The Expanse (Amazon) [** Spoilers **]

PhiloCypher

On episode 7 now, it's been ages since I've read Cibola burns but they are doing a great job of adapting it so far as I can see. Also love how they are bringing stuff from the later books forward laying groundwork for what's too come. In the books those elements mostly came out of nowhere

Inaros, Naomi having a child, Mars losing its drive, Duarte

and then were given context through lengthy exposition. They're seeding things beautifulyfor season 5.

Encrypted Pigeon

I had not intended to watch this entirely this weekend but it had me hooked start to finish. So now it’s a presumably long wait for S5, I really need to check the books out between now and then.

fitz

PhiloCypher wrote: »

On episode 7 now, it's been ages since I've read Cibola burns but they are doing a great job of adapting it so far as I can see. Also love how they are bringing stuff from the later books forward laying groundwork for what's too come. In the books those elements mostly came out of nowhere

Inaros, Naomi having a child, Mars losing its drive, Duarte

and then were given context through lengthy exposition. They're seeding things beautifulyfor season 5.

Yeah, given the corresponding book is pretty much all Ilus-based, I wondered whether we'd be seeing any of the non-Roci regular cast this season. Thought they did a great job covering the off-Ilus events, and have done a great job of setting up the events of the next book.

My one qualm was

Draper becoming a thief... Didn't feel they did enough for it to not feel out of character. Can see why they did it, and it worked in terms of the narrative they wanted to get across, but still...felt like a bit of a stretch once the blackmail angle was done with.

Otherwise, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Great production values this season.

Tenger

Encrypted Pigeon wrote: »

I had not intended to watch this entirely this weekend but it had me hooked start to finish. So now it’s a presumably long wait for S5, I really need to check the books out between now and then.

https://expanse.fandom.com/wiki/Category:The_Expanse

Suggested reading order here

One of the locations on earth opened up with "Gulf of Denmark" and we see huge walls protecting buildings from the sea. I guess the sea levels rose massively. Fascinating

I wonder did they have trouble with getting everyone together. There's a lot of scenes with people on the phone rather than in person.

Tenger

[Deleted User] wrote: »

One of the locations on earth opened up with "Gulf of Denmark" and we see huge walls protecting buildings from the sea. I guess the sea levels rose massively. Fascinating

Opening credits show ice sheets melting and sea walls around Manhattan and Liberty Island.

Skerries

so they have covered the first 4 books of the current 8?
do we know how many he intends to write?

fitz

Tenger wrote: »

Opening credits show ice sheets melting and sea walls around Manhattan and Liberty Island.

Similar sea walls were shown in the very first episode of season 1, if I remember correctly.

Skerries wrote: »

so they have covered the first 4 books of the current 8?
do we know how many he intends to write?

I've read the plan is for 9 books (it's actually two co-authors writing under a single pen name, one of whom is George RR Martin's assistant - thankfully he hasn't picked up George's writing speed).

They've covered the first 4 books, and added some storylines in season 4 that will probably allow them to simplify adapting others from book 5 and 6.

ferrigan101

Skerries wrote: »

so they have covered the first 4 books of the current 8?
do we know how many he intends to write?

I think they've said another book and a couple of novellas.

Talisman

Deleted User wrote: »

I wonder did they have trouble with getting everyone together. There's a lot of scenes with people on the phone rather than in person.

Using the communication devices emphasises the fact that there are large distances between the characters.

For example, on Ilus the seismic monitors had to be placed 50km apart so Holden was a huge distance away when things kicked off at the settlement.

pixelburp

It's actually one element the TV adaptation hasn't quite got perfect IMO; as mentioned the distances are quite huge, and ship battles in the books are more prolonged and tentative than in the TV series. Missiles are launched thousands of KMs away, but because of trajectories impact is inescapable - but prolonged over time. You'll have a whole scene of just waiting for that impact and to me it's something slightly lost in translation, possibly for understandable pacing issues.

Talisman

Talisman wrote: »

Using the communication devices emphasises the fact that there are large distances between the characters.

For example, on Ilus the seismic monitors had to be placed 50km apart so Holden was a huge distance away when things kicked off at the settlement.

Yeah it seems to work organically. Just a thought as other media often do it when they have to.

Zoolander 2 would have been perfect other than this one scene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FtkerlaEnA

fitz

pixelburp wrote: »

It's actually one element the TV adaptation hasn't quite got perfect IMO; as mentioned the distances are quite huge, and ship battles in the books are more prolonged and tentative than in the TV series. Missiles are launched thousands of KMs away, but because of trajectories impact is inescapable - but prolonged over time. You'll have a whole scene of just waiting for that impact and to me it's something slightly lost in translation, possibly for understandable pacing issues.

Another thing that I think the show missed from the books this season, but which understandable from a visual standpoint, is the physical toll of high g thrust...with characters strapped in to gel crash couches and pumped full of drugs to prevent strokes, rather than standing about on deck. I've always liked the show's adherence to physics, so did find myself wondering why they had people standing around during a high g pursuit scene, other than because its visually more straightforward to shoot/present.

PhiloCypher

Best part of the last episode nay season was when

Alex passes remark on Amos's regrown fingers.

ALEX - "they look good man"
AMOS *smiles holding them up* - " I know, I cant wait to try them out. *walks off*
ALEX shakes head at the possible self love connotation ( at least that's how I read it haha)

As it turns out he had other plans

AMOS *to Murtry* -" I hear your all healed up. No leg brace?"

MURTRY -" yes"

AMOS - "Good I didn't want to beat you up while you were still Gimpy"

pixelburp

Episode 2 and as before with the early intro of Avarasala in season 1, looks like an important figure in later books is dropping in early. I presume his big introduction to the stage will be parked til season 5, cos it was a doozy.

Burn Gorman as Mutry is growing on me; in my head I read him as older, more rugged and chiselled guy. Think Stephen Lang or Scott Glenn. Gorman though has that good sense of the barely held back violence, the anti Amos.

And as always with Expanse, I love, love the attention to detail with its worldbuilding through the design and interface of the mundane; really does feel like they thought out how these personal devices work.

fitz

pixelburp wrote: »

Burn Gorman as Mutry is growing on me; in my head I read him as older, more rugged and chiselled guy. Think Stephen Lang or Scott Glenn. Gorman though has that good sense of the barely held back violence, the anti Amos.

Felt exactly the same about Murtry casting going in to the season, but Hitman does a terrific job throughout.

pixelburp wrote: »

And as always with Expanse, I love, love the attention to detail with its worldbuilding through the design and interface of the mundane; really does feel like they thought out how these personal devices work.

There are so many great attention to detail moments, but one in particular stands out. It's a tiny sound design detail during a scene in the finale that just sums up how brilliant the show is at paying attention to the tiniest of things

the faint sound of the tooth pinging off the far wall of the room after the Martian throws it back at Ashford

. Really makes it all feel lived-n as a result.

Gonna be a long wait for season 5.

GottaGetGatt

Saw that they finished filming episode 5 of the new season this week, so maybe around the same time next year.

I'm still finding difficulty warming to Shohreh Aghdashloo. Her delivery just feels off. I feel almost racist now as I looked up the actress herself and that's her actual accent.

cdgalwegian

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm still finding difficulty warming to Shohreh Aghdashloo. Her delivery just feels off. I feel almost racist now as I looked up the actress herself and that's her actual accent.

It's not about the accent: she sounds like someone who could be used in an ad campaign for one of the negative impacts of smoking. This is the best sci-fi show out there, but that croaky voice is just so off-putting, detracting from the show.

pixelburp

I dunno, I love her husky voice myself; it suits her no-nonsense vulgar tongue and works as part of the character. Appreciate it might grate others' ears though.

Tony EH

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm still finding difficulty warming to Shohreh Aghdashloo. Her delivery just feels off. I feel almost racist now as I looked up the actress herself and that's her actual accent.

Yeh. I thought better of her in S2 and I'm ok with her in S3. But over all, every time she talks, it affects me negatively. I just don't find her voice interesting or intriguing. I just find it uncomfortable, even if she is generally fine in the role.

One thing though, did anyone else find S3 a little on the boring side? I've burned through S1 and S2 and now I find myself half way through S3 and I'm a little meh about it.

I thought S3 was the best of the first 3. It really get going in the second half.

pixelburp

Nope I'd have said season 3 was the strongest overall; could be the binging disease and burnout? The first 3 seasons were weekly affairs, no necessarily designed for quick watching IMO.

Relikk

PhiloCypher wrote: »

Best part of the last episode nay season was when

AMOS *to Murtry* -" I hear your all healed up. No leg brace?"

MURTRY -" yes"

AMOS - "Good I didn't want to beat you up while you were still Gimpy"

The look on Amos' face when Murtry punched him was priceless, and absolutely hilarious.

Captcha

This show is amazing!

CramCycle

Yggr of Asgard wrote: »

Well the move to Amazon changed some things but I feel to the better.

Unfortunately I now need to go to work so I can’t spend more time with my favorite show right now but this evening will be fun.

Yggr of Asgard wrote: »

Well the move to Amazon changed some things but I feel to the better.

Unfortunately I now need to go to work so I can’t spend more time with my favorite show right now but this evening will be fun.

Definitely, not sure if it is for the better though, it isn't worse, just different.

I had three issues with it, two of which have been mentioned in spoilers above,

the martian turning thief

and

the apparent lack of needing to strap in or prep for hard G maneuvres and other ship stuff

. The last is probably all in my head, but

have the effects dropped in caliber or is that me.

This said, still an awesome show

Tony EH

Deleted User wrote: »

I thought S3 was the best of the first 3. It really get going in the second half.

pixelburp wrote: »

Nope I'd have said season 3 was the strongest overall; could be the binging disease and burnout? The first 3 seasons were weekly affairs, no necessarily designed for quick watching IMO.

Yeh, so the back end really picked up, leading to an excellent conclusion.

Preparing for S04...

pixelburp

Finished episode 4 yesterday and if I have one quibble about season 4 so far it's that the belters on Ilus are very underwritten compared with the book; The Expanse switched PoV per chapter so many were from the perspective of various Ilus residents and the RCE biologist. It fleshed them out and we got a good sense of who they all were. In the show they're either 2D or just kinda there and generic belters

Dave_The_Sheep

I'm getting really tired of the OPA and their bull**** (both in the show and the books).