The Expanse - User Reviews
Finishing The Expanse has been a unique experience. It’s not a series to binge quickly, but every season has been worth the wait. Its approach to science fiction balances visual spectacle with a realistic touch that’s rarely seen on television. What impressed me the most is how it portrays space. It’s not just a stunning backdrop but a hostile environment where every mistake can have serious consequences. The show doesn’t just depict this; it makes it an integral part of the story, respecting the laws of physics and maintaining constant tension in every episode. The characters are another of its greatest strengths. Throughout the seasons, they evolve naturally, facing dilemmas and situations that make them feel truly human. There are no perfect heroes or one-dimensional villains; each character has their own ambitions, fears, and contradictions, making them all the more real and relatable. The pacing varies. Some moments are slower, setting the stage for intense, high-stakes scenes. But when the show reaches its peak, the tension is so gripping that it’s impossible to look away. Now that I’ve finished it, I’m left with that empty feeling that comes after experiencing a truly impactful story. It wasn’t just an entertaining series—it made me think and fully immerse myself in its universe in a way that few others have. Without a doubt, The Expanse is one of the best sci-fi series I’ve ever seen.
**One of the best Sci-Fi shows ever made!** Oye! First time viewer? Make sure to make it to the episode 4 "CQB". About the books: Yes, they are fantastic. The show is also fantastic. It's okay to like both even if they aren't the same. A note on other reviews here: I'm surprised by all of the negativity in the other reviews considering how overwhelmingly positive the show has been received and reviewed on other sites. As Beltalowda say, Xetamang tili du xeta. I'm going to be intentionally vague here: There are several elements at play in the show. One arc of the first season focuses on the mystery of a missing person and a detective's journey finding out what happened to her. The second focuses on who's responsible for a ship that was destroyed. A third focuses on a dangerous and valuable substance that was found, and a fourth that focuses on the political climate of the solar system while certain events trigger tension between Earth, Mars, and The Belt. The first and second mysteries are solved in the first season, but the rest evolve and grow throughout the rest of the series. The series has a diverse cast of strong characters without resorting to the usual lazy denigration that other series' and movies have latched onto lately. There's just enough attention to scientific detail to make the show feel grounded (thrusters on the back of turrets to counter rotation while firing), while still leaving enough to the imagination to be awe inspiring. There's a depth to The Expanse's universe that is intoxicating. The Belter Creole language made by a linguist that you can actually learn on memrise (yes, really) illustrates this perfectly. Oyedeng!
Let me just say this: read the books instead, but watch the show immediately afterwards? The production was beset by issues, dropped by SyFy and picked up by Amazon, then a key actor committed assault and the show was diverged to adapt for his absence, and when the Amazon bucks ran out the last season collapsed without delivering. The source material is great, vast geopolitical space opera with a micro lens through political intrigue, detective stories and the established trope of a tiny ship's crew falling in over their heads. Besides the production issues, I found that while the rest of the cast was excellent, Holden's character was played poorly, and his development didn't really come across without knowledge of the books. While the plot suffers from the production constraints, the story still feels exciting and it's fun to puzzle out which patois the Belter lingo is borrowing from at any given time. I can only wish they had a few more seasons to work with, but that's television as a medium...
Another Sci-Fi show purporting humanity to be "hundreds" of years in the future and the only really new tech seems to be spaceships, see-through smartphones and ... nothing. People are still running around with guns, having surgeries with Y2K tech, working manual labor, believing in gods and living in a class-based society. Where are the statis pods? The quantum computers? The nanotech and AI? The bionic implants and posthumans? And what would a Sci-Fi show be without some good ol' romance between the main characters? Or a protagonist who was level-headed for half a season and then just loses his marbles to start shooting everything? Can't do without that! The fantastic imagery aside, the story isn't gripping and the world is boring. It's been repeated too many times.
This series makes me want to read the books. According to Wikipedia, "The Expanse is a series of science fiction novels, novellas, and stories by James S. A. Corey, the pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. The first novel, Leviathan Wakes, was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2012." You can tell. The story is nuanced, multilayer and intricate. There are Earthers, Martians and Belters (complete with their own patois), politics, a Cold War heating up, an ideology willing to kill people to protect "life". It's a treasure trove of story, characters and good watching. But, it's not for the faint hearted. Because of the depth of the multiple levels, it takes attention and patience to reveal the interwoven pattern(s). I suggest binge watching the first season, so you don't lose the strands of the story, but, now, at the beginning of the second season (on the ScyFi or Space channel), the basic premise has become a solid foundation, that will support the wait for weekly episodes. I gave the first season an 8 (great) out of 10, but with the second season, it has reached a 9 (superb) climbing on its way to a 10 (un-miss-able). Come for the characters, stay for the intensity of the drama.