frankie Adams: Oh my gosh, it was so fun. I was like, "We should have done this sooner, this is great!" It made a lot of sense because they're both a bit rugged, and a bit silly, and tough. But they also both love to have a laugh, and joke around, and love to give each other shit. So, it really worked well that they put us two together. Wes and I had a great time because we're great friends in real life and I think it really showed in that relationship on screen.
I also want to ask you about that scene in episode 5 when Amos asks Bobbie to come with him to the brothel and she responds by saying, "With you, or with you?" Do you have an idea in your mind of what happened when that scene ended?
Frankie Adams: What did Wes say?
Screen Rant: I did not ask him.
Frankie Adams: I think she goes. I think they go together but I don't know if they go together.
At the end of the finale, we see Bobbie piloting the Roci for the first time. How do you feel about where things are left with your character?
Frankie Adams: I was so happy with that ending. I think Bobbie was really content. It was truly her first time since she was training as a Martian soldier where she felt a sense of camaraderie and a sense of belonging and ease. There's that funny moment where I make a joke with Holden (Steven Strait) or something at the end and it doesn't feel as intesne and serious as it was at the beginning. It feels like she's got her own little family again.
Obviously, fans are hoping that this isn't really the end of The Expanse, with three books left to adapt. I'm curious, what's the feeling among the cast concerning future TV or movie projects with The Expanse?
Frankie Adams: We're all really hopeful. I think we all love working with each other and we would happily do any more. But I don't really know how that's going to go.
What would it mean to you to get to step into Bobbie's shoes again one day and get to finish off her arc from the books?
Frankie Adams: It would feel really good. I probably won't be there in the last, last season [winks]. But it would be nice to see it all come out in the show because I know that the fans really care about it, and especially book-readers that can see the whole thing play out on screen. I know that would be really special for them.
Bobbie has such an incredible arc over five seasons in The Expanse, but I'm wondering, who's your favorite character arc other than Bobbie?
Frankie Adams: That's a tough one. Oh my gosh, they're all really good!
Screen Rant: You can say more than one.
Frankie Adams: I loved Amos' journey, Drummer's (Cara Gee) journey. Holden is also really different to how he was at the beginning. So is Avararala. Yeah, all of them I guess. Maybe Avasarala or Holden. When I saw the X-ray that Steve did, I forgot how jovial and youthful, and how different Holden was at the beginning, so it was quite nice to see that.
Can you tell me, what was your last day on set like and what was the last scene you shot?
Frankie Adams: My last day was the X-ray that I did with Wes. It was a Saturday. I brought my speaker and I played Biggie Smalls and stuff. We danced our way in and then we fought for like eight hours. It was great.
Screen Rant: Was that exhausting?
Frankie Adams: It was. Especially, like, OK let's be real, Wes Chatham is a unit. And I'm having to strangle him and fight him, and he was just so strong, even when we were pretending. So, I was basically working out all day.
When you look back on your entire journey on The Expanse, what do you think is your biggest takeaway?
Frankie Adams: Just the wonderful relationships and friendships that I made, and the things that I learned as an actor — how to conduct myself on a set, how to break down a script, how to communicate with the leaders, and not be afraid to have an opinion about a character that I know a lot about. The biggest thing I'll take away is how much I love those people that I worked with.
Another one of my favorite things about Bobbie is how she wears the power armor so often. Whenever I see it, I always wonder what it's like, as an actor, to be in that suit all the time.
Frankie Adams: It's hard work. It's very constricting and very heavy, but just like the audience, I know whenever I'm putting it on, something big is about to happen, and it always pays off. All the blood, sweat, and tears is worth it when I see how it's edited together and once I've got the visual effects and everything, it's just incredible. But I will be taking a very long break from wearing anything like that in my real life for a while [laughs].
What is your favorite moment of Bobbie's arc?
Frankie Adams: That's always a hard question. I always lean toward that last battle that you see her in in season 6. It just feels like this penultimate moment of her life that she's been preparing for for so long and ready to do. To do it with the Roci, which is full circle because that's not who her crew were at the beginning, I think it's really representative of her journey. Also, it just looks really badass and cool.