The Expanse

[chf]

I'd say both fit under the larger umbrella of 'speculative fiction.' But Strain is a horror show and Gotham is a superhero show.

Lines probably get pretty blurry, but neither of those two has what is usually thought of as sci-fi elements.

FWIW: Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction dealing with imaginative concepts such as futuristic settings, futuristicscience and technology, space travel, time travel, faster than light travel, parallel universes and extraterrestrial life. Science fiction often explores the potential consequences of scientific and other innovations, and has been called a "literature of ideas."[1] It usually eschews the supernatural, and unlike the related genre of fantasy, historically science fiction stories were intended to have at least a faint grounding in science-based fact or theory at the time the story was created, but this connection has become tenuous or non-existent in much of science fiction.

- Wikipedia

Then there's sub-sections of Sci-fi. Star Wars is thought of as sci-fi, but the science doesn't play much of a role beyond window dressing. It's essentially a western in space.

The Expanse kinda' bridges two other camps, 'Space Opera,' big sweeping stories involving races and fleets and worlds, and hard sci-fi (Ben Bova, Arthur C Clarke etc) which is way more concerned with the science being somewhat accurate.

Anyway, that's a pretty tough combo to bring to TV easily, because there's

1. A shvt ton of characters and factions. (Earth, Mars, Belters, __________ )
2. The science takes some explanation.

So it's really, really ambitious.

Maybe think of it this way. Most of the adaptations of 'Dune,' have sucked swollen blue whale nuts. Why? Impossible to do well in a 2 hour movie (not enough time) and it used to be WAAAAY too expensive to so the special FX for something like that in TV.

So the miniseries version was the best, because it got to take some time to explain just what a Bene Gesserit is, and why space-faring future mankind is waging war using swords and knives. But it still wasn't great because the special FX at the time was meh.

Now could you be right, and 'The Expanse' could end up being terrible.

But you have to give it more than a couple of episodes, simply because of the volume of factions and people you still have to meet and figure out.

Or at least I hope people do, because if not enough do, it'll get cancelled, and next time someone pitches good material to adapt, they'll be less likely to be given the green light.

/end rant.

 

[flyerhawk]

So...

what are people's thoughts on The Expanse now? I think the show is really starting to get into gear. Last night was a bit of a bridge episode focusing more on character development than action which I think was needed.

I loved the world building so far. They are staying pretty close to the books, IMO, even if the plot had deviated a little bit.

 

[calsnowskier]

I like the grittiness. It feels like a cross between Firefly and BSG.

Thomas Jane really changed up his look for this. He looks like he lost at least 30 lbs, and that emo look is very shocking.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I like the grittiness. It feels like a cross between Firefly and BSG.

Thomas Jane really changed up his look for this. He looks like he lost at least 30 lbs, and that emo look is very shocking.

I like the fact it keeps me awake? Unlike Childhood's End.

I've always liked Jane. This suits him more than Hung did.

I'm liking it.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

definitely better as it is going...

 

[chf]

Episode five was painfully slow, but I get it, they have to set everything up.

Still digging it though.

 

[calsnowskier]

Episode five was painfully slow, but I get it, they have to set everything up.

Still digging it though.

Definitely a slow episode, but they had to get into Johnson's back-story. I think they could have made it more clear that was a flash-back, though. I didnt even realize that until AFTER the episode when I was trying to make heads-or-tails of what I just watched.

 

[flyerhawk]

Episode five was painfully slow, but I get it, they have to set everything up.

Still digging it though.

You can't have every episode action packed. You have to build the story sometimes.

 

[chf]

You can't have every episode action packed. You have to build the story sometimes.

Absolutely. I was thinking to myself 'oh no, people are changing the channel,' as I was watching. Although apparently they've already committed to season two.

 

[flyerhawk]

Absolutely. I was thinking to myself 'oh no, people are changing the channel,' as I was watching. Although apparently they've already committed to season two.

I think they were smart in waiting for episode 5 to do an episode like this. I doubt they lost too many viewers with this episode. If you were going to bail you probably already bailed.

And for non-book readers, this episode give some more depth to characters. That has to happen so that people can invest in the characters.

Now next week should get pretty interesting, especially given the higher stakes they are building in the show for Holden vs Johnson showdown.

 

[chf]

Oh I'm in no matter what. I guess the reaction upthread has me worried. As does broadcasters reactions to meh numbers like Fox with 'Fireflyl.'

 

[flyerhawk]

Oh I'm in no matter what. I guess the reaction upthread has me worried. As does broadcasters reactions to meh numbers like Fox with 'Fireflyl.'

SyFy's ratings requirements aren't the same as Fox's.

There is a reason why they bought Season 2 before the season had even started. The network is trying to rebuild its entire brand. They want to move away from Anaconado Apocalypse IX type movies and build real content.

From what I've read The Expanse is the flagship they want to build around. IMO, it has started really well.

If The Expanse keeps geting these types of reviews..

The Expanse is the best new science fiction series in years

the show will do just fine.

 

[chf]

SyFy's ratings requirements aren't the same as Fox's.

There is a reason why they bought Season 2 before the season had even started. The network is trying to rebuild its entire brand. They want to move away from Anaconado Apocalypse IX type movies and build real content.

From what I've read The Expanse is the flagship they want to build around. IMO, it has started really well.

If The Expanse keeps geting these types of reviews..

The Expanse is the best new science fiction series in years

the show will do just fine.

If the show's numbers don't meet the guy's in suspenders expectations, they'll at the very least have discussions about picking a new vehicle to be their flagship.

And I definitely understand the differing dynamics between cable tiers.

Just using Firefly as an example of a well received, lauded show that got torpedoed for less than stellar numbers. The irony of that of course was that it was Fox's policy about juggling lineups due to baseball that ensured the soft numbers in the first place.

I'm actually quite optimistic about Expanse, but TV history is littered with the dead bodies of good tv shows, while stuff like 2.5 men become long playing hits.

Unless I'm missing it, there isn't the 'buzz' around this show that there was around say, GOT.

I like to think us discussing it here, and telling people who are obviously fans of the genre, to stick with it, is our little bit of helping out with creating some buzz.

 

[flyerhawk]

Unless I'm missing it, there isn't the 'buzz' around this show that there was around say, GOT.

Not a great comparison. New HBO shows, especially their big productions get natural buzz before they are ever aired. If HBO was airing The Expanse it would be a national story. Your cynicism is showing, C.

I like to think us discussing it here, and telling people who are obviously fans of the genre, to stick with it, is our little bit of helping out with creating some buzz.

Of course.

 

[chf]

Not a great comparison. New HBO shows, especially their big productions get natural buzz before they are ever aired. If HBO was airing The Expanse it would be a national story. Your cynicism is showing, C.



Of course.

It's not really cynicism when you look at the list of promising shows killed by so-so ratings. Especially EXPENSIVE tv shows (to their credit, syfy isn't cheaping out on Expanse)

There was buzz about GOT long before the show even got picked up. People were discussing it on westeros.org years prior to the pilot.

Franck and Abraham are well respected authors, but there just isn't the buzz around their work in the mainstream.

Hell there's LOTS of really good sci-fi source material that's been optioned. Most won't ever see the light of day. Richard Morgan's 'Altered Carbon' being optioned allowed him to quit teaching ESL and write full time. But there's no sign of that ever actually making it to screen. Morgan doesn't have any profile outside the genre.

Everyone acts like GOT being made was inevitable. But it wasn't. There was a LOT of skepticism. Fantasy not being HBO's oeurvre. The HUGE expense. Animals, kids and multiple locations (three things to avoid in TV FILM production).

Benioff and Weiss had to go to bat for it. People weren't falling over themselves picturing a swords and sorcery show on HBO.

 

[flyerhawk]

My point was more about the cachet that HBO attaches to any show. If Game of Thrones was on Showtime or Starz it would not have had anywhere close to the same hype.

There is a LOT of content these days and it is hard to truly differentiate yourself. But quality programming begets quality programming. And, IMO, SyFy is trying to rebrand itself with The Expanse being central to that. And that's why they already picked up season 2. Even if The Expanse itself never becomes a big hit, getting critical acclaim is a big win for them because it helps them with their other shows like 12 Monkeys and The Magicians and other shows down the pike.

Look at what Mad Men did for AMC.

 

[calsnowskier]

It really is shocking to see the complete about-face the syfy is doing here. Just a couple years ago they purged practically their entire lineup in favor of cheap reality-fare. Now they are going all in on high-quality scripted programming.

 

[flyerhawk]

So thoughts on episode 6?

Definitely a slow down in the pace but I liked that they finally got the Roci's crew on the same page.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

It really is shocking to see the complete about-face the syfy is doing here. Just a couple years ago they purged practically their entire lineup in favor of cheap reality-fare. Now they are going all in on high-quality scripted programming.

Yes, but it seems like they are lacking the silly show like eureka or warehouse 13 that they used to have. These serious shows are good but they are all draining. Expanse especially. So many characters and you need to pay attention to understand. Once they find a good mindless show again I think the network will be doing much better. Even the magicians which I enjoyed the pilot a lot seems very serious of a show.

 

[flyerhawk]

So thoughts on last night's episode?

They have really strayed from the books from a plot perspective but ultimately it looks like our primary protagonists are going to be meeting next episode.

I thought a pretty solid episode. More character building. Which I think will help the show out.

I am really curious as to how they are going to end this season.