Is the Expanse Tv Series Funny or Really Serious
Ambitious, complex sci-fi/mystery thriller; offers great world-building and perfectly paced storytelling
Wow: This was by far the biggest surprise for me in 2016. And apparently, I was somewhat late to the party, as the show already began to air in 2015. I'm an avid sci-fi fan, but I hadn't heard or read anything about 'The Expanse', and yet it's one of the most ambitious sci-fi (or generally high profile/concept TV) shows I've come across in recent years.
First, I believe a little (spoiler-free) information might be helpful prior to watching the show, because the viewer is thrown right into an incredibly detailed world where much is shown rather than explained (which is certainly an elegant choice in terms of storytelling and world-building, but there's so much going on and every shot is packed with so much visual information that it can be a little confusing during the first 2 or 3 episodes). So what you need to know is this: A couple of hundred years into the future, humanity is spread out throughout the solar system and divided into 3 opposing forces who are on the brink of an all out war for political power and resources (mainly water - which is harvested in the form of asteroid ice). The 3 fractions consist of the two superpowers Earth (governed by the U.N.) and Mars; the third party are the "belters", which is basically everyone unfortunate enough to be living on poor dwarf planets like Ceres or other large rocks in the asteroid belt (hence the name "belters").
Those belters are the future equivalent of the 3rd World population, as they represent the poor, exploited and underdeveloped colonies in the solar system. Many belters feel represented by the "Outer Planets Alliance" (short: O.P.A.) which is a radical group demanding more autonomy and fairer distribution of resources for the inhabitants of the asteroid belt, but is viewed as a terrorist group by Earth and Mars. Belters are badly affected by the harsh conditions in low (or even zero) gravity (which is often referred to as "low-G" or "zero-G"), as well as low oxygen levels and the strict rationing of water; their bodies develop less muscles and their bone structure has less density compared to that of humans born and raised on Earth or Mars. The belters' life expectancy is roughly half of that of humans living on Earth.
So that's the backdrop to the story told in 'The Expanse', and it all may seem a little complicated at the start, because the plot unfolds through several separate story lines. The key parts of the story are told through the eyes of three different protagonists: a high ranking U.N. official on Earth named Avasarala (played by Shohreh Aghdashloo); a cynical belter police detective named Miller (Thomas Jane) whose story starts on Ceres; and a young executive officer named Holden (Steven Strait) working on an ice freighter in space. Although those three don't know it (yet), their stories are connected - and that's all I'm gonna say about the plot, because this show deserves to be watched unspoiled.
Featuring visual and narrative elements that reminded me of almost every sci-fi film I ever loved - 'Alien', 'Outland', 'Serenity', 'Blade Runner' and many more - this is an R-rated space opera no sci-fi fan should miss. And although it probably can't compete with 175 million costing blockbusters like the new 'Star Trek' movies in terms of visual effects, 'The Expanse' looks fantastic. Given the insane amount of effects work involved, it must have been a very expensive affair for SyFy (who ordered the series from production companies Alcon Television and The Sean Daniel Company), and although I doubt they were able to afford the kind of budget HBO usually spends on shows like 'Game of Thrones' or 'Westworld', in terms of scope and complexity, this new SyFy show easily matches HBO's flagships (it appears Syfy is trying to get rid of its reputation as "shlock-channel").
The storytelling is meticulous and perfectly paced; the world-building richly detailed and always credible, and the patient viewer who doesn't demand everything be explained within the first episodes is rewarded with a thrilling, mysterious tale of adventure and discovery. The cast is terrific (especially Thomas Jane who seems to fit his character like a glove) and the writing manages the astounding feat to elegantly lead us through a very complex world and complicated story without ever feeling forced or weighed down by expository dialogue. Showrunners/writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (known for their Oscar nominated work on the screenplay for 'Children of Men') really have done a fine job bringing the series of novels by James S. A. Corey (aka Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) to life. Highly recommended to every sci- fi fan: 9 stars out of 10.
Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/
Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/
Lesser-Known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/
Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/
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Best thing on SyFy since Battlestar Galactica
Damn. If the Syfy (I hate that abbreviation) Channel would show more stuff like this and less from The Asylum, I'd watch it more. This is simply great SF. The physics of space travel are as realistic as can be. The characters, from Miller the beat up Belter Cop, to Amos the Earther, to Holden the righteous captain by default and the places, Ceres, Tycho, Earth and Mars are all well defined and believable. The sfx is brilliant and the ship designs look like they've evolved from what we use today. The situations, different governments vying for power, resources and land, are all excellently done. A really great adaptation of a really great book series. This should be watched by anyone who even claims to be a sf fan.
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One of the better sci-fi shows I've seen in a while!
I never watched The Expanse while it was on cable but finally started watching it after hearing so many great things about it and boy am I glad I did because it's one of the better sci-fi shows I've ever seen! I'm so glad Amazon picked it up and continued the show. It's even better now that it has a bigger budget!
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Get past the first season to see its grandour
A few of the one-star reviews here say they gave up after 2 episodes, Dull acting, silly plot etc etc. Well, I did give up too. I concurred, and thought it was hopeless.
Damn, though, my niece, son and a friend said it was the best TV series they had seen. Respecting their views based on previous recommendations, I persevered out of respect only, and recommenced watching the series with great reluctance and bemusement that they could be so misinformed.
At some point, and certainly into Season 2 I became aware that I was watching the best TV series I had seen. Firefly used to be may fav, but this has swept past. The architecture is spectacular and importantly grounded. Not the fantasy (apologies to fans) that is served up in Star Wars but a grounded realism that hooks one to the possibility.
It's just awesome, truely, I'm mesmerised.
What ever you do, stick with it to Season 2 and I promise you wont be disappointed. If you are, then my profuse apologies for making a promise that I thought could not possibly be compromised.
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Enthralling series: intelligent, intriguing and action-packed
Enthralling series: intelligent, intriguing and action-packed. 9/10
(Updated after Season 6).
Hundreds of years into the future, Earth has colonised Mars but Mars is now independent, and the two planets are in a constant state of distrust and unease. Caught between these two are the people of the asteroid belt and outer planets. James Holden, the executive officer of a freighter witnesses his ship, being destroyed by what appears to be a Martian warship. This heightens the tensions between Earth and Mars and sets Holden and his remaining crew on a quest across the galaxy to find the truth behind the incident. Meanwhile, on Ceres in the Asteroid Belt, a police detective is searching for the daughter of the wealthiest man in the galaxy. These are all parts of a conspiracy that that will threaten life in the Solar System.
Brilliant. I am not a huge fan of sci fi series (Firefly was the notable exception): they tend to rely too much on gimmicky inventions and faux science, at the expense of plot. The Expanse is different: the science and future history are incredibly believable. I'm no physicist but I found it difficult to fault the physics and technology involved. More than that, the futuristic nature of the series provides the background, not the story, so the series does not rely on it.
What the series does rely is plot, and it is a great one. Starts out pretty slowly, so doesn't immediately pull you in, but after three episodes or so it is off to the races. The seemingly-parallel stories start to intersect, things start to make more sense (though, thankfully, not so much that the mystery disappears), the characters become more interesting and the action ramps up.
The story is then intelligently developed over the following seasons. Despite the many twists and turns, the plot remains solid, with no twists for twists sake and everything fits together very well. Even when one mystery is solved, another emerges to take its place, without feeling gratuitous.
Quite grittily told too: no characters are unexpendable, making the plot quite unpredictable.
Superb special effects and action scenes. The CGI is absolutely seamless and realistic, without being too ostentatious. Like the science, the CGI is the medium, not the message.
Performances are where the series does feel a bit lacking. The main characters - the crew of the Rocinante - are reasonably well played, though there are no stand-out performances. Some of the lesser characters are quite badly played though, with the worst culprits being Shohreh Aghdashloo as Chrisjen Avasarala and Shawn Doyle as Sadavir Enright. Any scene they were in made me cringe, with Aghdashloo being particularly irritating. She wasn't helped by her character being pretty badly drawn, with the worst dialogue and most grating mannerisms of any character in the series. The two factors - the character and her performance - just compounded each other.
The lack of character depth is a general weakness in the show too. The series is about the intrigue and action, much more than the people and their relationships, making character engagement less than complete (unlike Firefly, which was highly engaging because of the characters and their interactions).
This is a minor flaw though, as the plot and its roller-coaster momentum propel the show.
Amazingly, after five seasons, the series managed to get better. Most shows would be running out of ideas at that point but The Expanse managed to stay fresh and innovative. Season 5 is actually the best season of the lot, which says a lot. The show moves from our heroes vs weird science to a good old fashioned good guys vs bad guys war.
After the brilliance of S5 I was expecting great things from Season 6. Everything was set up for a great, climactic finale. While it isn't bad, S6 feels padded and unfocussed, like the writers didn't know to end it and/or didn't have enough material for a complete season.
Best evidence of this is the girl with dead bird sub-plot that takes up the first 5-10 minutes of every episode. This was totally pointless and was just there to take up space.
Even when things get wrapped up it's sometimes in clumsy fashion: tight situations that get resolved by some out-of-the-blue force or a technology that nobody knew existed before. Between the slow, meaningless girl with dead bird sub-plot and the action scenes that sometimes get resolved in quick, out-of-the-blue fashion, the pacing is jarring in its inconsistency. The writing in S6 is definitely looser than the rest of the series making S6 the weakest of all the seasons.
Season ratings: S1-4 9/10, S5 10/10, S6 7/10.
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Can't believe this was Syfy Channel
And, in true Syfy form, of course they cancelled the series right in the middle of an important season apparently - If I understand the trivia section correctly. Thankfully Amazon took over and did a fourth season, maybe they will do more- that would be great.
The most impressive actress in this show has been Shohreh Aghdashloo, who I first saw in X-Men 3. She always had little cameos in these films, but in this show, gee character drives a lot of the motivation and direction of the series. She does not really participate in the final season 3 episodes, not being trapped in the ring with everyone else, but her fingerprints are all over the politics that brought Earthers, Martians and Belters to a common table.
This show reminds me of Larry Niven's "Belter" stories, and his known space series of books which goes all the way back to stories of Gil "The Arm", who was a Belter who moved to earth and became a police officer for the "amalgamation of regional militia" aka ARM, Beowulf Schaeffer who had a relationship with puppeteers and flew a couple of their different general products ships, one of them into the center of the galaxy discovering that it had exploded. another to an antimatter planet (and apparently GP Hulls cannot tolerate Anti-Matter)- and his possible son Louis Wu via his GF Tanya Wu (See the book "Flatlander" by Niven) aka "Luweewu" who flew to the Ringworld and was last seen hanging out with the former "Hindmost" of the Puppeteers after saving the Ringworld from destruction, Protectors (3rd stage humans who become too smart and only are interested in preserving their own bloodline, so they always fight each other, killing everybody else in the process) and an ARM navy that was stupidly fighting each other with antimatter weapons around the orbit of the Ringworld.
But that is a huge universe created by a different author. This series of books and this show based upon those books, is restricted to our own solar system and the governments of Earth Mars and the Belt which does not really have a government.
And so we see a lot of things that also exist in the Larry Niven Known Space universe: including the mining of asteroids in the belt, or minerals and water, and the idea of Terra-forming Mars. Even the "Belter Haircuts" and tattoos of Niven's work are here. Ships landing on earth use compressed air like they do in Niven's book "World of Ptavvs", rather than using rockets. In the belt, the "Epstein Drive" is used rather than Niven's Fusion Drives. But there is still a lot of material borrowed from Niven's known space. But that's not a bad thing.
But one thing that is different about this universe is that so far, The descendants of mankind who have populated the solar system have not really encountered any possible alien life-until now.
And the concept of life that is thought up in this show is very different- in fact in 2 1/2 seasons, I still can't figure out the nature of that life form.
Thomas Jane is a Ceres cop, who is given the job of locating the daughter of a rich industrialist, Julie Mao (Father named Jules)- she is the centerpiece of the series for the first season and a half or so- even though she doesn't really appear or interact with any of the other characters other than in flashback sequences. In fact the entire first season is a search for her among other things. Thomas Jane is Joe Miller, the Ceres Cop, and has made finding her his obsession because maybe it's the one good thing that he's ever done and he becomes so absorbed in finding her it causes problems with some of the other people in this series.
Also there are quite a bit of politics in the show, sometimes directly relating to our own politics of this day, and a lot of this is extremely relevant.
We also have four people, Jim Holden, Alex Kamal, Naomi Nagata and Amos Burton, who through no fault of their own become the crew of a ship that they have named The Rocinante, they were all crew members a board a ship called The Canterbury, sent out on a rescue operation which also just so happened to involve Julie Mao...
And they become an important part of the story as well eventually Joe Miller gravitates toward them - and so does every other problem in the solar system it would seem.
Later, other crew members include a gunnery sergeant from Mars and a botanist from Ganymede- and maybe even his daughter, which she lost track of during a catastrophe on Ganymede.
I'm not sure if this show is going to continue into a fifth season, but if they can make a fifth season as interesting as the first three that I have seen, then I will definitely watch it.
There are a lot of actors that I don't recognize except for Tom Jane who was The Punisher, he is a little older now but he still looks great even with the beard, and Florence Faivre who was a very nasty piece of work Kree soldier in Agents of SHIELD, she's the one that had those two floating balls that killed people, eventually killed off by Quake in a most satisfying way...
Sometimes there are stupid decisions and arguments in some of these episodes which make me want to strangle the characters when I see it, but so far I like how things have worked out tween them, the crew of the "Roci" are friends, and this show depicts a very realistic friendship between these people. The small conflicts between each of them at the beginning of the show shows how people from all kinds of backgrounds could become good friends under the right circumstances.
There are all kinds of other things going on, on earth, on Mars, On Ships various places in the solar system, and especially at a base called Tycho where the Mormons are building an incredibly huge ship called The Navoo... that is just another problem.
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real sci-fi
It's the 23rd century. The U. N. controls Earth. Mars is the main military rival. Independent miners called Belters operating in the asteroid belt are squeezing out a living from scarce resources. There is rising tension among these three different civilizations. On Ceres Station, detective Miller is given an off-the-books search for missing heiress Julie Mao. She's the sole survivor of a strange incident on the spaceship Scopuli. James Holden, Alex Kamal, Naomi Nagata, and Amos Burton are part of the crew of the Canterbury. They answer a distress call from Scopuli. UN Deputy Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala and Sadavir Errinwright are powerful earth politicians. The various players uncover a solar system wide conspiracy chasing an ancient alien secret.
This is a Syfy series. After three seasons, the show was cancelled and Amazon picked it up for another three seasons. It finishes with six seasons and sixty two episodes. It's a compelling futurist epic. It has great characters. I love the addition of Bobbi in season 2. The standout of this series from other TV shows is its realistic physics. Sure this has some fantasy givens like the alien tech and super efficient rocket engines but the physics are generally real and they almost always surprise me. Like I've never considered having a wound in 0G. This is a show for that along with its great characters and story.
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Amazing World Created Here By James Corey
So the first watchthru of this show I didn't review it at all. 2nd Watchthru we'll see how it goes. I know I did love the first 2 seasons!!!
Season 1
The first 2 episodes, fantastic, then a good 3rd, ep4 the bridge escape through a hail of fire was very lame, they all should have died right there. Some of the later episodes, not perfect, but all in all a good season. Amazing world created here. Nothing at all wrapped up at the end of the season. So there's a lot left for a second season! 8/10
Season 2
This season picks up strong where season 1 left off as the crew follows the Protomolecule and tries to stop the war between Earth and Mars from happening. It really peaks at Episode 5. And after that the series sputters a bit. More and more illogical decisions and just blind luck that doesn't result in certain death and really certain death for everyone involved on both planets. And really the last 3 or 4 episodes were just really average or not good. Hopefully Season 3 can get stronger and breathe some new life into the story. Season 2 ends with a 7/10
Season 3
The story does really pick up again especially toward the end of the season where the Protomolecule which is now 'The Ring' becomes a new major force in the Universe. Great performances by David Straithairn and other actors we know and love such as Elizabeth Mitchell, Chris Owens, and a return appearance by Thomas Jane add to the mix. Another solid season. 8/10
Season 4
Straithairn and T. Jane return in limited roles as Holden and team deal with the fallout from the 'Ring' opening up 1300 new possible life supporting worlds. The Belters and the Inners continue their conflicts and disagreements. Thank you David Straithairn for being a part of this amazing show. 8/10
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A show out of this world - literally...
When I found "The Expanse" it was already at the end of the first season, and I had not heard about it prior to finding it. Nor did I know that the series was based on books, which apparently are driven more by the characters, as to what is seen in the series.
Regardless, I sat down to watch "The Expanse", although my sci-fi needs are usually met by "Star Wars" and "Star Wars" alone. So I was more than genuinely and positively surprised with how exciting, thrilling and entertaining this series turned out to be.
The story in "The Expanse" was interesting and compelling. It was a story that quickly found root in the audience and stayed fresh and interesting throughout the entire first season. And I have been told that it kicks up a notch in season two. Which is impressive, because I was really impressed with the first season.
And they had cast some really great names for the various roles, and I was more than impressed with Thomas Jane in the lead role, because he really carried the character quite well. Just took a while to get accustomed to his hair.
"The Expanse" is heavily laden with special effects, and the special effects team really pull off the effects quite nicely, which really adds a great flavor to the series. And as a sci-fi series, then having believable and convincing CGI effects is a make-or-break deal.
The entire series is taking place in our own solar system, which is interesting, because it is easier to relate to it, since it is so close to home - relatively speaking, of course. And the entire atmosphere is good and makes for a vibrant universe.
And it is a great way that the different story lines are interwoven and connect to each other in different ways. There are times when you think "what is going on here?" only to find enlightenment at a later point in the episode or a later episode. And that way of connecting everything together is great.
I am definitely looking forward to starting on season 2 and believe that this is a series that I will follow to the very end. It is a great sci-fi show, and if you are not already familiar with this series, and you like sci-fi, then get into gear and start watching.
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Love this show - sorry I took so long to find!
I am about halfway through season 2 and I'm so glad that I have so much more of this show to watch. The first season started a little slow but it was always interesting and this second season is on fire. It's very suspenseful and well acted and the universe is very believable. It's not really a great acting ensemble but there are some good performances all throughout. The plot is kind of confusing but it's not so confusing you cannot enjoy the show or get too lost. This is much better than most other shows on TV.
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Perhaps the best series I see in my life
The first two seasons of THE EXPANSE had very interesting and deep conflicts; incredibly absorbing characters. Pace and tension was so perfect is unbelievable the writers were able to keep 26 chapters without slowing down. Even the productions values were very high. Third season starting some slowdown particularly in the last few episodes but nothing too bad. Season 4 however is perhaps the slower and dissociated one. Some political and crime stories matter very little compared with the Rocinante and their crew adventures; but still after chapter 4 things become more interesting and tense. The Expanse has been able to get interesting secondary characters integrated into the main action. Sadly some emotive moments are not necessary but I assume is to make characters more human.
In any case; not even Game of Thrones keep my interest that high and could not wait to reach the end so desperately
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Best "hard" sci fi I've seen since Battlestar Galactica
OMG I love this show. I've seen up through S02E03 on Amazon Prime.
I only gave it a 9 because I don't like to give anything a 10.
Others have gone into good detail of what is good about this show so I'll just add some bullet points that I didn't see covered (although with 250+ reviews I probably just missed 'em)
In no particular order other than stream-of-consciousness:
* Detailed, realistic science fiction * Space behaves like, well, space * Gravity. They did a stellar job with gravity. It isn't perfect. But they emphasize realistic ways to simulate gravity (ships under continuous acceleration, spinning, ring-shaped space stations). And they shut gravity off when appropriate. * Space ship battles are incredibly thoughtfully designed, with an eye for small details. They pump the air out of the ship before a battle, for goodness' sake. I can't think of *any* other scifi space show that goes into these details * Consistency. Characters act consistently. Environments act consistently. * Details. So many details! Mag boots. Ship maneuvers. technology such as computer/handheld devices. All so believable. * Mormons! There are mormons, because, of course there are. And they aren't even the bad guys! (I only state it this way because too often, mysterious religious groups are used as hollywood shorthand for "bad guys"). The presence of Mormons just enriches the worldbuilding. * I love the fact that Eros station just looks like a giant potato with a porthole on its butt. It isn't polished. It isn't flashy. It's grimy and utilitarian. * I love that every move made by a spaceship has corresponding thrusters pushing it in that direction. The space ships do not fly like fighter jets, like they do in other typical sci fi shows. They fly like rocks. * I love the fact that space craft tracking screens look like legitimate space object tracking screens, with curved, mathematically drawn projected trajectories.
I can't gush enough about the "hard" sci-fi elements. I haven't even gushed about the production yet:
* Story is detailed, in-depth, and engaging. It's basically a political/war drama, but it is very well written. * Acting is great. Seriously. Even the throwaway characters are great. * Anyone can die at any time. Very Game-of-Thrones-y in this regard, in a good way. Builds tension very realistically. * Costumes, sets, graphics, cinematography are all excellent
Star Trek. I used to like Star Trek. Have you seen Star Trek Beyond (2016) though? That was terrible. Everything that is done wrong in Star Trek Beyond is done correctly in The Expanse. In fact, I'm not sure I can watch any Star Trek show or movie again after The Expanse.
Ultimately The Expanse feels like a combination of Battlestar Galactica (2005 one) and Firefly, more than any other series I can think of.
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Season 4
When I heard that SyFy was cancelling the series after 3 seasons I was very surprised. Since the beginning this show has had an excellent story, interesting world building, a great cast and good production values. I thought it was one of the better series on TV, not just science fiction but including all genres. I was gratified to find out that Amazon picked this up and was eagerly awaiting its release. Well, I just finished season 4 and am pleased to announce that the high quality series has returned! My only regret is that for some reason I thought this season was 13 episodes instead of 10 and I wasn't willing for this to be over. I have never read the book(s?) this is based on so that has nothing to do with my review. I will only say that to anyone discovering this series for the first time I envy you! When I saw S4 E10 I got a little sad that it was over. Season 5 looks like it will be fantastic as well!
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Agenda driven industry and dumbed down audience are destroying entertainment.
Gobsmacked at the news that this show has been cancelled after only three seasons!
Currently, if a series doesn't have social messages central to every plot, they won't be supported, and abandoned.
With imbecilic agenda shows like Arrow/Flash/Legends/Supergirl continuing to survive in an era where the wrong people are making these propaganda decisions, it's obvious that there won't be much chance for another high caliber show as this one to make an appearance any time soon.
***For fans of The Expanse, fortunately, there's an option. There are a stack of books available to continue the saga! (Unfortunately, it will upset you even more when you see how awesome future seasons of this series was going to be, once you read where the incredible story was taking us!) They are all also in audible book form. No CGI can duplicate your imagination.
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by mid first season you will get hooked till s4 start, and then ploof!
Update s6 was short,lame writing, terrible final 6th episode, really? Amazon studios ....... ................... Update:Season 5 not good....amazon studios..... ----------------------------------------------------------------- s1 to s3, Takes a little while to accept some of the acting and sets.
But then, you are like into and intergalactic exciting novel!
Didnt like some actors/acting style at first .
Good story structure! First 3 seasons SYFY did an epic!
...
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Watch seasons 1-4, skip 5&6
Season 1 really grabbed my interest and seasons 2&3 held it. 8.5/10
Season 4 was OK but felt flat compared to the first three. 7/10
Seasons 5&6 were not entirely awful, just not very good, especially compared to the first three. Too much badly acted soap opera and not enough sci-fi or plot advancement. Basically boring. 5/10
Still very good sci-fi that just sort of faded out toward the end.
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Truly exceptional program - and I love Bobby the "Martian Tank"
I'm a big sci-fi fan and so my bar is fairly low, but this show raises the bar especially in seasons 2 and 3.There is action,great actor chemistry,great one-liners with unexpected actions,a good plot that doesn't seem like a repetitive drive,and relatable characters. I also have to say that I love Bobby the "Martian Tank".She has great wit,is attractive,and absolutely does Marines proud having served as a corpsman with Marines myself. Whether it gets renewed for a fourth season or not, time will tell, but I hope that SyFy keeps it going and with the characters and writers. (written before the Season 2 finale).
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The best space opera I have ever seen!
I'm a very lazy person when it comes to reviews, basically it is my first one. But I just really want to support this show as much as I can!
I've never seen any space opera TV show with the same attention to details, high quality graphics, mind blowing storytelling. Gosh, even costumes are superb! Usually I like to search for some holes in the story or illogical stuff, but here everything comes together just precisely like it should.
The show combines everything that I love in TV shows - politics, intrigues, technology, controversial but solid characters, multiple "worlds" etc. And I really didn't expect that level of bad-ass production from SyFy, great job guys! I'm looking forward to the next episode and really hope there will be more seasons to come.
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Man has expanded throughout the Solar System, but theirs trouble brewing
Some of the other reviews compare this series to Game of Thrones in the sense of a political dimension. That's a sense I got too while trying to draw together in my mind all the different plot lines. This is a terrific series. I grew up reading science fiction through the 1960s and 1970s and this tale is very much the type of imagining of those early paperbacks. The scenery and special effects, star-ships and space stations is mind glowingly good. This television show has no trouble rivaling movies and as such represents something of a breakthrough. It doesn't suffer from the same spaceships and recreation rooms being used repeatedly as did Battlestar Galactica. Its scale is a little reminisce of Total Recall (the new movie as opposed to the old) . It has some of the detective quality of the first series of Extant, and indeed, features an actual detective not unlike the hero of Blade Runner, in fact, in some parts, a close comparison could be drawn to that movie as well. The detective is by far the world's most interesting character, and the show should be congratulated for creating a character, and a case, so interesting. There is also an Earth politician (Mars has politicians in this tale as well) that is also deeply imagined.
It really is fantastic space drama. Breathtaking scope and a truly original yet utterly believable story-line. This could well be the world of tomorrow, I can't wait for the sequel.
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A Superb Sci-Fi
The Expanse is just such a great sci-fi show, from its well crafted universe to its brilliant plot. There is so much to like about The Expanse, especially if you're a sci-fi fan like me. The Expanse just offers so much new material to watch in the genre. It's not like Star Trek, or Star Wars, or whatever it may be; The Expanse is its own thing. And that's what makes it so addicting to watch.
First off, the plot is brilliant. The Expanse is about how the human race has to deal with an alien substance called "Protomolecule". The concept is simple enough, but it's written with so much depth. The protomolecule can be used as a weapon, and it can also be used to further the human race. The plot is also about the rivalry between three factions, Earth, Mars, and the OPA/the Belt. The rivalries are political and violent and that's what makes the writing so good. I love how the writers didn't make one side the bad guy, but instead every faction has equally bad and good aspects to it.
The universe they setup is interesting and multi-dimensional. You've got black markets, pirates, miners, racers, salvagers, etc. There's an entire galactic ecosystem that's explored so thoroughly in the show. There's obvious care and thought put into this show and it pays off so well.
The acting and CGI are also very good. There's not a lot of A-list actors, but every actor plays their character perfectly. The actors actually understand their characters and it makes these characters so likable; Alex Kamal, Klaes Ashford and Joe Miller being my favorites. And since Amazon picked up the show after season 3, the CGI and production quality only got better.
The Expanse is a definite recommend from me. If you're a sci-fi fan and haven't seen the show, then I only have one question, why haven't you watched this already? The Expanse is one of the very few shows that feels like there's actual passion put into it. So if you haven't already gave this show a shot, you should definitely get into this, because you won't regret it.
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Season 5, back on the horse
Dear The Expanse, Thomas Jane has the mojo, listen to this guy and ask him questions if you don't know what to do with the show. It does not matter what role he is in, doesn't matter, make him the Grip - what's a grip? Don't care, as long as he is there things are firing on all cylinders.
What is that quixotic look on your face...
You wanted more aliens, and Star Gate episodes?
No no no. This season brings back some things that worked "oh so right" in season 1.
Miller... I miss Miller. I keep thinking this thought. Where did he go?
The proto-molecule got him and turned him into a Director! Miller is in episode 3 (Thomas Jane - directing)
Sometimes you have to wait a bit for a "wow" moment. So far, Season Five has them coming from all angles, and quite a bit from the mastery and skill of everybody. If the cinematographers want expensive new lighting for something, give it to them! The "eye" for the scenes is amazing, just amazing.
Did you see that yet? Drummer, private moments, the lighting... close-ups on her face... Somebody (cinematographers) brought their A-Game. (again)
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Started as amazing Sci-Fi then turned into space drama
With a few expeptions I like Sci-Fi with little emotion and even less drama, the genre is about the mystery of exploration, future, alternate realities, advanced technologies and alien life, which is how The Expanse started. The amazing first three seasons were proper Sci-Fi full of suspense and wonder that slowly turned into a drama with sad music, people shedding tears and idle chat about how tough life is. So fourth season was OK, but not as good as the first three and the fifth abandoned the alien plot and turned into an emotional soap opera over an interplanetary backdrop.
They could have stopped on the third season and it would have been one of the best Sci-Fi series ever. Fourth season would have been nice too. Looks like Syfy cancelled the show after the third season for a good reason, or maybe Amazon who picked up the series wasn't up to the task.
Good things about the show is the amazing realistic depiction of a future human planetary society, space travel, technology, the good plot and great suspense (mainly first three seasons), and Avasarala's role.
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Sense of realism brings this series to life.....
So many science fiction series fail because they can not breach the gap between reality as it is and reality as it could be.
The Expanse succeeds in large part because its very believable. There's a real world on offer, with a developed and plausible political and social structure. Intrigue, power games, corruption, inequality and the fight for resources. All the things we see everyday populate this world. People don't really change.
Alongside the human drama sit some rather well thought out technological developments which in turn influence the evolution/devolution of humanity. Some humans, for example, live off world in artificial environments. The off worlders are sustained by technology but, at the same time, also constrained by it. They have evolved to suit low gravity environments and can no longer live on the planet their ancestors left to work in space.
Its the attention to detail and consideration of where existing and fledgling technologies can lead and the key social and political implications of these technological changes that makes this series work.
Is there a downside? I'd say the presentation of future earth is overly optimistic. Given the current degree of pollution and environmental damage presenting a relatively pristine Earth with only a hint of a raised sea level, is, to say the least, laughable. I'd be surprised too to see the United Nations still in business, by this time. Its already showing what a divisive failure it is, I can not imagine it would last this long.
If you can look beyond this series minor shortcomings, in most respects, this is still an above average science fiction drama that's worth your time. Eight out of ten from me.
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Oh, my!
I've just finished reading the series book finale, "Leviathan Falls", and there is no way that the series closure can be completed with only one episode remaining as I write this.
I do, however, see a path to satisfy the viewing audience, until hopefully another network picks this up for future episodes...
If my fellow Expanse fans are left with a hunger for more, I suggest the books for a story ten times larger than what its video budget restraints left out.
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One of the best
One of the best Sci-Fi series. Immersive story, a lot of action and suspense. Totally recommended. Getting better with each session which is a rare.
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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3230854/reviews
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