Watching the Expanse on Netflix

[philip964]

A friend is getting me to watch the Expanse on Netflix.

It is a series on the Sci Fi channel. They are just about to start season 4 on the Sci Fi channel.

I’m on episode 4 of season 1.

I immediately said “no way I’m not watching anything that was on the Sci Fi channel”. As way back all their stuff was terrible. Cheap special effects, terrible stories, bad.

This is different. Terrific special effects and an interesting story line. In the future, Earth united under the UN. Mars a former colony of the Earth now broken away and the Astroid belt, a mining operation run by corporations, but semi autonomous.

What my friend points out beneath the story line of the action you see on the screen is the politics of the future.
Earth, UN controlled society with lazy “takers” living off free stuff from the government. Industrious and smart Martians who threw off the high taxation from the mother planet, think 1776 America. Belters kind of a Wild West for misfits and people born there under zero g who cannot return to the crushing gravity of their ancestors birthplace.

So if you have binged watched, Game of Thrones, Outlander, Closer, and The Man in High Castle, this might be a favorite if you like Science Fiction.

[The Annoyed Man]

I watched it for a while, and found the political scenario interesting, but I got bored with the telling of it. I think I finished season 1. I dont’ remember for sure how far I got into season 2, if at all, but that would be about when I got bored and moved onto something else.

[Pete92FS]

Same here - the first season was fairly good but they lost me after season 2.

The same goes for The Man in the High Castle. The initial premise was interesting but I quit watching about halfway through season 3 with the alternate universes, aliens etc. They could have expanded on the story line about if the Axis had won and kept it at that.

[ELB]

I’m rewatching the Expanse now. I watched seasons 1 and 2 a few months ago, but season 3 wasn’t available. Season 3 just came out on Amazon Prime video, and my wife expressed some interest, so we started from the beginning. She usually doesn’t like sci-fi, but this has held her interest.

One thing I found interesting is they have “Space Mormons” as a key element of the plot. So far the plot hasn’t really made the fact that they’re Mormons (as opposed to any other religion) central to the plot, but I’m interested to see where they go with this. The Mormons are not the heroes but so far they’re not made out to be the villains either. Sci-fi I think does not have a history of treating Western religions kindly, so this is kind of interesting. (I really wasn’t paying attention during the show but apparently President Russell’s event revelation on the name of the church doesn’t seem to have survived into the 24th century.)

[tomneal]

I've been a science fiction fan for more than 50 years. The Expanse is based on books. The whole family has read the books and watched the series. We enjoyed.

Your mileage may vary

[ELB]

I've been a science fiction fan for more than 50 years. The Expanse is based on books. The whole family has read the books and watched the series. We enjoyed.

Your mileage may vary

I’ve read that the books are based on a table top role playing game. Pretty interesting pedigree for a TV show

[philip964]

I’m rewatching the Expanse now. I watched seasons 1 and 2 a few months ago, but season 3 wasn’t available. Season 3 just came out on Amazon Prime video, and my wife expressed some interest, so we started from the beginning. She usually doesn’t like sci-fi, but this has held her interest.

One thing I found interesting is they have “Space Mormons” as a key element of the plot. So far the plot hasn’t really made the fact that they’re Mormons (as opposed to any other religion) central to the plot, but I’m interested to see where they go with this. The Mormons are not the heroes but so far they’re not made out to be the villains either. Sci-fi I think does not have a history of treating Western religions kindly, so this is kind of interesting. (I really wasn’t paying attention during the show but apparently President Russell’s event revelation on the name of the church doesn’t seem to have survived into the 24th century.)

Trying to pay attention to details, since my friend gave me a heads up, and I have closed captions on due to my hearing, they said LDS in a meeting on a aerial tram in episode 4. So the men in ties are clearly Morman.

[The Marshal]

I loved it. Just saw that Season 3 is on Prime