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The Expanse

Started by CrazyFoxMachine, 19 December, 2015, 09:27:42 PM

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CrazyFoxMachine



No word on a UK airdate yet but I just watched the pilot for this sprawling new space opera/futurepolitics show based on a series of books and it's seriously impressive statement of intent.

Clearly aiming to be a space Game of Thrones with all gritty bits and intrigue (the titles and the first episode pre-titles bit are very heavily indebted to GoT) it seems to be following three central characters, one in space, one on an asteroid and one on Earth. There's war a'brewing and  weird stuff is afoot. It's admirably dense and I'm quite keen to get onto more of it.

Hopefully with the massiveness of the new SW there'll be a bit more of this sort of thing as this current era of the HBO style series has really been gagging for a decent sci-fi show. *mumble mumble* shame Star Trek ain't currently filling that gap but this is promising.

CrazyFoxMachine

#1
Quote from: CrazyFoxMachine on 19 December, 2015, 09:27:42 PM
No word on a UK airdate yet

Although actually it's a moot point as SyFy themselves have uploaded the pilot onto Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lqz_oEWZEU

Go and see if CFM is speaking wank or not. I certainly was about there being a pre-titles bit.

Professor Bear

It's not just the pilot - ScyFy has put the first four episodes out on t'web already.

It were alright, but I thought the made-up space language stuff was an embarrassing throwback, as was the pointless zero-gravity sex scene and tacky tracking shots.  Also, it suffers from the usual problems of much of SyFy's output in that its fictional world doesn't make much sense, though for some reason what stuck with me was the usual "oppressed underclass" guff - how many engineering degrees and years of training would you need before getting to the point where you could swing a pickaxe in space, yet we're expected to take it as read that none of these (possibly literal) rocket scientists would join a union?  This "Earth is the oppressor of all the colonies" stuff is pretty unworkable if you play it too serious, but stuff like the more campy Killjoys and Dark Matter got away with it by playing up to the idea of the upper classes being an evil empire of some sort, whereas Expanse just seems to want you to take it at its word that Earth controls everything because Reasons, even though it seems happy to overexplain a lot of other stuff considerably less essential to the coherence of the fiction.

Still, it's a space opera coming out just as space opera has become huge again, which is a no-brainer, shirley?

CrazyFoxMachine

Ag - I'll hold back on watching them all at once, that way madness lies.

I get your drift but I viewed as more fantastical than literal if you see my meaning. As in - this is as much about an actual perceived future as Game of Thrones is about the actual medieval past. It is steeped in enough tropery to be a bit fey and fun (Tom Jane's noir asteroid detective in the pilot is pure pulp) but has enough going on for me to make it seem worth following. "Because reasons" can sometimes be enough for worlds this dense if the characters are engaging enough to carry you through it. However I may have to watch more before trying to wade too far into defending it!

PsychoGoatee

I'll definitely give this a try, Tom Jane is the man.

Keef Monkey

I know I'm dredging up an old topic but I need to ask - did this thing ever actually air in the UK?

I remember getting really excited at the idea of a new sci-fi show, loved the look of it, love Tom Jane, and then...nothing. Unless it came on and I totally missed it. Desperate for a new spaceshippy show just now, contemplating a blind purchase of the Killjoys blu-ray just because it looks like it'll scratch an itch, but it's The Expanse that I want!

Link Prime

I've been looking out for it too, it hasn't been aired in the UK / Ireland.

A quick perusal of Amazon.co.uk threw up a Blu-Ray (region free) US seller; https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Expanse-Season-1-Blu-ray/dp/B01AHWLX24/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467734951&sr=8-1&keywords=the+expanse

amines2058

It must have been received favourably in the US as according to Wikipedia a 2nd series is due to air next year. May need to hunt the 1st series down and pass judgement myself!

Theblazeuk

Tis really bloody good.

Best of the newer batches of SF TV. Might be best space-SF since BSG in my humble opinion.

Dandontdare

The thing itself doesn't really grab me but that's a bloody fantastic poster/tagline

Professor Bear

Quote from: amines2058 on 06 July, 2016, 11:13:40 AM
It must have been received favourably in the US as according to Wikipedia a 2nd series is due to air next year.

Like Black Sails before it, The Expanse was renewed before the first episode aired, one presumes this is because if they demolish the sets with only ten episodes in the bank, they'll never get a decent return on their (allegedly quite large) investment in the show.  Channels are not falling over themselves to buy ten episodes of a show with no ending.

Keef Monkey

This has been picked up by Netflix in the UK as one of their Netflix Originals, we watched the first four episodes at the weekend (which is a lot for us, we don't tend to telly binge) and I'm with CFM, loving it. It's very much the sci-fi show I've been craving for a long time, ever since Battlestar ended. And if 'Tom Jane is an asteroid belt detective...' isn't the most enticing first line to a Netflix synopsis ever then I don't know what is.

Currently sitting at work wishing I could get home just to watch some more, been a while since a show got its hooks in like that!

Spaceghost

I tried reading the first book of this series and ended up ditching it half way through, bored.

Too many cliches, too few ideas. It might translate better as live action and I'm tempted to give it a shot now it's on Netflix.
Raised in the wild by sarcastic wolves.

Previously known as L*e B*tes. Sshhh, going undercover...

von Boom

Quote from: Spaceghost on 07 November, 2016, 02:06:55 PM
I tried reading the first book of this series and ended up ditching it half way through, bored.

Too many cliches, too few ideas. It might translate better as live action and I'm tempted to give it a shot now it's on Netflix.

Same here. Terrible book.

Theblazeuk

I found the books a fun if pulpy easy read. The TV show is a big improvement however.