THE EXPANSE REVIEW
The Expanse might just be the show we’ve been waiting for that will finally fill a void that has existed in the science fiction genre, on TV, for some time now. We’ve seen some space-based science fiction shows crop up in recent years that have shown potential. The quality of programming on Syfy is starting to ramp up again with shows like Dark Matter and Killjoys but while both show promise they don’t deliver anything groundbreaking. After a single episode, The Expanse, based on the series of novels by James S.A. Corey, already feels like it’s delivered a rich and interesting world that is bursting with plenty of potential.
For those of you who yearn for some world building, the series premiere “Dulcinea” is filled to the brim with content to sink your teeth into. The episode starts out with text to catch you up to speed on the world we’re about to enter. That’s definitely a smart idea considering how absolutely dense the content is in the first forty-four minutes of the series. The scale of the world and the amount of information being delivered can feel overwhelming at times but it's never intimidating and actually somewhat refreshing. I haven’t read the books but nothing here feels like it’s being stripped away for a television audience though I am sure some book readers will disagree. Releasing the premiere on their website first was a smart idea since it made it easy to go back and review exactly what was being said.
There are three primary locations established. We’re first introduced to the dwarf planet Ceres, which is home to a large and visually impressive city. It’s here that we meet Detective Miller (Thomas Jane) who, along with his junior partner, are used to introduce us to, at least, part of the Expanse universe we are about to explore. Detective Miller is a straightforward detective archetype. He hasn’t established any meaningful romantic relationship and has some under the table dealings with local businessmen. Ultimately his heart is in the right place though. He’s the type of detective we’ve seen before but in space. Still, there is something endearing about him and Thomas Jane is great in the part so far.
On the ice freighter Canterbury we meet Jim Holden (Steven Strait) who is a recently promoted executive officer. There’s not much to Jim at this point; he’s a bit of a mystery. What can be established so far is that he means well and isn’t a big fan of authority despite being unceremoniously thrust into an executive role. He makes an important decision, a noble one, that sets the crew of the Canterbury on what turns out to be a pivotal detour.
The third location was a little undercooked in the premiere and takes place on Earth. Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo) is a UN Executive who appears to play an important part in the war that is brewing between Earth, Mars and those who work and live in the asteroid belt (Belters).
The attention to detail is remarkable. It was really interesting to see the physical deformities in people who were born and worked in the asteroid belt. The low gravity causes people who live in that region to look extremely thin, tall but also stretched out. A feature especially noticeable in their elongated hands. The entire world presented in The Expanse feels incredibly lived in and functional. It’s not hard to imagine our descendants living in a similar future.
At first the cold and dark look of the show as a bit off-putting. Then, after a scene with Jonathan Banks going absolutely nuts in his room, it made perfect sense. Space is cold and dark and part of what has the potential to make this series so interesting is to watch as people try to exist in a world they were never meant to exist in. Space is an alienating environment no matter how much we try to make it feel like home. That’s the impression I got here.
The mystery that sets up the series is intriguing enough to have me hooked but I think the world itself is what will keep me coming back for more, at least for now. The Expanse feels like it might be the show that can make the science fiction space drama exciting again.
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