US: The Expanse - ** Please use spoiler tags for reveals with TV show or books**
- Thread starter NexusK
- Start date
Associate
- Joined
- 1 Aug 2009
- Posts
- 1,625
Good show no filler episodes
Some fluff but we've been spoiled with some fantastic space shows over the years with 20 odd episodes a season, albeit not for a long time now.
It probably doesn't help that the first 4 episodes came out at once as did the last 2, leaving only 4 weeks of weekly episodes in between
Soldato
I will probably read all the books by the time season 2 comes around 
Associate
Ahhhhh that was it for now? For shame. FOR SHAME! I'd figured the rate they were moving at book 1 would = series 1, guess it would have been if they did 20 episodes.
Edit: Oh and loving it if that wasn't clear from the above
Edit: Oh and loving it if that wasn't clear from the above
Soldato
I think in this case, a longer season would have been a very good thing as there still wouldn't have been any room for fillers if they made it one book to one season. With six full novels and three novellas already out plus three full novels to come, I can't see them ever completing the story unless they skip huge chunks.
Associate
syfy have been greenlight small mini season to test the waters and if it does good they greenlight an extend season 2 of 13/16/22 episode season. for a prime example of this take BSG scifi greenlight the mini series and when it did good they did the extend season 1.
Man of Honour
I thought it was a bit weak really...
Caporegime
Just seen E01 and it was....awful.
Caporegime
The first season was pretty strong IMHO,and its good they are building things up.
The attention to detail is pretty awesome and the universe itself seems pretty believable.
The attention to detail is pretty awesome and the universe itself seems pretty believable.
Last edited:
Permabanned
Last few episodes have realy picked up in my opinion. Although i still dislike Thomas Jane, i just don't think he is a good actor. Also Steven Strait character is annoying.
BSG was slightly odd though, in that it was the success of the mini series in the UK which lead to the series being made. Sky actually put their hands in their pockets and stumped up a pile of cash. That also had a short series one and then a full length 2.
So glad not the only one, having said that it was done well alas confusing as to what was going on but as others have said the books would fill in the gaps no doubt.
And at that point very few would bother and by 2017 for season 2 most would have long forgotten this show
Prefer less gap fillers but yeah it was a short tv series, serials should be a good 12-16 eps imo, and I still hope the new trek tv series does not have 26 episodes when it comes out next year !
Soldato
You know, I got to the end of the last episode, and I thought to myself.. has the episode finished already? hardly went out with a bang, more of a meh..
Caporegime
So glad not the only one, having said that it was done well alas confusing as to what was going on but as others have said the books would fill in the gaps no doubt.
And at that point very few would bother and by 2017 for season 2 most would have long forgotten this show
Its because the story is being built up - even Babylon 5 took like 15+ episodes to eventually start to get anywhere. The Next Gen took a few seasons,etc.
The thing is,if this had been in the past we would have got closer to 20 episodes at least,which would have probably meant we would have got to the main heart of the story in a traditional length season.
Remember The Expanse covers FIVE books and four shorter works so there is a metric ton of material to cover.
Ideally this series would be longer in length to cover the material.
To put it in context,we have still not got to the end of the first book in terms of the series!!
The books are reasonably popular so I hope Syfy sticks with it but if the show does not do well,then kiss goodbye to any decent budget sci-fi series set in space for another few years. It took Syfy to show some real commitment to do even 23 episodes of the series already before even getting viewing figures.
Networks would rather do the millionath super hero series which requires much lower CGI and set costs that do space based stuff which is much more of a niche in viewing figures.
The Expanse and the new Trek series are the only big budget sci-fi series set in space for the immediate future,and if other networks don't see them doing well,they are not going to bother investing more money in space based stuff unless its low budget filler series.
Last edited:
Yeah I hear ya, still much prefer babylon 5 and even BSG, right off the bat you knew a set group of characters with familiar surroundings, expanse was set from one ship to another colony then goodness knows where with too many story arcs, it maybe I just need to read the books or rewatch it in peace though !
There is no info on this new trek series other then its confirmation, but I don't see it having the usual silly 26 episodes, not for an online show anyhow. And even if it is online, you can guarantee it will hit the usual channels since scifi fans have been patiently waiting 16 years!
There is no info on this new trek series other then its confirmation, but I don't see it having the usual silly 26 episodes, not for an online show anyhow. And even if it is online, you can guarantee it will hit the usual channels since scifi fans have been patiently waiting 16 years!
Soldato
Babylon 5 is my favourite sci-fi show of them all and I re-watch it beginning to end every few years, it never gets old. However, I almost stopped watching it during season one because Michael O'Hare just wasn't doing it for me as the commander. How much of this was due to his mental health issues is anyone's guess but it was Delenn, G'Kar and Mollari that kept me watching. When Bruce Boxleitner took over in season two it finally achieved it's potential and the chemistry between Sheridan and Delenn was incredible, all the way to the end.
The Expanse hasn't even reached the half way point of B5 season one yet (in episode count) and has a huge amount of growing to do. If it was given the same chance as B5, with a 22 episode first season it would have been able to reach a point in the story arc that would have made a much bigger impression on people. B5 had the advantage of starting where the whole series would be based and a lot of the central characters were either already there or arrived quite soon, plus it didn't really bother with a back story. The Expanse on the other hand had to start building the story out of nothing and from several different locations and I don't think the short 10 episode season helped in that respect.
The Expanse hasn't even reached the half way point of B5 season one yet (in episode count) and has a huge amount of growing to do. If it was given the same chance as B5, with a 22 episode first season it would have been able to reach a point in the story arc that would have made a much bigger impression on people. B5 had the advantage of starting where the whole series would be based and a lot of the central characters were either already there or arrived quite soon, plus it didn't really bother with a back story. The Expanse on the other hand had to start building the story out of nothing and from several different locations and I don't think the short 10 episode season helped in that respect.
Binged watched 10 episodes. Certainly takes a little while to get going but really liked it.
I've read the books and can see why folks might get confused as to what's going on but episode 9's first 10 minutes do a really good job of summarising all the different plot points by going back and showing everything in chronological order.
Still only 3/4's of the way through the first book but not much more could be fit into 10 episodes - 13 would have been perfect.
Fav character got to be psychopath Amos. Wants to be a good guy but has absolutely no moral compass whatsoever so has to surround himself with who he thinks are good people for guidance.
Look forward to the next season!
I've read the books and can see why folks might get confused as to what's going on but episode 9's first 10 minutes do a really good job of summarising all the different plot points by going back and showing everything in chronological order.
Still only 3/4's of the way through the first book but not much more could be fit into 10 episodes - 13 would have been perfect.
Fav character got to be psychopath Amos. Wants to be a good guy but has absolutely no moral compass whatsoever so has to surround himself with who he thinks are good people for guidance.
Look forward to the next season!