Season 3, Episode 2:
IFF
The Rocinante answers an unexpected distress signal; Bobbie and Avasarala find themselves being hunted by a mysterious captor; UN Secretary-General Sorrento-Gillis brings in a colleague from his past to lend an ear during this crucial time of war.
Tropes:
- Big Damn Heroes: Just as the UNN warship fires at the Razorback, the Rocinante arrives and fires defensive missiles.
- David vs. Goliath: The fight over the Razorback is framed as this, as the Roci is significantly smaller than the UNN warship chasing them both. Alex even lampshades it by pointing out that the latter ship has lot more missiles that the Rocinante does. It takes a risky move using a nuclear explosion as cover to get close enough to cripple the UNN ship's engines, allowing the two smaller ships to get away safely.
- Drama-Preserving Handicap: The heavy strain of continuous high G-forces coupled with Avasarala's age constantly puts her at death's door from a brain aneurysm. It got bad enough that Bobbie had to slow down and risk getting blown up by Errinwright's ships just so she wouldn't keel over in the cockpit.
- Establishing Character Moment: Anna is introduced being escorted by police while protesters are held back by riot police right in front of her. When one of the protesters falls over a barricade and gets a nasty-looking gash on his forehead, she tasks the nearest riot police with getting him to first aid station. This all establishes her as moral, principled, willful and practical.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Amos and Naomi immediately have this reaction after Holden points out that saving the Razorback means they've effectively declared war on Earth.
- Holden himself gets this reaction after he realizes that Avasarala is one of the passengers of the Razorback and that she needs medical attention.
- Title Drop: Happens when the Rocinante receives a signal from another ship. Alex identifies it as an IFF: Identity, Friend or Foe, target recognition system.
