If there's one advantage to Amazon ended The Expanse after season 6. With three books left to adapt, the prospect of The Expanse season 7 happening elsewhere was raised. Producers dropped hints towards a possible continuation (via io9), but three years later, nothing has materialized.

There is a very real possibility that The Expanse season 6's ending was, in fact, the story's conclusion within the context of a TV series, and the final three books covering the Laconian Empire and Dark Gods will remain forever unadapted. The Rocinante crew as led by Steven Strait's James Holden will never know the horrors their book counterparts faced after the Free Navy's downfall. While the distinct lack of The Expanse season 7 in 2025 is surely disappointing, treating season 6's finale as the true ending does have its upsides.

If It Followed The Book, The Expanse Season 7 Would've Killed Off Clarissa "Peaches" Mao

Another Rocinante Crew Member Was Meant To Die In Season 7

ing in season 3, Clarissa Mao began as an antagonist hellbent on revenge against Holden, then gradually morphed into a staunch ally of The Expanse's main characters. Ultimately, Clarissa became a valued member of the Rocinante crew as an apprentice mechanic to Amos Burton, and the two characters developed a close emotional bond. Unfortunately, Clarissa's journey would probably have come to an abrupt end if The Expanse season 7 had moved ahead.

The impact of Clarissa's death upon Amos would have been profound.

With season 6 adapting Babylon's Ashes, The Expanse season 7 would have covered Persepolis Rising. These two books are separated by a time skip lasting almost 30 years, leaving the Rocinante and its occupants a little creakier than before. This is especially true for Clarissa Mao, who is slowly being killed by the implant she originally had installed as a means of killing Holden. After the Roci crew's plot against the Laconian Empire is discovered, Clarissa activates her implant to defeat the coming enemies, saving Naomi Nagata's life at the cost of her own.

Given how faithful The Expanse's TV stayed to its source material, there is a very strong chance that season 7 would have gone through with killing Clarissa Mao. Needless to say, the impact of Clarissa's death upon Amos would have been profound, marking yet another tragic chapter in his story. At least, however, she and Amos in the books spent the better part of three decades riding the Rocinante together and enjoying the Sol system's brief period of peace.

The Expanse Season 6 Gave Amos & Clarissa Mao A Happy Ending

They Lived Happily Ever After... Right?

Clarissa Mao's death in The Expanse's books is sad, of course, but would have been even more upsetting on TV. In order to retain the same cast, The Expanse season 7 would have needed to ignore the lengthy time jump that follows Marco Inaros' death. By the time Clarissa died in live-action, then, she and Amos would have only spent a short amount of time together aboard the Roci. In many ways, their story would just be getting started, with the Laconian Empire's deadly ambush cutting their relationship tragically short.

The Expanse season 6 introduced the story's next big bad, Laconia's Winston Duarte.

Fortunately, The Expanse season 6 left Amos and Clarissa in a far happier place. Their final scene together involved a touching moment in which Clarissa replaced the devil pin Amos had lost while rescuing her, while also adding an identical one to her own uniform as a sign of commitment to the second chance Amos gave her. The scene allows viewers to walk away believing Amos and Clarissa got their "happily ever after" while tightening nuts and oiling engines on the Roci, and as long as season 7 never happens, absolutely nothing can take that away.

Are Amos & Clarissa Romantically Involved In The Expanse's Ending?

Amos & Clarissa's Relationship Isn't Easy To Define

The Expanse never really explains the nature of Amos and Clarissa's relationship outright. It is possible to interpret their connection as a romantic one, but The Expanse keeps things platonic. At face value, Amos' bond with Clarissa is similar to his bond with Naomi, but with the roles reserved, meaning they share a deep and profound sense of togetherness, but aren't in a relationship or hooking up between shifts.

If Amos and Clarissa became a couple between seasons 6 and 7, it would only make her death more painfully unjust.

One beautiful aspect of The Expanse season 6's ending is that the viewer can imagine Amos and Clarissa's future as whatever they wish. Romance blossoming is one possible reading, or the audience can envision the couple remaining intimately intertwined friends. The finale left both doors open, and the ambiguity creates a happy ending for both characters.

The Expanse season 7 would have taken a sledgehammer to those dream scenarios. If Amos and Clarissa became a couple between seasons 6 and 7, it would only make her death more painfully unjust - two lost souls finding each other, then being cruelly ripped apart. Clarissa's death scene would offer no more comfort if romance did not develop by the time she sacrificed herself, as a premature farewell would have nixed any possibility of exploring her true feelings for Amos in the future.

If It Happens, The Expanse Season 7 Should Delay Clarissa Mao's Death

One Book Change That The Expanse Should Make

The Expanse season 7 could still happen one day, on Amazon or elsewhere, and it should avoid killing off Clarissa Mao at all costs. After hopping aboard the Rocinante at the very end of season 5, Clarissa spent The Expanse's final six episodes earning the trust of her new crewmates - Naomi especially. Season 7 would be the first opportunity for The Expanse to truly integrate Clarissa into the main cast and portray her as a trusted, undisputed member of the Roci's crew. While it worked for the book, dying before that would feel too early for the TV show.

Clarissa's presence would be especially important after the TV series deviated from The Expanse book canon by killing Alex Kamal off-screen. With the Rocinante one person down, enhancing Clarissa's role and standing on Holden's team would be vital in building the sense of togetherness and family that makes The Expanse's characters so special.

James S.A. Corey is the pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.

Sadly, it is easy to see why The Expanse's author, James S.A. Corey, ended Clarissa's story in such a devastating way. Her sacrifice cements her redemption, and saving Naomi speaks to how much she cares about her new crew, especially Amos. Still, the moment of truth could easily be delayed until The Expanse season 8 or 9, allowing season 7 to focus squarely on reaping the rewards of turning Clarissa from an enemy into a protagonist.

Souces: io9