The Expanse

[Gail 0]

Well I thought it was tremendous!  Did not see the thing with Fred Johnson coming at all!!!

(I hope your migraine lets go soon Nicole )

[CJ Mitchell 0]

On 12/24/2020 at 5:12 PM, Gail said:

Well I thought it was tremendous!  Did not see the thing with Fred Johnson coming at all!!!

(I hope your migraine lets go soon Nicole )

I forgot that happened. I've read the books but its been a while so can't remember all the details.  

Episode 5 was pretty good too, loved seeing Amos with Peaches and how that whole situation worked out. 

[Nicole 0]

On 12/24/2020 at 5:12 PM, Gail said:

Well I thought it was tremendous!  Did not see the thing with Fred Johnson coming at all!!!

(I hope your migraine lets go soon Nicole )

I didn't see the Fred thing coming at all.... because it doesn't happen in Nemesis Games! I get why they did it though; all along Ty and Dan have said there would only ever be six series, so it makes sense to move things along in order to condense nine books, plus the novellas, into six series. 

I really enjoyed episode 5. Haven't re-watched any of this series though because I've decided to just take it as it comes, and then have a binge next month, once they've all aired. I suspect I may well feel differently about episode 4 when I do!

[Gail 0]

Soooooooo........how's everyone feeling about S5 so far?  I hate to admit it, but after Ep 4 I think it's gone a bit downhill - it seems to have turned into The Naomi Show, which might well be how it is in the books but it does drag it out on screen IMO  

Or am I missing something (apart from Miller )

[CJ Mitchell 0]

On 1/31/2021 at 7:32 PM, Gail said:

Soooooooo........how's everyone feeling about S5 so far?  I hate to admit it, but after Ep 4 I think it's gone a bit downhill - it seems to have turned into The Naomi Show, which might well be how it is in the books but it does drag it out on screen IMO  

Or am I missing something (apart from Miller )

I think it went well.. yeah things were different from the book. I don't think it went downhill more as switch in pace and where the crew were in relation to each other. Things seemed more disjointed because they were. Naomi was close to the main protagonist which may have been why it felt that way, it took the focus away from Holden. 

In the books there's another storyline going on on Earth which they missed out, I guess it was because it didn't tie in a great deal to the main story but gave a different example of the impact of the meteors.  

If done right the next season will be quite exciting but its hoping people will stick around for it if they didn't enjoy this one so much. 

[Gail 0]

18 hours ago, CJ Mitchell said:

I think it went well.. yeah things were different from the book. I don't think it went downhill more as switch in pace and where the crew were in relation to each other. Things seemed more disjointed because they were. Naomi was close to the main protagonist which may have been why it felt that way, it took the focus away from Holden. 

In the books there's another storyline going on on Earth which they missed out, I guess it was because it didn't tie in a great deal to the main story but gave a different example of the impact of the meteors.  

If done right the next season will be quite exciting but its hoping people will stick around for it if they didn't enjoy this one so much. 

Oh there’s no question I’ll be sticking around for S6!

I just felt that there was a bit too much of Naomi’s issues (although I do get that  that was a major part of the story) and just odd scenes here and there on the Roci and the Razorback that didn’t seem to add much to the overall plot. Just my opinion though

[Nicole 0]

17 hours ago, CJ Mitchell said:

I think it went well.. yeah things were different from the book. I don't think it went downhill more as switch in pace and where the crew were in relation to each other. Things seemed more disjointed because they were. Naomi was close to the main protagonist which may have been why it felt that way, it took the focus away from Holden. 

In the books there's another storyline going on on Earth which they missed out, I guess it was because it didn't tie in a great deal to the main story but gave a different example of the impact of the meteors.  

If done right the next season will be quite exciting but its hoping people will stick around for it if they didn't enjoy this one so much. 

I agree! In fact, I actually felt it got better as the series went on!

I thought Dominique did such a superb job throughout the series, especially in E8. Absolutely brilliant! I also love that there was no spoon-feeding, so if you haven't read the book, you do actually have to think about what's going on on-screen (e.g. with Naomi carving those notches to keep note of the air depletion in the cabin).

E8 was actually my favourite one, and I loved that it gave a reason to keep watching until the end of the credits. And speaking of which, I really liked the after-credits payoff in E10, too.

I like that they incorporated The Churn but again, I feel it could have been done better. Not because there was anything particularly wrong with the way it was translated to screen, more that it lacked the emotional depth of the novella.

I would've liked to have seen more of Amos and Peaches' journey (and Amos' personal journey) because it was pretty epic in the book but I understand why this was cut down. (And in the book, they rode pushbikes, which makes far more sense, IMO.) 

Likewise the escape from The Pit was nowhere near as dramatic on TV as in the book.

I really don't understand why they had to have that weeing scene with Peaches and Amos. Was it to show they trusted each other? I think everyone had already worked that one out! They could have had the conversation while standing up, sitting down, eating a meal, walking along... the toileting added nothing to the story, and just felt completely gratuitous, which is something I would never have expected from The Expanse.  

I did love the way Amos got Peaches on board the Roci - that scene was fantastic! And I also liked the bottle of tequila falling & smashing as a metaphor for Amos' decision to once and for all close the door on his past.

What happened with Alex is almost exactly what I suspected - that his fate would actually be Fred's from the next book (but I didn't expect it to be on the Razorback Screaming Firehawk). I must admit though, that despite it being my initial supposition, there was a brief moment when I was hoping that he'd just return to Mars to make a go of things with his family, leaving the way open for a return!

While I enjoyed the series overall, some of it I felt was pretty anticlimactic, and a bit meh. I really don't feel it came anywhere near as close to the sense of terror and desperation that the book conveyed, simply because they missed out so much. The rocks hitting earth, for example, and the aftermath, almost felt like an afterthought. Compared to the book**, there really was very little to suggest the sheer scale of the devastation wrought.

**Which I know is a bad thing to do!

Part of me regrets reading the books before the entire series end. In my defence though, it had been cancelled, so as far as I knew, there would be no more! (I could have stopped reading when S4 was announced though, I suppose.)

One of my friends is an astrobiologist, and watched S1 years ago but was too busy with her studies to watch any more. She's currently re-watching S1, and is planning to watch them all. I was chatting with her last night, and realised that I actually feel quite envious of the marvellous journey she has before her! Ha ha!

I suspect I may feel differently about the parts I was less than enamoured with once I have re-watched it. So far, I've only watched each episode as it aired, which, for something like The Expanse, is not the best way, I feel. I just haven't made time to give it my full attention, so would rather wait until I am able to watch properly!

[Nicole 0]

1 hour ago, Gail said:

Oh there’s no question I’ll be sticking around for S6!

I just felt that there was a bit too much of Naomi’s issues (although I do get that  that was a major part of the story) and just odd scenes here and there on the Roci and the Razorback that didn’t seem to add much to the overall plot. Just my opinion though

I think part of the problem is that the crew is scattered all over the place, and while it's easy enough to build a solid narrative in a book, things often seem disjointed on TV. The Roci and Razorback scenes did feel shoehorned in at times. It often seemed that the show lacked flow.

Again though, it may feel otherwise upon re-watch.

I still say that the thing the TV show does badly is marking the passage of time. This is my only real gripe with it, and I think part of the problem is that with something set on earth (for example), day to night, celebrations and holidays, changing seasons, etc., are all great devices for such purposes. For example, those of us who live with four seasons a year get a sense of how much time has passed between, say, autumn and winter. But how do you do that on a TV show set in space, without any of the indicators we all take for granted, without explicitly stating it?

Even when there are scenes set on earth, you still rarely get a sense of how much time has passed!

[Gail 0]

Don’t get me wrong, I think there were some good scenes and the story did get where it needed to be, it just seemed to take a long time getting there.  And I was really disappointed with the way Alex’s exit was dealt with - in the aftermath it was almost a case of “Oh well, never mind”.  I mean, there was even a touching scene with the crew when Miller died and they weren’t as close to him as they were to Alex.  I know it must have been a difficult one to negotiate but was that really the best they could do?

I did like Amos’ story but even then Clarissa changed from being kickass to pretty much a peacekeeper - the only time she really cut loose was off screen.  (Although I liked the “we’re gonna have to be nicer to her” line ) I guess it’s all about growth but she does snarky so well!

I do recall being fairly underwhelmed with S4 on first viewing, but I like it better now I’ve rewatched (a few times) so hopefully the same will happen with S5.  Either way I’m with it till the bitter end........just a shame there’s no Miller, or even a Miller-type character, to spice things up.

[Nicole 0]

4 hours ago, Gail said:

Don’t get me wrong, I think there were some good scenes and the story did get where it needed to be, it just seemed to take a long time getting there.  And I was really disappointed with the way Alex’s exit was dealt with - in the aftermath it was almost a case of “Oh well, never mind”.  I mean, there was even a touching scene with the crew when Miller died and they weren’t as close to him as they were to Alex.  I know it must have been a difficult one to negotiate but was that really the best they could do?

I agree. I thought the way he went out was perfect, especially as high G strokes had been mentioned right from S1. I did wonder whether Bobbie talking about it in S5 was a re-shoot. If not, was this planned all along, given that it's ending after S6? I would seem highly coincidental though, in view of the-thing-that-shall-not-be-named.

5 hours ago, Gail said:

I did like Amos’ story but even then Clarissa changed from being kickass to pretty much a peacekeeper - the only time she really cut loose was off screen.  (Although I liked the “we’re gonna have to be nicer to her” line ) I guess it’s all about growth but she does snarky so well!

I really like the direction she's going in. It's entirely in keeping with her not wanting to be the 'monster' she created for the sake of misguided vengeance. As she said in one of the episodes, the old Clarissa is dead. And you're right, she's so good at snark!

5 hours ago, Gail said:

I do recall being fairly underwhelmed with S4 on first viewing, but I like it better now I’ve rewatched (a few times) so hopefully the same will happen with S5.  Either way I’m with it till the bitter end........just a shame there’s no Miller, or even a Miller-type character, to spice things up.

I was too at first because of how much was left out, and some of the changes that were made. I confess to still not understanding why Basia was changed to Lucia! The fact that in the books it was Katoa's dad, makes so much more sense than a random character with no history in the story. But hey ho, if I were in charge of bringing The Expanse to the small screen, it would never be green-lit because I'd want to be very stubborn, and insist on having all the things included! 

[Nicole 0]

Oh, BTW... check out this series of pics on Insta - so funny!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLW7UIELXpB/

[Nicole 0]

On air in a few hours!

 

[Nicole 0]

Blooper reel, and some BTS with a certain person!

 

[CJ Mitchell 0]

Yeah I saw this the other day and thought to share it here and then forgot because I had to go out.   So its great you shared it instead  Was good seeing his directing.

Also that stunt with Amos had me laugh at first and then think ohh crap hope he was okay from that. 

[Enaira 0]

 

On 2/16/2021 at 1:33 PM, Nicole said:

I think part of the problem is that the crew is scattered all over the place, and while it's easy enough to build a solid narrative in a book, things often seem disjointed on TV.

Hello everyone !

I finally found time to watch S5. Having read the book before, I enjoyed it really. It was not the same for my husband who complained about what you mention above: it felt disjointed.

It remains an unsolvable task: how to bring such a dense story in just 10 episodes. Reading the book, I felt that Amos's journey alone could have been turned into a movie. It was too short for my taste. Naomi did get her fair amount of time on screen, probably because it takes place in space and creates a bridge to Drummer.

I enjoyed the make-up, hair design and tatoos a lot! Those space overalls and suits remain really cool, even if little realistic.

On the evening we watched Ep. 10, we had to interrupt in order to see the landing of Perseverance live on Nasa TV. Amazing stuff, but man, we're a loooong way to "live the Expanse".

Thank you for sharing those bloopers and interviews !

 

 

[Nicole 0]

20 hours ago, Enaira said:

 

Hello everyone !

I finally found time to watch S5. Having read the book before, I enjoyed it really. It was not the same for my husband who complained about what you mention above: it felt disjointed.

Yes, Kevin wasn't overly; impressed, either. Not just because of the weekly drop but he feels that since the series went to Amazon, it really lacks the impact of the first three series. I don't really know if he's right because I'm not viewing through the eyes of someone who hasn't read the books; the fact that I have is always going to have an impact on my viewing experience. 

That said though, from an end user POV, I still feel the weekly drop was a terrible idea. However, from a business perspective, it makes sense to make sure you get subscription fees from people who would otherwise just sign up for a free trial just to watch the series, and who then never subscribe. 

20 hours ago, Enaira said:

It remains an unsolvable task: how to bring such a dense story in just 10 episodes. Reading the book, I felt that Amos's journey alone could have been turned into a movie. It was too short for my taste. Naomi did get her fair amount of time on screen, probably because it takes place in space and creates a bridge to Drummer.

I thought that about S4. So much they left out, which, TBH, had they at least retained Naomi's story, may have stopped so many people whining about her in S5! 

Completely agree about Amos' journey. And not just his physical one from The Pit to Lake Winnipesaukee but his emotional and psychological one, too. I did really like that scene when he says to Peaches that he really needs to get back to crew. The fact that he recognised how much of a moral compass they are for him, really speaks volumes as to how far he's come as a character.

Drummer was superb in this series... but then how could she not be! Ha ha! I love that we got a glimpse into her family life, even though it became seriously fractured. The scene with the droplets of drink was wonderful! 

(Side note: in the group I'm an admin of, there were so many people who just couldn't grasp the concept of a group of Belters all being married to each other, and weren't impressed... and yet they have no problem with Holden's family setup being the same. Some of our members are, to put it mildly, a tad odd!)

20 hours ago, Enaira said:

I enjoyed the make-up, hair design and tatoos a lot! Those space overalls and suits remain really cool, even if little realistic.

I love the tattoos - they are all so cool. And I love that just as many women as men have them. But that is just another example of the equality between the sexes in The Expanse. And quite right too.

On the subject of hair etc. Anyone else feel that Marco was channelling Prince?! The hair, the eyeliner, the upturned collar... even the way he sashays into view!    

[Gail 0]

1 hour ago, Nicole said:

Yes, Kevin wasn't overly; impressed, either. Not just because of the weekly drop but he feels that since the series went to Amazon, it really lacks the impact of the first three series. I don't really know if he's right because I'm not viewing through the eyes of someone who hasn't read the books; the fact that I have is always going to have an impact on my viewing experience. 

It must be a man thing - Martin said exactly the same thing!  Neither of us really minded the weekly drop of episodes (it does take me back to how telly used to be ) but however much I remind him it’s the same cast, crew and writers he thinks it’s the move to Amazon that’s done it. I think I’ve probably missed a certain something by not reading the books though.

I still love the overall look of the episodes (cinematography, etc.), I think it was a flow and pacing issue that left me feeling a bit let down.

And yes - I totally think Marco’s look is stolen from Prince . Give him a pair of Cuban heels and a spangley coat and he could be his stunt double

[Enaira 0]

18 hours ago, Nicole said:

Drummer was superb in this (Side note: in the group I'm an admin of, there were so many people who just couldn't grasp the concept of a group of Belters all being married to each other, and weren't impressed... and yet they have no problem with Holden's family setup being the same. Some of our members are, to put it mildly, a tad odd!)

I really liked that the series showed their relationships as completely normal. It was no big deal, why would it be?

[Nicole 0]

3 minutes ago, Enaira said:

I really liked that the series showed their relationships as completely normal. It was no big deal, why would it be?

Exactly! Polyamory is not something that appeals to me but logically-speaking, it makes far more sense than just two people being together. Especially from a procreation perspective.

Imagine being brought up in Holden's family... all those different parents you could go to when one tells you no, you can't have an ice cream before your dinner!