The Expanse Season 2

[Nessus]

Haven't seen any of season 2 yet. Was pleasantly surprised by season one though. I was afraid it was gonna go the BSG route of conflating "MAXIMUM DYSFUNCTION AT ALL TIMES" with realistic (or likable) characterization, but was pleased it managed to dodge that bullet IMO.

There are still some major soft spots in the sci-fi*, but it is much, much harder than most TV/Movie sci-fi, and I appreciate that.

*There are a few big things movie/TV hard Sci-Fi get big-time wrong pretty consistently, like using "modern industrial" as (unintentionally ironic) visual design style for "realistic futuristic", and various "space is an ocean" ideas about space travel and colonization.

[MadAmosMalone]

Haven't seen any of season 2 yet. Was pleasantly surprised by season one though. I was afraid it was gonna go the BSG route of conflating "MAXIMUM DYSFUNCTION AT ALL TIMES" with realistic (or likable) characterization, but was pleased it managed to dodge that bullet IMO.

I could not agree more! I always cringed when people would compare this to NuBSG for that very reason. There is a fine line between "flawed" characters and just completely unlikable ones and that show blew past that line at FTL speeds. I rooted for the Cylons to exterminate the lot of 'em before I gave up on the show altogether. I went back to see the series finale and, though they redeemed the characters somewhat, they then made such boneheaded decisions (abandoning technology) I didn't see anything of that series worth going back to. Still won't re-watch it to this day.

There are still some major soft spots in the sci-fi*, but it is much, much harder than most TV/Movie sci-fi, and I appreciate that.

*There are a few big things movie/TV hard Sci-Fi get big-time wrong pretty consistently, like using "modern industrial" as (unintentionally ironic) visual design style for "realistic futuristic", and various "space is an ocean" ideas about space travel and colonization.

Also agree, though I would like to know more about what you mean by unintentionally ironic industrial designs. The show is basically a more or less "traditional" space opera but they've gone out of their way to try and depict space travel more realistically than any other show that has come before. I really think this is the sci-fi show I've been waiting for since B5 went off the air.

[Crowley]

I guess I have to admit that the piloting through the system is a little far fetched, but slingshot dang it! That is hard core Sci Fi right? I am a former AF jet mechanic and can't they have a joystick and a throttle to pilot a Spaceship in a Sci Fi show? Other than the Delta Flyer from Voyager!

And don't forget:



I personally have to problem with that in concept. If you have a situation where quick maneuvers and reactions are more important than precision, what better way is there to implement that?

Getting back to the series, something occurred to me and it bugs me more the more I think about it: Why is there such a low degree of computerization and automation everywhere? Given how much attention is given to human tolerance for G-forces, it's more than a little odd that remote-controlled or autonomous vehicles are used so little, since that would handily get around human biological limitations.

[lsgreg]

We discussed earlier that putting nukes on the security hatches of Eros would have been easier with probes than using belter Mercs to do it. They don't even use probes in the series. I guess it was a preference of the original writers of the books not to create a society dominated by drones, robots or probes.

[lsgreg]

I almost forgot Insurrection. How cheesy it was to show that off! Like they just wanted to show how Riker could handle a stick......

[ORCACommander]

the show writers kinda created their own plot hole there, in the books they more freighters with nukes aboard to eros and not spike the docks like how they did

[MadAmosMalone]

Yes definitely more automation should be shown in the series. However it's not like they haven't shown any robot ships. The tugs dragging the Nauvoo out of the Tycho drydocks were all automated weren't they? They also used robotic probes to scope out the surface of Venus. Certainly they're showing the Rocinante to have some fairly advanced intelligence. There may be other examples I'm missing.

[ChiggyvonRichthofen]

I've watched the first season. It's a decent show. I enjoy watching it. And yet something stops me from getting fully on board with the hype. I found some of the characters to be fairly aggravating, although most of them improved somewhat as the season went along. I'm trying to avoid book and future season spoilers, but I'm not sure what people see in Amos. Not a fan.

My biggest issue was that there's sort of a directionless feel to the first season. I can approve of a lack of long, clunky exposition and the "show don't tell" method of story building, but the show could have used a better sense of place and weight to the story. Maybe all that will improve in future seasons, I'm holding off on watching more until season 2 is free on Amazon Prime (which I assume will happen at some point after the whole season airs)

[Crowley]

Yes definitely more automation should be shown in the series. However it's not like they haven't shown any robot ships. The tugs dragging the Nauvoo out of the Tycho drydocks were all automated weren't they? They also used robotic probes to scope out the surface of Venus. Certainly they're showing the Rocinante to have some fairly advanced intelligence. There may be other examples I'm missing.

There was also a small drone shown on Ceres a couple of times that the camera followed across open spaces and into some kind of ducts in the ceiling. Come to think of it, they never showed what that thing was actually for. Maintenance? Surveillance?

[MadAmosMalone]

I've watched the first season. It's a decent show. I enjoy watching it. And yet something stops me from getting fully on board with the hype.

I felt a little like this during the first season too. I missed the first couple of episodes of the second season and, for a time, I thought I might not care enough to continue but, believe me, the second season is an improvement over the first. I'm glad I got back into this show.

...I'm not sure what people see in Amos. Not a fan.

Hey! There's no need to get insulting.

My biggest issue was that there's sort of a directionless feel to the first season. I can approve of a lack of long, clunky exposition and the "show don't tell" method of story building, but the show could have used a better sense of place and weight to the story. Maybe all that will improve in future seasons, I'm holding off on watching more until season 2 is free on Amazon Prime (which I assume will happen at some point after the whole season airs)

I do hope you'll give second season a chance. I definitely think it's better than the first.

There was also a small drone shown on Ceres a couple of times that the camera followed across open spaces and into some kind of ducts in the ceiling. Come to think of it, they never showed what that thing was actually for. Maintenance? Surveillance?

We also discussed a lack of "transhumans" in this show but, now that I remember that robot you mentioned, I seem to recall they met this one guy who had some kind of augmentation. It was like he had an "augmented reality" display built into his eyeballs. I'll hafta go back and re-watch the first season but I think I'm remembering that right.