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The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Its not come to the UK yet,but its the return of Sy-Fy to big budget space based shows. Managed to catch a few episodes,and its awesome. Its a bit like Babylon 5 with a bit of Bladerunner thrown in and its based on a series of novels:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ex...(novel_series)
They really have made great attention to detail and made it as hard sci-fi as possible for a series,
Sy-Fy UK has not picked it yet for some weird reason,but probably a DVD purchase for me at some point.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lqz_oEWZEU
First episode released on YouTube for free.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
They are putting whole episodes up on youtube? Awesome!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Biscuit
They are putting whole episodes up on youtube? Awesome!
Only the one it appears.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
I'm up to episode 10 and it has been really good. Some good actors popping up, which always helps.
You get a good sense for the scale of the story, which has the legs to be quite large.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Will have a look at this later, its my kind of thing
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Will it last? There seems to be a trend in axing decent sci-fi after the first season.
Also how is it content-wise in terms of the usual - sex, language etc? Not a fan of the trend toward the 'darker/more explicit' stuff of late.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Watched some of it last night, quickly realised I had read some o the books. Seems OK, then again I wasn't that bothered about the books, found them a bit formulaic. Will persevere for a few episodes.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
It strikes a good balance. Nothing is off limits, there's a tame zero-g sex scene in the opening episode (literally 10 seconds?). Not that much swearing, but then there's some gory scenes as well. It's not every episode but it is there (the scene is episode 4 is brilliant, you'll know what I mean if you watch it ;))
Can I just say that so far it's my favourite sci-fi series since the BSG reboot.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cptwhite_uk
Can I just say that so far it's my favourite sci-fi series since the BSG reboot.
I started liking BSG, but then it went weird and mythological on me, so I just struggled to the end and never looked back, except to drool over either a Raptor and/or Boomer.
Still need to play that Diaspora Freespace2 mod...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Galant
Will it last? There seems to be a trend in axing decent sci-fi after the first season.
A couple of those I was most interested in got syndicated/bought out by the US and either remade in a crappy form, or got retconned.
The good news is that a third season of Starhunter got greenlit and is in pre-production, so there is hope for some programmes...
Based on 2 episodes, watched while actually kinda sleepy and only paying about 80% attention, This Expanse thing warrants a good try at least.
It is darker than some programmes, perhaps a bit more than Firefly, but certainly doesn't look like it'll be proper nasty either. Any bad language, gore or nudity will probably be minimal and/or fairly appropriate to the scene. I'd guess it's perhaps a 12-15 on the BBFC?
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
It's been renewed for a second season before the first one aired.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
how do you get bab 5 and blade runner ??? i'd go more with a farscape and lexx
but yeah good start first season is always a bit up and down .. you can see whats going to happen in season 2 !!
entity uses bloke with scanner eye to comunicate and try to take over verse .. hero gets everyone together to fight it ..
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
flearider
how do you get bab 5 and blade runner ??? i'd go more with a farscape and lexx
but yeah good start first season is always a bit up and down .. you can see whats going to happen in season 2 !!
entity uses bloke with scanner eye to comunicate and try to take over verse .. hero gets everyone together to fight it ..
Babylon 5 was as close to hard sci-fi as we got in a series for years. Foundation Imaging were not only used for the CGI in the series but also contributed to the technical aspects.
All races adhere to their technical tiers. All the human ships were modelled to move according to Newtonian physics and were limited the relatively low technical tier of humanity especially due to energy production. None of the earth ships had artificial gravity outside of rotation or acceleration (apart from the very end),and most of the earth ships had no gravity. Hence the use of velcro,etc in the Hyperion class to tie things down.You can see it in the films where they try to show the weightlessness in the Hyperion class. The Star Fury was considered a design good enough to build by NASA themselves.
Human ships as a result are limited in accelleration meaning they are slow and not maneuverable and rely on heavier armor,and fighters for defence. The original design for the Omega class was meant to have a gimbled engine section to counteract the intertia of the rotating subsection.
Babylon 5 is an O'Neill cylinder which is another nod to Babylon 5 trying to have roots in hard sci-fi. The series was constrained by the budget it had and the CGI of the time.
The Expanse universe for the most part is also founded in hard sci fi for its technology.
Then there is the conflict between the outer colonies and earth too. In many ways The Expanse is similar in both it hard sci-fi roots and the fact it also portrays humanity and its colonies not being a big happy family.
Babylon 5 itself had very long arks and The Expanse has these too.
Then the Bladerunner themes,are more in the fact you find that the colonies are a multi-cultural mishmash which have their own dialogies and dialect of sorts. If you watch Bladerunner you see this with Harrison Ford's partner and how he speaks,how he dresses and the eclectic mishmah of the city he is in. The colonies are very much this in The Expanse.
Then also one of the most standout features of Bladerunner - new built on old. Instead of the pristine future in previous sci-fi films you can see how the new is intermixed with the old. You can kind of see this in Ceres where the belters and rest of the folk are on the lower levels which are overcrowded,worn out and old,with the rich occupying the new looking and clean higher levels of the station.
Even the whole fact,that in Bladerunner the future looks lived in and old,just like you see with the stations in The Expanse. A reversal in Bladerunner is that the Earth is seen as used and trashed and barely livable in due to pollution and the outer colonies are looked as an idyllic place for the wealthy to escape to. In The Expanse the opposite is true. Earth is the paradise the people in space wish they could have or emulate as their lives are anything but idyllic and they can barely survive.
Plus the other aspect Bladerunner brought in - megacorporations with huge amounts of power who try to play God. The Tyrell corporation was an example of this as they were tryting to build "better" than humanity. You will see this in The Expanse too.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cptwhite_uk
It strikes a good balance. Nothing is off limits, there's a tame zero-g sex scene in the opening episode (literally 10 seconds?). Not that much swearing, but then there's some gory scenes as well. It's not every episode but it is there (the scene is episode 4 is brilliant, you'll know what I mean if you watch it ;))
Can I just say that so far it's my favourite sci-fi series since the BSG reboot.
The first ten episodes have been really good, although I feel like we've barely scratched the surface, which bodes well for longevity.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CAT-THE-FIFTH
Babylon 5 was as close to hard sci-fi as we got in a series for years. Foundation Imaging were not only used for the CGI in the series but also contributed to the technical aspects.
All races adhere to their technical tiers. All the human ships were modelled to move according to Newtonian physics and were limited the relatively low technical tier of humanity especially due to energy production. None of the earth ships had artificial gravity outside of rotation or acceleration (apart from the very end),and most of the earth ships had no gravity. Hence the use of velcro,etc in the Hyperion class to tie things down.You can see it in the films where they try to show the weightlessness in the Hyperion class. The Star Fury was considered a design good enough to build by NASA themselves.
Human ships as a result are limited in accelleration meaning they are slow and not maneuverable and rely on heavier armor,and fighters for defence. The original design for the Omega class was meant to have a gimbled engine section to counteract the intertia of the rotating subsection.
Babylon 5 is an O'Neill cylinder which is another nod to Babylon 5 trying to have roots in hard sci-fi. The series was constrained by the budget it had and the CGI of the time.
The Expanse universe for the most part is also founded in hard sci fi for its technology.
Then there is the conflict between the outer colonies and earth too. In many ways The Expanse is similar in both it hard sci-fi roots and the fact it also portrays humanity and its colonies not being a big happy family.
Babylon 5 itself had very long arks and The Expanse has these too.
Then the Bladerunner themes,are more in the fact you find that the colonies are a multi-cultural mishmash which have their own dialogies and dialect of sorts. If you watch Bladerunner you see this with Harrison Ford's partner and how he speaks,how he dresses and the eclectic mishmah of the city he is in. The colonies are very much this in The Expanse.
Then also one of the most standout features of Bladerunner - new built on old. Instead of the pristine future in previous sci-fi films you can see how the new is intermixed with the old. You can kind of see this in Ceres where the belters and rest of the folk are on the lower levels which are overcrowded,worn out and old,with the rich occupying the new looking and clean higher levels of the station.
Even the whole fact,that in Bladerunner the future looks lived in and old,just like you see with the stations in The Expanse. A reversal in Bladerunner is that the Earth is seen as used and trashed and barely livable in due to pollution and the outer colonies are looked as an idyllic place for the wealthy to escape to. In The Expanse the opposite is true. Earth is the paradise the people in space wish they could have or emulate as their lives are anything but idyllic and they can barely survive.
Plus the other aspect Bladerunner brought in - megacorporations with huge amounts of power who try to play God. The Tyrell corporation was an example of this as they were tryting to build "better" than humanity. You will see this in The Expanse too.
wow .. how to take a tv show apart ..lol but i can see your point .. i was just looking at the dark theme running thru it and the few that will save it :)
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Just watched the first 4 episodes tonight, it's got me hooked!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Binged this over the weekend. Bloody brill; best sci-fi I've seen in donkey's years. Dying for season 2 now.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
It's nice to see the Syfy channel putting out some more thoughtful stuff.
I was getting pretty fed up of Stargate and all the kind of tat.
I enjoyed Childhoods End as well.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
I watched the pilot episode and was absolutely bored. It's as boring as a show like Babylon 5.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
OilSheikh
I watched the pilot episode and was absolutely bored. It's as boring as a show like Babylon 5.
Were you hoping for something with more "pew, pew, pew"? :heckle:
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Fantastic first season, there are quite a few narrative threads nicely coming together. Hope the second one won't be long away now...
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Spreadie
Were you hoping for something with more "pew, pew, pew"? :heckle:
I prefer soemething like Earth Final Conflict or Dark matter. This was crap like Falling Skies
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
So... was that a yes or no for the BluRay box set? :p
I struggled with Falling Skies - possibly a bit too bleak, but The Expanse feels as though it's a more likely than most Sci-Fi shows. I thought it was excellent, but each to his own.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
I loved all flavours of star trek, including the films, with the exception of enterprise; loved buffy & alias and a bunch of what is apparently called 'soft' sci-fi, but have hated most stuff in the 21st century. Couldn't sit through more than 10 minutes of firefly. Was totally willing to get into BSG but just never got anywhere near the top of a permanently competitive list and receded from my consciousness. Am I going to like this? I suspect not, but here goes.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
wtf
that was actually good, really good!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
OilSheikh
I watched the pilot episode and was absolutely bored. It's as boring as a show like Babylon 5.
Yes it was slow to get going, but later episodes are much much better.
I binge watched it over a few nights - if I'd only seen the pilot and had to wait a week I might not have continued.
(but IMO B5 was best show ever, so ... )
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
I didn't think it was boring at all, I was fairly gripped, much more in relation to the slow build-up of sci-fi fiction books that I like and earlier tv shows that I enjoy.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
always found Sci-fi shows lacking, but this one has peaked my interest so will give it ago, thanks
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
I binged watched the first series over a weekend, thought it was done quite well.
If anybody is considering reading the book they might want to hold off until series 2 has finished because series 1 covers about half of the
first book, which itself is worth a read.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Season 2 started again yesterday with a dual episode - it looks like the plot is thickening!!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mikerr
Yes it was slow to get going, but later episodes are much much better.
I binge watched it over a few nights - if I'd only seen the pilot and had to wait a week I might not have continued.
(but IMO B5 was best show ever, so ... )
So, which episodes should i skip and start watching from to find it all interesting ?
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
I've had it on my Netflix Watchlist for a while. Will definitely get around to this in Feb / March. Lots of good vibes here.
Looks like only Season 1 is on Netflix currently though. Where are you all watching Season 2 from ?
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Andy14
I've had it on my Netflix Watchlist for a while. Will definitely get around to this in Feb / March. Lots of good vibes here.
Looks like only Season 1 is on Netflix currently though. Where are you all watching Season 2 from ?
Not from legal sources if in the UK I would imagine as there's no UK release date for Season 2 yet. Sy-Fy in the US has started airing it though.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Yeah S02E0102 was certainly good :)
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
shaithis
Yeah S02E0102 was certainly good :)
For the first time ever I'm the guy who read the source material and thought it was exccellent, and that while the tv show was entertaining, I thought it was awfully directed, and the plot confusing (though that may be in part because it's deviating significantly from the books)
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Another great episode! :)
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Bleh. I don't know how much my enjoyment of this is coloured by having read the books - enjoyed season 1, then read the books, and now not enjoying season 2 - but it's not satisfying to me. It's not that it's deviating from the source material, it's that the storytelling has me confused and disinterested. The storyline we're on now should be (spoiler alert) coming to a mighty crescendo around now, in a 'oh my god i thought this was all wrapped up and then KABLAM OH MY GOD WTF WOW' kinda way, but i'm distracted and dissatisfied. Doesn't mean I'll stop watching, of course, on balance I'm enjoying it, I just know I could be enjoying it more.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
My mate who read the books is enjoying the series,so I don't think reading the books does not mean you won't enjoy it.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Has S2 come to the UK yet? Binged on S1 on Netflix, thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to more. Excellent cast, really good script and plot.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
This week's episode was pretty awesome!!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
They are doing a great job, but I do wish they'd had Eros screaming!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Yeah excellent episode, best of the show so far. Straight to Ganymede now, can't remember if anything else needs wrapping up? All things considered I guess having Avasarala come in from the start rather than S2 was pretty important
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Defiantly a very good show, I hope the story arc keeps at the same pace and does not slow down like in most shows.
Dark Matter is another very good show!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Khemist
Defiantly a very good show, I hope the story arc keeps at the same pace and does not slow down like in most shows.
Oh, it won't. I'm up to date with the books, and I can tell you, it's a wild ride.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Now they have moved to the second book and the latest episode was really good too.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Thanks for the heads up . I enjoy sci-fi shows and this one seems promising
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Finally started to watch this a few days ago, up to E4 and so far I am enthralled :) Thanks.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Didn't know about this show and will be resubscribing to Netflix to watch it . BSG was the last half decent Sci Fi series I watched but it got a bit strange towards the end.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Personally, I think The Expanse is better than BSG.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
I like twists in the series where seemingly important characters die ;-)
When the unnamed Dr was shot by one of the lead characters. I was left a tad surprised :eek:
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cptwhite_uk
Personally, I think The Expanse is better than BSG.
High praise indeed!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
There's just so many magical attentions to detail when it comes to the physics of the world they've created.
Everything is just within the realms of possibility. The way they use the weapons in the CQB battle is a fantastic example. Long range guided missiles which are countered by fast firing / rotating multi cannons to try and neutralise them, followed by close range rail gun (mass drivers) for dumb high velocity rounds at close range - they even divert power to them, which is a likely scenario as rail guns would work best with maximum available energy for faster projection of the projectile.
Spoilers ahead, don't watch if you plan on watching the series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpfCkkKP9eE
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
I've just finished the series available on Netflix (ie, 1). While I appreciate the nods to realism (but it's still no 2001) what it most reminded me of was a computer game, sorry. The storyline and factions stuff could be the background to any number of space sims from Wing Commander IV to Freelancer.
And maybe I just didn't pay enough attention, but it didn't really seem to go all that far in the 10 episodes - there wasn't a great deal of character development or plot progression (sure, there was a bit of 'mystery reveal' but that could have been done in one episode)! It's certainly pleasant enough to watch, sort of reminding me of Babylon 5 more than anything else. Hope S2 improves things.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
You get the Mars angle more in Season 2. I understand your issues with character development, they seem a bit wooden in comparison to AAA series like Game of Thrones, House of Cards etc... Still, for me, the story line pulls it though along with the hard science and visual effects. There's some great events in season 2. the first 4 or 5 episodes are wrapping up season 1 and there's a second event that seems to dominate the rest of the season. It's good stuff but I am a little concerned how it's going to maintain it's momentum, time will tell.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kalniel
While I appreciate the nods to realism (but it's still no 2001) what it most reminded me of was a computer game, sorry. The storyline and factions stuff could be the background to any number of space sims from Wing Commander IV to Freelancer.
Well....
It was originally conceived as an MMO... but then the level of detail being devised in the background was felt better suited to an old school tabletop RPG... but then the main characters got such detail in them that the guys turned it into a series of novels... which were so good it got turned into a TV series.
Aside from the hard sci-fi leanings regarding tech and how it affects/has affected societal development (which the series is very big on, but often in quite subtle ways too), it's also a good environment for the soft sci-fi. The politics of the three main powers is obvious and pretty classic, but that allows for exploration of cultural and other social themes like poverty, oppression and discrimination, all within the contexts of the story.
TBH, I was a bit disappointed when the mystery stuff started happening as the people and the society was already pretty darn interesting to me... I felt the same way when, halfway through Freelancer, it was suddenly all about the Nomads and all human-interest kinda ceased.
Fortunately, it looks like the human side of The Expanse carries on in Season 2, both within society and around the main characters.
Cas Anvar had the best line of Season 1 with "Donkey Balls"...
Shohreh Aghdashloo in Season 2 has several of them, in very quick succession!!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Make sure to check out the web exclusives on the SyFy site. One looks into the science of the Expanse world with Adam Savage of MythBusters fame. There's also a season one recap... as re-enacted by cats...
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
How have i not seen this binge watching now
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Biscuit
Buzzing
The new season starts on April the 11th.
We should also get to see the UN Navy equivalents to the Donnager Class Dreadnoughts,so more spaceship porn!! :p
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
BTW,here is an article which shows the concept art behind the series:
https://magazine.artstation.com/2016...t-art-expanse/
Also,here is a comparison of the size of the ships in the universe:
https://william-black.deviantart.com...hart-583762865
https://i.imgur.com/GIN0e0U.jpg
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Looking forward to this. I binged through series 1 & 2 when C5th put it up...
Totally agree with TTaskmaster though. It would be fascinating without the blue mcguffin, as a way to explore a society.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Given source material this could and should be the best season yet. Very excited!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Cool, is that April date when we can see it on Netflix?
I wonder how many other Elite Dangerous players called their Corvette class ship "Rocinante" :)
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DanceswithUnix
Cool, is that April date when we can see it on Netflix?
I wonder how many other Elite Dangerous players called their Corvette class ship "Rocinante" :)
I assume so,unless they do the whole staggered release thing,which I never quite understood.
The trailer finally show what the Razorback looks like!
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...20180311205025
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Yeah, a week or so back, Next Episode started giving series three a one month countdown.
Just re-watching series one and two in preparation. :D
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DanceswithUnix
I wonder how many other Elite Dangerous players called their Corvette class ship "Rocinante" :)
I wonder how many people even get the reference, which as I recall is made explicit in the books but certainly isn't explained in the tv shows. /literary snob
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DanceswithUnix
I wonder how many other Elite Dangerous players called their Corvette class ship "Rocinante" :)
I have to admit I have called my ship in Elite Rocinante :embarrassed: but I did that as soon as I saw Season 1.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
wazzickle
I wonder how many people even get the reference, which as I recall is made explicit in the books but certainly isn't explained in the tv shows. /literary snob
I admit I only realised the Rocinante was a Corvette when I got my shiny new Elite Corvette and googled to check the spelling and read up about it. I was just thinking it was a good name for a long pointy gunship :)
Probably a lot of Dark Matter fans out there called their new Chieftain ship "Raza" as there is just too much resemblance there also. Dark Matter is my current SciFi fix whilst waiting for Expanse to turn up.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DanceswithUnix
I wonder how many other Elite Dangerous players called their Corvette class ship "Rocinante" :)
Nah, too cheesy and obvious.
I called mine the Casanvar, after the actor who plays Alex Kamal, pilot of the Roci and the source for my usual forum sig.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
BTW,if you have not read the books,the reason the Canterbury is so massive by the standards of the universe as it was a colony ship,but converted to haul ice instead.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CAT-THE-FIFTH
BTW,if you have not read the books,the reason the Canterbury is so massive by the standards of the universe as it was a colony ship,but converted to haul ice instead.
Did you find the books worth reading then? I read the reviews, they weren't all that positive so figured I would just watch the show. Opposite of how Altered Carbon worked out :)
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DanceswithUnix
Did you find the books worth reading then? I read the reviews, they weren't all that positive so figured I would just watch the show. Opposite of how Altered Carbon worked out :)
I got into the show then read the books and the quality is variable but I think the first couple are the best. Each chapter is written from a characters POV (like Game Of Thrones,) and I think they begin to add too many characters to keep track/make use of as time goes on. The author is actually 2 authors who write different characters chapters so the differences in style become more jarring too.
That said, the latest one isn't bad, they moved the time period on quite a way and cut down the character list so maybe they've responded to feedback. They're all worth a read IMO.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DanceswithUnix
Did you find the books worth reading then? I read the reviews, they weren't all that positive so figured I would just watch the show. Opposite of how Altered Carbon worked out :)
Only really started with the first one,but friends who read most of them,didn't think they were that bad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Phage
Looking forward to this. I binged through series 1 & 2 when C5th put it up...
Totally agree with TTaskmaster though. It would be fascinating without the blue mcguffin, as a way to explore a society.
Its becomes more important as time progresses.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CAT-THE-FIFTH
Staggered release has been so that SyFy (who fund the series and operate a normal TV schedule,) don't lose out by it appearing elsewhere before they finish showing it.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DanceswithUnix
Did you find the books worth reading then? I read the reviews, they weren't all that positive so figured I would just watch the show. Opposite of how Altered Carbon worked out :)
It's certainly not Ian Banks grade.
It's a Space Opera thing, very easy to read, I enjoyed it. The writing style, whilst variable (it's two people iirc?) is mostly good and has some wonderfully descriptive parts. Myself I liked the whole jumping between characters that would then have their paths overlap later on. But it's a preference.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
The show looks amazing and I had high hopes.
For me though, I've really struggled to follow what was going on at times. I'm part way through season 2 now, hoping that it will click into place soon!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TheAnimus
It's certainly not Ian Banks grade.
It's a Space Opera thing, very easy to read, I enjoyed it. The writing style, whilst variable (it's two people iirc?) is mostly good and has some wonderfully descriptive parts. Myself I liked the whole jumping between characters that would then have their paths overlap later on. But it's a preference.
Even though they're in the same narrow category of sci-fi, there's probably not very much overlap in terms of Ian Banks and these guys - the writing style and narrative arcs are massively different, it may be correct that from a value point of view it's of a lower grade than Ian Banks but these aren't trying to be high literature in the same way the Game of Thrones books aren't meant to be high literature.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Yeah I think that's why I like the phrase space opera.
I wouldn't call it hard sci fi. It's just most for screen sci fi is just very soft/easy.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
It's back boys and girls! Watching Season 3 E1 tonight.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jimborae
It's back boys and girls! Watching Season 3 E1 tonight.
On what platform?
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kanoe
On what platform?
Sy-Fy Channel US, so in the UK you'll have to work out how to watch it yourself I'm afraid. :(
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
So anyone watching Season 3? Just finished episode 4....epic again. The beginning has some gorgeous extended effects, the ending was :O
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
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Originally Posted by
cptwhite_uk
So anyone watching Season 3? Just finished episode 4....epic again. The beginning has some gorgeous extended effects, the ending was :O
Yep I am and yes it's pretty good unlike Westworld Season 2 witch so far is boring.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
I gave up on Westworld mid season 1 - it just didn't grab me.
Loving The Expanse though - ep4 was great, albeit a little disturbing at the end! :surprised:
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Gave up westworld at end of season 1; must say I'm not especially gripped by the storytelling so far, I just can't shake the way it went down in the books unfortunately and it's colouring my whole experience, I'm feeling a sort of referred emotions because it's reminding me of the characters from the book and the relationships I've developed with them over 7 books now but maybe that's taking away from the actual show itself. I'll keep going.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
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Originally Posted by
Spreadie
It's probably too expensive for Sy-Fy to fund now it's got so popular. Sy-Fy can't afford to big budget stuff i dont think, so maybe its better if gets picked up by another channel or Netflix etc at least that's the hope I presume. It could of course end up like Firefly and be dumped with no one willing to take a gamble.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
I was pretty annoyed when I heard it was cancelled. The show started pretty slow but it has really picked up now./ And then they cancel it?!
I hate companies that don't see things through :(
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Ars basically says that SyFy didn't have streaming rights for a show with an audience that wanted to watch digitally.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/...it-a-new-home/
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
I really hope it does get funded by Netflix
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
So Bezos could end up with rights for the Expanse and an actual rocket company. There must be room for some tie-ins there :)
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DanceswithUnix
So Bezos could end up with rights for the Expanse and an actual rocket company. There must be room for some tie-ins there :)
I'm surprised Elon Musk hasn't bought it.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
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Originally Posted by
Ttaskmaster
I'm surprised Elon Musk hasn't bought it.
What, something to watch whilst your car drives itself? I think we are a while off that yet :D
He has enough plates spinning I can't imagine he would want to get into streaming video as well!
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Another awesome episode this week, anyone else have any thoughts...that ending, 4 episodes in a row now I've had to pick my jaw off the floor with the ending.
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Still waiting to see it, I gather it won't be on Netflix until October? So spoilers please :)
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Re: The Expanse - best hard sci fi show in years!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cptwhite_uk
Another awesome episode this week, anyone else have any thoughts...that ending, 4 episodes in a row now I've had to pick my jaw off the floor with the ending.
For the first time I wished I hadn't read the books, knowing in advance how that would end.
Interesting that they're trying to get 2 books worth into one series, this episode was like a mini reset. Moving all the pieces to where they'd need to be for the next plot very quickly.