“Lieutenant Welsh remembered walking around among the sleeping men, and thinking to himself that ‘they had looked at and smelled death all around them all day but never even dreamed of applying the term to themselves. They hadn’t come here to fear. They hadn’t come to die. They had come to win.’” - Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose | caps by @tvserie-s-world
-
Why? The man’s not home. Should’ve killed himself three years ago, saved us a lot of trouble.
-
Yeah, he should’ve. But he didn’t.
BAND OF BROTHERS 1.09 ≜ “Why We Fight”
Amos Burton on The Expanse: (Disclaimer I’ve have listened through Book 6 and watched the series, but I have not read any further at this point 5/29/2023. I’ve also read no commentaries or podcasts about the character.)
From reading “The Churn” and reading Book 5/Season 5, I know Amos grew up rough and the trauma he endured shaped him. Whether his character is shaped by having to cut off emotions to survive, PTSD, a flavor of Autism, or something else. Or two or more or all of those things combined shaped Amos I don’t know. But he is one of the most endearing characters in the series. Each of our main cast of characters have some trait or more than one that help us identify with them and shape them as outsiders to the universe.
Amos is ready to fight, ready to do what is needed, ready to drink and enjoy the pleasures available to him. But while he could be shaped as a wild west outlaw that is not who he is. Those things sit on the exterior, but under it all lies the resolution of loyalty and respect. We see it in his attachment to Naomi at first. But we see the other members of the crew slowly earn it through out the series. Woe to anyone who comes at the people he has called family! I’m not going to go into his relationship with all of the main crew. But want to focus on some who come in along the way.
We see him adopt people through out the series. Some people wards under his protection, some as friends, some as siblings, and some as something more. I’ve put a few photos above showing him and them. But not all.
Prax is someone he adopts to protect him and help him, but he quickly becomes a friend. Amos has all the power in the relationship, but Prax shows him respect, drive for family, and loyalty. Amos learns from Prax and grows because of it.
Reverend Anna is both idealistic and realistic. Her faith is strange to Amos. He again seeks to protect her and help her. She shows him what the balance of idealism and realism looks like and how faith comes in.
Bobbie and Amos have a strange relationship. They are equals in so many ways. Her strength and drive earn his respect. He admires her and would lay his life down for her. It is almost like a twin relationship, but with a very non-family sexual tension there. But sex and romance are not exactly tied together for Amos, again because of his upbringing. I think he could see himself with Bobbie sexually and it would not change his relationship with her. But I think he sees that that it might not be the same for her.
Lastly up is Peaches. Here is a woman who was driven to end the life of Amos’s brother Holden. So she is set against his crew family. Yet she redeems herself. Something about her intrigues Amos. She has strength and drive he appreciates. Yet I think it is her emotions and depth that pull him in the most. Enough that he goes and visits her and ends up rescuing her. I think he has grown and changed through the series. I could really see the two of them in a relationship that extended beyond found family and physicality. It would look very different from the traditional. But that is not who Amos is, even with all his growth.
So even with a couple of books/comics left to read, I think we will see Amos as a part of his crew family, but not in a relationship at the end. That makes me a bit sad, but feels true to his character. But no matter how it goes I’m excited to see where it takes this crew that I love so much. I’ve decided to read the comic story before listening to book 7 through the end. So I’ll have to wait a bit. But I’m fine with that.
