The Expanse

4 episodes in and as someone who's read the books, the pacing on Illus feels totally off, it's somewhat jarring. However I don't know if this is just because i've read the books already. Conversely, the scenes with Ashford, Inaros and Camina are excellent.
 
As I posted in the other Expanse thread (in the US shows sub section) things do pick up a bit in Eps 9 and 10, redeemed the series overall.

NB mods, should the two threads not be merged?
 
Agree the threads should be merged and maybe stay in the main sub forum now...no need to be in the piracy seeing it by other means US sub section anymore :D
 
Just watched Episode 1 of Season 4. Enjoyed the episode. Not sure what to make of Bobbie's new look. Also I hate Avasarala. She has always annoyed me through the whole show. She talks likes she is reading a script. But now she is cursing in every other sentence, it doesn't suit her character or the way she talks and it definitely doesn't go with her new position as secretary general of the UN.
 
melmac said:
But now she is cursing in every other sentence, it doesn't suit her character or the way she talks and it definitely doesn't go with her new position as secretary general of the UN.
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Get used to it, the swearing has increased across the board with most characters, I guess due to less restraint needed on a streaming service.
 
Avasarala is sweary in the books though, even drops the odd "c" bomb, but also much funnier. However what comes across well on the written page doesn't always work directly on screen and TBH the actress looked a bit uncomfortable with the constant obscenity.

Think the above comment re being on Amazon/streaming rather than SyFy is on the right track - there's also a fairly explicit sex scene (well noisy anyway) in one of the early episodes which made me wonder if I was watching a HBO show!

It does get better in the last two episodes but best to put the overall season down as a warm up for S5.
 
Finished the season and really enjoyed it. Did a great job of adapting probably the slowest paced of the whole book series. Kept the Alien world feeling very alien.
New budget really showed on those sfx shots of the Rocci in orbit helping the Belter ship and the alien landscape. Beautiful work for a tv show.

I think Avasarala's actress is great, just has a very distinctive style. When I read the book she's all I see and hear now. Thought acting across the board was excellent including folks I had reservations about before (Naomi).
Only exception being the new re-cast husband for Avasarala. Previously you really got a sense of how much the two were in love, even when talking through screens and had wonderful scenes together. Don't know why they recast for someone about 20 years her junior but he really did sound like he was reading off a board. Felt more like one of her advisers that her husband. Real shame they couldn't keep the previous chap, or just have him talk to her remotely if getting him on location was difficult and change the chap who played her husband to that of a campaign manager or something (which was what he effectively did play). I'd say just get the original chap back if they can for next season (think they're already filming though).

Only other criticism would be revealing the plot at the end:
Of Marco shooting stealthed rocks at the Earth. Also would have been cool to see the attack on the Callisto yard and having Filip integral to enabling the stealthing of the rocks. Can understand them wanting to entwine Bobbies story with it earlier that in does in the books though - give her character more to do.

Because it would have made the following more dramatic (major book spoiler!):
Having the rocks hit should have come as a complete surprise/shock - keep the viewer as confused about the true target as possible throwing little clues along the way. They were kind of half going that way having the wreckage of that missing colony ship that was speeding toward Earth take out asteroid monitoring satellites (they mention it in a throwaway line) with people thinking they'd avoided a terrorist attack when in reality it succeeded in it's mission.
Have the viewer find out about the true target at the same time as the crew, ie, when they hit!
 
Nice of them to choose an aspect ratio by the end of the series.

I liked the series overall but could have done without the cliff-hanger ending
 
Washout said:
Having the rocks hit should have come as a complete surprise/shock - keep the viewer as confused about the true target as possible throwing little clues along the way. They were kind of half going that way having the wreckage of that missing colony ship that was speeding toward Earth take out asteroid monitoring satellites (they mention it in a throwaway line) with people thinking they'd avoided a terrorist attack when in reality it succeeded in it's mission.
Have the viewer find out about the true target at the same time as the crew, ie, when they hit!
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That's how they played it in the books, and it's a shame they're not doing that in the show.
When the first rock hit, it seemed like a natural disaster. Terrible for the people in the area, but not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. The "oh ****" moment when the second rock hit, implying even more were coming, that was one of the highlights of Nemesis Games. I think they just wanted a cliff-hanger ending, and couldn't resist.
 
I didn't entirely get the Bobbie thing either. These guys are bad drug pushing dudes. All of a sudden, they're guys we're supposed to like and Bobbies doing 'dodgy' stuff. Didn't seem right to me.
 
The last two episodes of series 4 do pick up, but I also felt the same up to this point.

I enjoyed the series overall but not as much as the previous ones. But in years to come when the whole show is complete, that's not going to matter. 4 will just be the series people say is a bit slow, but it's necessary and still enjoyable.

Like season 2 or possibly 3 of Breaking Bad is pretty slow; so much so that people stopped watching it completely, but the 5 seasons of BB are considered up there with the best TV ever.
 
Without knowing any facts I'd say 4 was rushed in after the shows takeover while everyone got settled in. Don't know the books but it's reassuring to know it's of a similar pace despite my assumption

It was enjoyable, if a little disjointed with everyone spread out doing their thing as opposed to crossing paths but I guess this season was a build up more than anything.

They're already shooting season 5 so it may not be too long before we see more.
 
MSTRBKR said:
The last two episodes of series 4 do pick up, but I also felt the same up to this point.

I enjoyed the series overall but not as much as the previous ones. But in years to come when the whole show is complete, that's not going to matter. 4 will just be the series people say is a bit slow, but it's necessary and still enjoyable.

Like season 2 or possibly 3 of Breaking Bad is pretty slow; so much so that people stopped watching it completely, but the 5 seasons of BB are considered up there with the best TV ever.
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Agree with what you say. In no way do I think this season is bad, I'm just feeling its not been adapted as well from the book as I'd hoped. Plus with them simultaneously adapting book 5 elements the pacing is all off for me.

It is act 1 of the next trilogy tho so stands to reason this season would be a little slower.
 
Binged S4 at the weekend. Vastly improved over previous series imo. Series 1 sucked frankly, 2 was ok, 3 showed some potential, and finally with 4 and a decent budget it's a pretty good show.

Vastly better acting talent available with the Amazon budget, Murtry and Wei were excellent supporting characters and really delivered that whole story arc. Nagata's painfully bad performances were mercifully limited. Pretty boy Holden spent less time doing his Dawson's Creek act and was OK. Best of all, we finally got rid of Miller. Amos has become a decent character now instead of the walking cliche meathead.

Looking forward to S5 now.
 
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