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Exploring The Expanse - Season One, up to 1×6
Heyyyyyy. It's been a while again, hasn't it? I'm still out there. Been catching up on my reading page ever so slowly. I wanted to post my thoughts on a new series I've been watching, The Expanse. Well, it's new to me... sort of. I tried reading the first book in the series, Leviathan Wakes, but just couldn't get into it. Matter of fact, I tried sitting down and watching it a few years back and couldn't get into it. But there's a specific reason I'll get into under the spoilers tag. See you there, space cowboys.
I love the details of this universe. The hard sci-fi elements are one of my favorite things about this show, and it's refreshing to see a sci-fi series where there's not aliens every which way or where they actually think about where space colonies get their resources from. I'm not a scientist, but it seems to rely on pop culture science enough where there's nothing that tips me off that something is just plain wrong. I really, really dig the divergent cultural and physiological evolution that the Belters are going through. It really gives them a sense of identity other than "humans who live on other planet" and makes a pretty good argument for why they can't really reconcile with the rest of the factions--the most "advanced" Belters would literally die if they returned to Earth-like conditions. This also feeds into the class system and systemic racism that's been established without being too on the nose. These are people who have been marginalized to the point of actual physical change, further making them outcasts from societies who only seek to use and abuse them and their resources without ever giving them a say. There's some obvious parallels between this and real life history which is something I won't go into, as I'm not qualified to comment on it, but I think that because it's sci-fi people are able to separate themselves from their personal feelings and experiences about and with discrimination. I'm speaking only for myself, of course. I like being to have conversations about these topics without necessarily bringing up real life events and people. Could it be a bridge to doing so? Sure! It just makes me feel more comfortable exploring how I think and feel when confronted with discrimination when it comes to media.
Moving on to the characters, I don't have any favorites or particularly like one member of the cast over the others. I do have a resounding hatred for Miller, though. He just pisses me off. He was the reason I quit watching after the first episode previously. I despise his stupid hat and his stupid haircut and his stupid face. Everything about him makes me think like his creator thought this guy was a real badass, kind of a nerdy fantasy of being a cool dude in a fedora who's snarky and broken. He reminds me of Harry Dresden from The Dresden Files, which I also quit because I can't stand author self-insert fantasies. I'm not a big fan of Holden or Alex either for similar reasons. Alex keeps trying to sound like a badass cowboy, and it's just dumb. And Holden... Holden reminds me of my least favorite actor, James Franco. Ugh...
I think this show needs a wide eyed innocent type, someone who genuinely wants to make the system a better place and gets pushed around for it. Right now, it all feels so cynical and gritty for the sake of gritty. My favorite characters are the Space Mormons. I just really want them to get their spaceship. God speed, dudes. God speed. Nah, semi-joking aside, I like Miller's partner, Havelock. He's got a good heart and a cute and wholesome relationship with a Belter prostitute. More of him, please.
The set design in great, and the styling of the spacecraft (particularly the shuttlecraft) is kind of what I think Enterprise was going for. They're these little submarines hurtling through space, not pleasure cruises or family-friendly ships. Space is a big deal, a serious departure into a vast and unfriendly solar system. The designs match this feeling of cold, utilitarian space travel. I like that. Fits into the real focus on survival and resource management, both on and off ship.
I'm most interested in the plot than anything else. Who blew up the Scopuli and the Canterbury? What did Julie Mao and the OPA find at Phoebe? Will the Space Mormons ever get to spread their religion amongst the stars? I demand an answer to these questions by the end of the season or I will... probably still watch the show. It's something to do at night, ya know.
I love the details of this universe. The hard sci-fi elements are one of my favorite things about this show, and it's refreshing to see a sci-fi series where there's not aliens every which way or where they actually think about where space colonies get their resources from. I'm not a scientist, but it seems to rely on pop culture science enough where there's nothing that tips me off that something is just plain wrong. I really, really dig the divergent cultural and physiological evolution that the Belters are going through. It really gives them a sense of identity other than "humans who live on other planet" and makes a pretty good argument for why they can't really reconcile with the rest of the factions--the most "advanced" Belters would literally die if they returned to Earth-like conditions. This also feeds into the class system and systemic racism that's been established without being too on the nose. These are people who have been marginalized to the point of actual physical change, further making them outcasts from societies who only seek to use and abuse them and their resources without ever giving them a say. There's some obvious parallels between this and real life history which is something I won't go into, as I'm not qualified to comment on it, but I think that because it's sci-fi people are able to separate themselves from their personal feelings and experiences about and with discrimination. I'm speaking only for myself, of course. I like being to have conversations about these topics without necessarily bringing up real life events and people. Could it be a bridge to doing so? Sure! It just makes me feel more comfortable exploring how I think and feel when confronted with discrimination when it comes to media.
Moving on to the characters, I don't have any favorites or particularly like one member of the cast over the others. I do have a resounding hatred for Miller, though. He just pisses me off. He was the reason I quit watching after the first episode previously. I despise his stupid hat and his stupid haircut and his stupid face. Everything about him makes me think like his creator thought this guy was a real badass, kind of a nerdy fantasy of being a cool dude in a fedora who's snarky and broken. He reminds me of Harry Dresden from The Dresden Files, which I also quit because I can't stand author self-insert fantasies. I'm not a big fan of Holden or Alex either for similar reasons. Alex keeps trying to sound like a badass cowboy, and it's just dumb. And Holden... Holden reminds me of my least favorite actor, James Franco. Ugh...
I think this show needs a wide eyed innocent type, someone who genuinely wants to make the system a better place and gets pushed around for it. Right now, it all feels so cynical and gritty for the sake of gritty. My favorite characters are the Space Mormons. I just really want them to get their spaceship. God speed, dudes. God speed. Nah, semi-joking aside, I like Miller's partner, Havelock. He's got a good heart and a cute and wholesome relationship with a Belter prostitute. More of him, please.
The set design in great, and the styling of the spacecraft (particularly the shuttlecraft) is kind of what I think Enterprise was going for. They're these little submarines hurtling through space, not pleasure cruises or family-friendly ships. Space is a big deal, a serious departure into a vast and unfriendly solar system. The designs match this feeling of cold, utilitarian space travel. I like that. Fits into the real focus on survival and resource management, both on and off ship.
I'm most interested in the plot than anything else. Who blew up the Scopuli and the Canterbury? What did Julie Mao and the OPA find at Phoebe? Will the Space Mormons ever get to spread their religion amongst the stars? I demand an answer to these questions by the end of the season or I will... probably still watch the show. It's something to do at night, ya know.