The Expanse - Season 1

[Mabus]

SFDebris Red playlist

While I did hear about the show back when it first aired on the SyFy channel, I never around to watch it until it was cancelled and picked up by Amazon. While there are some flaws in the worldbuilding, overall the story is solid and I really like that it tried to do something different regarding space physics and spacebattles, compared to other sci-fi shows. I disagree that the show is "Game in Thrones in space!", not every fantasy story with complex and dark stories is a GoT derivative, nor one of the authors working for George RR Martin for several years means every story you come up with is suddenly a GoT clone.

The first 3 episodes are a bit confusing and odd, lots of side plots that go nowhere but after "CQB", the story really picks up. While I haven't read the books, I do feel that the biggest change, namely introducing Avasarala earlier, is a net positive since it allows the story to be wider in scope, and it fleshes out the Earth faction. However, I do feel that the scene with Avasarala hanging the Belter smuggler is a bit over the top, it's more likely she would have asked Cotyar to oversee such activities, since that's more in his line of work.

Ship design is pretty good, the Donnie looks like some massive rocket ship while Tachi/Roci looks more like a high speed train locomotive on rails, which I guess fits the "workhorse ship" theme.

[stellar_coyote]

Having never watched it nor read the series, just how much time is dedicated to Holden making things worse?

[J!!]

About 3 books

[clearspira]

2001 A Space Odyssey, Battlestar Galactica Reboot and The Expanse are probably the three products that have come closest to what the actual future of space travel will look like (that i've seen anyway). Obviously barring the inclusion of things that are there for narrative convenience such as FTL and anti-gravity.

Saying that I want to throw in an honourable mention for Space 1999. Yes ''that'' show, with the Moon flying off. It has something called ''the Eagle Transporter'' that for a 1970s ship is a very good example of a spacecraft with its modular, non-aerodynamic design. Its a workhorse, with no strange design flourishes. They even wear spacesuits.

Anyway, point is, The Expanse is worth watching just for that. We have Star Trek and its space mushrooms for our unrealistic space travel.

[McAvoy]

I read the books after the show came out. So when season 1 came out it took me awhile to eventually get to it because whole the pilot caught my interest it suffered from that slow burn of where like the first seven episodes builds up everything and then the last two is where it all culminates.

I can see people having issues with that sort of format.

[Riedquat]

I got a fair way in to The Expanse but eventually gave up. The bleak, miserable, almost everyone's a backstabbing arsehole and that occupied most of the screentime just got in the way of the far more appealing sci-fi stuff.

[McAvoy]

I got a fair way in to The Expanse but eventually gave up. The bleak, miserable, almost everyone's a backstabbing arsehole and that occupied most of the screentime just got in the way of the far more appealing sci-fi stuff.

I can understand that. I like it because of the potential realism we could have in the far future. Especially in one where we are stuck in our solar system due to impossibilities of FTL. So we colonize the system and human qualities would eventually split us kinda like how it is in the Expanse.

Unfortunately I wished they showed the physical differences between the Belters, Mars and Earth humans. Earth humans being physically stronger and Belters being physically weaker unable to deal with gravity. Mars being in the middle.

I know, to keep that up would require CGI since Belters are supposed to be very tall and skinny.

[clearspira]

I got a fair way in to The Expanse but eventually gave up. The bleak, miserable, almost everyone's a backstabbing arsehole and that occupied most of the screentime just got in the way of the far more appealing sci-fi stuff.

I can understand that. I like it because of the potential realism we could have in the far future. Especially in one where we are stuck in our solar system due to impossibilities of FTL. So we colonize the system and human qualities would eventually split us kinda like how it is in the Expanse.

Unfortunately I wished they showed the physical differences between the Belters, Mars and Earth humans. Earth humans being physically stronger and Belters being physically weaker unable to deal with gravity. Mars being in the middle.

I know, to keep that up would require CGI since Belters are supposed to be very tall and skinny.

If history has proven anything it is that no one likes being governed by someone in another country. Someone who doesn't share the same problems as them, eat the same food as them, or in some cases, even look like them. The Solar System colonies in real life absolutely will resent the governments on Earth having any say in their affairs. I give it three to five generations - long enough for the people of Mars to develop their own culture and to be mostly populated by people born there instead of on Earth.

And the Earth governments will have a response.

[TGLS]

I give it three to five generations - long enough for the people of Mars to develop their own culture and to be mostly populated by people born there instead of on Earth.

I dunno, that seems rather short. If history is any indication it's more like 10 generations (compare with the Thirteen Colonies, 1607-1776, Mexico, 1530-1810)

[McAvoy]

I got a fair way in to The Expanse but eventually gave up. The bleak, miserable, almost everyone's a backstabbing arsehole and that occupied most of the screentime just got in the way of the far more appealing sci-fi stuff.

I can understand that. I like it because of the potential realism we could have in the far future. Especially in one where we are stuck in our solar system due to impossibilities of FTL. So we colonize the system and human qualities would eventually split us kinda like how it is in the Expanse.

Unfortunately I wished they showed the physical differences between the Belters, Mars and Earth humans. Earth humans being physically stronger and Belters being physically weaker unable to deal with gravity. Mars being in the middle.

I know, to keep that up would require CGI since Belters are supposed to be very tall and skinny.

If history has proven anything it is that no one likes being governed by someone in another country. Someone who doesn't share the same problems as them, eat the same food as them, or in some cases, even look like them. The Solar System colonies in real life absolutely will resent the governments on Earth having any say in their affairs. I give it three to five generations - long enough for the people of Mars to develop their own culture and to be mostly populated by people born there instead of on Earth.

And the Earth governments will have a response.

Well looks like that happened in The Expanse. 230 years from now.