SyFy's New Series "The Expanse"

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lotr10

Well-known member
Just caught a sneak preview of SyFy's new series "The Expanse" on TWC On Demand and loved it. If you are a science fiction fan you have to check this out!

The series is based on James S. A. Corey's Expanse books. So far he's written 5 books in the series and season one covers book 1: Leviathan Awakes. I'm actually amazed they're making this into a TV series. I loved the books (book 6 will be out next year) and IMO they are among the best science fiction books out there.

These books are on par with the Game of Thrones novels in both their scoop and entertainment value. But unlike the GOT books the Expanse series never gets tiresome. Episode one does a great job of introducing us to this future universe and if you're thinking of checking this series out it's worth your time to first watch the short "making of" and "background" videos they have on SyFy On Demand. Like GOT, you get thrown right into the action and it can be confusing to sort out the different worlds and characters.

I like that with the exception of sound in space, this looks to be the most scientifically accurate series yet to be set in space. The other thing is don't be fooled that it's on the SyFy network. They are putting big money and first rate production values into this series. Also trust me when I say that the Expanse story line is insane in it's huge scope and big time adventure pacing. Once this thing gets going you will never have seen anything like it on TV.
 
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eastisbest said:
Maybe it's because of the new series but the book is popular at the library. I had to put a hold on Book 1 because they were all borrowed, even the eBook.

First episode on-line here:

http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse/videos/101-dulcinea
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It could be the new series stimulating demand EastisBest but among science fiction fans this book is very well regarded and it get's a lot of positive word of mouth and excellent reviews in the genre literature.
 
Last night was the "official" premier (it's been on demand for the last couple of weeks) of the new Sci Fi series "The Expanse". Tonight we'll get episode 2 and hopefully people will get hooked on this excellent new series.

I've read the 5 source books for the series and all I can say is if they stay true to the story hang on to your seats because you ain't seen anything like this before. When the Sci Fi channel and FX (Fargo) can step up with quality shows like the Expanse, you know we are living in a new "golden age" of television.
 
Sci Fy channel on demand now has the first four episodes of this series available. The good news is that episodes 3 & 4 have minimum interruptions (just a couple of Sci Fy promos).

If you like science fiction and thought Firefly was cancelled way to soon check the Expanse out. It takes a bit to get going and like Game of Thrones they drop you right into this future world without a lot of background but I'm pretty confident that by episode 4 you will be fully involved (it's worth watching the 3 minute background segments on Sci Fy On Demand before you start the series).
 
Just finished the second ep. They could have gotten quicker to the politics and character development of the situation instead of the long drawn out space stranding. I don't really even have a feel for any characters yet. Doesn't help the story that their using every trope in the book. Oh look, he's out of air. Oh, he's dead. Oh, miraculous sudden sucking of air.

As things are going, you might end up being rather disappointed at what they've done to the story. The science, the factions, everything that would be interesting is there, but not really well displayed IMO. Hopefully better.


While at the SyFy site, decided to see how they handle Childhood's End. At least they're taking on the big challenges in Sci Fi lit.
 
eastisbest said:
Just finished the second ep. They could have gotten quicker to the politics and character development of the situation instead of the long drawn out space stranding. I don't really even have a feel for any characters yet. Doesn't help the story that their using every trope in the book. Oh look, he's out of air. Oh, he's dead. Oh, miraculous sudden sucking of air.

As things are going, you might end up being rather disappointed at what they've done to the story. The science, the factions, everything that would be interesting is there, but not really well displayed IMO. Hopefully better.


While at the SyFy site, decided to see how they handle Childhood's End. At least they're taking on the big challenges in Sci Fi lit.
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Give it a chance. Episodes 3 & 4 are available at Scy Fy On Demand and I suspect that by the end of episode 4 you will be hooked. I will agree that they started slowly but the buildup through four episodes is decent and they are starting to flesh out the main characters and establish the very cool politics involved. This is a big story (five books and counting) on the scale of Game of Thrones so taking some time to introduce people to the environment and characters is needed. The payoff should be fantastic.

BTW, I thought Sci Fy did a decent job on "Childhoods End". I read this book 40 years ago and it still creeps me out. Not a huge fan of Clark but this is his best work. I'll give the Sci Fy adaption a solid "B" and the good news is they respected the source material.
 
Ok now that they've aired the excellent fourth episode of this new series anyone else watching it?

It's taken a while to get going but after this last episode it's starting to hit its stride. If you like science fiction stories aimed at adults check this series out.
 
PantherProud said:
have watched the first two episodes, don't really have an opinion on it. Not bad, not overly entertaining yet.
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The next two episodes kick the action up a notch and the politics of the story will start to make sense. If you like science fiction stick with it as the story is very good and so far the TV adaptation has been excellent.
 
Great news Scy Fy is renewing The Expanse for a second season. They have ordered 13 episodes.

The bad news is they didn't do this because of the great ratings as the number of viewers has been low. BUT, it has generated decent "on demand" numbers and I suspect that Scy Fy knows the source material (5 books and counting) is strong and that like "Firefly" this show will generate a following.

Again, if you haven't seem it yet, go on a binge watch and catch the first four episodes.
 
I've seen the first two episodes so far and like it. My only real issue so far has been the two cliche scenes with the kick of the antenna and the "unsuccessful" CPR.

Stay away from the gimmicky stuff like that and this show could turn into a very good show with a big following.

Having not seen the third episode or beyond, I'm hoping that they hold off on showing us the Martians.

There was an old sci-fi series, "Babylon 5," that did a great job of keeping a couple alien races mysterious. I think that could work well here for a while before getting too deep in their political issues.
 
Yappi said:
I've seen the first two episodes so far and like it. My only real issue so far has been the two cliche scenes with the kick of the antenna and the "unsuccessful" CPR.

Stay away from the gimmicky stuff like that and this show could turn into a very good show with a big following.

Having not seen the third episode or beyond, I'm hoping that they hold off on showing us the Martians.

There was an old sci-fi series, "Babylon 5," that did a great job of keeping a couple alien races mysterious. I think that could work well here for a while before getting too deep in their political issues.
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Episodes 3 & 4 are great so try to catch them asap. Episode 5 is on tonight.

I don't want to drop a spoiler on you but you will see a lot of Martians in the next two episodes. Don't worry they are an integral part of the story but they are NOT the key mystery in the series - that is so much bigger then Mars. Oh and I think you'll like the Martians.

BTW, I loved Babylon 5. It was pure science fiction and so much better then Star Trek IMO. In fact the more I think about it the Expanse, like B5 starts out slowly but builds to an incredible story. If you stick with The Expanse, the payoff is just as good as B5 was. The big advantage of the Expanse is that they have a larger budget and special effects are so much better today.

One more thing, I read in a science fiction mag that B5 is coming back in 2017 as a made for TV movie! I can't wait.
 
Solid episode 5 that is putting all the pieces into place for a harrowing 2nd half of the season.

As an aside, fans of actor Chad Coleman (the Wire & he played Tyreese on the Walking Dead) should tune in to see this great actor in what I suspect will be his best role ever. He plays Fred Johnson, manager of Tyco Station the largest ship building facility in the outer solar system - not to mention his OPA connections. From the books he is a hoot of a character and Coleman is the perfect guy to play him.
 
For those few out there paying attention, episode 6 of "The Expanse" was outstanding as they almost have all the pieces on the chess board in place to kick off the story.

So anyone else watching this and if you are what do you think?
 
Tonight with a slam bang episode 8 the Expanse has finally kicked the story into high gear. The first 7 episodes were setting the table and introducing us to the players. Now sit back and enjoy the ride.

I was wondering if they could pull off the pivotal scene from the book that signals how wild this story will be and IMO they hit it out of the ball park. Again, if you like science fiction check this series out. A two hour season finale is set for next week and the show has been renewed for 13 episodes for next year.
 
The season ended on a high note with a brutal episode taking place mostly on Eros. Season 1 got about half way through book 1 (Leviathan Awakes) of the Expanse series and next year we'll be getting 13 episodes to wrap up Book 1 and get a start on book 2 - Calibans War.

If you haven't checked this series out try binge watching it. My understanding is that it comes out on DVD/Blue Ray in early April.
 
What was this "pivotal" scene you're referring to?


Last few episodes haven't had too many tropes, well except two saved at the last minute before being airlocked scenes.
The world building is taking a bit long but seems good. If someone can invest 7 episodes, it does start to develop and the space shots get prettier but what has been mostly missing from my perspective are any characters or actors I find interesting or charismatic. No characters I find particularly likable or care about. At this stage, they could kill just about any of them, and it wouldn't affect me. That's makes watching a bit of a drudge for me. Same story, different plotting and I could see myself liking it a lot. Goes to taste.
 
eastisbest said:
What was this "pivotal" scene you're referring to?


Last few episodes haven't had too many tropes, well except two saved at the last minute before being airlocked scenes.
The world building is taking a bit long but seems good. If someone can invest 7 episodes, it does start to develop and the space shots get prettier but what has been mostly missing from my perspective are any characters or actors I find interesting or charismatic. No characters I find particularly likable or care about. At this stage, they could kill just about any of them, and it wouldn't affect me. That's makes watching a bit of a drudge for me. Same story, different plotting and I could see myself liking it a lot. Goes to taste.
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The "pivotal scene" was the fight in the hotel lobby and the discovery of Julie.

I agree that they are taking there time in the world building using ten episodes to only get about half way through the first book. In contrast GOT used ten episodes to get through book 1. The payoff will be next season as I expect you will begin to like the characters a lot better. They will grow on you.

Next season the series will transition from a detective story to a full blown space adventure. As I've said earlier the scope of the books is surprisingly vast given how the first half of the first book is almost claustrophobic in it's world building.

I think binge watching will actually favor the Expanse as the stories are a continuous thread that are not helped by the weekly stop and go nature of series TV.
 
A 13-episode second season will premiere on February 1, 2017.
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Looking forward to this show coming back. Not a big fan of a show taking a full year off but hopefully it's worth it.
 
lotr10 said:
Just caught a sneak preview of SyFy's new series "The Expanse" on TWC On Demand and loved it. If you are a science fiction fan you have to check this out!

The series is based on James S. A. Corey's Expanse books. So far he's written 5 books in the series and season one covers book 1: Leviathan Awakes. I'm actually amazed they're making this into a TV series. I loved the books (book 6 will be out next year) and IMO they are among the best science fiction books out there.

These books are on par with the Game of Thrones novels in both their scoop and entertainment value. But unlike the GOT books the Expanse series never gets tiresome. Episode one does a great job of introducing us to this future universe and if you're thinking of checking this series out it's worth your time to first watch the short "making of" and "background" videos they have on SyFy On Demand. Like GOT, you get thrown right into the action and it can be confusing to sort out the different worlds and characters.

I like that with the exception of sound in space, this looks to be the most scientifically accurate series yet to be set in space. The other thing is don't be fooled that it's on the SyFy network. They are putting big money and first rate production values into this series. Also trust me when I say that the Expanse story line is insane in it's huge scope and big time adventure pacing. Once this thing gets going you will never have seen anything like it on TV.
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Thanks for the information, I will check out the books and show. I can understand where you and Blackhawk are getting/reinforcing some of your ideas. The Einstein/Rosen Bridge (Wormhole) with the Alien ring sequence - kind of like a highway system into the universe and solar systems. It was interesting to note the limitations on traveling in the wormhole, the physical and mental effects on humans (or aliens for that matter). I believe Blackhawk had mentioned the problems with mass and speed and acceleration. Good stuff. I found it interesting that the transport system used in the rings was a reverse wave through the wormhole, going fast and then reversing the position of the transport mechanism to alter the effects of the first part of the travel and to slow the travel down. Very cool. I also found it interesting the colonization of Mars, and then the moons around Jupiter and Saturn and I believe Uranus, then the Alien space station in the Wormhole at Neptune or Uranus. Awesome. Another item that was touched on was the transportation system from earth to Mars and the outer solar system, a fusion system, which we had discussed with the wave transport technology. They also described the effects of space travel on the body but also on the bodies of those born in space. So a lot of the topics we have been going over in the Mars thread are addressed in the books and show. How about that, there just might be aliens out there :rolleyes: :cool:
 
JoshuaRanch said:
Thanks for the information, I will check out the books and show. I can understand where you and Blackhawk are getting/reinforcing some of your ideas. The Einstein/Rosen Bridge (Wormhole) with the Alien ring sequence - kind of like a highway system into the universe and solar systems. It was interesting to note the limitations on traveling in the wormhole, the physical and mental effects on humans (or aliens for that matter). I believe Blackhawk had mentioned the problems with mass and speed and acceleration. Good stuff. I found it interesting that the transport system used in the rings was a reverse wave through the wormhole, going fast and then reversing the position of the transport mechanism to alter the effects of the first part of the travel and to slow the travel down. Very cool. I also found it interesting the colonization of Mars, and then the moons around Jupiter and Saturn and I believe Uranus, then the Alien space station in the Wormhole at Neptune or Uranus. Awesome. Another item that was touched on was the transportation system from earth to Mars and the outer solar system, a fusion system, which we had discussed with the wave transport technology. They also described the effects of space travel on the body but also on the bodies of those born in space. So a lot of the topics we have been going over in the Mars thread are addressed in the books and show. How about that, there just might be aliens out there :rolleyes: :cool:
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Great post!
 
Just got book 6 in the series: "Babylon's Ashes" and hope to finish reading it by Christmas.

The 2nd season fires up in February and if you're so inclined binge watching season 1 is a great way to get caught up with the series. If you enjoy science fiction and liked Firefly, Babylon Five, Star Trek Deep Space 9 & Battlestar Galactica, you'll love "the Expanse".
 
Returns on Wednesday, 2/1/17.

Season 2 review:

There are innumerable challenges to creating genre TV. That goes double when you’re specifically talking about sci-fi, and triple when you consider our increasingly technified, globalized world today. Such is why a series like The Expanse is a leap of faith, even for a network like Syfy: to attempt to elevate space opera and hard sci-fi to one thoroughly enjoyable package for audiences that are increasingly nitpicky, knowledgeable, and skeptical? It’s a big ask (and no doubt expensive to pull off visually). Thankfully, after a solid first season filled with sociopolitical drama, season two expands to uncover, and pull together, the much bigger mystery at hand, clearing the path for more focused and engrossed storytelling.
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Read more:
http://nerdist.com/the-expanse-rises-to-riveting-in-season-2-review/
 
Yappi said:
Returns on Wednesday, 2/1/17.

Season 2 review:



Read more:
http://nerdist.com/the-expanse-rises-to-riveting-in-season-2-review/
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I think the "nerdist" is correct here. From reading the books two things emerge:

1) You will grow to really like the crew of the Roci. You will care about what happens to them. The first season was an introduction and I suspect for those who hadn't read the books it took to almost the end of season 1 to actually start to like these folks. Now with the intros behind us you'll be rooting for them big time every week.

2) The story starts "small" and narrowly focused. But this season it will start to exponentially expand in ways that will blow your mind. The Expanse is great science fiction.

Looking forward to Feb 1!
 
Last night season 2 kicked off and was terrific IMO. They're finally starting to showcase the camaraderie that exists among the crew of the Roci which is one of the best parts of the books.

They also introduced one of my favorite characters in Gunny Sergent Bobbie Draper - a kick butt Martian Marine. I was curious to see if they would be able to find a 250 pound Polynesian women to play the Bobbie described in the books (they didn't) but the actress they got will do. I suspect Bobbie will be a fan favorite as she and Amos have the best lines & scenes throughout the books.

I also like the way they're depicting the politics of the solar system. It's a classic situation of "the more things change the more they stay the same". I'm not aware of any space based science fiction show that has had both the scale & political depth of The Expanse - it blows away all the Star Trek series IMO. Maybe only Babylon Five comes close.
 
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