There is a lot of good television these days everywhere. It’s not surprising that a hard sci-fiction for a niche audience would get lost in the mix.
If you haven’t seen The Expanse, you are probably not alone. But I suggest you correct that quickly and get on board. With every season, this show is on its way to cement its legacy as one of the best sci-fi shows ever. Seriously, its last season rated at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Expanse is about a time in the future where humans have colonized the Solar System. Earth and Mars have become asteroid-mining superpowers, engaged in a cold war with each other. The Asteroid Belt is now populated with mining colonies, comprised of a blue-collar Belter population. These people living in the hostile environments of asteroids are at the mercy of inner planets for livelihood and resources. Generations of deprivation have led to the creation of the OPA. A rogue organization, part activist and part terrorist, the Outer Planet Alliance wants to be taken seriously and given equal rights as the Earthers and Martians.
An unexpected explosion of a civilian ice hauler, Canterbury, by a mysterious ship starts up a chain of events that upsets the fragile equilibrium of the Solar System. The Expanse tells this story of the events that follow.
So, what makes this such an amazing show that Jeff Bezos personally saved it when Syfy canceled it after three impressive seasons?
Sci-fi with Good Dose of Realism
This is easily a show that even non-sci-fi watchers can appreciate. Yes, it’s a story about space and future, but by placing the story only two hundred years in the future, we are still very much in the realm of reality. Space colonization is a thing that’s happening as I write this post.
The future has evolved into a grim and gritty place, but its not a dystopian world. Free speech exists, human rights exist, governments exist, corporations exist. Space travel has progressed but still follows Newtonian physics. It continues to be dangerous and grueling to human bodies. Except for the invention of the Epstein Drive that facilitates accelerated travel between planets, our reach is still limited to the Solar System. There is no teleportation or jumping through wormholes, and no aliens abound (not yet, anyway).
The Expanse focuses on the real people who are trying to survive in this newly expanded world. It’s the cycle of colonization all over again. As show co-creator Hawk Oster puts it very eloquently – “When humanity gets to space, it just brings along all its baggage on a larger scale”.
Engaging and ever-changing plot
From the very beginning, The Expanse has serious ambition when it comes to storytelling.
The pilot starts with three seemingly disconnected storylines. On Ceres, a noir detective thriller plays out where cop Josephus Miller (in scene-stealing performance by Thomas Jane), is tasked with finding missing heiress, Julie Mao. Elsewhere in space, the Canterbury diverts its course to respond to a distress signal sent by the Scopuli. James Holden takes a crew of 5 to investigate and changes the course of the Sol System forever. And on Earth, UN politician Chrisjen Avasarala watches these events unfold from the sidelines and starts putting machinations in place to limit the power of Mars and OPA.
The first season spends a lot of time in world-building and bringing these three worlds together, but once you reach this tipping point, there is no turning back. From episode 6 or so onwards, the gears all click in place, and the show takes off.
Then onwards with every 4 or 5 episodes, the plot shifts and expands spectacularly. More players emerge, and hints of threats external to the Sol system appear. There is never a dull moment.
Interesting, Flawed Characters
On Ceres, we meet with all kinds of Belters – the rebels, the duty-bound cops, and the street riff-raff. Miller, the joke of the Ceres Police Station, finds himself fascinated with Julie Mao, and is relentless and almost suicidal in his pursuit of finding her.
The survivors from The Canterbury, form the ragtag crew of the Rocinante. James Holden (Steven Strait), boy scout and Cervantes fan, assumes command of this crew. His often well-meaning but reckless actions escalate an already predictable war. His penchant for finding himself in the center of significant events often upsets major political stratagems, making him the ultimate wild-card in the system.
Amos, the other Earther on the ship, is the resident muscle and sociopath. It’s a great credit to Wes Chatham’s nuanced acting that this trigger happy character has become such a fan favorite.
Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper), Belter and engineer extraordinaire, has secrets of her own – else why would she be spending time on a rickety ice hauler?
And the affable Alex, Martian and genius pilot in the making brings the calm and happy on the ship.
There is Chrisjen Avasarala, a high ranking UN politician from Earth, who has little sympathy for OPA’s terrorism or the posturing from Mars. Manipulative, smart, and powerful, she is the puppeteer behind space politics.
Sadavir Erinwright, Avasarala’s boss, is most reminiscent of current-day leaders – selfish, scared, and ruthless.
The Expanse doesn’t have heroes or villains right away. It’s through the choices that the characters make in hopeless situations gives us an understanding of their moral code.
Serious about Science
There is a reason why the showrunner Naren Shankar and the cast, were invited for a panel at the 2018 International Space Development Center. The show is serious about its science and provides a window to a future in space.
The Expanse doesn’t gloss over space science and often makes references to limits of Newtonian physics. Offhand conversations talk about how asteroids are made inhabitable by spin gravity and how low gravity makes physiological changes to the bodies of the Belters – making the bones longer and brittle. Belters can’t survive on Earth as the force of Earth’s 1G too much for their bodies to take.
Gravity is as much a challenge on spaceships as it’s on planets. The high-g flip and burn of ships to change directions take a tremendous toll on human bodies, and The Expanse predicts that drugs may alleviate some of the problems in the future.
The famous zero-g beer-drinking scene on the Rocinante is an example of moments where the show takes time to demonstrate the realities of space travel. Another scene where Miller pours a drink and the Coriolis effect is evident in the direction of the flow. These little nods to science make this a huge fan favorite.
The Expanse Gets Diversity Right
Like it’s source material (the series of novels by James Corey), the creators of The Expanse assumes that the solar system will be a melting of all identities. The show has people across the ethnicity spectrum in exciting roles. The cast is so pervasively diverse that it becomes a moot point few episodes in, which is how it should be.
The Expanse is understandably a political show, and by removing the question of diversity from its production, it helps us objectively focus on the conversation around prejudice. Because predictably, discrimination is still alive and kicking well into the 23rd century. Deep class divides separate the Belters from Earth & Mars – it’s the ageless debate between the haves and have-nots. Earth and Mars may be united in their dislike of Belters, but live in mutual scorn of each other. Mars has little respect for the 30 billion on Earth who have blue skies and oceans, and are now living off government subsidies. Earth has no time for the upstart planet that will never be the real thing.
So the landscape has changed, but the politics remain the same – selfish, divisive, and corrupt.
Excellent Production Quality
I know some of us been very excited in the past about dragons and all, but this is something else. I mean we are talking about spaceships and asteroids, and ships fighting around asteroids. There are close quarter space battles and high-g maneuvers. We are talking about creating entire worlds on celestial bodies.
And it’s not just the beauty of space and stars, there is attention to detail in other things. The landscape on Earth is essentially the same, but sea levels have risen, and cities now have dykes. Mobile phones have evolved into funky transparent handheld devices. Asteroids are basically the space version of cave colonies, with Belters surviving in artificial light and recycled air and living in underground matchbox housing.
I am really excited to see where season 4 is going to take us, especially with the new Prime Video Budget.
Chrisjen Avasarala’s Sarees
Who am I kidding? The only reason I watch this show is to see what gorgeous saree is Avasarala going to be wearing in every scene. Avasarala is a politician of Indian descent, and her elaborate saree costumes are a homage to those origins. The character is actually played by the amazing Iranian actress, Shoreh Ashgadaloo, who carries off the saree with a flair that I envy and wish possessed. Joanne Hansen, the costume director, does such an excellent job of staying true to traditional Indian fabrics and patterns but mixing up the draping styles.
You Can Watch It Here
The first three seasons of The Expanse are available on Prime Video. Season 4 airdate is 13 December, 2019
For more on movies and TV, go here.
