I've been hearing about this show for the last 4 years or so. I've heard about how it's "scientifically accurate". Of course, I'm very skeptical about that phrase as it almost always leads to disappointment. I kept putting it off... till it was canceled. I almost ended up watching it then, but just before I planned to, Amazon renewed it. Meanwhile, I realised that actual scientists were hyping this show, so my skepticism diminished enough to want to watch it when Season 4 is out. Over the last couple of weeks, I finally watched through all of The Expanse.
First things first - yes, this is absolutely a show like no other. Where science fiction usually make significant leaps in scientific theory for the sake of heightening drama; The Expanse does the exact opposite. Something beautiful and wonderful - it turns scientific phenomenon into drama. I could give you an example, but I'd recommend you see it for yourself.
Set a few hundred years out in the future in our very own Solar System, The Expanse puts a lot of thought and detail into every bit for where humanity might stand then. It's in the details that The Expanse shines, and successfully builds a world that feels like our own, yet different. A lot of the technologies on screen are within the realms of current scientific theory, just very advanced. For example, there is no faster-than-light travel, but there's an extremely efficient nuclear fusion drive.
While the show does a good job of implying the vastness of space and how much time communications take to travel, or how long journeys take even with the aforementioned fusion drive, unfortunately the editing undercuts the sense of time. Everything goes at a breakneck pace, and the feeling of time and space are diminished. This is a hard problem to solve, sure, but I believe there are cinematic tools available to slow things down while maintaining intrigue.
The Expanse's production design and CGI are impeccable. It's not the most spectacular, nor the most photorealistic, but once again - it's in the details. Models for the spacecrafts (CGI) and their interiors (sets) are realised with immaculate detail likewise. A special mention for the user interfaces. They are so detailed that you'd want to pause and see exactly what the screen is showing! A shot of a screen stays for maybe 3 seconds, yet they have built up entire user interfaces! As I keep saying, the devil is in the details, and The Expanse nails it every time. Science fiction TV shows often struggle to bridge the vast outer space views with the human-centric shots - often due to budgetary constraints. The Expanse does this really well, and for the most part when a shot of a spacecraft from the outside cuts in, you believe it's the same place rather than a completely different set. Still, there's a disconnect between the swooping CGI shots and the traditional shooting methods of the interior shots - though this is something they have improved on in later seasons.
Unfortunately, The Expanse has a rather pessimistic view of humanity. Even though hundreds of years into the future, with advanced technology, people are portrayed with just as much ego and selfishness as today's despots. It's not quite as bad as, say, Game of Thrones where everyone's out to destroy others, but still, The Expanse falls on good old cliches of humans doing stupid things at exactly the wrong times. So, despite creating an incredible setting, the day-to-day drama of The Expanse is like any political drama. That's not a bad thing, but I have personally seen too many of those, and believe this was an opportunity to show a more mature human species. We have made major strides since the medieval era, or indeed, the first half of the 20th century, and there's no reason to believe we won't continue to progress as a species. There'll be bumps, but long term progress is easy for all to see. Even if we don't, it would have been a more refreshing take on the political drama genre. It also lacks the wit and charm of Firefly or OT Star Wars (despite a similar setup) so the general tone of the show is not quite as enticing.
The Expanse is an absolute must-watch for all fans of science fiction. If you're just looking for a drama, The Expanse is still competent, but nothing special.
