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The Expanse - 2015-???? TV Series

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The premise (from Wikipedia)

Two hundred years in the future, in a fully colonized Solar System, police detective Josephus Miller (Thomas Jane), born on Ceres in the asteroid belt, is assigned to find a missing young woman, Juliette “Julie” Andromeda Mao (Florence Faivre). James Holden (Steven Strait), the Executive Officer of the ice hauler Canterbury, is involved in a tragic incident that threatens to destabilize the uneasy peace between Earth, Mars and the Belt. On Earth, Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), a United Nations executive, works to prevent war between Earth and Mars by any means necessary. Soon, the three find out that the missing woman and the ice hauler’s fate are part of a vast conspiracy that threatens all humanity.

 

Based on a series of novels by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (writing under the pseudonym James S. A. Corey), The Expanse is one of the best science fiction shows out there right now. Taking a more realistic/“hard” sci-fi approach than most sci-fi TV and film while placing a lot of focus on the politics of a colonized solar system, it could be described as “Sci-fi Game of Thrones” with some accuracy.

Unfortunately, SyFy has decided to end their association with the show at the end of Season 3. While they only held first-run broadcast rights in the US and Alcon funds production themselves, SyFy’s contribution was a major factor and the show will likely not continue without a new partner in the US.

Currently it seems like Amazon Prime (who currently holds exclusive US streaming rights) is our best hope, as Netflix (who currently holds almost all international streaming rights) is said to have passed on the show by some of those involved.

Please help save the show - buy Season 3’s digital release on Amazon Video and watch it, pre-order Season 3 on Blu-Ray from Amazon, watch Seasons 1 and 2 on Amazon Prime Video (bump up those viewing numbers!), buy Seasons 1 and 2 on Blu-Ray from Amazon, tweet #SaveTheExpanse at Amazon and Jeff Bezos, send Jeff Bezos an email with “Save The Expanse” in the subject header, and send Amazon Video a suggestion to pick up the series through their “proper channels.” Save the show!

EDIT: Amazon has picked it up for season 4! 😄 CAN’T STOP THE WORK

 

Change.org Petition

Form to suggest the show to Amazon (either use the form under the “For Your Consideration” choice or start a chat and suggest it there)

Amazon Twitter accounts to tweet @:

https://twitter.com/AmazonStudios
https://twitter.com/primevideo
https://twitter.com/AmazonHelp

 

Wikipedia page

IMDB page

 

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Hmmm, can you sell me some more on saving the show, given that I’ve never heard of it?

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Hmmm, videos. Can you provide me with a written explanation, preferably with extensive sourcing/footnotes?

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I should note that the show takes 3-4 episodes to pick up. If you’re not sold by the end of episode 4, it’s probably just not your cup of tea. But don’t drop it until you’ve finished the first 4 episodes.

Basically, think space opera based on actual hard science (thrust gravity, spaceships built like skyscrapers, people living in the Belt can’t handle higher gravity environments, drugs used during high G maneuvers to prevent death), with only a few things that are just not possible, like the absurdly efficient Epstein drive that allows ships to perform constant-g burns to traverse the solar system quickly while keeping constant gravity under thrust, and the nature of the existential threat that appears toward the end of season 1 which I won’t spoil.

Add in the politics of the Earth/Mars/Belt factions and the semi-noir missing person investigation that kicks everything off, and there’s a little something for every sci-fi fan, whether you like Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, Babylon 5, whatever.

If you’ve been itching for a good space-based sci-fi show, this is what you’ve been waiting for.

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TV’s Frink said:

Hmmm, videos. Can you provide me with a written explanation, preferably with extensive sourcing/footnotes?

Just watch at least 2 minutes of the space battle link (from where the link begins, which should be 5:55 into the video). Trust me.

And I know you’re half joking, but this is a legitimately fantastic show that I think 90% of the people on this site would enjoy.

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This show is amazing. I really hope that whoever picks it up keeps the production values the same. (I am fairly confident that someone will pick it up)

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I sent an email offering to give Jeff Bezos five dollars if he continues the Expanse.

The Person in Question

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dahmage said:

This show is amazing. I really hope that whoever picks it up keeps the production values the same. (I am fairly confident that someone will pick it up)

Amazon seems interested - apparently they’ve had meetings with Alcon today about it. And this season in particular has been fucking fantastic! Last episode had me tense for about the entire second half. I’m almost glad I haven’t finished the second book yet.

Oh, and I fixed the Battle of Thoth Station link (my appended timecode was fucked up). Watch 2 minutes of that video (starting from the time I linked, 5:55) and you’ll be sold!

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moviefreakedmind said:

I sent an email offering to give Jeff Bezos five dollars if he continues the Expanse.

I bet you were nice about it

JEDIT: wait, i thought you were asking for money

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This show is so good, you should all drop everything you are doing and watch it now.

drop out of college,
quit your job,
break up with your SO,
abandon ship,

#SaveTheExpanse

well, maybe don’t do any of those things. but this is good sci-fi.

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If I do will you financially support me? I promise I’ll be nice

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I knew I was gonna love this show when it actually go the coriolis effect under spin gravity right with Miller pouring drinks in different areas on Ceres (one closer to the center of the station and one closer to the edge of the station).

Outer edge of station:

Inner part of station:

I mean, yeah, little technical details like that don’t make a good show, but it’s great to see such attention to detail in a show that’s already good to begin with!

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Possessed said:

If I do will you financially support me? I promise I’ll be nice

i warn you, I’ll break your heart.

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Another example of good science helping to tell the story - a Belter being tortured for information on Earth simply by using the fact that he’s lived his whole life in a low-gravity environment:

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Wait, this is a SyFy show. Not even a SciFi show. It cannot be good by definition.

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Well, SyFy only bought the rights to air the show in the US. It’s an Alcon Entertainment show that was aired by SyFy, but SyFy canned it because 80% of the audience watched it streaming, which they don’t have the rights for (Amazon does in the US, which is why Amazon is the focus for picking the show up for a 4th season). Unfortunately, despite this fact, the show won’t continue if it can’t find a new home in the US, either on a network or first-run streaming.

And it’s easily the best thing that has aired on SyFy since Battlestar Galactica. Or at least, the best space-based show.

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dahmage said:

This show is so good, you should all drop everything you are doing and watch it now.

drop out of college,
quit your job,
break up with your SO,
abandon ship,

#SaveTheExpanse

well, maybe don’t do any of those things. but this is good sci-fi.

I’d say do all those things whether you watch the Expanse or not.

EDIT: Actually, don’t drop out of college. Knowledge is important.

The Person in Question

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Just for you, Frink (and I guess Dom too?) I’m going to try to sum up the show as best I can:


200 years from now, humanity has conquered the Solar System. The United Nations on Earth and the Martian Congressional Republic on Mars are the two main powers in the system, each one hoping for dominant control over the other, while the settlers in the Asteroid Belt and moons of the Outer Planets are used and oppressed by both sides for the resources of the Belt, upon which both Earth and Mars depend for survival. As the Belters begin to coalesce and unite under the various factions of the Outer Planets Alliance (seen as a terrorist group by both Earth and Mars), a tragedy on a Belter ice hauling vessel Canterbury starts to bring the already built-up tensions across the system to a boil, while a Ceres Station police officer’s investigation into the disappearance of a well-connected Earth woman with ties to Belt sympathizers brings connections to the Canterbury incident to light. Both the survivors of the Canterbury (James Holden and his crewmates) and Detective Miller start to untangle a web of conspiracy and race to prevent a system-wide war, while an existential threat to all of humanity lurks behind it all…

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ChainsawAsh said:

Just for you, Frink (and I guess Dom too?) I’m going to try to sum up the show as best I can:


200 years from now, humanity has conquered the Solar System. The United Nations on Earth and the Martian Congressional Republic on Mars are the two main powers in the system, each one hoping for dominant control over the other, while the settlers in the Asteroid Belt and moons of the Outer Planets are used and oppressed by both sides for the resources of the Belt, upon which both Earth and Mars depend for survival. As the Belters begin to coalesce and unite under the various factions of the Outer Planets Alliance (seen as a terrorist group by both Earth and Mars), a tragedy on a Belter ice hauling vessel Canterbury starts to bring the already built-up tensions across the system to a boil, while a Ceres Station police officer’s investigation into the disappearance of a well-connected Earth woman with ties to Belt sympathizers brings connections to the Canterbury incident to light. Both the survivors of the Canterbury (James Holden and his crewmates) and Detective Miller start to untangle a web of conspiracy and race to prevent a system-wide war, while an existential threat to all of humanity lurks behind it all…

I can’t take the time to read all that, can you just import the show directly to my brain?

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TV’s Frink said:

ChainsawAsh said:

Just for you, Frink (and I guess Dom too?) I’m going to try to sum up the show as best I can:


200 years from now, humanity has conquered the Solar System. The United Nations on Earth and the Martian Congressional Republic on Mars are the two main powers in the system, each one hoping for dominant control over the other, while the settlers in the Asteroid Belt and moons of the Outer Planets are used and oppressed by both sides for the resources of the Belt, upon which both Earth and Mars depend for survival. As the Belters begin to coalesce and unite under the various factions of the Outer Planets Alliance (seen as a terrorist group by both Earth and Mars), a tragedy on a Belter ice hauling vessel Canterbury starts to bring the already built-up tensions across the system to a boil, while a Ceres Station police officer’s investigation into the disappearance of a well-connected Earth woman with ties to Belt sympathizers brings connections to the Canterbury incident to light. Both the survivors of the Canterbury (James Holden and his crewmates) and Detective Miller start to untangle a web of conspiracy and race to prevent a system-wide war, while an existential threat to all of humanity lurks behind it all…

I can’t take the time to read all that, can you just import the show directly to my brain?

😒