"The Expanse" - New near-future sci-fi TV

[Cloo]

Just coming to the end of S2. gsv watched up to s4 without me and enjoyed it, but wasn't paying full attention what with laptop and everything so is kindly rewatching the whole thing with me, as I had actually wanted to watch it!

 

[krtek a houby]

Just gave up on S01E01. The cheap sets and dodgy lighting put me off the most, and then it’s just some boring blokes doing boring chitchat.

I’m comparing it to Altered Carbon, which might be unfair but that was a TV sci-fi series that worked and had all the right ingredients. This doesn’t.

Altered Carbon is fine, in a cartoonish, shoot 'em up, gratuitous nudity B movie kinda way.

The Expanse is quality but takes
a few episodes to get going.

 

[T & P]

It got more bored with each passing season. Too much politics and too slow a pace.

S2 of Altered Carbon is IMO not as good as S1 but not terrible either. The one off cartoon spin-off is great by the way.

 

[Crispy]

too slow a pace

Season 3 moves at a mile a minute.
You are wrong, sir. Wrong. I shall see you at dawn on Lambeth fields. Bring your pistols.

 

[souljacker]

The Expanse is ace. There is some really wooden performances, mainly from Holden and Naomi. But there are loads of other brilliant things going on. Season 5 is imminent too.

 

[T & P]

Season 3 moves at a mile a minute.
You are wrong, sir. Wrong. I shall see you at dawn on Lambeth fields. Bring your pistols.

You might well be right about S3, can’t remember that much about it tbh.. But we recently watched S4 and it’s undeniably slow and often m underwhelming and boring in my book. Invariably the last ten minutes of every episode were great, but the previous forty could often be a drag, and there was too much politics and not enough action for me.

As an aside thought, this is certainly not exclusive to The Expanse, but IMO 52-odd minute episodes are a tad too long forslow paced series. It works for extremely well written series like Breaking Bad or The Sopranos, but not so well for this, certainly when there’s so little action.

 

[Crispy]

Ah yes well S4 did drag a bit.
The 4th book gets a bad rap also. I believe it's all uphill from here.

 

[T & P]

Ah yes well S4 did drag a bit.
The 4th book gets a bad rap also. I believe it's all uphill from here.

Had no idea it was based on a book!

Am I right to say the series was cancelled by the studio that produced it and S4 only happened because it was picked up by Amazon? Or am I mixing it up with another series?

Anyway, even if S4 was badly received the likes of Amazon will not pay much attention to that, as they’re not as ratings driven and this is a marquee name.

 

[kabbes]

S3 was one of my favourite sci fi things of all time. S1 was okay enough for me to persist and S2 I found good. S4 was quite dull though.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I believe it's all uphill from here.

What, like a bit of a struggle?

 

[krtek a houby]

S4 was nail biting but there seemed to be less of the political machinations going on and more action.

Comparing it with AC is like comparing BSG with Buck Rogers.

 

[Dandred]

Just finishing off book eight in the series.

Fantastic sci-fi.

Any recommendations to similar stuff?

 

[krtek a houby]

Just finishing off book eight in the series.

Fantastic sci-fi.

Any recommendations to similar stuff?

If it's world building and different factions at an uneasy peace or outright conflict with each other plus ancient tech, would recommend Ken MacLeod's Engines of Light trilogy and Alistair Reynold's Revelation Space series (have only read the first book, so need to start again, but so far so good...)

Iain M Banks - Against a Dark Background - is pretty fine as well. AFAIK, it's not part of his Culture series, so can be read as a standalone.

 

[platinumsage]

Comparing it with AC is like comparing BSG with Buck Rogers.

Wow, it's like most of you have watched the actual show, and I have somehow managed to downloaded a remake which is an undergraduate drama studies project.

I didn't realise it was based on books. If the casting, acting, script, set design, cinematography and lighting is so bad, that just leaves the plot you must be all raving about, which means I may as well go and read those? Perhaps after I've read them it will seem worth persevering with.

 

[Supine]

It's a well made show. Are you sure you've been watching the right show?

 

[maomao]

Wow, it's like most of you have watched the actual show, and I have somehow managed to downloaded a remake which is an undergraduate drama studies project.

Which you've watched one episode of.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Altered Carbon was fucking dire.

 

[krtek a houby]

Wow, it's like most of you have watched the actual show, and I have somehow managed to downloaded a remake which is an undergraduate drama studies project.

I didn't realise it was based on books. If the casting, acting, script, set design, cinematography and lighting is so bad, that just leaves the plot you must be all raving about, which means I may as well go and read those? Perhaps after I've read them it will seem worth persevering with.

Dunno, not read the books. Just really enjoyed the series & like so many series, it's impossible to judge the entire output based on one episode.

 

[krtek a houby]

Altered Carbon was fucking dire.

Still one ep to go, but yeah - one for videogamers, I feel.

Disclaimer - don't play videogames, so apologies for offending anyone who does.

 

[Chz]

The first series of AC was fine. Not a lot more than fine, but fine. I'm in no hurry to try the second series, based on feedback.

I've no idea if the first series of The Expanse was as bad as all that. I was just excited to get some "real" sci-fi and quite frankly would've put up with just about anything in terms of production values.

 

[PursuedByBears]

I really enjoyed S1-S3 of the Expanse but S4 bored me and I abandoned it half way through.

 

[JimW]

I really enjoyed S1-S3 of the Expanse but S4 bored me and I abandoned it half way through.

I also enjoyed it and then suddenly didn't and baled though can't quite recall when. Wasn't conscious, just not found the time to finish where I used to make time.

 

[existentialist]

I also enjoyed it and then suddenly didn't and baled though can't quite recall when. Wasn't conscious, just not found the time to finish where I used to make time.

I also stalled at S4, but that might be my state of mind or concentration as much as the show...

 

[kabbes]

I think it’s because S1-3 were about big stories with big themes and S4 suddenly became about a few individuals in a small story in a claustrophobic atmosphere. So a big change.

Nothing wrong with small stories of course, and most good series actually make the opposite “mistake” (i.e. build their reputation in early series with good small stories and then fuck it all up by deciding to make S3 or S4 about saving the whole bloody planet). But The Expanse is one of those rare things that was about big themes from the start, and the shift of focus jarred.

 

[Supine]

S4 is also based on the worst book (imho) so at least it's consistent

 

[DotCommunist]

Even s4 had better pacing, story and conclusion than star trek discovery, than Picard, than any other contemporary sf show.I remember the days of scraping by on LEXX and Andromeda re-runs, this era is gold.

 

[kabbes]

You’re right, it was better than most series (sci fi or otherwise). But a disappointment nonetheless

 

[Reno]

Even s4 had better pacing, story and conclusion than star trek discovery, than Picard, than any other contemporary sf show.I remember the days of scraping by on LEXX and Andromeda re-runs, this era is gold.

Have you seen Watchmen (tv series), Devs or Dark ?

I bailed on The Expanse early on, so can't really judge it. I liked the world building, but thought it was weak on characterisation or as a drama. I read in improves but never went back.

 

[DotCommunist]

Have you seen Watchmen (tv series), Devs or Dark ?

I haven't, Dark is on the list though I'll stick the other two on it also.

 

[cybershot]

I’m comparing it to Altered Carbon, which might be unfair but that was a TV sci-fi series that worked and had all the right ingredients. This doesn’t.

Altered Carbon got cancelled this week.