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The Expanse

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The Expanse: I want to like this show and it is almost entertaining@netflixr61d
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  1. Television Review: Caliban's War (The Expanse, S2X13, 2017)@drax244d

    (source:tmdb.org)

    Caliban’s War (S0213)

    Airdate: April 19th 2017

    Written by: Daniel Abraham & Ty Frank Directed by: Thor Freudenthal

    Running Time: 44 minutes

    The Expanse’s second season finale maintains the series’ tradition of naming its concluding episode after the corresponding novel in James S.A. Corey’s source material—a practice established with Leviathan’s Wake in Season One. This structural homage, however, belies a significant narrative divergence: unlike the novels where Caliban’s War represents a self-contained narrative arc, the television adaptation repurposes the title not as a neat culmination but as a thematic anchor for Season Two’s sprawling climax. The choice proves ironically apt, for while the episode eschews a tidy resolution to the season’s complex geopolitical machinations, it delivers precisely what its Shakespearean title promises—a visceral, chaotic war waged across multiple fronts, replete with gunfire, moral ambiguity, and the ever-present spectre of annihilation. Yet this very multiplicity of conflicts becomes both the episode’s greatest strength and its critical flaw, as three distinct storylines of wildly uneven quality compete for emotional resonance amidst the interstellar carnage.

    The most compelling thread unfolds aboard the Rocinante, where Holden, Alex, and Amos retrieve Naomi and a traumatised Praxidike Meng following their harrowing escape from Ganymede. Their relief is short-lived; unbeknownst to them, they’ve smuggled aboard a monstrous stowaway—the human-protomolecule hybrid developed under Project Caliban. This creature, previously hunted by Holden on Ganymede, now turns the ship into a claustrophobic battleground. Meng’s desperate hope that the hybrid might retain traces of his daughter Mei’s consciousness creates a profound ethical schism: while Naomi and Holden insist on immediate destruction, Meng pleads for communication, his paternal grief blinding him to the existential threat. The tension escalates horrifically when Holden is crushed in the cargo bay during an initial confrontation, forcing the crew into a race against time for both his survival and the ship’s. It is Meng, ironically, who ultimately engineers the solution via scientific deduction. Observing the creature’s attraction to the ship’s reactor, he realises it feeds on radiation. Initially, they exploit this by cutting power to halt its advance, but Naomi devises a final gambit: removing a nuclear warhead from a torpedo, luring the creature with it, and detonating the device within its grasp. The plan succeeds, saving the Rocinante but leaving Holden critically injured. In a poignant coda, Naomi confesses she never destroyed the protomolecule sample; believing the Belt might leverage it against Earth and Mars, she entrusted it to Fred Johnson—a revelation underscoring the episode’s central theme: survival often demands morally compromised pragmatism.

    This segment stands as the episode’s undisputed triumph, masterfully evoking the suffocating tension of Alien whilst consciously eschewing horror for cerebral action. The special effects—particularly the creature’s biomechanical fluidity and the reactor’s eerie glow—heighten the realism, but it is the writing that truly elevates the sequence. Meng’s arc is exceptional: his initial, emotionally driven misjudgment gives way to a solution born not of sentimentality but cold, precise science. In a genre often reliant on firepower, it is profoundly commendable to witness a crisis resolved through intellect—a testament to The Expanse’s commitment to hard sci-fi principles. The emotional weight of Meng’s grief, juxtaposed with his eventual rational breakthrough, delivers genuine pathos without melodrama, making this the season’s most resonant character moment.

    Regrettably, the other two subplots falter under the weight of their own execution. The standoff aboard Jules-Pierre Mao’s yacht, featuring Cotyar’s valiant but wounded negotiation with Mao’s mercenaries, begins with promise. Cotyar’s physical deterioration and Asaravala’s whispered coaching create palpable tension, and Bobbie Draper’s eventual intervention—crawling through ventilation shafts to reach her concealed power armour—is a visually striking payoff. Yet the sequence suffers from jarring pacing: the protracted negotiation feels overlong, while Bobbie’s decisive takedown of the mercenaries occurs in a rushed montage, robbing the victory of catharsis. Naomi’s closing voiceover, attempting to lend thematic weight to Cotyar’s ordeal, rings hollow, rendering the entire segment curiously anti-climactic despite strong performances from Frankie Adams and Nick E. Tarabay.

    Most perplexing is the UNS Arboghast’s ill-fated mission to Venus. Colonel Janus and Dr. Iturbi’s decision to descend into the protomolecule-controlled Eros crater, despite grave scepticism, culminates in the ship’s instantaneous disintegration—a spectacle of nihilistic destruction. While intended to underscore the protomolecule’s terrifying power, the subplot feels narratively redundant. The Eros catastrophe already established the entity’s godlike capabilities; revisiting this theme here adds little beyond gratuitous spectacle. Worse, it wastes two intriguing characters—Janus and Iturbi—introduced solely to be obliterated, their potential for future development sacrificed for a hollow demonstration of cosmic horror. The sole redeeming note is Adam Savage’s cameo as a doomed crewman, a nod to MythBusters’ legacy that will delight fans but cannot salvage the segment’s fundamental pointlessness.

    Structurally, "Caliban’s War" exemplifies the pitfalls of The Expanse’s ambitious multi-threaded storytelling. While the Rocinante sequence thrills with its intellectual rigour and emotional authenticity, the yacht standoff’s pacing issues and the Arboghast’s narrative vacuity dilute the finale’s impact. The episode’s title, referencing Shakespeare’s enslaved, monstrous Caliban, proves thematically rich—each storyline explores beings trapped by forces beyond their control (Meng by grief, Cotyar by duty, Janus by curiosity)—yet the execution lacks cohesion. The Rocinante crew’s triumph, the yacht’s rescue, and the Arboghast’s annihilation should coalesce into a symphonic climax; instead, they feel like disconnected movements in a fractured symphony. The emotional beats land unevenly, with Meng’s victory overshadowing Bobbie’s heroics and the Arboghast’s demise feeling like an afterthought.

    That said, the episode’s conclusion lands with chilling precision. Naomi’s confession about the protomolecule sample—and her belief that the Belt must wield it as leverage—sets up Season Three’s central conflict with elegant efficiency. At the time of broadcast, this revelation carried profound real-world weight; The Expanse had been cancelled by Syfy after Season Two, leaving fans in agonising limbo. For months, this cliffhanger threatened to join the ignominious ranks of unresolved sci-fi finales (Firefly, Carnivàle), a cruel tease for a show seemingly abandoned mid-sentence. Only the extraordinary efforts of its devoted fanbase (#SaveTheExpanse) secured its revival on Amazon Prime—a resurrection that transformed this moment from a frustrating dead end into a symbol of the show’s improbable survival.

    Ultimately, Caliban’s War is a flawed but fascinating specimen of science fiction television. Its Rocinante sequence alone ranks among The Expanse’s finest hours—a masterclass in blending intellectual problem-solving with visceral tension. Yet the episode’s structural imbalances and wasted potential prevent it from achieving true greatness. In hindsight, however, its very imperfections feel emblematic of The Expanse’s journey—a show that, like its characters, repeatedly defied annihilation through sheer resilience.

    RATING: 6/10 (++)

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  2. Television Review: The Monster and the Rocket (The Expanse, S2X12, 2017)@drax245d

    (source:tmdb.org)

    The Monster and the Rocket (S0212)

    Airdate: April 12th 2017

    Written by: Mark Fergus & Hawk Atsby Directed by: Robert Lieberman

    Running Time: 44 minutes

    It has become an almost axiomatic truth within contemporary prestige television that any ambitious work of speculative fiction, daring to scale the heights of epic storytelling, feels compelled to mirror Game of Thrones in its embrace of labyrinthine political intrigue. To witness the machinations within Season 2, Episode 12 of The Expanse, "The Monster and the Rocket," is to confront this tendency head-on. Here, the existential dread posed by the alien protomolecule and the protagonists' fundamental struggle for survival are inextricably woven, perhaps overly so, into a dense tapestry of power plays between Earth, Mars, and the Belt. The episode presents a world where navigating the treacherous currents of interstellar politics – replete with shadowy alliances, calculated betrayals, and the constant threat of backstabbing – proves as perilous, if not more so in the immediate term, than confronting the alien horror lurking in the void.

    The episode opens with Chrisjen Avasarala seemingly at the zenith of her strategic campaign. Having successfully manoeuvred for a UN Security Council hearing where Undersecretary Sadavir Errinwright faces accountability for his complicity in the protomolecule disaster, she simultaneously secures a high-stakes audience with the exposed Jules-Pierre Mao aboard his opulent yacht. Sanctions have eviscerated Mao’s empire and shattered his family, leaving him vulnerable. Avasarala, ever the pragmatist, seeks his coerced cooperation, recognising his knowledge is vital. Yet, acutely aware of the viper’s nest she enters, she is by the formidable former intelligence operative Cotyar and the indomitable Martian Marine Bobbie Draper. Their presence is less ceremonial protection and more a tacit acknowledgment that Mao, cornered and desperate, might resort to anything – including assassination – to regain leverage.

    Conversely, Errinwright’s position appears terminal. Haunted and isolated, he even drafts what seems a suicide note, sharing a moment of fragile vulnerability with his son. This apparent despair, however, proves a masterful feint. His invitation to Martian Defence Minister Piotr Korshunov reveals the chilling truth: the two men were co-conspirators all along, jointly facilitating Mao’s protomolecule research under the guise of planetary rivalry. Yet Avasarala’s aggressive move against Mao disrupts this fragile equilibrium. Korshunov, sensing a shift, prepares to abandon Errinwright, positioning himself as a Martian patriot sacrificing the corrupt Earther. Errinwright, however, strikes first with ruthless efficiency. He poisons Korshunov, expertly fabricating the appearance of a fatal heart attack induced by Earth’s gravity. Emboldened by this cold elimination, Errinwright immediately pivots, leveraging his regained control to accuse Avasarala of treason, timing it perfectly to strand her, isolated and vulnerable, aboard Mao’s yacht. The political landscape shifts with the speed of a knife in the dark.

    Simultaneously, amidst the political viper pit, the Rocinante crew grapples with immediate, visceral horror on the surface of Ganymede. Holden leads the hunt for the human-protomolecule hybrid – the "monster" of the title – while the station itself succumbs to a cascading life-support collapse. Naomi and Amos locate Melissa, captain of the Somnabulist, offering aid to repair her ship and evacuate survivors. What begins as rescue swiftly devolves into a desperate race against time as the failing environment and panicked crowds threaten to overwhelm order. The emotional core of the episode crystallises here: the agonising necessity of triage. With the Somnabulist’s capacity limited, Naomi and Melissa make the brutal, heart-wrenching decision to prioritise children and the young. Organising the terrified masses requires immense skill and nerve, culminating in the ship’s harrowing liftoff – only to face the immediate threat of a Martian Navy blockade. Holden, reluctantly abandoning his hunt for the hybrid to protect his found family, brings the Rocinante roaring in for a timely, dramatic intervention.

    Technically, The Monster and the Rocket functions with commendable efficiency. The script by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby adeptly juggles the disparate storylines – the high-stakes political gambits on Earth, the tense confrontation aboard Mao’s yacht, and the life-or-death struggle on Ganymede – ensuring the narrative flows smoothly without succumbing to excessive exposition. The intercutting maintains tension across all fronts, a testament to solid structural craftsmanship. However, this competence is undermined by significant flaws. Errinwright’s arc, while ultimately satisfying in its villainous payoff, suffers from an overly protracted and somewhat melodramatic setup. His initial scenes, steeped in apparent suicidal despair and paternal angst, feel less like nuanced character development and more like a clumsy misdirection, veering perilously close to soap opera territory before confirming his established diabolical nature. This unnecessary padding dilutes the impact of his subsequent, genuinely chilling actions.

    Furthermore, the episode is hampered by stretches of noticeably uninspired dialogue. Conversations aboard Mao’s yacht, despite the high stakes, often lack the razor-sharp wit or profound weight one expects from The Expanse at its best, feeling functional rather than compelling. Similarly, the sequences involving the hybrid hunt on Ganymede suffer from exchanges that fail to fully convey the profound horror or existential weight of the situation. Compounding this, certain performances feel curiously flat. Dominique Tipper (Naomi) maintains her usual grounded intensity, but Steven Strait, as James Holden, delivers lines with a distracted, almost lethargic quality that undermines Holden’s characteristic moral urgency and leadership during the Ganymede crisis. It occasionally feels as if the actors were wrestling with material that hadn’t quite landed.

    Yet, the episode redeems itself powerfully in the Ganymede refugee sequence. The raw desperation, the palpable fear, and the agonising moral calculus of who lives and dies resonate deeply. Central to this success is the character of Champa, portrayed with immense physical and emotional presence by Gugun Deep Singh. This colossal Belter, initially a potential threat, becomes the unexpected linchpin of order. Using his sheer stature for both intimidation and calming the panicked throng, Champa’s quiet authority and persuasive power during the chaotic boarding of the Somnabulist provide one of the season’s most memorable and emotionally resonant moments. He embodies the Belter resilience and community spirit that the political machinations so often overlook.

    Ultimately, The Monster and the Rocket exemplifies The Expanse’s greatest strength and a recurring vulnerability. It masterfully constructs a complex, believable political universe where survival hinges as much on dealing through treacherous alliances as on firepower. The technical execution of weaving multiple high-stakes narratives is impressive. Yet, in its eagerness to deliver the expected Game of Thrones-esque intrigue, it occasionally sacrifices the depth of its character moments and the potency of its dialogue, leaning towards the soapy or the perfunctory. While the Ganymede sequence, elevated by characters like Champa, provides the vital human anchor, the episode serves as a reminder that even in the face of an alien apocalypse, the most dangerous monsters might just wear the suits of Earth, Mars, and corporate power – and their schemes, however intricate, can sometimes eclipse the very humanity the show strives to protect.

    RATING: 6/10 (++)

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  3. Television Review: Here There Be Dragons (The Expanse, S2X11, 2017)@drax247d

    (source:tmdb.org)

    Here There Be Dragons (S0211)

    Airdate: April 5th 2017

    Written by: Georgia Lee Directed by: Robert Lieberman

    Running Time: 43 minutes

    Following the relatively quiet, almost meditative lull of the previous episode Cascade, The Expanse decisively snaps back into its signature rhythm with Here There Be Dragons. Eschewing contemplation for fractured urgency, the episode masterfully reignites multiple narrative engines simultaneously, delivering the series' customary blend of intense action, profound revelation, and labyrinthine political intrigue across its dispersed storylines.

    The episode’s title, drawn directly from a line of dialogue spoken by Colonel Janus (Conrad Pla), operates with a delicious, almost cruel irony. While the phrase "Here There Be Dragons" traditionally marked the terrifying unknown on ancient maps, the storyline it references – the UNS Arboghast's cautious research mission orbiting Venus – is, at this precise juncture, the least eventful and certainly the least violent of the episode’s concurrent arcs. Janus, the pragmatic commander, invokes the historical parallel to counsel extreme caution against Dr. Iturbi’s desire to deploy yet another probe into the Venusian cauldron, where previous devices have met mysterious, violent ends. He frames their mission as one of modern-day sea-faring explorers venturing into cartographic blank spots, where the dragons were placeholders for unimaginable peril. Iturbi, driven by scientific fervour, successfully argues for one final gamble. The resulting probe data delivers the episode’s most staggering revelation: the protomolecule is not merely present on Venus, but demonstrably alive and actively transforming the previously hellish, uninhabitable planet. This moment transcends mere plot advancement; it reframes the entire cosmic scale of the threat, shifting it from a contained biological weapon to a potentially planet-altering, intelligent force. The true "dragon" is not lurking in the unknown depths of space, but is actively reshaping a world right before humanity’s eyes, rendering Janus’s historical caution simultaneously prescient and utterly inadequate.

    On Earth, the political chess game reaches a fever pitch. Avasarala, in a display of consummate power, appears to have UN Undersecretary Errinwright firmly ensnared. She dangles the spectre of imminent UN Security Council hearings specifically focused on the Eros incident, promising to expose his deeply unsavoury collusion with Jules-Pierre Mao and Protogen. The mere suggestion of this public reckoning visibly rattles Errinwright. Avasarala’s threat is framed as a path to potential atonement, a chilling reminder that her mercy is conditional upon his absolute co-operation. This scene crystallises Avasarala’s methodology: leveraging the system’s own mechanisms, however corrupt, to achieve her ends, always one step ahead in the shadow war.

    Simultaneously, Sergeant Bobbie Draper’s Earth-bound predicament explodes into action. Avasarala, desperate for Bobbie’s firsthand account of the Ganymede incident, employs a cynical ruse – falsely reporting OPA sabotage – to prevent Bobbie’s departure. This enforced delay proves pivotal. Bobbie’s subsequent conversation with the increasingly hostile Captain Martens escalates rapidly from tense confrontation into a brutal physical altercation. Utilising her unparalleled Martian Marine combat skills, Bobbie doesn’t merely subdue her superior; she dismantles his resistance to extract the truth. Martens, cornered and overpowered, reveals the horrifying reality: the Ganymede incident was a deliberate Protogen test, "Project Caliban," designed to prove the viability of human-protomolecule hybrids as supersoldiers, subsequently marketed to entities like Mars. Bobbie secures irrefutable evidence, flees the Martian Embassy, and successfully claims political asylum, delivering herself directly into Avasarala’s waiting hands. While this sequence delivers immense catharsis and crucial plot advancement, it warrants critique for its narrative convenience. The showdown, though viscerally satisfying, leans heavily on Cold War thriller tropes. Martens, the archetypal Martian villain, improbably possesses and readily accesses the very evidence that serves as Bobbie’s asylum ticket, making his downfall feel somewhat simplistic and overly revelatory. The ease with which the truth is pried from him, amidst such high stakes, stretches credibility, even within the show’s generally grounded framework.

    The Ganymede storyline delivers relentless tension and profound horror. Holden, Amos, Naomi, and Dr. Meng persist in their desperate search for the protomolecule and Meng’s immunocompromised daughter, Mei. Through recovered surveillance footage, they trace Mei’s abduction by Dr. Strickland to a sealed-off Protogen research section. This leads to a fierce firefight with the section’s commander, the chillingly pragmatic Umea (Allisson Hossack), and her mercenaries. The subsequent discovery is deeply disturbing: Protogen used immunodeficient children like Mei as test subjects, attempting to create stable human-protomolecule hybrids. One such hybrid turns on its creators, slaughtering Umea and the scientists. Undeterred by this horror, Holden and Meng pursue the hybrid, believing Mei might still be alive within its grotesque form. Their mission is enabled by Alex Kamal’s audacious, visually spectacular slingshot manoeuvre through the Martian blockade – a sequence showcasing the Rocinante’s capabilities and Alex’s piloting genius.

    However, this iconic moment is later revealed to be scientifically flawed, a point of noted embarrassment for producer Naren Shankar, who would meticulously correct the physics for a similar manoeuvre in Season 3’s Delta-V. Meanwhile, Naomi makes a pivotal, emotionally charged decision to part ways with Holden, choosing to aid Ganymede’s refugees. Holden, recognising the moral imperative, instructs Amos to follow her – a subtle but significant fracture in the crew’s unity.

    Crucially, this episode marks a significant departure from James S.A. Corey’s novels. Naomi’s revelation to Meng about her lost son, a deeply personal trauma previously unexplored in the narrative, is an original creation for the series. This addition, while enriching Naomi’s character depth and motivations, fundamentally alters her backstory and emotional landscape compared to the source material, representing one of the show’s earliest and most impactful narrative divergences.

    Here There Be Dragons functions exceptionally well as a narrative engine. It successfully lifts the veil on the protomolecule’s true nature (Venus), exposes the horrifying depths of Protogen’s conspiracy (Ganymede), forces critical character realignments (Bobbie’s defection, Naomi’s choice), and intensifies the political stranglehold (Avasarala vs. Errinwright). It masterfully complicates allegiances – Bobbie turns against Mars, Naomi against the immediate crew mission, Holden grapples with the monstrous reality of the hybrid – and blurs moral lines, particularly within Protogen’s amoral experimentation. The episode excels in transforming the abstract "dragon" of the title from a metaphor for the unknown into the terrifyingly concrete reality of the protomolecule’s agency and humanity’s willingness to weaponise it. Despite the minor quibble regarding the slightly contrived Martian confrontation and the later scientific quibble with Alex’s flight, the episode stands as a pivotal, densely plotted turning point.

    RATING: 7/10 (++)

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  4. Television Review: Cascade (The Expanse, S2X10, 2017)@drax248d

    (source:tmdb.org)

    Cascade (S0210)

    Airdate: March 29th 2017

    Written by: Dan Nowak Directed by: Mikael Salomon

    Running Time: 42 minutes

    While The Expanse rightfully thrills with its meticulously rendered zero-G combat, intricate political machinations, and the relentless propulsion of its space opera narrative, the series possesses a deeper strength in its willingness to occasionally throttle back. It recognises that the vastness of its universe, and the weight of its human drama, demand moments of respite – spaces filled with the quiet accumulation of detail, the slow burn of character revelation, and the profound implications of its worldbuilding. Cascade, the tenth episode of the second season, stands as a masterclass in this essential pacing. Far from filler, it is a deliberate, atmospheric, and deeply unsettling pause that utilises the aftermath of Ganymede’s devastation to explore the chilling reality of societal collapse and the fragile threads holding humanity together.

    The episode’s central narrative thread follows the Rocinante crew navigating the shattered remnants of Ganymede Station, the former breadbasket of the Solar System. This setting, previously glimpsed only in the chaos of its destruction, is finally granted the grim scrutiny it deserves, and the view is profoundly bleak. What was once a thriving agricultural hub, vital for sustaining the Belt and beyond, lies ravaged. The inhabitable area has been catastrophically reduced, perhaps halved, by the initial battle and its chaotic fallout. Death and displacement hang heavy in the thin air; countless souls perished in the initial catastrophe, while countless more were forced into desperate flight. For those who remain trapped within the crippled domes, existence has become a daily struggle against pervasive scarcity. Shortages of food, medicine, and basic necessities are the norm, forcing inhabitants into increasingly desperate and morally ambiguous measures for survival. This desperation is crystallised in a chilling moment where Meng, inspecting the surviving plant life crucial for atmospheric regulation within the fragile domes, is informed that starving survivors have begun consuming these very plants. The tragedy is twofold: these plants possess negligible nutritional value, serving solely to maintain the delicate ecological equilibrium necessary for life support, and their consumption represents the beginning of a terminal "cascading failure." Ganymede, as Meng starkly declares, is effectively "dead" – not instantly annihilated, but succumbing to a slow, inevitable metabolic collapse, its lifeblood draining away.

    Amidst this pervasive humanitarian crisis, Naomi’s investigation into the potential presence of the Protomolecule adds a layer of specific dread. The medical staff, still overwhelmed by the sheer volume of casualties from the initial disaster, report no immediate signs of the alien entity. Yet, this absence offers little comfort to the starving Ganymedans. Their immediate reality is one of gnawing hunger and fractured families, made exponentially worse by the exodus of supply ships carrying vital foodstuffs in the chaotic aftermath. The rupture of communication has severed countless connections, leaving survivors adrift and vulnerable, forced to seek information through exploitative intermediaries. Roma (Stephen Yaffee), a morally ambiguous hacker operating in the station’s shadows, exemplifies this grim new economy. He trades in the most basic human needs – locating missing loved ones like Mei Meng and Dr. Strickland – but demands payment in the only currencies of value: food or sexual services. Holden’s attempt to secure Roma’s cooperation through bartered rations is met with cynical indifference, ultimately requiring Amos’s characteristic, physically persuasive intervention to initiate the search. This scene powerfully underscores the erosion of societal norms; even the Rocinante crew, relative outsiders, must engage with the station’s brutal new hierarchy to achieve their goals.

    Simultaneously, the episode shifts perspective to Earth, offering subtle but significant political tremors. Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala’s relentless pressure finally yields a crack in Undersecretary Errinwright’s facade. His reluctant admission of his shady dealings with the enigmatic Jules-Pierre Mao marks a pivotal moment, revealing the deep rot within the highest echelons of the UN and hinting at the vast conspiracy driving the conflict.

    This political intrigue contrasts sharply with the plight of Martian Marine Sergeant Bobbie Draper. Despite ultimately adhering to Mars’s official stance on Ganymede, her superiors view her with suspicion and disdain. They coldly inform her of her imminent return to Mars, bluntly refusing her poignant request to see Earth’s ocean – a symbol of the planet she fought for but never truly experienced – before departure. True to her resilient nature, Bobbie refuses to accept this denial. She slips away from the Embassy, navigating the grim reality of Earth’s underbelly within a sprawling shantytown, where she is eventually directed towards the ocean. It is there, amidst the crashing waves, that she encounters Avasarala and Cotyar, who extend an offer of uneasy cooperation, recognising her unique perspective and skills in uncovering the truth behind Ganymede’s fall. This sequence, culminating in Bobbie’s silent communion with the vast ocean, is one of the series’ most resonant moments – a quiet, deeply human counterpoint to the political and military machinations, showcasing her adaptation to Earth’s gravity and light, and establishing her as the episode’s emotional anchor.

    Scriptwriter Dan Nowak deserves significant credit for embracing this quieter, more contemplative approach. While Amos’s use of force to coerce Roma is present, it is notably restrained compared to the visceral bloodshed of preceding episodes. Cascade understands that the true horror lies not in grand battles, but in the grinding reality of famine, the bureaucratic indifference of the powerful, and the quiet desperation of the displaced. This deliberate pacing allows the narrative space to fully explore the dire ecological and social collapse on Ganymede. More significantly, it grants The Expanse its first substantial, ground-level glimpse into everyday life on Earth – not from the privileged vantage point of the UN elite, but from the perspective of the forgotten masses. The portrayal is starkly pessimistic; despite the existence of a Universal Basic Income designed to mitigate technology-induced unemployment, the episode reveals a society where countless individuals have slipped catastrophically through the cracks. The shantytowns, rampant drug addiction, and pervasive crime depict a vicious cycle of poverty and despair that appears stubbornly resistant to centuries of supposed progress, challenging any notion of Earth as a utopian haven.

    Director Mikael Salomon complements Nowak’s script with a keen eye for atmosphere. While Alex’s solitary moment enjoying a beer in zero-G aboard the Rocinante might superficially resemble "filler," it serves a vital purpose. It is a moment of fragile calm, a brief respite for the crew amidst the surrounding chaos, showcasing the show’s technical prowess in depicting microgravity while reinforcing the theme of finding small pockets of humanity in the void.

    However, it is the final sequence with Bobbie Draper that truly elevates the episode. Her journey from the Embassy’s sterile confines, through the lawless shantytown, to the ocean’s edge is a masterclass in visual storytelling. Salomon lingers on her physical adaptation – squinting against the unfamiliar sun, relearning how to walk under Earth’s gravity – culminating in that profoundly quiet moment of her simply looking at the ocean. There are no grand speeches, no sudden revelations; just a soldier, weary and displaced, finding a moment of awe and connection. This understated, emotionally resonant conclusion proves far more powerful and thematically fitting than the convenient cliffhangers the series sometimes employs.

    RATING: 7/10 (++)

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  5. Television Review: The Weeping Somnabulist (The Expanse, S4X09, 2017)@drax249d

    (source:imdb.com)

    The Weeping Somnabulist (S02E09)

    Airdate: March 22nd 2017

    Written by: Hallie Lambert Directed by: Mikael Salomon

    Running Time: 42 minutes

    It is the nature of epic television series to feature those grand, emotionally gut-punching and action-packed episodes that represent their creators at absolute peak form—moments that become indelible in the viewer's memory and define the series' legacy. Yet inevitably, these masterpieces must be followed by episodes that, despite possessing inherent quality, inevitably look much inferior in comparison. One such example exists within The Expanse, where the Season 2 classic Pyre—a masterclass in tension, character development, and political intrigue—finds itself followed by the merely functional The Weeping Somnambulist, an episode that serves its purpose but fails to ignite the imagination in the same way.

    Written by Hallie Lambert, The Weeping Somnambulist functions primarily as narrative connective tissue, advancing the plot from point A to point B with mechanical precision. Its central purpose revolves around the Rocinante crew's desperate attempt to reach Ganymede Station, which has been blockaded by the Martian Navy following the catastrophic battle. Recognising that the Rocinante would be detected attempting to breach the blockade, the crew devises a plan involving the Weeping Somnambulist, a Ceres-registered relief freighter set to deliver vital food, medicine and supplies to Ganymede. The vessel, operated by the husband-and-wife team of Melissa (Valerie Buhagiar) and Santichai Suputayaporn (Peter Williams), becomes their unwitting ticket through the blockade. Holden and Amos initially board the freighter posing as Martians, only to later reveal their true identities and effectively commandeer the ship. Meanwhile, Alex pilots the Rocinante to a hiding place near one of Jupiter's smaller moons, awaiting the signal to extract the team. The plan succeeds, delivering Holden, Naomi and Amos to Ganymede to continue their search for Mei Meng and Dr. Strickland. Yet complications arise when the docked Weeping Somnambulist is boarded by local thugs attempting to extort the Suputayaporns. The Rocinante crew's intervention sparks a firefight where the criminals are killed, but tragically Santichai dies in the crossfire—a moment that leaves Melissa grief-stricken and ordering the protagonists off her ship.

    In parallel, Bobbie Draper (Frankie Adams) finds herself thrust into the political spotlight as the sole surviving member Martian patrol that witnessed the start of the Ganymede disaster. Accompanying Defence Minister Piotr Korshunov (Jeff Seymour) to the Martian Embassy in New York City for peace talks, Draper is tasked with briefing Earth officials about the incident. What follows represents one of the episode's strongest elements: Draper's growing realisation that Mars leadership intends to sacrifice truth for political expediency, inexplicably agreeing to take full responsibility for the Ganymede catastrophe and placing all blame on the late, trigger-happy Earth-born Private Travis. Though Draper maintains military discipline outwardly, she inadvertently slips enough truth during her testimony to catch Avasarala's attention—hinting that the disaster's true cause might lie with the protomolecule rather than human error.

    Meanwhile, the protomolecule's presence continues to reverberate through the solar system, with the UNS Arboghast—Earth's science vessel—detecting anomalous signs of life around the Eros crater on Venus. This development, though presented somewhat peripherally in this episode, represents the growing realisation among Earth scientists that they're dealing with something far beyond human comprehension, setting the stage for future confrontations with the alien technology.

    Directed by Mikael Salomon, the veteran Danish filmmaker known for his work on Band of Brothers, "The Weeping Somnambulist" is technically proficient but curiously unmemorable. The episode tries a little too hard to replicate The Expanse's established pattern of ending with a cliffhanger and emotional punch, resulting in a somewhat forced quality that lacks the organic tension of superior episodes. While Salomon's direction maintains the series' visual consistency, there's an absence of the distinctive cinematic flair that elevates other installments from mere plot advancement to genuine storytelling art.

    One of The Expanse's greatest strengths has always been its ability to portray the solar system's political complexities through the eyes of ordinary people caught in the crossfire—individuals who care little for the grand machinations of Earth, Mars and the Belt but suffer the consequences nonetheless. "The Weeping Somnambulist" attempts this perspective through the Suputayaporn couple, yet ultimately falls short. Unlike Praxideke Meng (the desperate Ganymede botanist searching for his missing daughter), whose emotional journey resonates powerfully throughout the season, the Suputayaporns receive insufficient development to make their tragedy truly impactful. Their story feels compressed, their personalities sketched rather than fully realised, making Santichai's death feel more like a plot device than a genuine emotional moment. Meng's brief appearance in this episode, while effective, borders on what feels like a glorified cameo rather than meaningful character progression.

    Where the episode truly excels is in its subplot involving the peace conference. Here, Lambert and Salomon seize the opportunity for rich worldbuilding—showcasing Martians requiring specialised medication to adapt to Earth's gravity and solar glare, visual details that speak volumes about the physiological divergence between planetary populations. Draper's character receives particularly strong development as she displays early hints of rebellion against her government's narrative, refusing to don sunglasses despite the painful glare—a small but significant act of defiance that foreshadows her later transformation. Her refusal to completely throw her fallen comrade under the bus, even while following orders, reveals the moral complexity that makes The Expanse such compelling political science fiction.

    In the end, "The Weeping Somnambulist" serves its function within The Expanse's narrative architecture but fails to transcend its utilitarian purpose. Unlike the series' best episodes—which balance plot progression with profound character moments and thematic depth—this instalment feels like a necessary but ultimately forgettable stepping stone between more significant events.While technically sound and featuring some strong moments in the Draper subplot, it exemplifies how even excellent series sometimes produce episodes that merely connect the dots rather than illuminate the path forward—a competent but ultimately unremarkable chapter in what remains one of science fiction television's most impressive achievements

    RATING: 6/10 (++)

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  6. Television Review: Pyre (The Expanse, S2X08, 2017)@drax250d

    (source:imdb.com)

    Pyre (S02E08)

    Airdate: March 15th 2017

    Written by: Robin Veith Directed by: Kenneth Fink

    Running Time: 44 minutes

    By mid-Season 2, The Expanse had firmly established itself as television's darkest space opera, teaching viewers that in this meticulously crafted universe, the most extremely unpleasant things could happen to multitudes of innocent people with terrifying regularity. This series' unflinching commitment to portraying the brutal realities of its colonised Solar System had been cemented with the shocking conclusion of Dulcinea, the very first episode, and continued when Eros incident unfolded with devastating consequences. While this grim tone remained consistent throughout the season, certain episodes plunged viewers into even deeper moral abysses than others. Pyre, the eighth instalment of Season 2, stands as one such episode—a profoundly unsettling yet masterfully executed chapter that simultaneously ranks among the strongest episodes of the entire season. It achieves this distinction not through grand space battles or political machinations, but by focusing relentlessly on the human cost of cosmic-scale conflict through the eyes of an ordinary man caught in the maelstrom.

    'The Seventh Man', the preceding episode, frustratingly withheld direct depiction of the Ganymede incident, opting instead for indirect exposition that left viewers piecing together events through second-hand accounts. Robin Veith's script for Pyre brilliantly compensates for this narrative gap by introducing Dr Praxideke Meng (Terry Chen), a major character whose connection to the catastrophe is devastatingly personal. Unlike the hardened military personnel and political operatives who dominate The Expanse's landscape, Meng is a botanist—gentle, intellectual, and utterly unprepared for the horrors unfolding around him. Injured by falling glass when one of Ganymede's agricultural domes collapsed, he awoke from a coma aboard a Belter refugee freighter, surrounded by destitute survivors and consumed by a single overwhelming concern: the fate of his young daughter Mei (Leah Jung), whom he last saw moments before the disaster struck.

    The episode's emotional devastation begins when Doris (Grace Lynn Kung), Meng's Martian-acquainted colleague, offers him a clue that proves utterly crushing—Mei's clinic in Sector 4 was completely destroyed during the incident, and his daughter is almost certainly dead. As Meng struggles to process this unimaginable loss while Doris urges him to start anew with her on Mars, another atrocity unfolds before his eyes. The ship's crew, operating under the pretext of transferring passengers to another vessel, separates its human cargo between Belters and "Inners" (Earth-born and Martian citizens). Meng, being born and raised on Ganymede, is at the last moment told not to join Doris as she and numerous others are led toward an airlock. The scene that follows is among the most horrifying in the series' history—Meng's helpless witnessing of Doris and others being callously spaced into the void, their desperate pleas cut short by the vacuum of space. When the ship finally reaches Tycho Station, Meng, still in profound shock, attempts to share his horrific story with authorities who dismiss him, preoccupied with matters they deem far more pressing.

    Meanwhile, the Rocinante crew faces its own fractures. Following Dawes' abduction of Cortazar and successful escape from Tycho Station, the rift between OPA leadership and Fred Johnson becomes increasingly public. Within the crew itself, tensions surface as Holden belatedly admits his desire to kill Cortazar and prevent another protomolecule horror, while Naomi continues concealing her knowledge of the protomolecule container's whereabouts. When Holden theorises that some remnant of the protomolecule might still exist, Naomi reluctantly participates in triangulation efforts, only to discover—to her utter horror—traces of the alien substance on Ganymede itself.

    This discovery makes it painfully clear that the protomolecule, directly or indirectly, played a role in the Ganymede catastrophe. The search for Protogen's involvement leads the crew to Dr Lawrence Strickland (Ted Atherton), a company employee working on Ganymede as a paediatrician who had been scheduled to examine Mei Meng. Further investigation of security footage reveals both Strickland and Mei leaving the clinic well before the incident occurred—a tantalising suggestion that both might have survived. The Rocinante crew resolves to return to Ganymede to investigate further, with Meng—having previously collaborated with Strickland on botanical research—eventually agreeing to join them as their guide, clinging to the faint hope of reuniting with his daughter.

    Before the Rocinante can depart Tycho, another crisis erupts. Dawes' inflammatory speech, accusing Fred Johnson of being an Earther incapable of properly representing Belter interests despite his best intentions, incites OPA extremists like Staz (Alden Adair) to attempt a coup and seize control of Earth's thermonuclear missiles acquired during the Eros incident. Though Drummer (Cara Gee) refuses to support Dawes' rebellion, her subordinate Edin (Kevin Claydon) joins Staz and his cohorts in capturing Drummer, Johnson, and the station's control deck. When Johnson refuses to surrender missile codes, Staz shoots Drummer in the stomach and begins torturing her. The coup ultimately fails when the Rocinante crew intervenes, cutting off air supply to the control deck. The plotters lose consciousness, allowing Drummer's rescue. Defying her injuries, Drummer staggers to her feet, retrieves a weapon, and delivers brutal justice by executing Staz and Edin. Though grateful, Johnson informs Holden's crew they will no longer be welcome on Tycho Station.

    Pyre succeeds magnificently because, for the first time in The Expanse's ultraviolent epic, the story is told primarily from the perspective of an ordinary person untouched by military training or political ambition. Meng's sole motivation isn't revenge, power, or ideological victory—it's the profoundly human desire to reunite with his daughter and find some semblance of meaning amid senseless destruction. Terry Chen's exceptional performance embodies the first major character who isn't a military veteran, police officer, or hardened labourer, but rather a gentle scientist and devoted family man thrust into circumstances far beyond his experience or comprehension. This ordinary perspective makes the horrors he witnesses even more impactful, as viewers experience the brutality of this universe through eyes unaccustomed to such violence.

    This perspective renders the spacing-out scene particularly harrowing. Having barely survived the Ganymede collapse and processed the apparent loss of his daughter, Meng is forced to witness his friend Doris being murdered with casual cruelty. What makes this sequence especially disturbing is how the Belter crew employs methods chillingly reminiscent of Nazi tactics used to deceive victims into gas chambers—same perfidious language, same genocidal hatred justifying the vile act. Directed with unflinching realism by Kenneth Fink, this scene ranks among the most disturbing in the series' entire run, precisely because it's viewed through Meng's horrified, uncomprehending eyes rather than those of a battle-hardened soldier.

    There is remarkably little space for humour or levity in Pyre, creating an atmosphere of near-constant dread that only finds temporary equilibrium when the OPA coup plotters receive their just deserts. The sequence where Drummer, despite severe abdominal injuries, staggers to her feet to personally execute her attackers is particularly cathartic—a rare moment of visceral satisfaction in an otherwise relentlessly grim episode. Drummer's defiance of pain and insistence on delivering justice with her own hands provides a powerful counterpoint to Meng's helplessness, demonstrating different responses to trauma within the same brutal universe.

    If Pyre contains any flaw, it might be in the suggestion of Mei Meng's survival, which could strike some viewers as a slightly "soapish" copout in an otherwise uncompromising narrative. The revelation that Strickland extracted Mei from the clinic before the collapse introduces a narrative thread that, while necessary for future plot development, momentarily threatens to undermine the episode's otherwise unflinching commitment to portraying irreversible loss. However, this minor quibble does little to diminish Pyre's overall impact, as the episode wisely keeps Meng's hope tentative and fragile rather than presenting it as guaranteed salvation.

    Ultimately, Pyre stands as one of The Expanse's finest hours precisely because it refuses to look away from the human cost of interplanetary conflict. By anchoring its narrative to Prax Meng's ordinary yet extraordinary journey through unimaginable trauma, the episode transcends science fiction tropes to deliver a profoundly moving meditation on parental love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of cosmic-scale indifference. It reminds us that behind every casualty statistic in The Expanse's meticulously constructed universe lies a story as heartbreaking as Meng's—a story of ordinary people navigating extraordinary horrors with nothing but their humanity to guide them. In doing so, Pyre deepens our emotional investment in this universe and elevates The Expanse from compelling space opera to essential, unforgettable television.

    RATING: 8/10 (+++)

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  7. Television Review: The Seventh Man (The Expanse, S2X07, 2017)@drax252d

    (source: tmdb.org)

    The Seventh Man (S02E07)

    Airdate: March 8th 2017

    Written by: Georgia Lee Directed by: Kenneth Fink

    Running Time: 44 minutes

    The Expanse stands as arguably the finest original space opera television has produced in the twenty-first century, a sprawling, scientifically grounded epic that redefined the genre's possibilities on the small screen. Its intricate political machinations, authentic physics, and deeply human characters created a universe that felt not only plausible but inevitable. Yet even the most impressive television productions must contend with the medium's inherent constraints – budgetary limitations, scheduling pressures, and narrative pacing challenges that occasionally undermine even the most ambitious visions. Season Two's The Seventh Man exemplifies this tension perfectly: a largely serviceable instalment that, despite moments of genuine power, fails to reach the consistently high quality and transitional importance of the two episodes that preceded it.

    The episode opens with a visceral immediacy that immediately grounds us in the aftermath of the Ganymede incident – the apparent confrontation between Martian and United Nations forces at the demarcation line that concluded the previous episode. Sergeant Bobbie Draper (Frankie Adams) emerges as the sole survivor of the Martian Marine Corps ground patrol, being evacuated aboard the damaged MCRN Scirocco. The emotional weight is amplified by the revelation that the ship itself sustained damage during the incident, resulting in the deaths of eleven crew members including Draper's mentor, Lieutenant Sutton. As Draper slowly recovers both physically and psychologically from her traumatic experience, she gradually learns the full scale of the catastrophe: debris from the incident rained down on colony facilities, claiming at least 3,000 lives, causing countless injuries, and devastating the agricultural infrastructure that could trigger widespread famine throughout the Belt. This opening sequence, featuring the haunting visual of victims' blood forming "red snowflakes" in low gravity, is genuinely impressive, establishing the episode's emotional stakes with remarkable economy.

    Despite the apparent direct conflict between UN and Martian forces, the political landscape prevents immediate escalation into full-scale war. UN Secretary-General Gillis (Jonathan Whitaker), counselled by the cooler heads who recognise that Earth's recent near-destruction has fundamentally altered the strategic calculus, agrees to Chrisjen Avasarala's plan for a peace conference between Earth and Mars to be held on Earth. This decision represents a crucial narrative pivot – the series consistently demonstrates how trauma can foster unexpected diplomacy, even between bitter rivals. The writing here is sharp, capturing the delicate balance of power and the genuine fear that permeates the corridors of authority following the Eros incident.

    Draper's storyline forms the emotional core of the episode as she undergoes debriefing first by the stern Commander Thorsen (Clé Bennett) and later by the more compassionate Captain Martens (Peter Outerbridge), the ship's chaplain. In a psychologically nuanced sequence, Draper recalls the incident, describing how a UN six-man ground patrol advanced toward their positions and opened fire – but not at the Martians, rather at a mysterious "seventh man." This revelation introduces the episode's central mystery, though frustratingly, Draper is instructed to adhere strictly to the official narrative and reserve her full testimony for the upcoming peace summit on Earth. Frankie Adams delivers a compelling performance in these trauma sequences, showcasing impressive range as she conveys Draper's physical pain, psychological confusion, and growing suspicion about what really occurred. However, the interrogation scenes suffer from structural confusion, and Draper's treatment by her truth-burying superiors leans too heavily on well-worn conspiracy thriller clichés, diminishing what could have been a more original exploration of military cover-ups.

    Meanwhile, the aftershocks of the Ganymede incident reverberate through Tycho Station, where the Rocinante crew volunteers to assist refugees. The impending peace summit represents a potential watershed moment that could dramatically shift the power balance across the Solar System, prompting various Outer Planets Alliance (OPA) factions to convene and determine their collective response. During this meeting, Fred Johnson proposes the radical gesture of voluntarily returning thermonuclear missiles as a sign of good faith, suggesting Anderson Dawes represent the Belt at the conference. Dawes' immediate rejection of this proposal reveals his growing suspicion – shared by Holden – that Johnson harbours some undisclosed "ace in the sleeve."

    This secret proves to be Cortázar, the Protomolecule researcher who believes work on the alien technology can continue despite the apparent destruction of the Eros sample. When Holden attempts to confront Cortázar, he discovers the scientist has been removed from his cell – apparently by Dawes himself. The Rocinante, crewed only by Naomi and Alex, rushes to intercept Dawes' ship, only to discover it's a decoy piloted by Diogo. This subplot demonstrates The Expanse's strength in weaving multiple narrative threads together, though the execution here feels somewhat rushed compared to the more deliberate pacing of earlier episodes.

    Written by Georgia Lee and directed by experienced television hand Kenneth Fink, The Seventh Man begins with that truly impressive opening sequence, but quickly reveals the series' budgetary constraints. The true scope of the Ganymede catastrophe is primarily conveyed through exposition rather than visual spectacle – a necessary "tell, don't show" approach forced by production limitations. Nevertheless, even within these constraints, the episode satisfactorily portrays the complex political dynamics both within the Belt and aboard the Rocinante. Particularly noteworthy is the return of Jared Harris as Anderson Dawes, whose performance remains utterly compelling despite his limited screen time in Season Two. Harris, a classically trained British actor whose career spans roles from Mad Men to Chernobyl, imbues Dawes with such gravitas and authenticity that it's easy to understand why the writers expanded his role from the books.

    What makes Harris's performance particularly remarkable is how he transformed Dawes from what was originally a relatively minor character in the novels into one of the show's most compelling figures. His nuanced understanding of Belter culture, including the deliberate development of his Belter accent, demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the role that few guest stars would provide. This dedication created ripples throughout the production, with other actors like Cara Gee reportedly drawing inspiration from Harris's approach to Belter identity.

    Unfortunately, the episode's middle section suffers from pacing issues that disrupt its narrative momentum. The transitions between Draper's recovery, the political manoeuvring on Earth, and the OPA deliberations on Tycho feel somewhat disjointed, lacking the seamless integration that characterises The Expanse at its best. The dialogue occasionally veers toward exposition-heavy exchanges that serve plot advancement at the expense of character depth.

    In the ned, The Seventh Man represents The Expanse operating at a competent, if not exceptional, level. It advances crucial plot points, features strong performances (particularly from Adams and Harris), and maintains the series' commitment to political realism. However, it falls short of the narrative urgency and thematic richness that defined the episodes immediately preceding it. Yet even in this relatively weaker instalment, The Expanse demonstrates why it remains the gold standard for television space opera – its commitment to character-driven storytelling, scientific plausibility, and political complexity shines through, reminding viewers why this series continues to resonate long after its conclusion. The episode may not be among the show's finest hours, but it remains a necessary and ultimately satisfying chapter in one of science fiction television's most accomplished sagas.

    RATING: 6/10 (++)

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  8. Television Review: Paradigm Shift (The Expanse, S2X06, 2017)@drax253d

    (source: tmdb.org)

    Paradigm Shift (S02E06)

    Airdate: March 1st 2017

    Written by: Naren Shankar Directed by: Dave Grossman

    Running Time: 41 minutes

    Much like the preceding episode, Home, which functioned as a de facto series finale by conclusively resolving the central Leviathan Wakes storyline involving the Eros asteroid and the protomolecule's initial outbreak, Paradigm Shift operates with the distinct aura of an ersatz season premiere. It possesses that crucial, often elusive quality of a fresh beginning, deliberately severing ties with the immediate past catastrophe to plant seeds for an entirely new narrative trajectory. Where Home offered catharsis through resolution, "Paradigm Shift" compels the audience to lean forward, asking not „what was”, but „what now?” It successfully transitions the series from the contained crisis of the first season into the expansive, politically fractured, and profoundly alien-drenched landscape that defines its enduring appeal.

    The episode masterfully establishes this new epoch through a prologue set 137 years prior, on a Mars still firmly within the United Nations' colonial sphere. We are introduced to Solomon Epstein, a brilliant but restless engineer whose relentless tinkering with a novel spaceship drive culminates in a fateful solo test flight. His vessel achieves velocities previously deemed impossible, hurtling towards Jupiter with staggering speed. Tragically, Epstein’s triumph becomes his undoing; he fails to disengage the drive, succumbing to lethal G-forces aboard his uncontrollable craft. This poignant, almost Shakespearean hubris – the creator destroyed by his own creation – is the indispensable bedrock of the series' universe. Epstein’s foresight, however, ensured his legacy: he bequeathed his blueprints and data on Mars. His widow capitalised on this inheritance, Mars ascended to technological supremacy, and humanity, empowered by the Epstein Drive, surged outwards to colonise the Asteroid Belt and the outer planets. This prologue is not mere backstory; it is the foundational myth of The Expanse, delivered with economical grace and imbued with a darkly ironic humour by Sam Huntington’s brief but compelling performance as the doomed inventor, whose final, fading voiceover narration lingers with unsettling wit.

    The narrative then snaps back to the immediate, chaotic aftermath of Eros’s collision with Venus – a near-miss for Earth that paradoxically saved civilisation while obliterating the asteroid and its horrifying cargo. The episode adeptly dissects the fallout across the solar system’s power blocs. James Holden and Naomi Nagata face the comparatively intimate, yet politically fraught, task of revealing their relationship to the Rocinante crew, a moment underscoring the human cost beneath the grand strategy. On Tycho Station, Fred Johnson and Camina Drummer grapple with the dangerous legacy of Earth’s thermonuclear missiles, now a volatile bargaining chip in the fragile post-crisis landscape. Simultaneously, Chrisjen Avasarala, ever the pragmatic predator, zeroes in on Jules-Pierre Mao, convinced of his culpability, and delivers a suitably menacing ultimatum via his proxy, Errinwright – though this scene occasionally veers into theatrical excess, lacking the razor-sharp subtlety Avasarala usually wields. Crucially, Avasarala’s scientific advisor, Dr. Iturbi (Ted Whittall), begin probing the true nature of the Venus event. Iturbi’s astute hypothesis – that an alien lifeform is responsible – and his subsequent request for an expedition to Venus, forms the vital bridge to the season’s core mystery.

    Yet, the old crisis swiftly yields to a new, more insidious one. Gunnery Sergeant Bobbie Draper, on a routine patrol along the tense Ganymede ice boundary separating UN and Martian territories, witnesses the catastrophic attack on the MCRN Scirocco. As debris rains down, Draper’s squad is seemingly annihilated. Barely surviving herself, disoriented and bleeding, Draper glimpses an impossible figure moving through the snow: a tall, unnaturally proportioned humanoid form, distinctly not human. This moment, rendered with chilling ambiguity and visceral terror, is the episode’s true pivot point. It transforms theoretical alien speculation into terrifying, immediate reality, shattering the solar system’s fragile peace anew and setting the stage for the next phase.

    Written by series architect Naren Shankar, Paradigm Shift undeniably lacks the raw, cathartic emotional punch of Home, which brought the first novel’s arc to its devastating climax. It consciously steps back from that intensity to lay groundwork. While the episode only tangentially connects to the Caliban’s War novel near its conclusion (with Bobbie’s sighting), the bulk is original teleplay material. Crucially, however, it never feels like filler. Shankar’s genius lies in the framing device: the intermittent Epstein flashbacks, woven throughout the present-day narrative, serve as exemplary worldbuilding. They provide essential historical context with tragic weight and moments of wry, almost gallows humour, enriching the setting without infodumping. Huntington’s performance, though fleeting, anchors this thread with memorable humanity.

    Conversely, some contemporary scenes falter. The Rocinante crew’s reaction to Holden and Naomi’s relationship feels somewhat perfunctory, lacking the nuanced interpersonal depth the characters deserve. Similarly, Amos and Alex’s bonding over Tycho Station’s post-crisis celebrations, while offering welcome levity, lacks substantial narrative thrust. Avasarala’s indirect confrontation with Mao’s ally Errinwright, whilst delivering necessary plot momentum, occasionally overplays its hand with dialogue that feels slightly too declamatory for her typically controlled menace.

    Nevertheless, Paradigm Shift emerges as a remarkably effective and necessary episode. It successfully navigates the treacherous transition from one major story arc to the next, replacing the immediate threat of Eros with the far more profound and unsettling mystery unfolding on Venus and now, visibly, on Ganymede. The Epstein prologue provides indispensable mythological grounding, Bobbie Draper’s encounter delivers a masterclass in suspenseful horror, and the political machinations, even when occasionally overstated, maintain the series’ signature complexity. It trades the emotional crescendo of its predecessor for a more deliberate, world-expanding recalibration. Far from being a mere placeholder, Paradigm Shift is a confident, intelligent recalibration – a necessary deep breath before the plunge into the even deeper, darker, and more alien conflicts that define The Expanse’s most compelling seasons. It fundamentally shifts the paradigm, proving the series’ capacity to evolve beyond its initial premise into something grander and more unsettling. This is not merely a new season; it is the moment The Expanse truly finds its vast, terrifying, and utterly captivating stride.

    RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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  9. Television Review: Home (The Expanse, S2X05, 2017)@drax254d

    (source: tmdb.org)

    Home (S02E05)

    Airdate: February 23rd 2017

    Written by: Mark Fergus & Hawk Atsby Directed by: Dave Grossman

    Running Time: 46 minutes

    The chasm separating merely good television from the truly exceptional often resides in a creative team’s willingness to defy expectations, to shatter the very formulae they themselves established. Few series demonstrate this audacious spirit as profoundly as The Expanse, a show which, from its inception, meticulously cultivated a signature rhythm: taut, propulsive episodes culminating invariably in heart-stopping cliffhangers, expertly engineered to propel viewers into the next instalment. Yet, nestled not even at the season’s midpoint but deep within the crucible of Season 2, the episode Home" performs a masterstroke of narrative subversion. It brazenly discards the cliffhanger crutch, opting instead for an ending possessing the profound, resonant weight of a season – or even series – finale. This is the deliberate, satisfying closure of one of the show’s most meticulously crafted and emotionally devastating plot strands, proving that true confidence lies not in perpetual suspense, but in the courage to conclude.

    That strand, of course, belongs irrevocably to Detective Josephus Miller. Introduced as a cynical, world-weary Belter cop on Ceres, Miller was initially nothing more than a hired tracker, commissioned by Julie Mao’s powerful Earth father to locate his renegade daughter. Julie, having abandoned privilege to join the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA), became tragically ensnared by the extrasolar protomolecule – a virulent, reality-bending pathogen. Her unwitting role as vector ignited the apocalyptic outbreak on Eros Station. By the time Miller finally reached her, Julie was already lost, consumed by the alien entity. Yet, in her absence, Miller’s mission underwent a profound metamorphosis. Professional obligation dissolved into obsessive, hopeless love, transforming his quest from finding a living woman into avenging a ghost. He turned his fury against the corrupt Protogen scientists who unleashed the horror, against the protomolecule itself, and ultimately, against the very notion of his own survival. His journey became one of penance and purpose, inextricably bound to Julie’s spectral memory.

    Home commences with Miller seemingly poised at the culmination of this grim pilgrimage, stranded on the ravaged surface of the protomolecule-infested Eros asteroid. The desperate gambit to slingshot Eros into the Sun has catastrophically failed. Miller stands alone, a nuclear device at his side, its timer malfunctioning, sealing his fate. Simultaneously, the Rocinante crew experiences a surge of disbelief swiftly curdling into horror: Eros, defying known physics, has initiated propulsion, altering course not towards solar oblivion but on a direct, terrifying trajectory towards Earth. The protomolecule, or the emergent intelligence it fostered, had rewritten the rules of celestial mechanics. Undeterred, the Rocinante commits to pursuit, maintaining a tenuous, crackling communication link with the doomed detective, a fragile tether across the void.

    The news of Eros’s deadly vector forces the reluctant hand of the United Nations leadership. With Earth’s survival at stake, they order the launch of half the planet’s thermonuclear arsenal, a desperate hope to intercept and obliterate the asteroid before impact. When the missiles lose Eros’s radar signature amidst its unnerving acceleration, the Rocinante steps into the breach. Holden volunteers the ship for the near-suicidal task of visually marking the target, a decision demanding the crew endure punishing G-forces as they strain the ship’s limits to keep pace with the inexplicably swift celestial body. The physical toll on the crew – the gritted teeth, the laboured breathing, the sheer strain of maintaining position – becomes a visceral counterpoint to Miller’s solitary ordeal.

    Amidst this cosmic crisis, Miller conceives a final, alternative gambit. Learning of a mysterious heat source deep within Eros, he resolves to penetrate the infected station’s heart and manually detonate his bomb, aiming to destroy the protomolecule core. His descent into the station’s necrotic depths is a haunting odyssey. He begins to perceive a voice, initially indistinct, then chillingly familiar. Encountering strange, human-like manifestations sculpted from the protomolecule – echoes of its countless victims – Miller grasps a horrifying, yet strangely poignant, truth: the entity has absorbed the memories, personalities, and very essence of those it consumed. Most significantly, it has assimilated Julie Mao. She, in turn, had somehow imprinted her own will onto the protomolecule during her infection. Following this spectral trail, Miller journeys to the Blue Falcon Hotel, the site of Julie’s physical demise. There, he encounters her new incarnation: not a monster, but an ethereal, otherworldly figure radiating profound loneliness, a being who simply yearns to "go home," repurposing Eros as her vessel for an interstellar voyage. In a scene of breathtaking emotional intensity, Miller marshals every ounce of his being, his love, his grief, his understanding, to persuade her. He convinces Julie to alter Eros’s course, not towards Earth’s destruction, but towards the relative safety of Venus. Recognising the futility of escape and the necessity of his presence for her transformation, Miller chooses to join her. As Eros plummets into Venus’s atmosphere, Earth is saved. Aboard the Rocinante, the crew raise a silent, solemn toast to their fallen comrade, the weight of his sacrifice settling upon them.

    Written with remarkable economy and emotional precision by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. Home stands unequivocally as the pinnacle of The Expanse up to that point. Directed with masterful control by Dave Grossman, the episode transcends its genre trappings through exceptional visual storytelling. Grossman harnesses cutting-edge special effects, seamless CGI, and innovative production design not merely for spectacle, but to forge a narrative that is relentlessly suspenseful, intellectually stimulating, and ultimately cathartic. Crucially, it breaks the show’s established chain of manufactured tension, demonstrating that profound satisfaction can stem from resolution as much as anticipation. Miller, arguably the series’ most complex and compelling character – a man whose descent into obsession was meticulously signposted yet never diminished in tragic power – meets his end. Yet, his demise is neither cheap nor nihilistic; it is spectacularly heroic, deeply personal, and imbued with a hard-won sense of purpose. He sacrifices himself not just to save tens of billions of lives, but to finally reunite with the object of his devotion, finding a twisted, transcendent peace in the heart of annihilation.

    Grossman’s direction elevates the protomolecule, now irrevocably shaped by absorbed humanity, from a source of pure body horror into something unsettlingly beautiful. This is nowhere more evident than in the portrayal of Julie Mao. Her nude scenes, illuminated by the pulsating, organic light of the protomolecule, are rendered with such artistry and reverence that they feel utterly devoid of exploitation. Instead, she appears ethereal, almost angelic – a being transformed, not degraded. The final moments, as Miller and Julie are united, constitute one of the most emotionally resonant sequences not just in The Expanse, but in all of twenty-first-century science fiction television. It is a love story written in starlight and sacrifice, devoid of sentimentality yet overflowing with profound pathos.

    Grossman judiciously injects moments of levity to prevent the overwhelming tension from becoming suffocating, such as Camina Drummer’s brilliantly defiant middle finger directed at the imperious Fred Johnson when ordered to fetch coffee – a perfectly timed burst of human defiance. However, the subplot involving Chrisjen Avasarala, tearfully bidding farewell to her husband via comms as he evacuates Earth while she remains to face potential annihilation, occasionally tips into excessive melodrama. While Avasarala’s political struggle is vital to the larger narrative, this particular scene feels somewhat extraneous within the intensely focused tragedy unfolding on Eros and with the Rocinante. A tighter focus solely on Miller’s pilgrimage, Julie’s transformation, and the Rocinante’s desperate race might have elevated "Home" from near-perfection to absolute mastery. Yet, even with this minor blemish, the episode remains a towering achievement.

    Home is a testament to the power of narrative courage. In an era saturated with television designed for endless consumption, engineered solely to keep viewers perpetually hooked on the next cliffhanger, The Expanse dared to offer something rarer and more valuable: a definitive, emotionally rich conclusion. It proved that the mark of truly exceptional storytelling isn’t merely the ability to keep audiences guessing, but the wisdom and artistry to know when a story, and a character, have reached their necessary, resonant end. It is the moment The Expanse ceased being merely good television and announced itself as something very, very great.

    RATING: 8/10 (+++)

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  10. Television Review: Godspeed (The Expanse, S2X04, 2017)@drax256d

    (source: tmdb.org)

    Godspeed (S02E04)

    Airdate: February 15th 2017

    Written by: Dan Nowak Directed by: Jeff Woolnough

    Running Time: 40 minutes

    Each episode of The Expanse operates under the stringent constraints inherent to premium television drama: a relatively brief running time of barely forty minutes and the non-negotiable requirement that every instalment conclude with a compelling, often breathless, cliffhanger. This structural tightrope walk would represent a near-impossible challenge for many scriptwriting teams, demanding relentless pacing, efficient character beats, and constant narrative propulsion. Yet, particularly at the dynamic start of Season 2, these constraints are, for the most part, met with remarkable dexterity and confidence. The fourth episode, Godspeed, stands as a potent testament to this skill, transforming potential limitations into the very engine of its gripping, morally complex narrative. Far from buckling under the pressure, the episode leverages its compact form to deliver a masterclass in tension-building and thematic resonance, proving that within the confines of the format lies fertile ground for sophisticated science fiction.

    The episode picks up precisely where the previous one left off, with the high-stakes gamble initiated by Fred Johnson. Facing the apocalyptic threat of the protomolecule-infested Eros Station, Johnson has reluctantly accepted Detective Miller’s desperate plan: to use the colossal Mormon generational ship, the Nauvoo, as a cosmic billiard ball, nudging Eros onto a collision course with the Sun. This audacious scheme requires the uneasy cooperation of James Holden and Naomi Nagata, who reluctantly agree. Their repaired Rocinante will play a crucial role, while a team of Belter volunteers, including Miller and Diogo, must undertake the perilous task of boarding Eros’s surface to plant bombs, permanently sealing its airlocks and preventing any escape of the horrific pathogen within. The initial execution appears flawlessly orchestrated, a ballet of orbital mechanics and human courage against the silent void.

    However, the fragile hope sustaining the operation shatters with the sudden, unexpected appearance of the Marasmus, a ship seemingly tethered to Eros in blatant defiance of the quarantine. When hailed, Dr. Mesplede (Alex Woods) delivers a plea of humanitarian intent, claiming his vessel arrived only to aid Eros’s victims and insisting no breach of the station occurred. This facade of noble intervention quickly crumbles. Miller and Diogo, deep within Eros’s labyrinthine corridors setting the final charges, discover a horrifying truth: an entrance has been forcibly hacked, and one of Mesplede’s colleagues lies dead, having made fatal contact with the protomolecule. The Rocinante, utilising the asteroid configuration to jam Marasmus’s communications, confronts the deception. Holden, acutely aware that exposure of their mission could trigger interplanetary panic or intervention, issues a stark ultimatum: desist or be destroyed. Mesplede, convinced the Rocinante is a Martian vessel, frantically attempts to broadcast warnings to Earth and the Belt, framing Eros as a Martian bioweapon. When these pleas are ignored Holden, with grim necessity, orders the Marasmus’s destruction.

    The violent disintegration of the Marasmus proves devastatingly counterproductive. Shrapnel from the explosion strikes one of critical bombs, crippling its timing mechanism. This forces Holden into an agonising, self-sacrificial decision: he must remain aboard the doomed Eros, manually ensuring the bomb detonates at the precise moment of Nauvoo’s impact, sealing the station’s fate. The tension reaches its zenith as the Nauvoo hurtles towards collision… only for the unthinkable to happen. At the very last moment, Eros itself moves, altering its trajectory and miraculously averting the impact. This sudden, inexplicable shift – the protomolecule asserting its terrifying agency – renders Holden’s potential sacrifice moot but plunges the situation into even deeper, more terrifying uncertainty.

    Simultaneously, the episode weaves in a crucial political subplot, demonstrating the far-reaching consequences of Johnson’s covert alliance with Avasarala. Information provided by Johnson enables the UN to locate and recover the wreckage of the stealth ship. This forensic treasure trove yields irrefutable evidence linking Protogen, and crucially, its shadowy financier Jules-Pierre Mao, to the conspiracy. Summoned before a steely Avasarala and the visibly uncomfortable Undersecretary Errinwright, Mao delivers a masterclass in corporate denial, deflecting all blame onto "rogue employees" with practiced insouciance. His subsequent private dismissal of Errinwright is a chilling declaration of independent, ruthless ambition, foreshadowing the escalating power struggle on Earth.

    Written by Dan Nowak and directed with taut efficiency by Jeff Woolnough, Godspeed excels precisely because it focuses relentlessly on the deceptively simple, physics-driven problem at hand: moving a rock. The brilliance lies in how this seemingly straightforward engineering challenge is constantly undermined by human fallibility, deception, and unforeseen cosmic intervention. The arrival and destruction of the Marasmus is the pivotal moment; while Holden’s decision is utterly justifiable within the desperate context – protecting billions from panic and potential Protogen exploitation – it indelibly stains the protagonists. The Rocinante crew, particularly Holden, cross a moral event horizon, transforming from idealistic heroes into necessary executioners. This moment, more than any preceding one, plunges the series’ already dark undertones into near-abyssal territory. The special effects, particularly during the Eros surface sequences and the Marasmus destruction, are exceptionally well-realised, grounding the spectacle in tangible reality. Miller and Diogo’s bomb-setting mission feels less like swashbuckling space opera and more like the gritty, dangerous work of blue-collar labourers – sweaty, physically demanding, and utterly vital, a hallmark of the show’s commitment to authenticity.

    The episode’s emotional core resides in Miller’s burgeoning, hard-won camaraderie with Diogo. Their shared ordeal, the dark humour amidst the horror, and Miller’s ultimate willingness to step into young man's place for the final, fatal task is a beautifully understated moment. It provides Thomas Jane with a showcase for his nuanced portrayal, revealing the haunted detective’s buried capacity for selfless connection beneath the cynicism. Miller’s apparent, almost expected, demise – a logical culmination of his obsessive quest – is rendered profoundly poignant by this connection. Yet, true to the episode’s title and its mastery of the cliffhanger format, the very last seconds deliver the unexpected: Eros’s movement. Miller’s sacrifice is not just averted; it becomes irrelevant against the terrifying new reality of the protomolecule’s awakening intelligence. This twist doesn’t cheat the audience; instead, it elevates the stakes exponentially, transforming a personal tragedy into a terrifying omen for all humanity. Godspeed is a pivotal, morally uncompromising chapter that exemplifies The Expanse at its absolute best – where physics, politics, and profound human drama collide with devastating, unforgettable force.

    RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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  11. Television Review: Static (The Expanse, S2X03, 2017)@drax257d

    (source: tmdb.org)

    Static (S02E03)

    Airdate: February 8th 2017

    Written by: Robin Veith Directed by: Jeff Woolnough

    Running Time: 40 minutes

    After the first season, even the most ardent admirers of The Expanse must acknowledge that even the most ambitious science fiction productions face inherent budgetary constraints. These limitations become particularly evident when attempting to visualise worlds fundamentally different from our own, forcing creators to employ narrative sleight of hand to compensate for what cannot be practically depicted. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the opening sequence of Static, the third episode of Season 2, where the production's financial realities begin to fray the edges of its otherwise impressive world-building ambitions. While the series has consistently delivered exceptional storytelling within its means, Static represents a moment where the gap between narrative ambition and production capability becomes uncomfortably visible to even casual viewers.

    The episode opens with Earth executing its retaliatory strike against Mars, a decision made at a United Nations meeting in the preceding episode. What unfolds is, to this point in the series, the most spectacular visual event—the complete destruction of Mars' moon Deimos. This isn't merely a tactical strike against a radar station; it's a planetary-scale alteration of the Solar System's geography. The implications are staggering: an entire celestial body obliterated, fundamentally changing Mars' orbital dynamics and permanently altering what generations of Martians have known as their sky. The series wisely suggests that while the immediate body count might be minimal (given Deimos' sparse habitation) and Mars' technological capabilities allow them to manage the debris field, the psychological impact on the Martian population should be seismic. After all, one's sky is perhaps the most fundamental constant in any civilisation's collective consciousness—change that, and you fundamentally alter a culture's relationship with its environment.

    Yet Static curiously fails to depict these very consequences on Mars and its ordinary citizens. Instead, the Martian reaction remains confined to speculation in discussions between Avasarala and Errinwright, political figures whose perspectives are inherently detached from the common populace. The only direct Martian reaction we witness occurs aboard the MCRN Scirocco, where Draper's Martian Marine unit vents their frustration on their Earth-born comrade Private Travis (played by Mpho Koaho), before Draper herself intervenes to end the fight. While Draper shares her crew's outrage at Earth's action, Lieutenant Sutton informs her that instead of the anticipated war, they've been assigned a seemingly routine mission to Ganymede Station. This narrative choice represents a significant missed opportunity to ground the episode's high-stakes politics in the lived experiences of ordinary people—a hallmark of the series' earlier strengths.

    Meanwhile, on Tycho Station, the aftermath of Miller's killing of Dresden has burned all bridges between him and both the Rocinante crew and Fred Johnson, who asks him to leave. In a moment of unexpected humanity, Miller meets Amos and two men who were recently bitter enemies, only to find them suddenly reconciled through their shared experience of violence—a subtle commentary on how trauma can forge unlikely connections. With Dresden eliminated, the only remaining source of information about the protomolecule and Eros' situation is Cortazar (Carlos Gonzalez-Vio), his surviving subordinate and chief scientist. Cortazar's apparent lack of cooperation and violent tendencies are later revealed to stem from brain surgery that removed his empathy centres, enabling him to work callously on experiments that would murder hundreds of thousands. Amos suggests unconventional methods to "indulge" Cortazar into talking, and the plan succeeds, revealing crucial information about the corporation known as Protogen and their diabolical schemes.

    Miller, now adrift with nowhere to go, is temporarily welcomed by Diogo in his room, where he learns about strange noises emanating from Eros that have been sampled into a musical hit. Later, Miller visits a Latter Day Saints temple to inquire about the Nauvoo generation ship, while Johnson receives intelligence from Avasarala about UN factions pushing for war with Mars. The episode culminates with Miller approaching both Avasarala and the Rocinante crew with his plan to use the Nauvoo to destroy Eros—a plan that would have profound consequences for the series' trajectory.

    Static exhibits a relative lack of action compared to other episodes, theoretically allowing more space for character development. However, this potential is only partially realised. While scenes depicting Holden and Naomi attempting to deal with their new relationship offer genuine depth, other attempts at character exploration fall flat. The Scirocco scene, for instance, is poorly written and reduces the Martian Marines to every tired military fiction cliché imaginable—aggressive, undisciplined, and prone to violence against perceived outsiders.

    Perhaps the most interesting element of Static is its use of the "Eros Song," which creates a mixed impression. The scene reveals Tycho Station residents enjoying music that incorporates samples from the strange noises emanating from Eros, creating an unsettling parallel to the infamous Zion dance sequence from The Matrix Reloaded—though thankfully avoiding that scene's level of cheesiness. More importantly, this sequence provides unexpected depth to Camina Drummer (Cara Gee), who transitions from her initial depiction as a stern, Prussian-style authority figure to someone enjoying the club scene alongside ordinary citizens. This subtle character expansion proves to be one of the episode's strongest elements, making Cara Gee's Drummer arguably the best casting addition of the season.

    The episode's greatest failing lies in its inability to visualise the Martian population's reaction to the destruction of Deimos. While budgetary constraints undoubtedly played a role (depicting widespread Martian society would require extensive sets, costumes, and extras), the narrative choice to focus exclusively on military and political perspectives creates a significant gap in the story's emotional resonance. The destruction of an entire moon should trigger societal upheaval, cultural trauma, and widespread anxiety—not merely contained military frustration aboard a single ship. This omission transforms what should be a series-defining moment of collective trauma into a relatively minor tactical consideration.

    At the end of the day, Static represents a transitional episode that struggles to balance its ambitious narrative with practical production limitations.The series' creators, forced to make difficult choices within their budget, opted for military and political perspectives over civilian experiences, resulting in a somewhat hollow treatment of what should have been one of the series' most emotionally resonant moments. Despite these limitations, the episode's stronger character moments and the continued excellent performances—particularly from Cara Gee—demonstrate why The Expanse remains compelling viewing, even when it stumbles in its execution. The series' willingness to tackle complex political and social dynamics continues to outweigh its occasional narrative shortcomings, though Static serves as a reminder that even the most ambitious science fiction must sometimes compromise its vision to accommodate practical realities.

    RATING: 6/10 (++)

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  12. Television Review: Doors & Corners (The Expanse, S2X02, 2017)@drax258d

    (source: tmdb.org)

    Doors & Corners (S02E02)

    Airdate: February 1st 2017

    Written by: Daniel Abraham & Ty Franks Directed by: Breck Eisner

    Running Time: 43 minutes

    In the high-stakes universe of The Expanse, where the fragile equilibrium between Earth, Mars, and the Belt teeters perpetually on the brink of annihilation, events unfold with a velocity that often leaves scant room for the nuanced character exposition or immersive worldbuilding which formed the bedrock of Season 1’s success. Season 2, by contrast, appears markedly more preoccupied with non-stop, high-octane action, frequently constrained by the unforgiving 44-minute television format. This relentless pace can render episodes feeling distinctly rushed, a sensation amplified exponentially in instances like Doors and Corners, the second half of Season 2’s feature-length premiere. Originally conceived as part of a two-parter, the episode inherits the burden of resolving complex narrative threads established in its predecessor, resulting in a breathless sprint that sacrifices deeper exploration for the sake of propulsion – a trade-off that, while delivering visceral thrills, leaves the audience occasionally grasping for the richer context Season 1 so adeptly provided.

    The episode thrusts us immediately into the high-stakes chamber of Earth’s political and military elite, reeling from the Martian destruction of Phoebe Station. Fleet Admiral Souther (Martin Roach), embodying weary pragmatism, advocates restraint, warning that immediate retaliation risks catastrophic escalation into full-scale war. His counsel, however, is drowned out by the hawkish fervour of figures like Errinwright, whose aggressive stance gains crucial traction through the calculated support of Arasavala. Earth’s chosen response – the targeted destruction of a radar station on the Martian moon Deimos – is presented as a measured blow: significant enough to register as defiance, yet deliberately limited in casualties to theoretically contain the conflict. Souther, for his principled dissent, is summarily stripped of his command and exiled to the Jupiter Fleet. His subsequent bar encounter with Arasavala is a masterclass in political realism; she coldly rationalises the escalation as inevitable, positioning her support for the Deimos strike as the least dangerous path available. During this tense exchange, Souther reveals a pivotal fragment of Fred Johnson’s past: decades earlier, the honourable Johnson was manipulated into destroying the surrendered Anderson Station, an act of betrayal so profound it shattered his faith in Earth and propelled him into the arms of the Outer Planets Alliance. This crucial backstory provides vital depth to Johnson’s current motivations but feels somewhat hurried, a casualty of the episode’s breakneck tempo.

    The narrative then pivots sharply to Tycho Station, where Fred Johnson (Chad L. Coleman), now aided by his fiercely capable new lieutenant Camina Drummer (Cara Gee), processes the Rocinante crew’s harrowing testimony concerning the Eros outbreak and the ongoing protomolecule research at Thoth Station under Dr. Dresden. Johnson, recognising the existential threat and potential power residing in Dresden’s work, swiftly devises an audacious plan: the Rocinante will neutralise Thoth’s defences, enabling OPA breach pods to board and seize the station. The assault sequence itself is a technical triumph, showcasing the episode’s relatively high budget. Despite the Rocinante encountering significant difficulties – culminating in the destruction of one breach pod – the surviving pod, carrying Miller (Thomas Jane) and Diogo (Andrew Rotilio), successfully lands. The boarding operation proceeds with eerie ease; the station’s scientists, visibly under the Dresden’s insidious mental control, offer almost no resistance. Confronting Dresden (Daniel Kash), the doctor delivers a chilling monologue, attempting to justify his horrific experiments on Eros victims as a necessary evil for understanding the extrasolar protomolecule, defending humanity, and unlocking its terrifying potential. He proffers his research and expertise to the OPA, a prospect Johnson appears momentarily tempted by. Yet, this potential pivot point is abruptly, violently terminated when Miller, consumed by the trauma of Eros and his singular, obsessive quest for justice concerning Julie Mao, executes Dresden with a single shot to the head – a stark, unforgettable conclusion that denies the series a complex antagonist but resonates deeply with Miller’s fractured psyche.

    Written by series co-creators Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (the minds behind the original novels under the James S.A. Corey pseudonym), Doors and Corners exemplifies their skill in crafting sharp, efficient dialogue and propulsive action. The Thoth Station battle sequence stands out as a particularly impressive feat of CGI for contemporary television, its scale and fluidity conveying the brutal reality of zero-gravity combat without succumbing to excessive spectacle. Director Breck Eisner elevates the material further, moving beyond the functional direction of the preceding episode to imbue key scenes with a distinct visual flair. His use of colour is notably effective – the cold blues and sterile whites of Thoth Station contrast sharply with the warmer, more intimate tones of the Tycho Station bar, visually reinforcing the thematic divide between clinical scientific horror and raw human interaction.

    This bar scene provides a crucial, semi-humorous respite. Amos (Wes Chatham) and Alex (Cas Anvar) engage in a darkly comic discussion about their shared, deeply traumatic Eros experiences, which rapidly escalates into Alex’s furious, cathartic rant. The tension is only diffused by the abrupt, darkly amusing reveal that Amos has hired a prostitute (Gabrielle Graham) to listen to Alex. While the Earth-Mars political machinations possess an unsettling, almost eerie resonance with contemporary geopolitical tensions, the episode’s undeniable climax remains Miller’s execution of Dresden. Kash delivers Dresden’s final plea with a potent mix of desperation and intellectual arrogance – simultaneously pathetic in its self-justification yet strangely compelling in its warped logic. Miller’s intervention, however, is not merely a narrative shortcut; it is a devastatingly justified act within the context of his character. Having witnessed the protomolecule’s unspeakable horrors firsthand and driven solely by his fractured sense of duty to Julie Mao, Miller cannot countenance Dresden’s continued existence, regardless of potential utility. This moment crystallises Miller’s transformation into the series’ tragic hero, sacrificing any potential for complex villainy on Dresden’s part for the raw, uncompromising truth of his own trauma.

    Ultimately, Doors & Corners is a potent, technically accomplished episode that delivers significant plot advancement and unforgettable character moments. Yet, its very strengths are inextricably linked to its primary weakness: the breakneck pace necessitated by its position within the season structure and the constraints of television.While the action is thrilling and the direction stylish, the relentless velocity occasionally leaves the audience yearning for the breathing room that would allow the rich political and social tapestry of The Expanse to resonate more fully.

    RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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  13. Television Review: Safe (The Expanse, S2X01, 2017)@drax260d

    (source: tmdb.org)

    Safe (S02E01)

    Airdate: February 1st 2017

    Written by: Mark Fergus & Hawk Otsby Directed by: Breck Eisner

    Running Time: 43 minutes

    The very title The Expanse evokes a sense of vast, almost overwhelming scale – a sprawling solar system teeming with distinct cultures, conflicting ideologies, and intricate political machinations. It is, fundamentally, a saga where the sheer magnitude of its setting means that no single season, constrained as they are by the modern television industry’s preference for tightly-binged, self-contained narratives, can possibly grant full justice to all its critical locations, characters, and interwoven plot strands. Consequently, each new season represents not merely a continuation, but a vital opportunity to expand the narrative canvas, introducing fresh perspectives and deepening the audience’s immersion into this meticulously crafted universe. Safe, the opening salvo of Season 2, seizes this opportunity with commendable ambition, striving to fill significant voids left by the first season while simultaneously propelling the overarching story forward, albeit with a mix of compelling successes and noticeable stumbles.

    Season 1 adeptly established the precarious interplanetary cold war between Earth (United Nations), Mars (Martian Congressional Republic), and the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA), colloquially known as "Belt." However, the narrative lens remained frustratingly narrow, primarily confined to the Canterbury, the Rocinante, and the political corridors of Earth. Safe" immediately rectifies this imbalance by thrusting the audience onto the rust-coloured sands of Mars itself. The episode’s visceral opening sequence plunges us directly into the Martian Marine Corps (MMC), specifically an elite squad commanded by the formidable Gunnery Sergeant Roberta "Bobby" W. Draper (Frankie Adams). The intensity of their combat drill – all kinetic gunfire, tactical shouts, and ingrained discipline – is masterfully executed, only to be revealed as a mere training simulation. This clever misdirection serves a dual purpose: showcasing the Martians’ relentless military preparedness and introducing Draper as a character whose identity is inextricably linked to the Corps and the Martian dream. Her subsequent assignment to the MCRN Scirocco, a cruiser dispatched to the remote Phoebe Station to investigate clandestine experiments, instantly elevates the Martian perspective from abstract political entity to tangible, human drama, grounding the conflict in boots-on-the-ground realism.

    Crucially, unbeknownst to Draper and her crew, they are not alone in the Kuiper Belt. Earth’s UNN Nathan Hale has also been despatched to Phoebe, setting the stage for a high-stakes confrontation in the icy void. This triggers fraught deliberations within Earth’s leadership. Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo) privately recognises the catastrophic folly of provoking open war with Mars over a distant station. Yet, publicly, she feigns support for the hawkish demands of Secretary-General Esteban Sorrento-Gillis and the insidious influence of Jules-Pierre Mao (who orchestrated the Hale’s mission to destroy evidence of his protomolecule experiments). Avasarala’s calculated duplicity – publicly endorsing aggression while covertly seeking answers about the assassination attempt on her own life – is a masterclass in political subterfuge. Her recruitment of Cotyar Ghazi (Nick E. Tarabay), a hardened security operative bound to her by shared grief over her late son’s service, adds a layer of personal loyalty and brutal pragmatism to her intelligence-gathering efforts, further enriching Earth’s complex political landscape.

    Meanwhile, the Rocinante crew grapple with the harrowing aftermath of their escape from the Eros Station catastrophe. The immediate challenges are visceral and urgent: quarantining the Belters Naomi Nagata rescued, Holden’s relatively swift recovery from radiation poisoning (a stark contrast highlighting Earth’s physiological advantages), and Miller’s graver condition. The episode excels in these quieter, character-driven moments. The simmering tension erupts physically when Amos Burton, his moral compass increasingly askew, clashes with Miller over the cold-blooded killing of Miller’s friend, Setibamba, during the Eros evacuation. Naomi’s intervention halts the fight, but it is Alex Kamal’s understated leadership – diffusing the crew’s trauma over a simple, comforting meal of lasagne – that truly reaffirms the Rocinante’s fragile found-family dynamic. Elsewhere, Holden and Naomi, their bond forged in fire and exhaustion, succumb to long-suppressed attraction in an airlock. However, this moment, intended as a cathartic release, feels jarringly perfunctory and clichéd – a clumsy echo of the Season 1 premiere’s intimacy, lacking its organic build-up and emotional weight, serving more as a contractual obligation to "event" television than a genuine narrative progression.

    Back at Phoebe, the Martian-Earth standoff reaches its climax. Draper, embodying the gung-ho Martian spirit, fervently advocates for defending the station against the Nathan Hale. Her superior, Lieutenant Sutton (Hugh Dillon), recognises the strategic folly; the Scirocco is hopelessly outgunned. In a move of devastating consequence, Sutton orders missiles fired – not at the Earth ship, but at Phoebe Station itself. The station’s destruction, intended to deny Earth its prize, inadvertently plays directly into Jules-Pierre Mao’s hands, ensuring the protomolecule evidence vanishes. While this action temporarily forestalls all-out war, it underscores the tragic ease with which grand political designs manipulate military personnel, rendering their sacrifices ultimately futile within the larger, hidden game.

    Written by series architects Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, and directed with confident pacing by Breck Eisner, Safe succeeds admirably in its primary function: expanding the Expanse universe beyond its Season 1 confines. The depiction of Mars is particularly noteworthy – not as a verdant future, but as a still-desolate, red world where the dream of terraforming feels increasingly distant, sacrificed on the altar of perpetual militarisation against Earth. Frankie Adams makes an undeniable impact as Draper, her physical presence and quiet intensity commanding attention. Yet, the character remains frustratingly skeletal; her motivations beyond Corps loyalty and the terraforming ideal are barely sketched, demanding significant fleshing-out in subsequent episodes. The Rocinante plotline is largely serviceable, anchored by strong character moments: Miller’s vulnerability, Amos’s deepening moral ambiguity, and Alex’s crucial role as the crew’s emotional anchor and peacemaker. However, the aforementioned airlock scene exemplifies a recurring pitfall – prioritising shock value or formulaic repetition over the nuanced character development that is The Expanse’s greatest strength.

    Ultimately, Safe is a necessary and largely effective bridge. It successfully introduces vital new dimensions to the solar system’s power structure, particularly through the compelling, if underdeveloped, Martian perspective, and maintains the intricate political chess game on Earth with Avasarala’s masterful scheming. While it stumbles with a clichéd romantic interlude and leaves Draper’s potential frustratingly unrealised, the episode reaffirms The Expanse’s core strength: its unwavering commitment to depicting the complex, often brutal, realities of life across a divided solar system. It sets the stage with urgency and scale, proving that even within the constraints of contemporary television, this saga’s Expanse remains vast enough to demand our continued attention, flaws and all. The ambition is palpable; the execution, while imperfect, is consistently compelling.

    RATING: 6/10 (++)

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  14. The Expanse (series): Visually solid, this sci-fi tale will not appeal to everyone@netflixr397d

    Science fiction is a tough genre to push on the masses. Outside of Star Wars and perhaps to a lessor degree Star Trek, it has historically proven to be a very risky venture for companies that spend a bunch of money trying to make some sort of epic show or movie. If you look up the biggest failures of cinema of all time, a great many of them are science fiction and this is probably because since almost none of what they are talking about can be represented outside of expensive CGI, this sort of undertaking is significantly more risky than say, getting 6 actors together to do an "apartment sitcom" like Big Bang Theory or Friends.

    The Expanse is visually stunning. I would say it is at least as good if not better than a lot of full-fledged films are concerned and as much as I love Battlestar Galactica the visuals are much better in this than they were there. That's ok though more than a decade has passed between the two and if the power of what is most likely in your pocket right now is any representation of the strides that computing technology has made in that time period, it is easy to understand how the graphical capabilities of films and series would improve dramatically over that amount of time.

    image.png src

    Now here is a fair warning to all you people out there that think my opinion means a damn: This thing starts out really slow and it kind of has to. We need to be introduced to the major characters and given backstory on them. Since they do not do any narration in this outside of the words on the screen at the very start of the show, all of the character information we are given is "shown, not told" and this takes some time.

    I know this: despite being a huge sci-fi nerd myself that loves both Star Wars (just the older stuff) and Star Trek (both new and old), there were many points during the first episode that I checked how much time was left and nearly switched it off. When I switch something off I normally never return to it.

    If you are a sci-fi enthusiast though I emplore you to stick it out at least for the first episode because things take a really interesting turn at the end that really gets things moving. By the time you make it to halfway through episode 2, you will know whether or not this series is for you. For people that really dislike sci fi, I can see that there is not much chance you are going to enjoy this, even though it does really pick up halfway through episode 2.

    image.png src

    me personally i find this aspect of the show unnecessary and stupid but they have taken a sort of Game of Thrones approach to the storytelling in that there are plenty of very attractive ladies on the show and you can be all but guaranteed they are getting their tits out at some point. It happens multiple times in the first two episodes.

    I suppose I can applaud this to a certain degree, because it indicates that this show is not attempting to appeal to little kids the way Star Wars does and therefore we can have adult storylines. I don't mean gratuitous sex scenes, I find those very 80's now that we all have the internet and can look at porn anytime that we want. I am referring to how swear words to not need to be avoided and other adult topics can also happen such as gore, betrayal, genuine evil, drugs... you know? real adult topics. One only need look at the rather rated PG notions of Star Wars avoidance of blood and all swearing and Battlestar's hilarious invention of the word "frack" to know what I am talking about.

    image.png src

    The dramatic notions of the story evolve as the series progresses but he basic premise that is not a spoiler is that mankind has expanded throughout the universe and Mars and Earth are the two main factions. Having exhausted most of the resources on both planets they have taken to the local cosmos for minerals and even water in the form of ice, which has become the most valuable material in the solar system.

    Everyone worth their salt works in some sort of extra-planetary gig aboard gigantic space stations or ships designed to get after these resources and of course, warring factions and even pirates have emerged on the scene. It get's pretty interesting as things move on IMO.

    There is a core group of characters involved but as you would expect, this changes over time. I am only recently realizing that this series has long been over and was first released back in 2015. I suppose that explains why it started out on SyFi but was later a Amazon Prime Video release in later seasons.

    Since I now realize that this show took place during the pinnacle of DEI it will be very interesting to see how much social engineering gets forced into the story. In season one it is evident, but not being force-fed to us yet. We'll see!

    Should I watch it?

    I honestly think this should (and will be) a hard pass for anyone that isn't a sci-fi fan. I'm just being honest here. There is just too much space jargon going on for someone that has no interest in spacecraft and the dangers that would obviously come about from working in space.

    The acting is solid, the visuals are beautiful, and according to Metacritic ratings as well as my own observations, the story really picks up steam and start moving wonderfully after we get the obligatory 2 episode introduction phase over and done with. If you are truly impatient, you could probably switch straight to episode 3 and just watch the recap and move on from there.

    All that being said, I am really enjoying it, but also understand that I am not like the masses as far as my likes and dislikes are concerned.

    50119633_m.jpg This show can be legally streamed only on Amazon Prime. It can be rented at AppleTV and Fandango, but I can't imagine why anyone would do that since the season rental is more than the cost of a monthly subscription to Amazon

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  15. Television Review: Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, S1X10, 2016)@drax518d

    (source:expanse.fandom.com)

    Leviathan Wakes (S01E10)

    Airdate: February 2nd 2016

    Written by: Mark Fergus & Hawk Estby Directed by: Terry McDonough

    Running Time: 40 minutes

    The Expanse has long stood out among space operas for its unflinching embrace of darkness, both in its narrative tone and its thematic exploration of humanity’s capacity for cruelty. This grim sensibility is particularly evident in the first season, which culminates in a finale that borders on genocide. Leviathan Wakes, the episode that concludes this season, is a harrowing and intense chapter that underscores the series’ willingness to confront the bleakest aspects of its universe. Named after the first novel in James S. A. Corey’s series, the episode serves as the second part of a feature-length narrative, picking up precisely where the previous instalment left off. The protagonists find themselves in what appears to be an inescapable predicament, trapped on Eros, an asteroid colony that has become the site of a horrifying bioweapon experiment involving the protomolecule—a mysterious and malevolent substance that consumes and transforms everything it touches into a grotesque, blob-like entity.

    For Miller and Holden, the situation is even more dire. Having been exposed to lethal levels of radiation, they are acutely aware that they have only hours to live. In a desperate bid to survive, they inject themselves with a cocktail of drugs intended to mitigate the symptoms of radiation poisoning and buy them precious time. During their frantic efforts to reach the Rocinante they encounter Dresden’s mercenaries, who are setting up equipment to document the unfolding catastrophe. The mercenaries, a mix of corporate enforcers and Belter thugs, are too preoccupied with their own internal conflicts to notice Miller and Holden, who exploit this discord to slip past them. Their path also crosses with Kenzo, a duplicitous character who pleads for their help. However, Holden, hardened by betrayal and the dire circumstances, coldly refuses, leaving Kenzo to his fate.

    Meanwhile, Naomi, Alex, and Amos, having been separated from Holden and Miller, find themselves navigating the labyrinthine tunnels of Eros. These tunnels, historically used by the OPA for smuggling, become their lifeline as they attempt to reunite with the Rocinante. Along the way, they encounter a group of refugees, including a young girl named Shukri, portrayed by Madison Oldroyd. Naomi’s maternal instincts compel her to want to rescue the child, but this hope is dashed when they meet Shukri’s relative, Nalida, played by Ayesha Mansour. Nalida insists that the girl remain with the other refugees, who believe they are heading to a safer part of Eros. Reluctantly, the crew presses on without Shukri, eventually reaching the Rocinante. However, the absence of Holden and Miller creates palpable tension among the group. Setibamba, in particular, grows increasingly agitated, arguing for an immediate departure and even resorting to pulling a gun on Naomi. This confrontation is resolved in a characteristically abrupt and violent manner. When Holden and Miller finally arrive, they are visibly ill, but advanced medical care equipment aboard the Rocinante offers a glimmer of hope. As the ship departs Eros, the station is left to the ravages of the protomolecule.

    On Earth, the political machinations that underpin the series’ broader narrative continue to unfold. Chrisjen Avasarala, portrayed with steely determination by Shohreh Aghdashloo, grows increasingly suspicious of Earth’s involvement in the conspiracy surrounding the protomolecule. Her instincts are validated when her superior, Einwright, meets with Jules-Pierre Mao, the wealthy and morally bankrupt tycoon orchestrating the genocidal experiment. This revelation not only implicates Earth in the conspiracy but also adds a layer of tragic irony, as Mao’s own daughter was among the protomolecule’s victims.

    One of the episode’s notable limitations is its relatively short runtime, which leaves little room for extensive character development, world-building, or intricate plot twists. The script is functional, prioritising the immediate survival of the protagonists over deeper exploration of the story’s broader implications. This focus on action and survival, while effective in maintaining tension, occasionally comes at the expense of narrative depth. Additionally, the episode’s budget constraints are evident in its limited depiction of the mass horror unfolding on Eros. The dark cinematography, while atmospheric, serves to obscure some of the more gruesome details, making the horror more suggestive than explicit. This approach, while perhaps necessary for sensitive viewers, slightly diminishes the emotional impact of the catastrophe.

    Despite these limitations, Leviathan Wakes manages to deliver compelling performances and well-executed action sequences. The episode also allows some of the character to settle some personal scores. Miller, for instance, avenges his partner’s impalement by killing the Belter thug responsible, a moment that underscores his transformation from a disillusioned detective to a man driven by purpose. Similarly, Holden’s decision to abandon Kenzo, culminating in the latter’s gruesome demise, reinforces his growing pragmatism and moral complexity.

    Leviathan Wakes is a fittingly dark and intense conclusion to The Expanse’s first season. While its focus on survival and action occasionally comes at the expense of deeper storytelling, the episode excels in its portrayal of a universe teetering on the brink of chaos.

    RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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  16. Television Review: Critical Mass (The Expanse, S1X09, 2016)@drax540d

    (source:expanse.fandom.com)

    Critical Mass (S01E09)

    Airdate: February 2nd 2016

    Written by: Robin Veith, Dan Nowak and Naren Shankar Directed by: Terry McDonough

    Running Time: 40 minutes

    The Expanse, particularly in the episode Critical Mass, presents a haunting portrayal of space as a profoundly dark and unforgiving environment. The creators of the series consistently remind the audience of this bleakness, effectively encapsulated in the penultimate episode of Season 1.

    Following the tragic revelation of Julie Mao's death in the previous episode, Critical Mass opens with a series of flashbacks that unravel the events leading to her demise. The first flashback features Detective Miller on Ceres, where he articulates his theory regarding the fate of the Canterbury, Scopuli, and Donnager to Octavia Muss. The second flashback, which occurs seven weeks earlier, confirms Miller's hypothesis: the OPA dispatched Scopuli to intercept the Anubis, unaware that it was a heavily armed stealth vessel. The boarding of Scopuli results in the elimination of its crew, save for Julie. Subsequently, after Anubis destroys Canterbury, a mysterious protomolecule is released aboard Anubis, leading to catastrophic consequences for its crew. Julie manages to escape with as shuttle to Eros station, but being infected, dies before receiving help from the OPA.

    In the present timeline, Miller and the crew of Rocinante grapple with their next steps in light of Julie's death. Their predicament intensifies with the arrival of Dresden, a shadowy scientist played by Daniel Kash, who is intricately linked to the dark machinations surrounding Anubis. Dresden's acquisition of protomolecule samples from Julie’s corpse reveals his collusion with her father, Jules-Pierre Mao (portrayed by François Chau). Despite his grief over his daughter’s fate, Mao instructs Dresden to continue with a sinister plan involving experiments on Eros Station. A ship explosion serves as a pretext for confining Eros' inhabitants to shelters under the guise of anti-radiation measures while they are actually subjected to protomolecule exposure. As chaos unfolds, Miller and Holden find themselves separated from Amos, Naomi, and Alex, who attempt to reach Rocinante. They stumble upon the horrifying truth behind the shelter operations—leading to their imminent radiation poisoning.

    Simultaneously, Chrisjen Avasarala visits Craig, the widower of her late friend Franklin DeGraaf. In her investigation into DeGraaf's suicide and his inquiries into mysterious ship constructions, she uncovers blueprints that correlate with Anubis. Shortly thereafter, Fred Johnson broadcasts a message from Tycho Station denying any OPA involvement in Donnager’s destruction and implicating Earth-based shipyards in constructing these stealth vessels.

    The creators demonstrate astute awareness of their audience's potential confusion regarding the intricate plot threads woven throughout Critical Mass. To mitigate this complexity, they initiate the episode with a recap that clarifies key events and relationships.

    Florence Faivre’s performance as Julie Mao is noteworthy; she is afforded an opportunity to showcase her acting prowess throughout this episode. Notably, there are scenes featuring her nudity; however, these moments are presented within a context that avoids exploitation or gratuitous fan service—serving instead to deepen audience empathy for her character.

    While Critical Mass excels in many aspects, it does fall short with its cliffhanger ending. Although this choice is understandable given that it serves as part one of a season finale, it leaves viewers craving resolution—a tension that may frustrate some fans who prefer more conclusive storytelling.

    What renders Critical Mass particularly resonant for contemporary audiences is its unsettling parallels to real-world events that occurred few years after the premiere. The fictional scenarios unfolding on Eros Station echo recent experiences with lockdowns, forced vaccinations, and unethical biological experimentation orchestrated by powerful figures. Critical Mass serves as a stark reminder of how fiction can mirror reality in disturbing ways.

    Critical Mass stands out as a pivotal episode within The Expanse series. It adeptly balances character development with overarching narrative threads while immersing viewers in its dark thematic landscape. The exploration of human frailty amidst cosmic horror invites reflection on broader societal issues—an achievement that solidifies The Expanse’s reputation as not only a science fiction series but also a profound commentary on humanity's darker impulses when faced with existential threats.

    RATING: 8/10 (+++)

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  17. Television Review: Salvage (The Expanse, S1X08, 2016)@drax543d

    (source:expanse.fandom.com)

    Salvage (S01E08)

    Airdate: January 26th 2016

    Written by: Bill Johnson Directed by: Robin Veith

    Running Time: 43 minutes

    The eighth episode of The Expanse, titled Salvage, represents a pivotal moment that many viewers of Season 1 had been eagerly anticipating. This episode rewards their patience by resolving one of the show’s grand mysteries and bringing together two of the three major storylines that have been developing throughout the season.

    The episode opens with Detective Joe Miller travelling to Eros station. During his journey, he converses with a fellow passenger, a Mormon missionary portrayed by Kevin Bundy. This marks Miller's first departure from Ceres station, and he expresses scepticism about the Mormon plans to send the Nauvoo generation ship on a century-long voyage beyond the Solar System. However, as he learns about the political crisis potentially leading to interplanetary war, he begins to reconsider the mission’s significance. Upon arriving at Eros station, Miller seeks information about Anubis 1A, the shuttle used by Julie Mao, who is travelling under the alias "Lionel Polanski." Eros proves to be a far more violent and chaotic environment than Ceres, but Miller's aggressive methods in obtaining information—such as rough the dock master played by Philip Mackenzie—are too much even for that place and land him in jail. Fortunately, he is bailed out by his old friend Sematimba (played by Kevin Hanchard), who warns him that the security firm he works for has recently hired numerous thugs. Sematimba also provides crucial information: Julie Mao has been seen at the Blue Falcon Hotel.

    Meanwhile, aboard the Rocinante, Holden and his crew follow coordinates provided by Fred Johnson to an asteroid designated BA-834024112. They discover a mysterious, seemingly abandoned ship hidden within it. As they investigate, they are struck by the eerie absence of air and signs of destruction within it, along with an unsettling biological material. This ship is revealed to be Anubis, the same vessel that Julie Mao encountered at the beginning of the series. It is also revealed that Anubis was stealth ship responsible for destroying the Canterbury. When Holden’s crew attempts to activate its reactor, they inadvertently revive a mysterious and likely malevolent biological entity, forcing them to flee and undergo decontamination before Holden destroys the ship with a torpedo as an act of vengeance for their fallen comrades.

    Upon reaching Eros station, the crew of Rocinante disembarks and goes to Blue Falcon Hotel, where they immediately sense something amiss. Their instincts prove correct; Kenzo Gabriel, whom they had previously allowed to leave their ship, has alerted a UN black ops team led by Errinwright. This triggers a violent firefight in which they are saved by Miller's timely intervention. After dispatching their attackers, Miller and his newfound allies make their way to Julie Mao’s room only to uncover a horrifying scene: her naked corpse lies in the shower, grotesquely disfigured by rapid fungal growth.

    Salvage adeptly weaves together various plot strands in both a spectacular and efficient manner, solving much of the overarching puzzle while leaving enough intrigue for future episodes. However, the complex interplanetary conspiracy involving biological experiments gone awry and secret weapons will necessitate additional episodes to fully explore and address their ramifications.

    This episode also underscores The Expanse’s willingness to confront its audience with the harsh realities of its fictional universe. The character of Miller, arguably one of the most relatable and memorable figures in the series, sacrifices his career and risks his life in pursuit of Julie Mao—a quest that ultimately ends in tragedy and futility.

    One standout moment in *Salvage? is a brief but intense shootout scene in Blue Falcon Hotel, which ranks among the best action sequences in The Expanse thus far. Additionally, scenes aboard the ghost ship Anubis are masterfully directed; they effectively build suspense through atmospheric tension and visual storytelling that keeps viewers on edge.

    Salvage not only delivers on its promise of convergence but also enriches character arcs and expands upon existing mysteries within The Expanse. As it sets up for future revelations and conflicts, it solidifies itself as a critical juncture in Season 1—one that leaves audiences eager for what lies ahead in this intricate narrative tapestry.

    RATING: 8/10 (+++)

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  18. Television Review: Windmills (The Expanse, S1X07, 2016)@drax545d

    (source:expanse.fandom.com)

    Windmills (S01E07)

    Airdate: January 19th 2016

    Written by: Stephen Lawrence Directed by: Bill Johnson

    Running Time: 42 minutes

    The seventh episode of The Expanse, titled Windmills, stands out as a compelling narrative that, while not heavily laden with action, masterfully intertwines suspense and worldbuilding. This episode excels in its ability to juggle multiple storylines, each of which is poised to converge in significant ways as the season progresses.

    On Earth, the fallout from James Holden's connection to the destruction of both the Canterbury and the Donnager creates a palpable tension among UN leadership, who are increasingly concerned that he may be a dangerous terrorist orchestrating a plan to incite interplanetary war. Chrisjen Avasarala decides to take matters into her own hands by personally investigating Holden's background at his childhood home in Montana, where he grew up as child of eight different parents, part of group marriage running a co-op farm. Here, she encounters Elise, Holden's biological mother, played by Frances Fisher. The interaction between Avasarala and Elise is fraught with hostility; Elise embodies a deep mistrust of government institutions, reflecting a broader anti-establishment sentiment prevalent among those living in communal arrangements. Their meeting is initially icy, but Avasarala manages to thaw some of the tension by sharing her own tragic story about her son, a military officer who was killed during the Callisto insurrection by the OPA (Outer Planets Alliance). This shared experience creates a tentative bond between the two women, and Elise opens up about raising Holden to defend the farm only to tell him to leave when he turned 18. Avasarala, convinced that Holden is not a political ideologue, reports back to Einwright, but unfortunately, her findings come too late, as Einwright has already authorised a black ops operation to take Holden out, presumably on Tycho Station.

    Meanwhile, aboard the Rocinante, now disguised as a civilian freighter, the crew embarks on a mission to locate Lionel Polanski, the sole survivor of the Scopuli incident. During their journey, they discover an unexpected stowaway: Kenzo Gabriel, played by Elias Toufexis. Initially perceived as a potential threat—suspected of being sent by Fred Johnson—the crew's suspicions are heightened due to his evasive behaviour. However, Kenzo's true skills come to light when he reveals his experience as an industrial spy working for Davila. As they navigate through Martian patrol areas and face imminent boarding by Martian forces, Kenzo's knowledge proves invaluable. He informs them that if they provide a specific code word indicating their involvement in a Martian covert operation, they will be allowed to continue their journey unharmed. Naomi's quick thinking enables her to retrieve this code word just in time, allowing the Rocinante to evade disaster. Although Kenzo’s life is spared for now, his ultimate loyalties remain ambiguous.

    On Ceres, Miller appears to be at a low ebb, with even Dawes, his arch-nemesis, no longer considering him a threat and drinks with him in bar despite trying to kill him short while ago. However, Miller's determination to find Julie Mao remains unwavering, and he begins to make plans to continue his quest as a private citizen after receiving information suggesting Julie may have arrived at Eros Station. Despite Octavia Muss' offer to work with him, Miller decides to go it alone, selling all his belongings to raise enough money for a ticket to Eros Station, where he hopes to find Julie.

    Windmills benefits from strong writing and direction that elevate its narrative complexity. The performances are particularly noteworthy; Wes Chatham’s portrayal of Amos showcases an unpredictable character whose impulsive nature poses risks for the crew. In one tense scene, Holden must even point a gun at Amos to prevent him from acting recklessly—a moment that encapsulates the precarious dynamics within the team. Similarly, Elias Toufexis, an actor who, thanks to his prolific work in motion capture and video game industry gained nickname “Canadian Andy Serkis”, delivers an impressive performance as Kenzo Gabriel; his ability to oscillate between charm and menace adds depth to his character as he navigates the treacherous waters of espionage.

    The episode also features poignant emotional exchanges that resonate deeply with viewers. The confrontation between Avasarala and Elise serves not only as a plot device but also as an exploration of motherhood and sacrifice within the broader context of political machinations. Their dialogue reveals conflicting ideologies—Elise’s idealism versus Avasarala’s pragmatism—creating rich thematic layers that enhance character development.

    Windmills exemplifies The Expanse's strength in storytelling through its intricate plotlines and character-driven narratives. By focusing on personal stakes amidst larger political conflicts, it effectively builds suspense while enriching its worldbuilding efforts.

    RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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  19. Television Review: Rock Bottom (The Expanse, S1X06, 2016)@drax547d

    (source:expanse.fandom.com)

    Rock Bottom (S01E06)

    Airdate: January 12th 2016

    Written by: Jason Ning Directed by: Robert Lieberman

    Running Time: 43 minutes

    The sixth episode of The Expanse, titled Rock Bottom, may not be laden with too much action, yet it excels in world-building, particularly in its portrayal of the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA). Previously depicted as mere loudmouth radicals or petty local gangsters, this episode reveals the OPA's complex and sinister nature, showcasing their significant influence and power.

    Miller is the first character to experience the OPA's methods firsthand. After being abducted, he finds himself interrogated and tortured by Anderson Dawes, an old acquaintance. Dawes seeks information about what detective knows about Julie Mao and her ill-fated mission. His perceptive nature allows him to exploit Miller's emotional attachment to Julie, mocking him for being an employee of an oppressive Earth-owned security firm—a role that embodies everything young radical despised. This contempt culminates in a chilling moment where Dawes orders Miller to be executed by airlock. However, Miller is saved at the last moment by Octavia Muss (played by Athena Karkaris), a colleague from Star Helix, who intervenes by shooting Dawes' operatives. Upon returning to Captain Shadid (played by Lola Gualdini) with his findings, Miller faces betrayal as she fires him, revealing her own intimidation or possible bribery by Dawes and the OPA.

    Meanwhile, Holden and the other survivors of the Canterbury must navigate their dealings with OPA's representative at Tycho Station, Fred Johnson. Johnson is characterised as ruthless yet astute; upon docking of the ship, he quickly deduces that the Rocinante has only four crew members aboard. In a tense standoff, Holden leverages Martian powerful weaponry to prevent boarding, leading to a negotiation where Holden’s crew agrees to embark on a mission to rescue Lionel Polanski, the sole survivor of the Scopuli. This encounter illustrates not only Holden’s strategic thinking but also sets up a critical alliance that will have repercussions throughout the series.

    On Earth, Chrisjen Avasarala is revealed to have suffered at the hands of OPA, losing her son at the hands of the organisation. Learning of Holden's arrival at Tycho Station prompts her to recruit Carlos Davila (played by Bruno Verdoni), a former UN spy turned private intelligence firm owner, to initiate an intelligence operation against Fred Johnson. Initially hesitant, Davila is coerced into compliance when Avasarala uses his imprisoned son as leverage. Her superior, Einwright, initially disapproves of such harsh methods but ultimately concedes to Avasarala's approach.

    Another subplot introduces Diogo, a former young criminal from Ceres who previously crossed paths with Miller. Now struggling to make a living honestly through "rockhopping"—mining ore with his cranky uncle Mateo (played by Alex Karzis)—Diogo’s situation deteriorates when they are boarded by Martian authorities for illegal mining. In a moment of desperation, Mateo attempts to retaliate by launching ore at the Martian ship, resulting in his demise and Diogo being cast into space in a spacesuit. This harrowing scene exemplifies the harsh conditions faced by Belters and serves as a poignant illustration of how systemic oppression breeds radicalism among them.

    While "Rock Bottom" may not stand out as one of the most memorable episodes in The Expanse, it serves its purpose effectively through strong character development and clever plot twists. The episode weaves together various narratives that deepen our understanding of individual motivations and broader socio-political themes. Dawes’ backstory about sacrificing his sister for survival resonates with Miller’s own confessions to Octavia Muss about killing a man and how she might handle similar situation.

    The character exposition is particularly noteworthy; Miller’s transformation from a jaded detective into someone driven by personal stakes adds depth to his narrative arc. Similarly, Holden’s evolution as he grapples with leadership responsibilities and personal guilt becomes increasingly compelling.

    Rock Bottom effectively utilises its slower pace to enrich character arcs and expand on world-building elements that are critical for understanding The Expanse. The episode's focus on the OPA's true nature invites viewers to reconsider their previous assumptions about this faction while simultaneously exploring personal stories that reflect broader societal issues. As such, it serves as a crucial chapter in establishing the complex web of relationships and conflicts that define this richly crafted universe.

    RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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  20. Television Review: Back to the Butcher (The Expanse, S1X05, 2016)@drax550d

    (source:expanse.fandom.com)

    Back to the Butcher (S01E05)

    Airdate: January 5th 2016

    Written by: Dan Nowak Directed by: Ron Lieberman

    Running Time: 43 minutes

    The fifth episode of The Expanse, titled Back to the Butcher, stands out as one of the quieter installments in the series, utilising its relative lack of action to deepen world-building and character development.

    The primary plot of the episode revolves around the survivors of the Canterbury, who, having successfully escaped from the Donnager, are now faced with the daunting task of deciding their next move. The debate among the crew members is intense, with some arguing that Mars may not believe their claims of innocence regarding the destruction of their capital ship, while others fear that the rest of the solar system may view them as terrorists. This predicament is further complicated by the fact that their new ship, Tachi, cannot dock anywhere without a transponder, prompting Naomi to alter the ship's signature and rename it to Rocinante. The crew's newfound home, a high-tech Martian military space vessel, is a significant upgrade from the cramped commercial ships they previously worked on, but their joy is short-lived as they receive a message from Fred Johnson, inviting them to Tycho Station. Despite their initial reservations and fears that Fred Johnson may be involved with the OPA or even implicated in the events surrounding the Donnager's destruction, the crew reluctantly agrees to head to Tycho Station, driven by a lack of alternative options.

    This reluctance is expertly explained through the show's first flashbacks, which take place 11 years prior to the current events. The scene is set on Anderson Station, an ore refinery in the Belt, where armed workers, led by Marama Brown (played by Billy MacLellan), have taken over the facility to protest the poor air quality that has caused hypoxia and other health problems for their children. The response from the authorities comes in the form of UN Marines. Despite Marama Brown’s offer of surrender, station is attacked resulting massive loss of life, including Marama Brown and his young daughter, Kiri (played by Raven Stewart). It is revealed that the commander of the US Marines during the attack was none other than Colonel Fred Johnson, who earned the notorious nickname "The Butcher of Anderson Station". The segment suggests that Johnson's troubled conscience and desire to atone for his role in the massacre may have driven him to join the OPA.

    In the meantime, Detective Miller visits his friend and partner Havelock, who is recovering from his injuries in the hospital, and is less than pleased to see him exchanging pleasantries with a prostitute named Gia, whom he suspects may be involved in the attack. The attack, which was recorded and broadcast by Filat Khotari (played by Ted Ludzik), a Loca Greiga enforcer, leads to Miller being approached with deal offer from Anderson Dawes: in exchange for giving up Khotari, who is held in OPA safe house, Miller must provide information about his investigation into Julie Mao's disappearance. Miller's investigation has led him to discover the flight path of a mysterious ship called Anubis, which he believes may be connected to the Scopuli, the destruction of the Canterbury, and the Donnager. A discussion with Neville Bosch (played by Rosiff Sutherland), a part-time OPA associate who chartered a ship for Julie Mao, leads Miller to a data cube in Julie's apartment, but before he can examine it, he is abducted by two assailants, leaving his fate uncertain.

    Back to the Butcher is a masterfully directed and written episode that handles multiple storylines with ease, even with the added complexity of the flashback sequence. The depiction of the Anderson Station Massacre is economical yet powerful, leaving a strong emotional impact thanks to the excellent acting by Billy MacLellan.

    The episode also offers an interesting glimpse into the capabilities of 23rd-century medical technology, highlighting the ease with which people can recover from severe injuries. This is evident in Havelock's rapid recovery from his injuries, which raises questions about the advancements in medical science and their implications for society.

    Furthermore, the episode's attention to detail is impressive, with the renaming of the Tachi to Rocinante being a notable example. The name, chosen by Holden, means "workhorse" in Spanish, and its connection to the protagonist's horse in Don Quixote, a famous 16th-century novel by Miguel Cervantes, adds a layer of literary depth to the narrative. The fact that Holden is apparently unaware of this connection may be seen as ironic, given the quixotic nature of his and his crew's efforts to navigate the complexities of The Expanse.

    RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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  21. Television Review: CQB (The Expanse, S1X04, 2015)@drax551d

    (source:expanse.fandom.com)

    CQB (S01E04)

    Airdate: December 16th 2015

    Written by: Naren Shankar Directed by: Jeff Wulnough

    Running Time: 42 minutes

    The fourth episode of The Expanse, titled CQB, is undoubtedly one of the most impactful and action-packed instalments of the series up to that point, featuring a spectacular event that would have far-reaching consequences for the characters and the overall narrative. This pivotal episode marks a significant turning point in the show, as it becomes increasingly clear that Holden and his crew are destined to become the show's true protagonists, and their experiences in this episode serve as a catalyst for their future development.

    The central event of this episode is intricately tied to the first of three major storylines, with Holden and his crew aboard the Martian warship Donnager, where Captain Yao learns that they are being pursued by not by one, but swarm of six advanced ships, equipped with weapons and technology which are more than a match for initially overconfident Martians. When Holden identifies one of these vessels as identical to the one that destroyed the Canterbury, Captain Yao realises that Holden is a critical witness whose life must be preserved at at all cost. As chaos ensues and the heavily damaged Donnager becomes boarded by mysterious assailants, Yao orders Lieutenant Lopez to escort Holden to Tachi, a small attack ship housed in the hangar. However, Holden insists on bringing his crew along, who are still reeling from the traumatic loss of their comrade Shed. In a harrowing sequence, Lopez manages to get Holden and his team to Tachi, but not before sustaining fatal injuries fighting the boarders. His sacrifice allows Alex to pilot Tachi to safety just before Captain Yao initiates a self-destruct sequence to prevent their enemies from capturing the Donnager.

    Meanwhile, on Ceres, Detective Miller continues his investigation into Julie Mao's disappearance. His search leads him to Bizi Betiko (played by Ryan Stanley), a man who had been romantically linked with her. Miller finds Betiko dead, but later learns that his identity is false, with real Betiko (played by Adam Bogen) having perished while engaging in the perilous sport of slingshotting. The body in question reveals further intrigue; it has been altered with an ID spoofer and memory chips, indicating Betiko's involvement as a data broker. Furthermore, the brothel madam, played by Jane Moffat, makes a gruesome discovery, finding Havelock impaled, but miraculously still alive.

    On Earth, Chrisjen Avasarala grapples with the political ramifications of sending Earth Navy ships to rescue survivors from the Canterbury incident. In a poignant scene with her grandson (played by Yathart Bhatt), she gazes at the night sky, contemplating the future of humanity within an increasingly fragmented solar system.

    Another storyline is introduced with scene at Tycho Station in the Belt, where construction on the Nauvoo—a massive spacecraft commissioned by Latter Day Saints—is underway. The project aims to send colonists on a century-long journey towards Tau Ceti. Tensions arise when a Mormon elder (played by Peter Spence) expresses dissatisfaction with Fred Johnson (played by Chad L. Coleman) being management of the station due to his suspected affiliations with the OPA (Outer Planets Alliance). The elder's initial resistance crumbles under Johnson's subtle intimidation tactics.

    While Avasarala's scenes may feel somewhat superfluous—serving primarily to remind viewers of her character—the remainder of CQB exemplifies economical storytelling. The episode efficiently weaves together multiple narratives without losing momentum or coherence.

    The battle sequences between Donnager and its mysterious assailants are depicted with commendable CGI effects that aren’t overwhelming at the expense of human drama. The narrative effectively illustrates how perilous space can be when fundamental elements like air and gravity are compromised. One particularly shocking moment involves a regular character meeting a gruesome end—an event that is both shocking and within acceptable limits for mainstream television.

    *CQB? successfully navigates its multiple plotlines while introducing red herrings and new mysteries that promise to engage viewers over several seasons. The balance between action and suspense keeps audiences invested, making this episode one of the most successful entries in The Expanse up to that point.

    CQB not only delivers thrilling action but also deepens character arcs and expands the overarching narrative in meaningful ways. The stakes are raised significantly for all involved as alliances shift and new threats emerge. As viewers are left on cliffhangers and unresolved tensions, it becomes clear that The Expanse continues to build upon its reputation as a compelling science fiction series that deftly combines action with intricate storytelling.

    RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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  22. Television Review: Remember the Cant (The Expanse, S1X03, 2015)@drax553d

    (source:expanse.fandom.com)

    Remember the Cant (S01E03)

    Airdate: December 16th 2015

    Written by: Robin Veith Directed by: Jeff Wulnough

    Running Time: 43 minutes

    The third episode of The Expanse, titled Remember the Cant, marks a significant shift in pace compared to its predecessor, as it opts for a more subdued tone with substantially less action. However, this decrease in action is more than compensated for by a notable increase in world-building and character exposition, which provides a richer understanding of the intricate universe that the series inhabits.

    Similar to the previous episodes, Remember the Cant weaves together three separate yet indirectly connected plots, each contributing to the overall narrative arc of the series. The first storyline picks up where the previous episode left off, with the public video message sent by Holden and the crew of the Kairos. This desperate attempt to save their lives before being boarded by the Donnager appears to have achieved its intended purpose, as the citizens of Ceres are now aware of the destruction of the Canterbury and its devastating impact on the already meager water supply. This revelation sparks widespread resentment among the Belters towards both Earth and Mars, culminating in violent riots. Amidst this turmoil, Detective Miller continues his relentless pursuit of Juliet Mao, a quest that leads him into contact with the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA) and its local leader, Anderson Dawes. Meanwhile, Miller's partner, Havelock, attempts to immerse himself in the local culture by learning Belter patois from a prostitute named Gia (played by Sara Mitich). However, his efforts at cultural assimilation are short-lived, as he soon finds himself cornered, attacked and stabbed by the Loca Greiga gang.

    In parallel, the aftermath of the video message is felt on the Martian ship Donnager, where the surviving crew members of the Canterbury are being held as prisoners. The Martians, employing clever interrogation tactics, use the revelations about the crew's past to sow discord among them. It is revealed that Holden has a complicated history, having been dishonorably discharged from the Earth Navy for refusing to fire on a Belter ship. Alex, on the other hand, is disclosed to have spent twenty years serving in the Martian Congressional Navy, a fact that significantly impacts his relationships with his crewmates. Perhaps most intriguingly, Naomi Nagata is shown to possess an advanced physics degree, making her vastly overqualified for her role on the remote ice hauler, and raising questions about her true loyalties and motivations. When brought together, the Martians skillfully manipulate these revelations to turn the former crewmates against each other, exploiting their personal histories to extract information. Holden is eventually summoned by the ship's commander, Captain Yao (played by Jean Yoon), in a meeting that hints at the possibility that Naomi might be an OPA agent, especially considering that the Donnager is being shadowed by a mysterious ship.

    On Earth, the plot unfolds with Chrisjen Avasarala expressing her concerns to Franklin Degraaf (played by Kenneth Welsh), the UN ambassador to Mars and an old family friend. Degraaf, who loves and admires Mars and even wants to retire there with his gay husband Craig (played by Philip Akin), is told about the potential involvement of Mars and its stealth technology in the attack on the Canterbury. Avasarala fears that Mars might be preparing to attack Earth itself, prompting Degraaf to contact his Martian friends in an attempt to gather more information. The increased chatter at Martian communication hubs leads Avasarala to conclude that the Martians were indeed surprised by the attack, similar to everyone else. This realisation comes at a significant personal cost to Degraaf, who loses his diplomatic credentials and is banned from Mars, feeling manipulated and betrayed by Avasarala's actions. The end of their friendship serves as a stark reminder of the high stakes and personal sacrifices that come with playing the game of interplanetary politics.

    Remember the Cant is an intriguing episode that leverages its relatively slow pace to delve into the fascinating details of The Expanse's world. One of the most captivating aspects of Martian culture introduced in this episode is their unique approach to interrogation, where drugs are used not on the interrogated, but on the interrogators themselves. This practice allows the interrogators to perceive lies more effectively, showcasing the Martians' sophisticated understanding of psychology and pharmacology. Furthermore, the episode reveals intriguing details about Holden's past, including the fact that he is the child of eight different biological partners, with his DNA being a mix of theirs. This revelation speaks volumes about the state of biotechnology in the 23rd century and its profound impact on traditional Earth family customse.

    Perhaps the most compelling theme of Remember the Cant is the pervasive nature of manipulation, which is reflected differently across various parts of the Solar system. The destruction of the Canterbury, whether part of a broader plan or not, elicits a primal response from the Belters, who express their anger and frustration through violent riots. In contrast, the Martians employ a more cerebral approach, cleverly manipulating Holden and his crewmates to extract information and sow discord. Meanwhile, Chrisjen Avasarala orchestrates her own manipulations, using her friends and acquaintances to further her goals, even if it means sacrificing them in the process. This theme of manipulation serves as a reminder that in the world of The Expanse, nothing is as it seems, and every action, no matter how altruistic it may appear, is motivated by a complex web of interests and agendas. As the series progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that the true battle is not between Earth, Mars, and the Belt, but between those who seek to control the narrative and those who are caught in the crossfire, struggling to uncover the truth amidst a sea of deception and manipulation.

    RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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  23. Television Review: The Big Empty (The Expanse, S01X02, 2015)@drax561d

    (source:expanse.fandom.com)

    The Big Empty (S01E02)

    Airdate: December 15th 2015

    Written by: Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby Directed by: Terry McDonough

    Running Time: 46 minutes

    The second episode of The Expanse, aptly titled The Big Empty, presents an intriguing, albeit not always successful, compromise between action-packed suspense and world-building exposition. This delicate balance is a hallmark of the series, and The Big Empty is no exception, as it weaves together multiple storylines that gradually converge, setting the stage for the events that will unfold throughout the series.

    The first storyline picks up from the cliffhanger that concluded the pilot episode. The surviving crew members of the Canterbury find themselves stranded aboard the shuttle Knight after their ship's destruction. Holden, as the second officer, is thrust into a leadership role; however, he struggles to manage the crisis effectively due to his trauma from losing his lover, Ade. This emotional turmoil is poignantly illustrated in a brief prologue where Ade's memory haunts him. It is Naomi Nagata, the engineering officer, who emerges as the de facto leader in this dire situation. When debris from the explosion damages their shuttle, leading to a critical loss of air supply and a malfunctioning radio antenna, Naomi makes a pivotal decision: she sacrifices some of their remaining air to allow Holden and Amos to repair the antenna. As Alex and Shed nearly suffocate due to dwindling air reserves, tension mounts until Holden and Amos successfully repair the antenna and send out a distress signal. However, when Knight receives a response, the crew is horrified to learn that they will be boarded by the Donnager, a formidable battleship belonging to Mars Congressional Navy—a vessel they suspect may have been involved in their ship's destruction. With no viable options left, they brace for an encounter with Martian forces.

    Meanwhile, on Ceres, Detective Miller continues his relentless pursuit of Julie Mao. His investigation leads him to uncover that she likely boarded the ill-fated Scopuli. Compounding his challenges are issues surrounding water supply on Ceres; regular shortages force many residents into black market dealings for essential resources. Miller and his partner Havelock are tasked with addressing these burgeoning criminal activities. They stumble upon a group of small-time criminals engaged in siphoning water supplies. Although Miller apprehends their young leader Diogo (portrayed by Andrew Rotillo), he ultimately decides to release him with a warning about the dangers posed by more powerful gangs operating in Ceres' shadows.

    On Earth, Chrisjen Avasarala faces her own set of challenges as she discusses stolen stealth technology with Sadavir Errinwright (played by Shawn Doyle), Deputy General Secretary of the United Nations. Errinwright expresses his discontent regarding reports of torture inflicted on Heikki Sabong (played by Joe Delfin), an OPA militant suspected of theft. As Chrisjen delves continues her investigation, she grows increasingly convinced that Mars and Belter separatists are conspiring against Earth—a notion that suggests an impending escalation in hostilities between these factions. The situation is further complicated when Heikki commits suicide during transport to Luna for further interrogation.

    The Big Empty, particularly through its subplot involving the misadventures aboard Knight, bears resemblance to classic Star Trek episodes wherein spacecraft crews find themselves embroiled in perilous situations that are predictably resolved by episode's end. Despite this familiar structure, it remains an engaging and well-crafted episode that serves an essential purpose: it vividly illustrates the inherent dangers and limitations of space travel in the 23rd century. The scarcity of vital resources such as air and water becomes a central theme—elements often taken for granted by those on Earth but which are critical for survival in space.

    RATING: 6/10 (++)

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  24. Television Review: Dulcinea (The Expanse, S1X01, 2015)@drax570d

    (source:expanse.fandom.com)

    Dulcinea (Pilot, S1E1)

    Airdate: November 14th 2015

    Written by: Terry McDonough Directed by: Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby

    Running Time: 45 minutes

    Dulcinea is a very solid and intriguing pilot episode for ambitious and, as it later turned out to be, successful and long-running television series. Originally slated for 10 episodes, the series, based on the The Expanse series of science fiction novels by James S. A. Corey (a pseudonym used by writing tandem of Daniel Abraham and Ty Frank), is an old-fashioned space opera set roughly three centuries in the future. 23rd Century depicted in the novels and in the series is somewhere in the middle between technologically developed idyllic utopian world of Star Trek and dystopian post-apocalyptic Fallout. The humanity has failed to developed means of interstellar voyage, but space travel has advanced enough to allow for collonisation of much of the Solar System. The largest of those colonies is Mars, which became not only independent of Earth, but also became its main rival for resources, which are mined in Asteroid Belt, which creates increased diplomatic tension.

    Dulcinea, which, like the rest of season, follows the plot of Leviathan Wakes, the first novel, does a good job of trying to introduce viewers to strange new futuristic world, without overwhelming the audience with too many details. It starts with the cold open during which an unknown woman (played by Florence Faivre) in a wrecked space ship tries to survive in zero gravity before encountering strange and even frightening phenomenon.

    The rest of the plot deals with three subplots that deal with different characters. The first one begins at Ceres, an asteroid where Joe Miller (played by Thomas Jane), a local or “Belter”, works for Earth-based Helix security service. “Belters”, whom due to low gravity and harsh conditions, suffer from various mutations and genetic defects, feel exploited by Earth corporations, and those sentiments found expression in extremist organisation called OPA. Miller is considered traitor to his people and, while working with new Earth-born partner Dimitri Havelock (played by Jay Hernandez in guest starring role), receives the task of seeking Juliet Mao, radical acitivist daughter of influential businessman who went missing, and who happens to be the woman from the prologue.

    On Earth, high ranking UN official Chrisjen Avasarala (played by Shoreh Aghdashloo) comes to black site to interrogate OPA agent who was caught trying to steal top secret stealth ship technology.

    Huge freight ship Canterbury travels from Saturn rings with huge cargo of ice for Ceres. Its crew involves second officer Jim Holden (played by Steven Strait), who is having romantic relationship with ship’s navigator Ade Nygaard (played by Kristen Hager in guest starring role). When ship’s first officer (played by Jonathan Banks in guest starring role) has a psychotic break due to too much time at space, Holden takes its place. During their journey back, Canterbury receives distress signal from another ship. While the crew is tempted to disregard it for financial reasons, Holden decides to secretly record logs and force them to investigate. Holden volunteers to investigate the ship, named Scopuli with a Canterbury’s shuttle Knight and takes four other crewmen with him – chief engineeer Naomi Nagata (played by Dominique Tipper), mechanic Amos Burton (played by Wes Chatham), pilot Alex Kamal (played by Cas Anvar) and medic Shed Garvey (played by Paulo Constanzo). On Scopuli they don’t find any sign of life. Soon afterwards, they are informed that unknown ship has suddenly appeared and ordered to evacuate. They watch ship firing torpedoes that hit Canterbury and kill anyone aboard.

    The episode is very well directed and features special effects that are quite convincing and within quqlity parameters necessary for early 21st Century space operas. The acting is top notch, with diverse cast manages to use relatively small time frame to establish characters. The first episode shows that it wouldn’t hesitate to go towards darker content, which include graphic violence and mutilations, while zero gravity sex scene doesn’t seem too exploitative. The cliffhanger ending, which raised the stakes for surviving characters, is quite effective.

    RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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  25. The Expanse (saison 6 - fin)@florenceboens1526d

    Bonsoir,

    the expanse s6.webp

    the expanse tome 6 les-cendres-de-babylone.webp The Expanse tome 6 "Les Cendres de Babylone", écrit par James S.A. Corey

    Cette saison 6 est la dernière, comme annoncé par Amazon et se compose de 6 épisodes seulement. Le duo d'auteurs est d'accord avec cette décision et ils ont bien soigné la fin de la série, même si des rumeurs courent que la suite des livres pourraient être adaptés également, puisque l'histoire n'est pas finie et qu'il y a pas mal de choses en suspens ou encore à explorer. Le tome 9 ne sortira d'ailleurs en livre que le 4 mai 2022, on pourrait donc imaginer un genre de spin-off pour la suite des bouquins ou pourquoi pas The Expanse : une nouvelle ère !

    En effet, à la fin de cette saison 6, il y a de gros changements qui s'enclenchent et cela pourrait donnait lieu à une nouvelle série, selon moi.

    Je vais faire au + bref pour le résumé pour éviter de spoiler. Marcos Inaros dirige la Flotte Libre qui englobe des vaisseaux et des partisans de + en + nombreux. Son fils Philippe a du mal à montrer de l'engouement pour la cause de son père et est même plutôt rebelle. La Terre, via Chrisjen Avasarala, essaye que tous les ennemis d'Inaros s'allient pour coordonner leurs attaques, ce qui n'est pas chose aisée.

    Voilà, je ne vais pas m'étendre davantage pour le résumé.

    Je noterai aussi que certaines incohérences ont été rectifiées dans cette dernière saison. J'espère que la suite des livres sera adaptée, même s'il faudra certainement attendre quelques années.

    Nous avons également beaucoup apprécié la musique très reposante du générique, de Clinton Shorter.

    Je commençais à peine à m'habituer à l'Espace .. mais je suis certaine que mon mari réessayera de m'y emmener, à l'occasion, le temps de quelques soirées.

    A bientôt, prenez soin de vous,

    Florence

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  26. The Expanse (saison 5)@florenceboens1536d

    Bonsoir,

    On a eu quelques petites frayeurs lors de cette saison, parfois à juste titre, puisque nous ne reverrons plus certains personnages.

    The+Expanse+5.jpg Amos Burton (Wes Chatham), James Holden (Steven Strait), Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper) et Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar)

    the expanse tome 5.webp The Expanse tome 5 "Les Jeux de Nemesis"

    Nous découvrirons un peu mieux le personnage de Amos Burton, dans cette saison. On savait déjà qu'il venait de Baltimore, mais on avait souvent entendu que le Amos Burton de Baltimore, chef de gang, était mort il y a 20 ans. Nous avons donc eu l'explication dans cette 5e partie.

    Philippe Inaros, fils de Naomi Nagata et Marco Inaros, a décidé d'emmener sa mère sur le vaisseau dirigé par son père, quitte à la retenir prisonnière, selon les ordres de son paternel. Cela lui permettra de mieux connaître sa mère, notamment en écoutant sa version de l'histoire. Malheureusement, Marco a toujours la Terre pour cible et les astéroïdes qu'il lancera dans cette direction toucheront plusieurs personnes haut-placées, ainsi que de nombreuses villes et points stratégiques.

    Chrisjen Avasarala enverra Bobbie Draper et Alex en mission pour elle, à bord d'un petit vaisseau ultra-rapide, ce qui leur permettra d'arriver + rapidement là où on a besoin d'eux.

    Amos retrouvera d'anciennes connaissances, qui, malgré quelques réticences au départ, finiront par lui prêter main-forte. Amos est, d'apparence, un gros dur, assez avare en paroles, il va droit au but et et ne s'encombre pas de manières diplomatiques, mais il semble bien qu'il renferme un cœur tendre et attentionné vis-à-vis de son entourage.

    Nous allons bientôt entamer la saison 6, la dernière saison disponible actuellement sur Prime Vidéo, mais pas directement, c'est d'abord à mon tour de choisir le programme des prochaines soirées. De plus, les enfants d'Ithara viennent passer quelques jours à la maison et je compte bien leur faire découvrir l'un ou l'autre film-culte. Oui, oui, j'ai déjà ma petite idée. Je vous tiendrai au courant pendant et après leur passage chez nous.

    Sur ce, je vous souhaite la bonne soirée et de joyeuses fêtes de Pâques,

    A bientôt,

    Florence

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  27. The Expanse (saison 4)@florenceboens1539d

    Bonsoir,

    Ah ben, il n'y avait que 10 épisodes dans cette saison-ci !

    the expanse s4.webp

    the expanse les feux de cibola livre 4.webp The Expanse tome 4 "Les Feux de Cibola", écrit par James S.A. Corey

    Dans cette 4e saison, il y avait, à nouveau, plusieurs choses qui se passaient en même temps.

    A la fin de la saison 3, plusieurs anneaux proto-moléculaires s'étaient ouverts et donnaient accès à différents systèmes solaires et donc à une colonisation interstellaire. Des colons ceinturiens se sont installés sur la planète Ilos, riche en minerai. La RCE (Royal Charter Energy), une compagnie minière, est envoyée sur Ilos par l'ONU, mais ils ne respectent pas les Ceinturiens qui montrent leur mécontentement. Une navette de la RCE est détruite lors de son atterrissage et les tensions augmentent. James Holden et son équipe sont chargés par Chrisjen Avasarala de mener une enquête sur place. Ils vont pourtant devoir s'entraider face aux événements générés ou non par la proto-molécule. L'entraide n'effacera pas les animosités bien ancrées, notamment chez le responsable de la RCE, sur place, Adolphus Murtry (Burn Gorman).

    Pendant ce temps, l'ex-Marine, Bobbie Draper, fait des petits boulots pour tenter de mener une vie correcte, même si ces petits boulots ne sont pas très nets. Elle rendra d'ailleurs encore service à Chrisjen Avasarala pour débusquer un trafic de matériel militaire. L'ex-petit-ami de Naomi Nagata, Marco Inaros, qui est aussi le père de son fils Philippe, créé des problèmes à certaines factions de l'APE, en y entraînant malheureusement son fils.

    On a commencé la saison 5 hier soir, car on pensait qu'il y avait 13 épisodes dans la saison 4, et donc, en appuyant sur "prochain épisode", le premier épisode de la saison 5 s'est enclenché.

    Il y a encore des incohérences, principalement pour ce qui concerne la gravité 0. Les corps sont censés flotter en gravité 0, qu'ils soient vivants ou morts. Dans la série, si quelqu'un meurt en gravité 0, il arrête de se déplacer .. mais les objets, eux, continuent de bouger !

    Voili, voiloù,

    A bientôt,

    Florence

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  28. The Expanse (saison 3)@florenceboens1547d

    Bonsoir,

    Nous avons déjà terminé la saison 3, composée de 13 épisodes.

    the expanse s3.webp

    Elle correspond au tome 3 des livres écrits par James S. A. Corey (Daniel Abraham et Ty Frank, le duo d'auteurs qui sont aussi co-producteurs de la série tv)

    the expanse 3 livre porte d'abaddon.webp La Porte d'Abaddon, tome 3

    La guerre est déclarée entre l'ONU et Mars. Des vaisseaux ont été détruits et un ministre martien a été assassiné. L'équipage du Rocinante, vaisseau de James Holden, doit effectuer des réparations. Naomi, ingénieur et petite-amie de James Holden, décide de rejoindre le Nauvoo, vaisseau Mormon, qui change de capitaine et devient le Béhémoth, vaisseau des Ceinturiens. La proto-molécule n'a pas été exterminée et prend même de l'ampleur en créant un immense anneau, à travers lequel on ne passe pas n'importe comment, et même si on parvient à le traverser en restant en vie, certaines choses sont différentes. James Holden aura des visions dans lesquelles il discutera avec Miller, l'ex-policier qui s'est sacrifié avec Julie Mao et qui est donc mort. Ces discussions l'amèneront sur la "station" de proto-molécules, en compagnie de Miller. Des Martiens seront envoyés pour le capturer. Parmi ces Martiens, il y a le sergent Bobbie Draper, heureusement, sinon les autres l'auraient tué. Il sera emprisonné et interrogé sur le Béhémoth, qui est un des seuls vaisseaux à avoir pu générer une gravité et qui a donc proposé d'accueillir les blessés, qu'ils soient Terriens, Martiens ou Ceinturiens, pour qu'ils puissent bénéficier des soins nécessaires et qu'ils aient une chance de guérir. En gravité 0, le sang ne coagule plus et il n'y a donc pas de guérison possible pour les hémorragies, par exemple.

    Je ne suis pas scientifique, je transcris donc simplement ce qu'il est dit dans la série. Il y a beaucoup d'autres choses qui se sont passées dans cette saison, mais le but de mes articles est de vous donner envie de regarder la série ou le film, en vous parlant des sujets principaux, et non pas de vous enlever tout intérêt à les regarder en vous dévoilant tout.

    Je crois que je commence à accrocher un peu + à la série, même si j'ai toujours du mal avec l'Espace .. J'éprouverais vraiment des difficultés à vivre dans ce genre d'endroits : on ouvre la porte du vaisseau avant d'avoir bien scellé son casque et hop ! On est mort ! Même si je ne suis pas de nature distraite, je suis parfois fatiguée, et là, ce serait fatal ..
    Vous pourriez vivre dans ce genre d'environnement, vous ?

    Je vous retrouve bientôt, Restez prudents,

    Florence

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  29. The Expanse (saison 2)@florenceboens1553d

    Bonjour à tous,

    The-Expanse-season-2.webp

    La saison 2 se compose de 13 épisodes, soit 3 de plus que la saison précédente.

    Je ne l'avais pas précisé dans mon article sur la 1ère saison, mais cette série est adaptée de la série de livres éponymes, écrits par James S.A. Corey (nom de plume utilisé par le duo formé de Daniel Abraham et Tyler Corey Franck). Je n'ai pas lu les livres et ne compte pas les lire.

    the expanse livre James S.A. Corey.webp Tome 1 "L'Eveil du Léviathan" de la série The Expanse

    Le tome 2 s'intitule "La Guerre de Caliban" et correspond clairement à la saison 2.

    Une équipe de Marines Martiens est envoyée sur le terrain pour s'entraîner, mais un conflit éclate, des échanges de tirs ont lieu un peu partout et sans comprendre ce qu'il se passe, l'équipe est éliminée, mise à part le sergent artilleur Bobbie Draper (Frankie Adams), une jeune fille qui ne pense qu'au combat et à sa mission. Elle est blessée, mais sera vite remise sur pieds.

    La Terre et Mars se réunissent pour tenter de comprendre cet événement, surtout que le vaisseau qui a envoyé l'équipe de Marines Martiens a été fortement endommagé et la majeure partie de ses occupants n'est plus. La combinaison du sergent Draper est examinée en laboratoire et Bobbie racontera ce dont elle se souvient devant le Conseil de Terriens et Martiens, ou, en tout cas, ce qu'elle est autorisée à en dire. La sous-secrétaire générale des Nations Unies Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo) détectera rapidement que des informations sont volontairement cachées. Elle demandera donc de pouvoir discuter, en tête à tête avec Robbie, afin que celle-ci soit + à l'aise et puisse se confier si elle en éprouvait le besoin. En s'entraidant, Chrisjen et Bobbie découvriront qui est derrière tout ça. Il restera, ensuite, à trouver comment l'arrêter, sans qu'il n'y ait trop de dommages collatéraux.

    Pendant ce temps, l'équipe de James Holden croise la route du Dr Praxidike Meng (Terry Chen), un botaniste-biologiste sur Ganymède. Prax est à la recherche de sa fille May, emmenée par son pédiatre, alors que Ganymède se faisait attaquer. May est malade et doit prendre un traitement que le pédiatre lui donne. James Holden et son équipe décident d'aider Prax à retrouver sa fille, en échange de son aide "scientifique".

    Je dois avouer que j'ai du mal à accrocher à cette série. C'est sûrement dû au fait que je ne m'intéresse pas trop à tout ce qui se passe dans l'Espace. Du coup, s'il y a des incohérences, je ne les relève pas aussi facilement qu'Ithara, mais quand il dit qu'une bonbonne ne peut pas être lourde à l'extérieur du vaisseau grâce à l'apesanteur, ça fait tilt et je suis d'accord, mais si Ithara ne l'avait pas dit, j'aurais trouvé cela normal qu'une bonbonne soit lourde ! Pour moi, l'histoire en elle-même n'est pas très variée non plus. Il y a une histoire d'amour, il y a des alliances, mais il y a des trahisons, des guerres, des morts d'innocents, .. certains scientifiques sont utiles pour cultiver la nourriture par hydroponing, mais d'autres sont employés pour créer des armes .. C'est vrai que ça fait déjà pas mal de choses, en fait ! Ou alors, c'est parce qu'on est souvent dans l'obscurité que ça me dérange. Je ne sais pas, mais je ne suis pas aussi pressée de voir la suite que pour d'autres séries.

    Et si c'est ça l'avenir qu'on envisage, on n'aura toujours pas réussi à éliminer la pauvreté ni l'esclavagisme ni les drogues. Cela ne donne pas envie .. du tout !

    Voilà, on a vu les 2 premières saisons qu'Ithara avait déjà vues seul il y a 5 ans. Maintenant, on découvre ensemble la saison 3. On verra si on continue la série ou s'il y a trop d'incohérences flagrantes pour Ithara ou si je craque et laisse Ithara regarder la suite des saisons pendant que je regarde une série de mon côté.

    A bientôt,

    Florence

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  30. The Expanse (saison 1)@florenceboens1561d

    Bonjour la compagnie,

    Nous avions vu la bande-annonce sur Prime Vidéo pour la sortie de la saison 6 de cette série.

    the expanse s1.webp

    Comme cela se passe dans l'espace, je n'avais pas été intéressée par cette série et Ithara avait regardé les 2 premières saisons sur son pc, en 2017. En voyant la bande-annonce de la saison 6, je me suis dit que ça pourrait tout de même être pas mal, si je fais abstraction de l'environnement.

    J'ai donc accepté de regarder la saison 1, composée de 10 épisodes, pour me faire mon opinion. On a même déjà entamé la saison 2 avec son 1er épisode, hier soir, parce que j'étais enfin bien installée dans le canapé, avec mon plaid et mon repose-nuque, à ne plus devoir me lever pour prendre ou ranger quoi que ce soit, juste au moment où le 10e épisode de la saison 1 s'est terminé à 21h30. Comme je pouvais dormir un peu + tard ce dimanche matin si besoin, je nous ai mis 1 épisode en +.

    Bref, ça se laisse regarder, je n'en suis pas fan, mais Ithara fait souvent des efforts pour regarder quelques-uns de mes choix + "féminins" (style Chronique de Bridgerton ou Virgin River), donc, je me suis dit que je pouvais aussi parfois regarder des trucs + dans ses goûts à lui.

    Dans cette histoire, il y a plusieurs planètes et stations spatiales habitées par des personnes humaines. La technologie est partout. On a adapté les infrastructures et les constructions diverses pour que les gens puissent y vivre et s'y déplacer sans devoir constamment être équipé d'une combinaison avec réserve à oxygène. La Terre est toujours habitée et fait partie d'une alliance, même si on ne peut jamais jurer de la solidité d'une alliance, en politique. Un des vaisseaux spatiaux a été endommagé et la plupart des occupants ont disparu. On soupçonne l'un des personnages principaux, James Holden, un ancien terrien, d'en être à l'origine. On l'accuse aussi lui et ses nouveaux comparses d'avoir fait de gros dégâts à une station spatiale. Ils devront chercher de l'aide sans savoir à qui faire confiance, car même au sein de leur équipe, ils ne se connaissent pas encore suffisamment pour se fier l'un à l'autre. Julie Mao, fille d'un homme riche, pourrait avoir un lien avec le fameux vaisseau endommagé, mais elle a disparu. On sait toutefois qu'elle a réussi à s'échapper du vaisseau, en vie. Un policier est chargé de la retrouver.

    L'ambiance est assez sombre, il y a parfois une tête qui s'échappe par un trou dans la coque du vaisseau, sans que le reste du corps ne parte avec. J'éviterais donc de montrer cette série aux + jeunes enfants.

    On ne voit pas de monstres à proprement parler. On voit des humains avec des coiffures qui ne les avantagent pas du tout, ça oui .. sinon, il y a bien une forme de vie, qui est contagieuse, mortelle et donc à éviter, mais c'est indescriptible physiquement. Une chose est sûre, je ne suis pas prête à aller vivre dans ce genre d'endroits !

    Et vous, vous aimez les films et séries qui se déroulent dans l'espace ? Vous aimez cette série ?

    A bientôt,

    Florence

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  31. [ENG + ESP] The Expanse season 6 (7/10) - "What if this transport union were an independent agency based in Medina Station, headed by someone with no allegiances, a friend of the Belt..."@dedicatedguy1578d

    the expanse poster.jpg

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    The Expanse is one of the longest-running scifi series of recent times. It started as a production from Syfy and after 3 seasons they canceled the show. This isn't the first time Syfy cancels a popular series despite the fact many fans still want it to continue. Several years ago, they also canceled what was an excellent horror anthology series called Channel Zero, it was one of the most original anthology series created in the decade, and after 4 seasons they canceled it.

    Unlike Channel Zero, The Expanse had the luck of being picked up by Amazon Studios, and it was this company that produced the next 3 seasons of the show. The Expanse provides a very decent and enjoyable scifi story, and I would say it is almost on par with the first season of the Foundation.

    This season appears to be the last one, although it wouldn't be a surprise for me if the creators find a way to continue exploring the possibilities this universe provides. Since we are talking about a multi-planetary human civilization, there is always the potential of creating many spin-offs, continuations, and other ways of expanding this universe.

    What was the series about?

    The story takes place many decades into the future. Humanity no longer lives in a single planet but on several ones. There are still humans on Earth of course, but there are also humans on Mars as well as humans known as Belters that are born and live in asteroid belts or moons from other planets. This space colonization happened many decades before the series started, and now there are all types of conflicts and disagreements between the different groups of humans. Instead of having problems between nations, there are now problems between humans from different celestial bodies.

    The series follows the space adventures of the crew of a spaceship called the Rocinante. This particular crew has important values to uphold, and unlike many other people living in similar circumstances, they are never corrupt and they always act in the most correct and respectable manner.

    Since the beginning of the series, there is this fictional creation known as the protomolecule that has crazy capabilities outside of any human understanding. This protomolecule is of alien origin and little is known about its creators, the most important thing about it is that it was able to create a wormhole in our solar system, that can allow people to travel to other habitable planets.

    This wormhole offers many possibilities for humans to find riches and to enjoy a resourceful life, which results in conflicts regarding the control of this giant structure. The Belters have always felt they aren't respected enough, and they finally see this wormhole as an opportunity to confirm their importance and to force the humans from Earth and Mars to give them proper respect.

    The Expanse es una de las series de ciencia ficción más longevas de los últimos tiempos. Comenzó como una producción de Syfy y luego de 3 temporadas cancelaron el programa. Esta no es la primera vez que Syfy cancela una serie popular a pesar de que muchos fanáticos todavía quieren que continúe. Hace varios años también cancelaron la que era una excelente serie de antología de terror llamada Channel Zero, era una de las series de antología más originales creadas en la década, y después de 4 temporadas la cancelaron.

    A diferencia de Channel Zero, The Expanse tuvo la suerte de ser elegida por Amazon Studios, y fue esta compañía la que produjo las siguientes 3 temporadas del programa. The Expanse ofrece una historia de ciencia ficción muy decente y disfrutable, y yo diría que está casi a la par con la primera temporada de The Foundation.

    Esta temporada parece ser la última, aunque no sería una sorpresa para mí si los creadores encuentran la manera de seguir explorando las posibilidades que ofrece este universo. Dado que estamos hablando de una civilización humana multiplanetaria, siempre existe el potencial de crear muchos spin-offs, continuaciones y otras formas de expandir este universo.

    ¿De qué trataba la serie?

    La historia tiene lugar muchas décadas en el futuro. La humanidad ya no vive en un solo planeta sino en varios. Todavía hay humanos en la Tierra, por supuesto, pero también hay humanos en Marte, así como humanos conocidos como Belters que nacen y viven en cinturones de asteroides o lunas de otros planetas. Esta colonización espacial sucedió muchas décadas antes de que comenzara la serie, y ahora hay todo tipo de conflictos y desacuerdos entre los diferentes grupos de humanos. En lugar de tener problemas entre naciones, ahora hay problemas entre humanos de diferentes cuerpos celestes.

    La serie sigue las aventuras espaciales de la tripulación de una nave espacial llamada Rocinante. Este equipo en particular tiene valores importantes que defender y, a diferencia de muchas otras personas que viven en circunstancias similares, nunca son corruptos y siempre actúan de la manera más correcta y respetable.

    Desde el comienzo de la serie, existe esta creación ficticia conocida como la protomolécula que tiene capacidades locas más allá de cualquier comprensión humana. Esta protomolécula es de origen alienígena y poco se sabe de sus creadores, lo más importante de ella es que fue capaz de crear un agujero de gusano en nuestro sistema solar, que puede permitir a las personas viajar a otros planetas habitables.

    Este agujero de gusano ofrece muchas posibilidades para que los humanos encuentren riquezas y disfruten de una vida llena de recursos, lo que genera conflictos con respecto al control de esta estructura gigante. Los Belters siempre han sentido que no son lo suficientemente respetados, y finalmente ven este agujero de gusano como una oportunidad para confirmar su importancia y obligar a los humanos de la Tierra y Marte a darles el debido respeto.

    1.jpg

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    Season 6 is mostly about a conflict between a faction of violent Belters and humans from regular planets. There is also the important topic of how to control this wormhole in a fair way so as to not have any group of humans unhappy about it. Political negotiations are constantly happening since the beginning of the series, and there is a good balance between action as well as dialogue.

    The series focuses the most on conflicts between humans, but the scifi part of the story is also fascinating although sadly it isn't explored enough. The series does inform the viewer that the protomolecule is a creation from an ancient civilization that wanted to create wormholes through the universe to easily travel and colonize everything. However, these beings are no longer there, the only thing remaining is parts of their technology. The most fascinating part of this scifi story is the theories about their disappearances.

    The series briefly informs that these wormholes sucked energy from a different older universe, and the beings from this older universe eventually took action and eradicated the ancient civilization that created the wormholes. The beings from this older universe are still alive and they sometimes interact with humans after they discover the wormhole. I would have preferred the series to explore this topic a bit more, but it is understandable they didn't because it is clear all of these beings are outside any human understanding. However, the fact the story briefly mentions ancient aliens, as well as powerful and pissed-off beings from another universe, was fun to me.

    Main names associated with the series

    The series had 62 episodes in total and the use of many directors is therefore inevitable, however, the main director throughout the entire series was Breck Eisner. He has only participated in 11 productions so far, but in The Expanse he directed a total of 14 episodes, which is something similar to directing 7 movies lasting 2 hours each. Some of his previous productions are The Crazies, 1 episode of the series The Brave, and The Last Witch Hunter.

    The series had 3 main writers that participated in all of the episodes of all the seasons. Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby are 2 of these writers who always work together, and they used to be writers for movies before starting to work in The Expanse. Some of his previous works are in Iron Man, Children of Men, and Cowboys & Aliens.

    Ty Franck was another one of the writers that participated in all 62 episodes and surprisingly, he has only worked as a writer in The Expanse series. It isn't normal to have a writer without experience as one of the main writers of big shows but The Expanse appears to be the exception.

    When it comes to the cast, the actor Steven Strait plays the main character, James Holden, the captain of a spaceship with a very competitive crew. The first time I watched this actor was in a movie from 2006 called The Covenant. In recent years, he has participated in several films such as Here Awhile, Life Like, and Sleeping with the Fishes.

    La temporada 6 trata principalmente sobre un conflicto entre una facción de Belters violentos y humanos de planetas regulares. También está el tema importante de cómo controlar este agujero de gusano de una manera justa para que ningún grupo de humanos esté descontento con esto. Las negociaciones políticas ocurren constantemente desde el comienzo de la serie, y hay un buen equilibrio entre la acción y el diálogo.

    La serie se enfoca más en los conflictos entre humanos, pero la parte de ciencia ficción de la historia también es fascinante, aunque lamentablemente no se explora lo suficiente. La serie informa al espectador que la protomolécula es una creación de una civilización antigua que quería crear agujeros de gusano a través del universo para viajar fácilmente y colonizarlo todo. Sin embargo, estos seres ya no están, lo único que queda son partes de su tecnología. La parte más fascinante de esta historia de ciencia ficción son las teorías sobre sus desapariciones.

    La serie informa brevemente que estos agujeros de gusano absorbieron energía de un universo más antiguo, y los seres de este universo más antiguo finalmente tomaron medidas y erradicaron la civilización antigua que creó los agujeros de gusano. Los seres de este universo más antiguo todavía están vivos y, a veces, interactúan con los humanos después de que estos descubran el agujero de gusano. Hubiera preferido que la serie explorara un poco más este tema, pero es comprensible que no lo hicieran porque está claro que todos estos seres están fuera de cualquier comprensión humana. Sin embargo, el hecho de que la historia mencione brevemente a los antiguos alienígenas, así como a seres poderosos y enojados de otro universo, fue divertido para mí.

    Principales nombres asociados a la serie

    La serie tuvo 62 episodios en total y, por lo tanto, el uso de muchos directores es inevitable, sin embargo, el director principal durante toda la serie fue Breck Eisner. Hasta el momento solo ha participado en 11 producciones, pero en The Expanse dirigió un total de 14 episodios, que es algo similar a dirigir 7 películas de 2 horas cada una. Algunas de sus producciones anteriores son The Crazies, 1 episodio de la serie The Brave, y The Last Witch Hunter.

    La serie tuvo 3 escritores principales que participaron en todos los episodios de todas las temporadas. Mark Fergus y Hawk Ostby son 2 de estos escritores que siempre trabajan juntos, y solían ser escritores de películas antes de comenzar a trabajar en The Expanse. Algunos de sus trabajos anteriores se encuentran en Iron Man, Children of Men y Cowboys & Aliens.

    Ty Franck fue otro de los escritores que participó en los 62 episodios y, sorprendentemente, solo ha trabajado como escritor en la serie The Expanse. No es normal tener un escritor sin experiencia como uno de los principales escritores de grandes programas, pero The Expanse parece ser la excepción.

    En cuanto al reparto, el actor Steven Strait interpreta al personaje principal, James Holden, el capitán de una nave espacial con una tripulación muy competitiva. La primera vez que vi a este actor fue en una película de 2006 llamada The Covenant. En los últimos años ha participado en varias películas como Here Awhile, Life Like y Sleeping with the Fishes.

    2.jpg

    Source

    Dominique Tipper plays one of the crew members of Holden's spaceship called Naomi Nagata and she is also his romantic partner. Some of the other productions where we can find her are called Monday, The Girl with All the Gifts and MindGamers.

    Wes Chatham plays another crew member called Amos Burton and is also the stronger and the best fighter on the team. We can find this actor in the films The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, All I See Is You and in The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

    The actress Shohreh Aghdashloo plays an important political character called Chrisjen Avasarala, who has a lot of influence and knows how to navigate circumstances where corruption and deception are considered normal. Her character always tries to remain faithful to her values and principles. We will be able to see this actress in the new season of The Flight Attendant, and she has also participated in several productions some of which are the Arcane series, Run Sweetheart Run, and the Impulse series.

    How were the performance from the cast, the scenery and the camera work?

    The cast was good with their roles, their performances throughout the entire series were acceptable, and even though I wouldn't nominate any of the cast members for individual acting awards, they were generally very good.

    The scifi scenery was nicely done as always. In this particular season, there were some epic moments in the final episode, and the CGI was cool and believable. I also enjoyed the camera work because it allowed some action scenes to be much more intense than otherwise, and the dynamic movement of the camera, while a battle was taking place, was exciting to watch.

    Final thoughts

    The Expanse was a nice and enjoyable scifi series, it is among the best ones I have seen in recent years, and despite the fact it had 6 seasons in total, it never felt like it was being overmilked in my opinion. I wouldn't say this series is a masterpiece of the genre, but for those who enjoy space action mixed with politics involving different groups of humans living in different celestial bodies, then this series should be a good choice to watch.

    Thanks for reading!

    Dominique Tipper interpreta a uno de los miembros de la tripulación de la nave espacial de Holden llamada Naomi Nagata y también es su pareja romántica. Algunas de las otras producciones donde podemos encontrarla se llaman Monday, The Girl with All the Gifts y MindGamers.

    Wes Chatham interpreta a otro miembro de la tripulación llamado Amos Burton y también es el mejor y más fuerte luchador del equipo. Podemos encontrar a este actor en las películas The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, All I See Is You y en The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

    La actriz Shohreh Aghdashloo interpreta a un importante personaje político llamado Chrisjen Avasarala, quien tiene mucha influencia y sabe cómo navegar en circunstancias donde la corrupción y el engaño se consideran normales. Su carácter siempre trata de mantenerse fiel a sus valores y principios. A esta actriz la podremos ver en la nueva temporada de The Flight Attendant, además ha participado en varias producciones algunas de las cuales son la serie Arcane, Run Sweetheart Run y ​​la serie Impulse.

    ¿Cómo fue la actuación del elenco, la escenografía y el trabajo de cámara?

    El elenco fue bueno con sus papeles, sus actuaciones a lo largo de toda la serie fueron aceptables y, aunque no nominaría a ninguno de los miembros del elenco para premios de actuación individuales, en general fueron muy buenos.

    El paisaje de ciencia ficción estaba muy bien hecho como siempre. En esta temporada en particular, hubo algunos momentos épicos en el episodio final, y el CGI fue genial y creíble. También disfruté el trabajo de la cámara porque permitió que algunas escenas de acción fueran mucho más intensas que otras, y el movimiento dinámico de la cámara, mientras se desarrollaba una batalla, fue emocionante de ver.

    Reflexiones finales

    The Expanse fue una serie de ciencia ficción muy disfrutable, está entre las mejores que he visto en los últimos años y, a pesar de que tuvo 6 temporadas en total, en mi opinión, nunca sentí que estuviera siendo sobreexplotada. No diría que esta serie es una obra maestra del género, pero para aquellos que disfrutan de la acción espacial mezclada con la política que involucra a diferentes grupos de humanos que viven en diferentes cuerpos celestes, entonces esta serie debería ser una buena opción para ver.

    ¡Gracias por leer!

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    The Best
    Lo Mejor



    • Entertaining and with a good balance of action scenes and then political discussions.
    • Entretenida y con un buen balance de escenas de acción y luego discusiones políticas.

    The Worst
    Lo Peor

    • The alient part of the scifi should be explored more deeply.
    • La parte alienígena de la ciencia ficción debe explorarse más profundamente.


    Review: AAA
    In numbers: 7/10

    Crítica: AAA
    En números: 7/10
    Permalink·Open on PeakD ↗·Linked from existing Hive post
  32. The Expanse è l'erede di Battlestar Galactica? Parte 3@serialfiller1845d

    image.png La quinta stagione ci ha confermato come, pur diminuendo il minutaggio del protagonista, The Expanse sia prevalentemente un prodotto corale, capace di esaltare i personaggi tutti ed esaltarsi grazie alla loro crescita.

    James Holden è il capitano di questo team di valorosi condottieri dell'umanità in senso esteso, uomo capace di intercettare i bisogni di terrestri, marziani e cinturiani e distaccarsi dalla fame di potere e cieca conoscenza che attanaglia coloro i quali vivono alla ricerca di una gloria effimera e di personalismi causa, oggi come ieri, di guerre intestine e senza limiti.

    Holden è il Jon Snow di The Expanse, il suo John Locke, depositario del misticismo e della fede mai doma ma mai dissennata. Un condottiero silenzioso capace di anteporre gli interessi generali a quelli personali.

    Al suo fianco un team che ben presto diverrà una famiglia, sempre più coesa, sempre più numerosa.

    Grazie alla forza di questo straordinario gruppo, gli autori si son potuti permettere una quinta stagione più diradata senza renderla mai dispersiva.

    The Expanse ha fatto, nella stagione 5, quello che The Walking Dead fa da anni, senza mai, però, sfilacciare il racconto, senza mai far perdere di interesse alla serie.

    Amos è divenuto ben presto l'idolo dei fan. Alex un importante punto di riferimento grazie al quale sentirci a casa ogni volta che perdevamo la rotta (lasciamo perdere la sua vicenda personale per adesso..).

    Naomi un fuoco attorno al quale stringersi prima della prossima battaglia, della prossima esplorazione, del prossimo salto nel vuoto.

    Ed è stata proprio quest'ultima la grande protagonista di questo ultimo segmento. Dominique Trippier ha dovuto sottoporsi a sforzi disumani per fronteggiare le sfide fisiche ed emotive di questa sontuosa quinta stagione.

    La donna, nel suo tentativo di riconciliarsi col figlio perduto, è stata messa alla prova più e più volte risultando la vera mattatrice di questa stagione e punto focale intorno al quale quasi tutti i protagonisti hanno mosso le proprie azioni e, con ogni probabilità, muoveranno quelle a cui assisteremo nell'ultima stagione.

    La cosa straordinaria di cui la serie è stata capace, però, è legata ai personaggi cosiddetti secondari, sempre che cosi si possano definire personaggi come Fred Johnson, la Avarasala e Camina Drummer.

    Ognuno di questi personaggi meriterebbe un poster in cameretta.

    Il leader indipendente e controverso, tutto cervello e strategia, sempre in mezzo tra l'essere troppo anarchico e l'essere troppo accomodante, spietato e titubante, violento e pacifico. Una figura visionaria e coraggiosissima, capace di andare controcorrente, attirandosi invidie e fedelissimi adepti.

    Chrisjen Avarasala è la donna di potere ma mai attratta dal potere, donna fortissima e carismatica, sempre abile e vogliosa di essere dalla parte giusta del mondo. Il fascino e la presenza scenica di Shohreh Agadashloo fanno il resto.

    Personalmente, però, ho un debole senza precedenti per il personaggio forse più, nelle intenzioni, marginale di quelli sin qui citati. Camina Drummer è l'eterno underdog, l'eterna sottovalutata, donna coraggiosa e tutta d'un pezzo ma anche fortemente ancorata ai suoi ideali e alle sue emozioni. E' una figura complessissima la sua che emerge anno dopo anno fino a diventare, di fatto, uno dei personaggi più amati dell'intera serie.

    Sono suoi i momenti più epici, quelli dove la foga del momento si impossessa di noi e dove abbandoniamo ogni equilibrio appannaggio di un tifo senza filtri per la nostra cinturiana preferita.

    Questo equilibrio magistrale che gli autori hanno saputo trovare non sarebbe, tuttavia, stato di cosi semplice costruzione senza l'inserimento di un villain convincente.

    Nelle ultime 2 stagioni quel villain ha il volto di Marco Inaros, belter ribelle e insurrezionalista dal fascino tossico e distruttivo. Il suo piano diabolico è esploso in tutta la sua potenza nella quinta stagione, generando un'incredibile caos in tutto l'universo conosciuto.

    Cosi come avvenuto per Thanos nel Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marco Inaros risulta un villain convincente per 2 motivi principali:

    Il suo legame personale con alcuni dei personaggi principali. Pensiamo a Naomi ovviamente, con la quale ha condiviso una storia d'amore dalla quale è nato un figlio, ma anche a Camina Drummer, vera e inconsapevole artefice della rinascita di Marco Inaros e del suo gruppo di rivoluzionari.

    Il suo essere un antieroe più che un cattivo. Cosi come avveniva per Tony Soprano o Walter White, Jax Teller o Frank Underwood, Marco Inaros è mosso da qualcosa che non fatichiamo a comprendere, che non fatichiamo a legittimare. L'uso della brutale violenza e il fondamentalismo che accompagnano la sua azione ne fanno un villain da condannare ma non riusciamo, almeno in parte, ad empatizzare con lui e le sue scelte in taluni casi.

    La sesta stagione, come detto, sarà, purtroppo, l'ultima.

    L'attesa è di quelle importanti, consapevoli che sinora The Expanse ha saputo solo crescere, tappando eventuali buchi e rilanciando sempre l'azione in maniera quasi perfetta.

    Non resta che attendere dunque, sperando che quel pianoforte non incroci mai la nostra strada...

    Sviluppo Personaggi: 9,5 Complessità: 10 Originalità: 7,5 Profondità: 9 Cast: 8 Sviluppo della storia: 9 Impatto sulla serialità contemporanea: 6,5 Componente Drama: 10 Componente Comedy:2 Comparto tecnico: 8 Regia: 7 Intrattenimento: 9 Coinvolgimento emotivo: 9++ Soundtrack: 7,5

    image.png Ed ecco una versione inglese per voi. Scusate gli errori in anticipo... ENG The fifth season has confirmed us how, even though the protagonist's minutes have been reduced, The Expanse is mainly a choral product, able to exalt all the characters and get exalted thanks to their growth.

    James Holden is the captain of this team of valiant leaders of humanity in the extended sense, a man capable of intercepting the needs of Earthlings, Martians and Belts and detach himself from the hunger for power and blind knowledge that grips those who live in search of a fleeting glory and personalism cause, today as yesterday, of internal wars and no limits.

    Holden is the Jon Snow of The Expanse, his John Locke, repository of mysticism and faith never tamed but never foolish. A silent leader capable of putting general interests before personal ones.

    At his side a team that soon became a family, more and more cohesive, more and more numerous.

    Thanks to the strength of this extraordinary group, the authors have been able to afford a fifth season more thinned out without ever making it dispersive.

    The Expanse has done, in season 5, what The Walking Dead has been doing for years, without ever fraying the story, without ever making the series lose interest.

    Amos soon became the idol of the fans. Alex an important reference point thanks to which we felt at home every time we lost our way (let's forget about his personal story for now..).

    Naomi a fire around which to gather before the next battle, the next exploration, the next jump into the void.

    And it was the latter that was the big star of this last segment. Dominique Trippier had to undergo inhuman efforts to cope with the physical and emotional challenges of this sumptuous fifth season.

    The woman, in her attempt to reconcile with her lost son, has been put to the test over and over again proving to be the true star of this season and the focal point around which almost all the protagonists have moved their actions and, in all likelihood, will move those we will see in the final season.

    The extraordinary thing that the series has been able to do, however, is related to the so-called secondary characters, as long as they can be defined as characters like Fred Johnson, the Avarasala and Camina Drummer.

    Each of these characters deserves a poster in the bedroom.

    The independent and controversial leader, all brains and strategy, always in the middle between being too anarchic and too accommodating, ruthless and hesitant, violent and peaceful. A visionary and courageous figure, able to go against the tide, attracting envy and loyal followers.

    Chrisjen Avarasala is the woman of power but never attracted by power, a very strong and charismatic woman, always able and willing to be on the right side of the world. Shohreh Agadashloo's charm and stage presence do the rest.

    Personally, however, I have an unprecedented weakness for the character perhaps more, in intention, marginal than those mentioned so far. Camina Drummer is the eternal underdog, the eternal underestimated, a courageous woman in one piece but also strongly anchored to her ideals and her emotions. She is a very complex figure who emerges year after year to become, in fact, one of the most beloved characters of the entire series.

    Her are the most epic moments, those where the heat of the moment takes possession of us and where we abandon all balance prerogative of a cheer without filters for our favorite belt.

    This masterful balance that the authors have been able to find, however, would not have been so easy to build without the inclusion of a convincing villain.

    In the last 2 seasons that villain has the face of Marco Inaros, a rebellious and insurrectionist belter with a toxic and destructive charm. His diabolical plan exploded in all its power in the fifth season, generating incredible chaos throughout the known universe.

    As with Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marco Inaros is a compelling villain for 2 main reasons:

    His personal connection to some of the main characters. We are thinking of Naomi of course, with whom he shared a love story from which a son was born, but also Camina Drummer, the true and unwitting architect of the rebirth of Marco Inaros and his group of revolutionaries.

    His being an anti-hero more than a villain. Just like Tony Soprano or Walter White, Jax Teller or Frank Underwood, Marco Inaros is moved by something that we have no trouble understanding, that we have no trouble legitimizing. The use of brutal violence and fundamentalism that accompany his action make him a villain to condemn but we fail, at least in part, to empathize with him and his choices in some cases.

    The sixth season, as mentioned, will be, unfortunately, the last.

    The expectation is important, aware that so far The Expanse has known how to Follow me

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    image.png Ed ecco una versione spagnola per voi. Scusate gli errori in anticipo...

    ESP

    La quinta temporada nos ha confirmado cómo, aunque los minutos de los protagonistas se hayan reducido, The Expanse es principalmente un producto coral, capaz de exaltar a todos los personajes y emocionarse con su crecimiento.

    James Holden es el capitán de este equipo de valientes líderes de la humanidad en sentido amplio, un hombre capaz de interceptar las necesidades de terrícolas, marcianos y cinturones y desprenderse del hambre de poder y conocimiento ciego que atenaza a quienes viven en busca de una gloria efímera y un personalismo causante, hoy como ayer, de guerras internas y sin límites.

    Holden es el Jon Snow de The Expanse, su John Locke, depositario del misticismo y la fe, nunca domesticado pero nunca tonto. Un líder silencioso capaz de anteponer los intereses generales a los personales.

    A su lado un equipo que pronto se convirtió en una familia, cada vez más cohesionada, cada vez más numerosa.

    Gracias a la fuerza de este extraordinario grupo, los autores pudieron permitirse una quinta temporada más fina sin llegar a ser dispersa.

    The Expanse hizo, en la quinta temporada, lo que The Walking Dead lleva años haciendo, pero sin llegar a deshilachar la historia, sin hacer que la serie pierda interés.

    Amos se convirtió rápidamente en un ídolo de los fans. Alex un importante punto de referencia gracias al cual nos sentimos como en casa cada vez que nos perdemos (olvidemos su historia personal por ahora...).

    Naomi un fuego alrededor del cual podíamos reunirnos antes de la siguiente batalla, la siguiente exploración, el siguiente salto al vacío.

    Y fue este último el gran protagonista de este último segmento. Dominique Trippier ha tenido que realizar esfuerzos inhumanos para afrontar los retos físicos y emocionales de esta suntuosa quinta temporada.

    La mujer, en su intento por reconciliarse con su hijo perdido, ha sido puesta a prueba una y otra vez resultando la verdadera protagonista de esta temporada y el punto central en torno al cual han movido sus acciones casi todos los personajes y, con toda probabilidad, moverán los que veremos en la temporada final.

    Sin embargo, lo extraordinario que ha conseguido la serie está relacionado con los llamados personajes secundarios, si se pueden definir como personajes como Fred Johnson, el Avarasala y Camina Drummer.

    Cada uno de estos personajes merece un póster en el dormitorio.

    El líder independiente y controvertido, todo cerebro y estrategia, siempre en el medio entre ser demasiado anárquico y demasiado complaciente, despiadado y vacilante, violento y pacífico. Una figura visionaria y valiente, capaz de ir a contracorriente, que atrae envidias y fieles seguidores.

    Chrisjen Avarasala es la mujer del poder pero nunca atraída por el poder, una mujer muy fuerte y carismática, siempre capaz y dispuesta a estar en el lado correcto del mundo. El encanto y la presencia escénica de Shohreh Agadashloo hacen el resto.

    Personalmente, sin embargo, tengo una debilidad sin precedentes por el personaje que es quizás más, en intención, marginal que los mencionados hasta ahora. Camina Drummer es la eterna infravalorada, la eterna subestimada, una mujer valiente de una pieza pero también fuertemente anclada a sus ideales y a sus emociones. Es una figura muy compleja que surge año tras año para convertirse en uno de los personajes más queridos de toda la serie.

    Los suyos son los momentos más épicos, aquellos en los que el calor del momento se apodera de nosotros y en los que abandonamos toda prerrogativa de equilibrio para animar sin filtro a nuestro cinturón favorito.

    Sin embargo, este magistral equilibrio que los autores han sabido encontrar no habría sido tan fácil de construir sin la inclusión de un villano convincente.

    En las últimas 2 temporadas ese villano tiene el rostro de Marco Inaros, un bello rebelde e insurrecto con un encanto tóxico y destructivo. Su diabólico plan explotó con toda su fuerza en la quinta temporada, causando increíbles estragos en todo el universo conocido.

    Al igual que Thanos en el Universo Cinematográfico de Marvel, Marco Inaros es un villano convincente por 2 razones principales:

    Su conexión personal con algunos de los personajes principales. Estamos pensando en Noemí, por supuesto, con quien compartió una historia de amor de la que nació un hijo, pero también en Camina Drummer, la verdadera e involuntaria artífice del renacimiento de Marco Inaros y su grupo de revolucionarios.

    Que sea un antihéroe más que un villano. Como le ocurrió a Tony Soprano o a Walter White, a Jax Teller o a Frank Underwood, a Marco Inaros le mueve algo que no nos cuesta entender, que no nos cuesta legitimar. El uso de la violencia brutal y el fundamentalismo que acompaña a sus acciones lo convierten en un villano a condenar pero no logramos, al menos en parte, empatizar con él y sus decisiones en algunos casos.

    La sexta temporada, como se ha mencionado, será, por desgracia, la última.

    La espera es de esas importantes, conscientes de que hasta ahora The Expanse ha sabido

    Life isn't a train. It's a shit tornado full of gold..png

    Ed ecco una versione francese per voi. Scusate gli errori in anticipo... # FR

    Seguitemi soprattutto su serialfiller.org Ci tengo, mi raccomando, è quello il modo migliore per stare sempre aggiornati sul mio progetto e farlo crescere. Iscrivetevi se potete, e soprattutto volete, lo apprezzerei davvero molto.

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    https://www.facebook.com/Nella-mente-di-un-SerialFiller-112405587217122/ La cinquième saison nous a confirmé que, même si les minutes du personnage principal ont été réduites, The Expanse est principalement un produit choral, capable d'exalter tous les personnages et de s'enthousiasmer pour leur croissance.

    James Holden est le capitaine de cette équipe de valeureux leaders de l'humanité au sens large, un homme capable d'intercepter les besoins des Terriens, des Martiens et des Belts et de se détacher de la faim de pouvoir et de savoir aveugle qui tenaille ceux qui vivent à la recherche d'une gloire éphémère et d'un personnalisme cause, aujourd'hui comme hier, de guerres intestines et sans limites.

    Holden est le Jon Snow de The Expanse, son John Locke, dépositaire du mysticisme et de la foi, jamais apprivoisé mais jamais idiot. Un leader silencieux capable de faire passer les intérêts généraux avant les intérêts personnels.

    À ses côtés, une équipe qui est vite devenue une famille, de plus en plus soudée, de plus en plus nombreuse.

    Grâce à la force de ce groupe extraordinaire, les auteurs ont pu se permettre une cinquième saison amincie sans jamais la rendre dispersive.

    The Expanse a fait, dans la saison 5, ce que The Walking Dead fait depuis des années, mais sans jamais effilocher l'histoire, sans jamais faire perdre l'intérêt de la série.

    Amos est rapidement devenu l'idole des fans. Alex, un point de référence important grâce auquel nous nous sommes sentis chez nous chaque fois que nous nous sommes perdus (oublions pour l'instant son histoire personnelle...).

    Naomi un feu autour duquel nous pourrions nous rassembler avant la prochaine bataille, la prochaine exploration, le prochain saut dans le vide.

    Et c'est ce dernier qui a été la grande vedette de ce dernier segment. Dominique Trippier a dû fournir des efforts inhumains pour relever les défis physiques et émotionnels de cette somptueuse cinquième saison.

    La femme, dans sa tentative de réconciliation avec son fils perdu, a été mise à l'épreuve à maintes reprises, ce qui en fait la véritable star de cette saison et le point central autour duquel presque tous les personnages ont orienté leurs actions et, selon toute vraisemblance, ceux que nous verrons dans la dernière saison.

    La chose extraordinaire que la série a pu faire, cependant, est liée aux personnages dits secondaires, si l'on peut les définir comme des personnages comme Fred Johnson, l'Avarasala et Camina Drummer.

    Chacun de ces personnages mérite un poster dans la chambre.

    Le chef indépendant et controversé, tout en intelligence et en stratégie, toujours à mi-chemin entre l'anarchie et la complaisance, l'impitoyable et l'hésitation, la violence et la paix. Une figure visionnaire et courageuse, capable d'aller à contre-courant, attirant l'envie et des adeptes fidèles.

    Chrisjen Avarasala est la femme de pouvoir mais jamais attirée par le pouvoir, une femme très forte et charismatique, toujours capable et désireuse d'être du bon côté du monde. Le charme et la présence scénique de Shohreh Agadashloo font le reste.

    Personnellement, cependant, j'ai une faiblesse sans précédent pour le personnage qui est peut-être plus, en intention, marginal que ceux mentionnés jusqu'ici. Camina Drummer est l'éternel outsider, l'éternel sous-estimé, une femme courageuse en un seul morceau mais aussi fortement ancrée à ses idéaux et à ses émotions. C'est une figure très complexe qui émerge année après année pour devenir l'un des personnages les plus aimés de toute la série.

    Ce sont les moments les plus épiques, ceux où la chaleur du moment prend possession de nous et où nous abandonnons toute prérogative d'équilibre d'une acclamation sans filtre pour notre ceinture préférée.

    Cet équilibre magistral que les auteurs ont su trouver n'aurait cependant pas été aussi facile à construire sans l'inclusion d'un méchant convaincant.

    Dans les deux dernières saisons, ce méchant a pris le visage de Marco Inaros, un belliqueux rebelle et insurrectionnel au charme toxique et destructeur. Son plan diabolique a explosé en pleine puissance dans la saison 5, causant des ravages incroyables dans l'univers connu.

    Comme Thanos dans le Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marco Inaros est un méchant fascinant pour deux raisons principales :

    Son lien personnel avec certains des personnages principaux. Nous pensons bien sûr à Naomi, avec qui il a partagé une histoire d'amour dont est né un fils, mais aussi à Camina Drummer, véritable architecte involontaire de la renaissance de Marco Inaros et de son groupe de révolutionnaires.

    Il est plus un anti-héros qu'un méchant. Comme ce fut le cas pour Tony Soprano ou Walter White, Jax Teller ou Frank Underwood, Marco Inaros est mû par quelque chose que nous n'avons aucune difficulté à comprendre, que nous n'avons aucune difficulté à légitimer. L'utilisation d'une violence brutale et le fondamentalisme qui accompagne ses actions en font un méchant à condamner, mais nous ne parvenons pas, du moins en partie, à éprouver de l'empathie pour lui et ses choix dans certains cas.

    La sixième saison, comme mentionné, sera, malheureusement, la dernière.

    L'attente est de ces importants, conscient que jusqu'à présent The Expanse a connu

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  33. The Expanse è l'erede di Battlestar Galactica? Parte 2@serialfiller1874d

    image.png

    3077 caratteri fa ho iniziato una recensione/analisi su The Expanse.

    Arrivato ad oltre 3100 mi rendo conto di non aver ancora veramente parlato di The Expanse.

    Bene...

    Spero comunque che il mio entusiasmo e le mie allegorie vi abbiano fatto capire che questa serie tv fantascientifica, prima di SyFy e poi di Amazon Prime Video, merita attenzione e rispetto.

    Tratta dalla saga letteraria omonima, firmata da Ty Franck e Daniel Abraham sotto lo pseudonimo James S.A.Corey, la serie è ambientata a molti anni da noi in un futuro dove la Terra è solo uno dei sistemi abitati dell'universo, le tecnologie e le conoscenze terrestri hanno consentito all'uomo di colonizzare Marte e ideare un pianeta di raccordo, la Cintura (the Belt), fra i 2 grandi protagonisti del nuovo sistema.

    La forza propellente della serie è stata quella di migrare tutti gli atavici problemi e dilemmi che affliggono la nostra beneamata, e tanto bistrattata, Terra su una dimensione universale.

    La pace che proviamo a mantenere tra i popoli che affollano il mondo è divenuta una pace da tenere insieme fra Terrestri e Marziani, ad esempio.

    I migranti dello spazio a soppiantare i migranti delle guerre, il sovranismo europeo o americano è divenuto il sovranismo terrestre, il "prima gli italiani" confuso con il "prima i terrestri", i cinturiani come novelli palestinesi, popolo senza terra e tenuto ai margini rispetto agli "interni" ovvero i marziani e gli abitanti della Terra.

    Più in generale l'equilibrio della tensione è stato tenuto sempre altissimo grazie ad il mantenimento perenne di una sorta di guerra fredda permanente non più tra Unione Sovietica e U.S.A. ma tra Terra e Marte.

    Problemi che conosciamo dunque ma che traslati rispetto ad una dimensione più ampia, sia metaforicamente che numericamente, riescono a giungere a noi come amplificati e dunque ad avere una forza dirompente maggiore rispetto alle beghe di casa nostra.

    Una bomba lanciata in un campo profughi, capace di uccidere qualche decina di persone, cosa può essere in confronto ad un missile nucleare capace di annientare un pianeta?

    Le sorti di un'etnia composta magari da poche migliaia di persone quanto possono essere rilevanti rispetto alla distruzione di Venere o della Luna?

    The Expanse riesce a caricare il peso degli errori e delle paure umane, quei timori e quelle incognite ancestrali, la corruzione del nostro animo sconquassato, all'interno di una cornice dove tutto è più gigantesco in proporzioni e dove la scala valoriale e la percezione di causa effetto cambiano in maniera enorme senza, però, cambiare di una virgola il concetto e i principi alla base di ogni singola decisione.

    Parlare di libero arbitrio quando si parla di fantascienza è quasi superfleo, eppure sono pochissime le serie tv in grado di riflettere in maniera perfetta sul senso delle scelte di ciascuno di noi.

    Quanto può essere importante saper scegliere?

    Quanto può essere fondamentale, in sè, effettuare una scelta?

    Quanta differenza può esserci se a prendere una determinata decisione vi sarà un uomo ambizioso o un uomo valoroso?

    The Expanse è capace di interpretare questo fardello esistenziale che accomuna e ha accomunato ogni uomo, donna e bambino, in maniera impeccabile, seguendo le orme di quello che è a tutti gli effetti il padre della fantascienza seriale: Battlestar Galactica.

    L'eroismo e l'epicità della serie di Ronald D.Moore ritorna prepotentemente d'attualità grazie alla serie Amazon.

    Ma se The Expanse è capace di incontrare l'anima di Battlestar Galactica e di interpretare la quintessenza dell'anima filosofica della fantascienza è soprattutto grazie ai suoi personaggi.

    image.png Ed ecco una versione inglese per voi. Scusate gli errori in anticipo... ENG 3077 characters ago I started a review/analysis on The Expanse.

    As I get to over 3100 I realize that I haven't really talked about The Expanse yet.

    Well...

    Still, I hope my enthusiasm and allegories have made you realize that this sci-fi TV series, first from SyFy and then from Amazon Prime Video, deserves attention and respect.

    Based on the literary saga of the same name, signed by Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham under the pseudonym James S. A. Corey, the series is set many years from us in a future where the Earth is only one of the inhabited systems of the universe, Earth's technologies and knowledge have allowed man to colonize Mars and devise a connecting planet, the Belt, between the 2 major players in the new system.

    The propelling force of the series was to migrate all the atavistic problems and dilemmas that plague our beloved, and much maligned, Earth on a universal dimension.

    The peace we try to keep among the peoples who crowd the world has become a peace to be kept between Earthlings and Martians, for example.

    The migrants of space to replace the migrants of wars, European or American sovereignty has become terrestrial sovereignty, the "Italians first" confused with the "Terrestrials first", the Cinturians as new Palestinians, a people without land and kept on the margins compared to the "insiders" or the Martians and the inhabitants of the Earth.

    More generally, the balance of tension has always been kept very high thanks to the perennial maintenance of a sort of permanent cold war no longer between the Soviet Union and the U.S.A. but between Earth and Mars.

    Problems that we know therefore but that moved in comparison to a wider dimension, both metaphorically and numerically, are able to reach us as amplified and therefore to have a greater disruptive force in comparison to the quarrels of our house.

    A bomb thrown in a refugee camp, capable of killing a few dozen people, what can it be compared to a nuclear missile capable of annihilating a planet?

    The fate of an ethnic group composed of perhaps a few thousand people can be relevant than the destruction of Venus or the Moon?

    The Expanse succeeds in loading the weight of human errors and fears, those ancestral fears and unknowns, the corruption of our shattered soul, within a framework where everything is more gigantic in proportions and where the scale of values and the perception of cause and effect change enormously without, however, changing one iota the concept and the principles behind every single decision.

    Talking about free will when it comes to science fiction is almost superfluous, yet there are very few TV series that are able to reflect perfectly on the meaning of the choices of each of us.

    How important can it be to be able to choose?

    How fundamental can it be, in itself, to make a choice?

    How much difference can there be if to take a certain decision there will be an ambitious man or a valiant man?

    The Expanse is able to interpret this existential burden that unites and has united every man, woman and child, in an impeccable manner, following in the footsteps of what is in effect the father of science fiction serial: Battlestar Galactica.

    The heroism and epicism of Ronald D.Moore's series returns powerfully thanks to the Amazon series.

    But if The Expanse is able to meet the soul of Battlestar Galactica and to interpret the quintessential philosophical soul of science fiction, it is mainly thanks to its characters. Follow me

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    image.png Ed ecco una versione spagnola per voi. Scusate gli errori in anticipo...

    ESP

    Hace 3077 caracteres empecé una crítica/análisis sobre The Expanse.

    Al llegar a más de 3100 me doy cuenta de que aún no he hablado realmente de The Expanse.

    Bueno...

    Sin embargo, espero que mi entusiasmo y mis alegatos te hayan hecho ver que esta serie de televisión de ciencia ficción, primero de SyFy y luego de Amazon Prime Video, merece atención y respeto.

    Basada en la saga literaria del mismo nombre, firmada por Ty Franck y Daniel Abraham bajo el seudónimo de James S. A. Corey, la serie está ambientada a muchos años de nosotros en un futuro en el que la Tierra es sólo uno de los sistemas habitados del universo, las tecnologías y los conocimientos terrestres han permitido al hombre colonizar Marte e idear un planeta de conexión, el Cinturón, entre los dos principales actores del nuevo sistema.

    La fuerza propulsora de la serie era trasladar todos los problemas y dilemas atávicos que afligen a nuestra querida, y muy maltratada, Tierra a una dimensión universal.

    La paz que intentamos mantener entre los pueblos que abarrotan el mundo se ha convertido en una paz a mantener entre terrícolas y marcianos, por ejemplo.

    Los emigrantes del espacio para sustituir a los emigrantes de las guerras, la soberanía europea o americana se ha convertido en soberanía terrestre, los "italianos primero" confundidos con los "terrestres primero", los Cinturianos como nuevos palestinos, un pueblo sin tierra y mantenido al margen en comparación con los "de dentro", es decir los marcianos y los habitantes de la Tierra.

    Más en general, el equilibrio de la tensión se ha mantenido siempre muy alto gracias al mantenimiento perenne de una especie de guerra fría permanente, ya no entre la Unión Soviética y Estados Unidos, sino entre la Tierra y Marte.

    Problemas que conocemos por tanto pero que trasladados a una dimensión más amplia, tanto metafórica como numéricamente, consiguen llegar a nosotros como amplificados y por tanto tener una mayor fuerza disruptiva en comparación con las peleas de nuestra casa.

    Una bomba lanzada en un campo de refugiados, capaz de matar a unas decenas de personas, ¿qué puede compararse con un misil nuclear capaz de aniquilar un planeta?

    ¿Qué relevancia puede tener el destino de una etnia compuesta por unos pocos miles de personas en comparación con la destrucción de Venus o la Luna?

    The Expanse consigue cargar el peso de los errores y los temores humanos, esos miedos e incógnitas ancestrales, la corrupción de nuestra alma destrozada, en un marco donde todo es más gigantesco en proporciones y donde la escala de valores y la percepción de la causa y el efecto cambian enormemente sin que, sin embargo, cambien un ápice el concepto y los principios que sustentan cada una de las decisiones.

    Hablar del libre albedrío cuando se trata de ciencia ficción es casi superfluo, sin embargo, hay muy pocas series de televisión capaces de reflexionar de manera perfecta sobre el sentido de las elecciones de cada uno de nosotros.

    ¿Qué importancia puede tener el poder elegir?

    ¿Qué tan fundamental puede ser, en sí mismo, hacer una elección?

    ¿Qué diferencia puede haber si para tomar una determinada decisión habrá un hombre ambicioso o un hombre valiente?

    The Expanse es capaz de interpretar esta carga existencial que une y ha unido a todo hombre, mujer y niño, de una manera impecable, siguiendo los pasos del que es en efecto el padre de la ciencia ficción seriada: Battlestar Galactica.

    El heroísmo y la épica de la serie de Ronald D.Moore vuelven con fuerza gracias a la serie de Amazon.

    Pero si The Expanse es capaz de conocer el alma de Battlestar Galactica y de interpretar el alma filosófica por excelencia de la ciencia ficción es principalmente gracias a sus personajes.

    Life isn't a train. It's a shit tornado full of gold..png

    Ed ecco una versione francese per voi. Scusate gli errori in anticipo... # FR Il y a 3077 caractères, j'ai commencé une critique/analyse de The Expanse.

    Alors que j'arrive à plus de 3100, je réalise que je n'ai pas encore vraiment parlé de The Expanse.

    Eh bien...

    Cependant, j'espère que mon enthousiasme et mes allégories vous ont fait prendre conscience que cette série télévisée de science-fiction, d'abord de SyFy puis d'Amazon Prime Video, mérite attention et respect.

    Basée sur la saga littéraire du même nom, signée par Ty Franck et Daniel Abraham sous le pseudonyme de James S. A. Corey, la série se déroule à plusieurs années de nous, dans un futur où la Terre n'est qu'un des systèmes habités de l'univers. Les technologies et les connaissances de la Terre ont permis à l'homme de coloniser Mars et de concevoir une planète de liaison, la Ceinture, entre les deux acteurs majeurs du nouveau système.

    La force motrice de la série était de faire migrer tous les problèmes et dilemmes ataviques qui affligent notre chère, et très maltraitée, Terre sur une dimension universelle.

    La paix que nous essayons de maintenir entre les peuples qui peuplent le monde est devenue une paix à maintenir ensemble entre Terriens et Martiens, par exemple.

    Les migrants de l'espace remplacent les migrants des guerres, la souveraineté européenne ou américaine devient une souveraineté terrestre, les "Italiens d'abord" sont confondus avec les "Terriens d'abord", les Cinturiens sont les nouveaux Palestiniens, un peuple sans terre et maintenu en marge par rapport aux "initiés", c'est-à-dire les Martiens et les habitants de la Terre.

    Plus généralement, l'équilibre des tensions a toujours été maintenu à un niveau très élevé grâce à l'entretien permanent d'une sorte de guerre froide permanente, non plus entre l'Union soviétique et les États-Unis, mais entre la Terre et Mars.

    Des problèmes que nous connaissons donc mais qui, déplacés par rapport à une dimension plus large, tant métaphoriquement que numériquement, réussissent à nous atteindre comme amplifiés et donc à avoir une force perturbatrice plus grande par rapport aux querelles de notre maison.

    Une bombe jetée dans un camp de réfugiés, capable de tuer quelques dizaines de personnes, que peut-on comparer à un missile nucléaire capable d'anéantir une planète ?

    Dans quelle mesure le sort d'un groupe ethnique composé de quelques milliers de personnes peut-il être pertinent par rapport à la destruction de Vénus ou de la Lune ?

    The Expanse réussit à charger le poids des erreurs et des peurs humaines, ces peurs et ces inconnues ancestrales, la corruption de notre âme brisée, dans un cadre où tout est plus gigantesque en proportions et où l'échelle des valeurs et la perception des causes et des effets changent énormément sans pour autant changer d'un iota le concept et les principes derrière chaque décision.

    Parler de libre arbitre lorsqu'il s'agit de science-fiction est presque superflu, pourtant il existe très peu de séries télévisées capables de réfléchir de manière parfaite sur le sens des choix de chacun d'entre nous.

    Quelle importance peut avoir le fait de pouvoir choisir ?

    Comment peut-il être fondamental, en soi, de faire un choix ?

    Quelle différence peut-il y avoir si, pour prendre une certaine décision, il y aura un homme ambitieux ou un homme vaillant ?

    The Expanse parvient à interpréter de manière impeccable ce fardeau existentiel qui unit et a uni chaque homme, femme et enfant, en suivant les traces de ce qui est en fait le père de la série de science-fiction : Battlestar Galactica.

    L'héroïsme et le caractère épique de la série de Ronald D.Moore reviennent avec force grâce à la série Amazon.

    Mais si The Expanse est capable de rencontrer l'âme de Battlestar Galactica et d'interpréter la quintessence de l'âme philosophique de la science-fiction, c'est principalement grâce à ses personnages. Seguitemi soprattutto su serialfiller.org Ci tengo, mi raccomando, è quello il modo migliore per stare sempre aggiornati sul mio progetto e farlo crescere. Iscrivetevi se potete, e soprattutto volete, lo apprezzerei davvero molto.

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  34. The Expanse è l'erede di Battlestar Galactica?@serialfiller1878d

    image.png Se domani mattina, malauguratamente, dovesse cadermi un pianoforte in testa, direttamente dall'ottavo piano di un vecchio palazzo del centro, lasciando il mio corpo terrestre esanime tra tasti neri, e bianchi, e corde sbrindellate, all'angolo fra un carrefour express ed un negozio di di sigarette elettroniche, il "me stesso" seriale potrebbe dirsi in pace ma anche spezzato da un rimpianto enorme.

    Aver finalmente recuperato le 5 stagioni di The Expanse è qualcosa di rasserenante, oltre che appagante, per la mente di un serialfiller.

    Immaginare che un pianoforte piovuto dal cielo possa determinare la separazione da questo magistrale space drama, a pochi mesi dall'ultimo capitolo della saga, è, invece, qualcosa che sconforta e terrorizza quella stessa mente.

    Dopo averla tenuta nel cassetto per anni, complici le sorti poco chiare che erano legate alla serie nelle prime stagioni, ho finalmente preso coraggio e con determinazione mi sono tuffato nel più classico dei recuperoni.

    Mi son trovato di fronte ad un piccolo Everest: 5 stagioni densissime e quasi 60 episodi da ammirare in tutto il loro splendore.

    Il risultato?

    Semplicemente straordinario e onestamente oltre ogni più rosea aspettativa.

    The Expanse è una serie tenace.

    Lo dimostra la sua storia. Nata sull'emittente SyFy, nonostante un grosso successo, fu cancellata dalla stessa SyFy dopo sole 3 stagioni.

    Petizioni online, minacce di sciopero della fame da parte degli appassionati, gente che si immaginava su Marte manco fosse un Dr Manhattan qualsiasi, inners e belters che imbracciavano le armi contro la rete, rea di aver cancellato una di quelle serie tv che quando le incontri non vuoi più lasciarle.

    Ma per fortuna nostra e di tutte le generazioni di cinturiani che verranno, The Expanse incontrò sul suo cammino il santo protettore delle serie cancellate ingiustamente.

    Jeff Bezos decise di investire sul futuro della serie, portandola nell'orbita di Amazon Prime Video.

    E' grazie a zio Jeff se oggi possiamo accarezzare il cofanetto con 5 dvd anzichè 3, guardando ad un futuro non troppo lontano che vedrà la serie concludersi con la sesta ed ultima stagione.

    E qui si apre un paragrafo secondo me importante.

    Pur non avendo letto i romanzi da cui la serie è tratta, ho da più parti udito che al momento mancano ancora ben 4 volumi da trasporre.

    E qui si pone un tema.

    L'ultima stagione sarà un condensato di quei 4 volumi oppure chiuderà la storia con il quartultimo volume?

    Sembrerebbe essere questa l'ipotesi più attendibile in quanto mi dicono che gli ultimi 3 volumi sarebbero ambientati molto in là nel tempo a causa di un salto temporale abbastanza rilevante.

    E' probabile, dunque, che si arriverà ad un vero finale ma che non racconterà l'intera saga letteraria che sinora è stata religiosamente e pedissequamente unica e sola fonte di ispirazione di questa maestosa serie tv.

    E' materiale per quelli più esperti di me sull'universo The Expanse tout court ma mi sembrava il caso di accennare anche a questo elemento abbastanza dirimente per chi è riuscito (beato lui) a godersi sia le pagine che le immagini.

    image.png Ed ecco una versione inglese per voi. Scusate gli errori in anticipo... ENG If tomorrow morning, unfortunately, a piano were to fall on my head, directly from the eighth floor of an old building in the city center, leaving my body lifeless among black keys, and white, and tattered strings, at the corner of a carrefour express and an electronic cigarette store, the serial "myself" could be said to be at peace but also broken by an enormous regret.

    Having finally recovered the 5 seasons of The Expanse is something soothing, as well as fulfilling, for the mind of a serialfiller.

    Imagining that a piano rained from the sky can determine the separation from this masterful space drama, a few months after the last chapter of the saga, is, however, something that discourages and terrifies that same mind.

    After having kept it in the drawer for years, due to the unclear fate that was linked to the series in the first seasons, I finally took courage and with determination I dove into the most classic recovery.

    I found myself in front of a small Everest: 5 seasons very dense and almost 60 episodes to admire in all their glory.

    The result?

    Simply extraordinary and honestly beyond all expectations.

    The Expanse is a tenacious series.

    This is demonstrated by its history. Born on the broadcaster SyFy, despite a great success, was canceled by the same SyFy after only 3 seasons.

    Online petitions, threats of hunger strikes by fans, people who imagined themselves on Mars as if it were any Dr Manhattan, inners and belters who took up arms against the network, guilty of having canceled one of those TV series that when you meet them you do not want to leave them.

    But luckily for us and for all the generations of belters to come, The Expanse met on its path the patron saint of the unjustly cancelled series.

    Jeff Bezos decided to invest in the future of the series, bringing it into the orbit of Amazon Prime Video.

    It is thanks to Uncle Jeff if today we can enjoy the box set with 5 DVDs instead of 3, looking to a not too distant future that will see the series conclude with the sixth and final season.

    And here opens a paragraph in my opinion important.

    Although I have not read the novels from which the series is based, I have heard from many quarters that at the moment there are still 4 volumes to transpose.

    And here a theme arises.

    Will the last season be a condensed version of those 4 volumes or will it close the story with the fourth to last volume?

    This would seem to be the most reliable hypothesis, since I'm told that the last 3 volumes would be set very far back in time due to a significant time jump.

    It's probable, therefore, that there will be a real ending but it won't tell the whole literary saga that until now has been religiously and slavishly the one and only source of inspiration for this majestic TV series.

    It's material for those more experienced than me on the universe The Expanse tout court but it seemed appropriate to mention this element quite crucial for those who managed (lucky him) to enjoy both the pages and images. Follow me

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    image.png Ed ecco una versione spagnola per voi. Scusate gli errori in anticipo...

    ESP

    Si mañana por la mañana, por desgracia, un piano cayera sobre mi cabeza, directamente desde el octavo piso de un viejo edificio del centro de la ciudad, dejando mi cuerpo sin vida entre teclas blancas y negras, y cuerdas destrozadas, en la esquina entre un carrefour express y una tienda de cigarrillos electrónicos, el "yo" en serie podría estar en paz pero también roto por un enorme pesar.

    Haber recuperado por fin las 5 temporadas de The Expanse es algo tranquilizador, además de satisfactorio, para la mente de un seriéfilo.

    Imaginar que un piano llovido del cielo puede determinar la separación de este magistral drama espacial, unos meses después del último capítulo de la saga, es, sin embargo, algo que desanima y aterroriza a esa misma mente.

    Después de guardarlo en el cajón durante años, debido al destino poco claro que se le relacionaba a la serie en las primeras temporadas, por fin me armé de valor y con determinación me sumergí en la recuperación más clásica.

    Me encontré ante un pequeño Everest: 5 temporadas muy densas y casi 60 episodios para admirar en todo su esplendor.

    ¿El resultado?

    Sencillamente extraordinario y honestamente más allá de todas las expectativas.

    The Expanse es una serie tenaz.

    Su historia lo demuestra. Nacida en la cadena SyFy, a pesar de un gran éxito, fue cancelada por SyFy después de sólo 3 temporadas.

    Peticiones online, amenazas de huelgas de hambre por parte de los fans, gente que se imaginaba en Marte como si fuera una especie de Dr. Manhattan, inners y belters que se levantaron en armas contra la cadena, culpable de haber cancelado una de esas series de televisión que cuando las conoces ya no quieres dejarlas.

    Pero por suerte para nosotros y para todas las generaciones de barristas que vendrán, The Expanse se encontró en su camino con el santo patrón de las series injustamente canceladas.

    Jeff Bezos decidió invertir en el futuro de la serie, llevándola a la órbita de Amazon Prime Video.

    Es gracias al tío Jeff si hoy podemos acariciar el box set con 5 DVDs en lugar de 3, de cara a un futuro no muy lejano que verá el final de la serie con la sexta y última temporada.

    Y aquí se abre un párrafo que me parece importante.

    Aunque no he leído las novelas en las que se basa la serie, he oído por muchas partes que de momento quedan 4 volúmenes por transponer.

    Y aquí surge un tema.

    ¿La última temporada será una versión condensada de esos 4 volúmenes o cerrará la historia con el penúltimo volumen?

    Esta parecería ser la hipótesis más fiable, ya que me dicen que los últimos 3 volúmenes estarían ambientados muy atrás en el tiempo debido a un importante salto temporal.

    Es probable, por tanto, que haya un final real pero que no cuente toda la saga literaria que hasta ahora ha sido religiosa y servilmente la única fuente de inspiración de esta majestuosa serie de televisión.

    Es material para aquellos más experimentados que yo en el universo de The Expanse tout court, pero me pareció oportuno mencionar este elemento bastante crucial para aquellos que lograron (con suerte) disfrutar tanto de las páginas como de las imágenes.

    Life isn't a train. It's a shit tornado full of gold..png

    Ed ecco una versione francese per voi. Scusate gli errori in anticipo... # FR Si demain matin, par malheur, un piano me tombait sur la tête, directement du huitième étage d'un vieil immeuble du centre ville, laissant mon corps sans vie parmi les touches noires et blanches, et les cordes en lambeaux, au coin entre un carrefour express et un magasin de cigarettes électroniques, le sériel "moi-même" pourrait être en paix mais aussi brisé par un énorme regret.

    Avoir enfin récupéré les 5 saisons de The Expanse est quelque chose d'apaisant, autant que d'épanouissant, pour l'esprit d'un serialfiller.

    Imaginer qu'un piano tombé du ciel puisse déterminer la séparation de ce drame spatial magistral, quelques mois après le dernier chapitre de la saga, est pourtant quelque chose qui décourage et terrifie ce même esprit.

    Après l'avoir gardé dans le tiroir pendant des années, en raison du destin peu clair qui était lié à la série dans les premières saisons, j'ai finalement pris mon courage à deux mains et avec détermination je me suis plongé dans la reprise la plus classique.

    Je me suis retrouvé devant un petit Everest : 5 saisons très denses et près de 60 épisodes à admirer dans toute leur splendeur.

    Le résultat ?

    Tout simplement extraordinaire et honnêtement au-delà de toutes les attentes.

    The Expanse est une série tenace.

    Son histoire le prouve. Né sur le diffuseur SyFy, malgré un grand succès, il a été annulé par SyFy après seulement 3 saisons.

    Des pétitions en ligne, des menaces de grève de la faim de la part des fans, des gens qui s'imaginent sur Mars comme s'il s'agissait d'une sorte de Dr Manhattan, des inners et des belters qui prennent les armes contre la chaîne, coupable d'avoir annulé une de ces séries télévisées que l'on ne veut plus quitter quand on les rencontre.

    Mais heureusement pour nous et pour toutes les générations de rabatteurs à venir, The Expanse a rencontré sur son chemin le saint patron des séries injustement annulées.

    Jeff Bezos a décidé d'investir dans l'avenir de la série, en la plaçant dans l'orbite d'Amazon Prime Video.

    C'est grâce à l'oncle Jeff si aujourd'hui nous pouvons caresser le coffret avec 5 DVD au lieu de 3, en regardant vers un futur pas trop lointain qui verra la série se terminer avec la sixième et dernière saison.

    Et voici que s'ouvre un paragraphe qui me semble important.

    Même si je n'ai pas lu les romans dont la série est tirée, j'ai entendu dire de plusieurs parts qu'il reste pour l'instant 4 volumes à transposer.

    Et c'est là qu'un thème apparaît.

    La dernière saison sera-t-elle une version condensée de ces 4 volumes ou clôturera-t-elle l'histoire avec le quatrième et dernier volume ?

    Cela semble être l'hypothèse la plus fiable, puisqu'on m'a dit que les 3 derniers volumes se dérouleraient très loin dans le passé en raison d'un saut temporel important.

    Il est donc probable qu'il y aura une vraie fin mais qu'elle ne racontera pas toute la saga littéraire qui, jusqu'à présent, a été religieusement et servilement la seule et unique source d'inspiration de cette majestueuse série télévisée.

    C'est du matériel pour ceux qui sont plus expérimentés que moi sur l'univers de The Expanse tout court mais j'ai pensé qu'il était approprié de mentionner cet élément tout à fait crucial pour ceux qui ont réussi (le chanceux) à apprécier à la fois les pages et les images. Seguitemi soprattutto su serialfiller.org Ci tengo, mi raccomando, è quello il modo migliore per stare sempre aggiornati sul mio progetto e farlo crescere. Iscrivetevi se potete, e soprattutto volete, lo apprezzerei davvero molto.

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  35. The Expanse, eccolo l'erede di Battlestar Galactica@serialfiller1927d

    image.png Nessuno lo dice ma #theexpanse è un capolavoro, o perlomeno si avvicina. Perchè? Oltre 10000 parole per descriverlo: https://www.serialfiller.org/post/recensione-di-the-expanse-l-erede-di-battlestar-galactica-%C3%A8-una-serie-tv-da-ricordare

    Iscrivetevi per restare sempre aggiornati con news, classifiche e recensioni se vi va.

    A presto!

    image.png ENG

    No one says it but #theexpanse is a masterpiece, or at least it comes close. Why? Over 10000 words to describe it: https://www.serialfiller.org/post/recensione-di-the-expanse-l-erede-di-battlestar-galactica-%C3%A8-una-serie-tv-da-ricordare

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    Life isn't a train. It's a shit tornado full of gold..png

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  36. The Expanse Season 5 (6.5/10) - "I learned I can hold my breath for almost 2 minutes while engaging in physical, stressful activity"@dedicatedguy1964d

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    Source

    Last night I finished watching the new season of The Expanse and I have to say this is the season I have enjoyed the least. The Expanse is a series set in the future, where humans have not only colonized Mars but there are also huge populations living in smaller celestial bodies such as moons of other planets.

    The series has an important political theme but it is mainly about scifi and action. The political scenes are mostly related to how they handle the issues between these different groups of humans, each of them with their own interests.

    The human race is still a single one but in the case of the Belters, which is how the humans born in moons or in the asteroid belt are called, they have slightly different physiology because they live permanently in an environment of low gravity. They are generally the marginalized group, which has created strong resentment among them. What made the previous season more exciting to me was the discovery of something called protomolecule, and the insane things it can do.

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    Source

    In this season, the protomolecule topic isn't explored even further in season 5. The main events are political involving some military attacks between factions as well as some personal drama from some of the main characters. The crew from previous seasons are still on their own so this season mainly consists of following them in their journey.

    Some Belters have been planning a violent reckoning for the wrongs their people have suffered in the past, they are radicalized and willing to do anything it takes to achieve their thirst for revenge. This was the most important change that season 5 introduced and it shows how capable they are to really cause severe damage. There were also groups trying to take control of the protomolecule but without exploring more about the capabilities of this thing.

    I felt like if this season was just a bridge to arrive at a hopefully epic final season. I didn't like the fact that the protomolecule topic took a secondary role in this season. The best scenes from this series for me have always been ones with the protomolecule being the main topic. The series is still worth watching though. The next season will be officially the last one and I will certainly watch it when it is released in November.

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    Source

    The best

    • The attacks that took place in this season leave a very exciting situation for season 6.

    The worst

    • The protomolecule and its capabilities was a secondary topic throughout the season.

    More information: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3230854/episodes Review: AA In numbers: 6.5/10

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  37. The Expanse season 4 - An ancient alien planet is reached and disputes continue@dedicatedguy2234d

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    Season 3 of this show was one of the coolest scifi action production I have ever seen. The latest season is a little bit slower and not as exciting. The story in this season is about looking for the origin of the protomolecule and its creators.

    This protomolecule has been present since the beginning of the show, but in each season we learn more about it and its potential also increases as time goes on. First, it looked like something that only made people sick and ultimately kill them.

    Then weird beings are seen that turned out to be hybrids as a result of joining humans with the protomolecule. Later on, we also learn this thing can simulate human beings and elaborate complex constructions capable of sort of driving a whole asteroid! Later on, the protomolecule creates a totally crazy space zone, that serves as a network of wormholes and can take people to faraway places in a relatively short amount of time.

    And now, in season 4 the crew finally steps foot in a planet far beyond our human capabilities for space traveling. All of this is obviously the creation of an advanced race, but they are suspected to be dead. As it is learned at the end of season 3, a mysterious force was apparently able to destroy the creators of the promolecule. Now, none of these 2 beings/races can be found and humanity wants to know more.

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    In this show, there are always political disputes between different human groups. This is not the exception in the new planet where the majority of the season takes place. A lot of time is invested in these disputes and hostile attitudes but what is most interesting for me is the mystery about the origins of the protomolecule and its creators, as well as their destroyers.

    The exploration of the ancient structures on this planet is possible because, since season 3, the captain of the main ship in the series is able to communicate with a deceased friend. At first, he thought he was crazy but eventually he learns it is the protomolecule that is influencing his synapses so he can see and hear this friendly person. The goal is to investigate what happened with the creators because they are no longer contactable.

    This ancient intelligent species was colonizing and expanding their reach very quickly. What they did was to create the protomolecule and program it to gather resources in order to create a network of wormholes to communicate with the other colonized systems. Once the wormhole network in our solar system was completed, there was no civilization on the other side. Since the protomolecule is an intelligent creation, it is able to simulate a human being in the mind of the captain.

    The Expanse continues to be a great scifi series, this season wasn't as good as the previous one but it is still a top-notch show. Great choice for scifi lovers.

    image.png

    The best

    • It was good to learn more about the mystery behind these lost civilizations.

    The worst

    • There were a few slow episodes. The season was not as intriguing/interesting as season 3.

    More information: https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/63639-the-expanse Review: AAA In numbers: 8/10

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  38. The Expanse season 3 - "Go into a room too fast, kid… The room eats you"@dedicatedguy2244d
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  39. The Expanse season 2 - "I believe Eros was infected by an entirely new order of technology"@dedicatedguy2252d
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  40. The Expanse season 2 - "I believe Eros was infected by an entirely new order of technology"@dedicatedguy2252d

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    I have never watched a space series before with the exception of the Mandalorian. I know this topic is very popular and there are tons of examples but I have never really decided to try one of these shows. I was kind of tempted when the new Star Trek season "Picard" came out, but since I have never watched this show I simply decided to pass it.

    The Expanse is an interesting series and I have been reading a lot of good stuff about it. I actually watched the first seasons a few weeks ago but since I didn't really enjoy I decided to not write about it. The only reason why I continued to watch the second season is that apparently, the show gets better as time goes on, and even though the first season wasn't that special for, I did notice it had potential.

    After watching the second season I can confirm it is better and the major plot is finally reaching a very interesting state. The story follows a handful of characters, one space crew, an important politician from planet Earth and other relevant characters like a detective or a martian special soldier.

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    In this story, humanity has colonized the solar system and we aren't a one-planet species anymore. There are humans on Earth, but also on Mars and others living in Space on an asteroid belt. The relationship between these groups of humans is not the best, there is some hostility, especially between Mars and Earth but no war yet.

    In season 1, the characters discover an unknown type of biological weapon that is exterminating people. No one knows where it came from and what it really is, but it is clearly something to worry about because it is ruthless. Once we reach season 2, we will see the real potential of this "thing". The main reason I decided to continue watching this show until the end, is a great scene in episode 5 where we can really see the crazy stuff this biological thing, now called protomolecule, can do.

    The show has enough dialogue to develop the characters, their acting is consistent and well-written but I feel sometimes they are a bit generic. Their performance is good but not outstanding. I also think the show had a bigger budget for season 2, it had better cgi and as far as I know, season 3 and 4 are even better.

    In short words, this is a show about humans living in different places inside the solar system, their political differences, and a new unknown threat that could break havoc. If you enjoy sci-fi or space fiction, then you should give this show a watch.

    image.png

    The best

    • Good cgi.
    • The general quality of the show is improving.
    • Plot with enough potential.

    The worst

    • The cast could have been better, sometimes they feel a bit generic.
    • I couldn't really get into season 1. I found myself checking the phone several times. Season 2 was much better.

    More information: https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/63639-the-expanse Review: AAA In numbers: 7/10

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