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| The Expanse; S1 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 1 2016, 07:20 PM (702 Views) | |
| KMInfinity | Jan 1 2016, 07:20 PM Post #1 |
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Maybe I'm being premature, but I've watched the first two and it's terrific. What sold me is that the first novel in the book series won the 2012 Hugo award, and GRRM is plugging the show. (What worries me is that it's on Syfy.) Available OnDemand. Briefly: It's hundreds of years in the future. Our main POV characters are Belters, humans who live in the asteroid belt. They're 2nd class citizens in the solar system, caught between a UN run Earth and a seemingly militarily superior (but resource starved?) Mars. In the first two episodes, we are following an ice mining ship traveling from Saturn (?) back home to the Belter asteroid world Ceres. We are also following a Belter detective on Ceres who's been hired privately to find a missing heiress from Earth, who may be a revolutionary with the OPA (Outer Planets Alliance). And back on Earth, an ambassador is interrogating an OPA spy. There are TONS of great scenes and dialog. And they are getting some key SF concepts right. I'll post more links and info after I watch the next two episodes. E5 airs January 5th. http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse http://www.thewrap.com/the-expanse-review-syfy-series-tries-to-be-game-of-thrones-in-space/ There are five well respected novels, and some novellas and short stories. I think I know what I'm doing this summer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_%28novel_series%29 (I'm watching this since I did not realize that after 2 weeks Star Wars would still be selling out in advance at the local luxury theater, and I went alone - since Mark is still sick - and got sent home. :- ( I'm going to pint a ticket at home tomorrow morning. I've never done that. Wish me luck.) Edited by KMInfinity, Jan 1 2016, 07:21 PM.
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| Dax | Jan 1 2016, 07:32 PM Post #2 |
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It was renewed for a second season a couple days ago. |
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| KMInfinity | Jan 1 2016, 07:37 PM Post #3 |
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Well that's encouraging! |
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| bilki | Jan 1 2016, 10:50 PM Post #4 |
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I've been waiting for you to start watching this, KMI, lol. It tickles my fond memories of BSG while being interesting in its own way. Just finished EP 4, which was quite action-packed. I'm guessing that's why I'd seen several comments (at AV Club) about this episode being the best of the 4 online, though I think I liked the slower-paced first 3 episodes a bit better. It took me a minute to recognize Jared Harris without all of his "Lane Pryce" mannerisms. And Chad Coleman! I've read the brief synopsis of Leviathan Wakes on Wiki, so I have a general idea of what's going on. |
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| KMInfinity | Jan 2 2016, 12:29 AM Post #5 |
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I agree there's some BSG crossover. I do see the GoT similarities too, especially with the death toll each episode. Damn I liked the martian captain. She was awesome. 1st book's ordered. I officially love this a lot already. they're doing a whole lotta things really well, and excelling in a whole bunch more. The accurate science portrayal is especially enjoyable. I'm fine with the science-fiction=fantasy magic that dominates so much SF (I'm looking at you Dr. Who) and can do the wavey hand with ease if the overall story and characters are good, but it's really nice to see gravity being respected. Though poor Shed's missing head produced some really gruesome effects. Edited by KMInfinity, Jan 2 2016, 12:30 AM.
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| Gatekeeper | Jan 2 2016, 11:30 AM Post #6 |
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My husband and I have watched the first 3 and we both like it which is a shocker because we haven't been in sync on the same TV shows in a while. Very excited it was picked back up. I'm only seeing 4 have aired? Is that correct? |
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| bilki | Jan 2 2016, 11:35 AM Post #7 |
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It was interesting how they tortured the one Belter by making him deal with the pressure of Earth's gravity, though I'm not sure I fully understand the science of it. A lot of that goes right over my head, so I don't have to work too hard to suspend disbelief. The martian captain was a stand out. I've seen some complaints that the characters aren't well-defined, which I won't disagree with, but I haven't been bored with anything happening on screen. I don't know that I like Thomas Jayne but I don't dislike him, yet. It is. They were all available online for a couple weeks, so this Tuesday's episode will be the first "new" episode. Edited by bilki, Jan 2 2016, 11:37 AM.
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| Gatekeeper | Jan 2 2016, 11:57 AM Post #8 |
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Thanks bilki. :yoda: |
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| KMInfinity | Jan 2 2016, 12:10 PM Post #9 |
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ARRRGGHHH - just lost a huge post while looking for an article. So now I'll chatter randomly. :P Yay! Gate's watching too. Glad I started the thread. The human body changes pretty quickly in low-g and zero-g environments. Heinlein used this idea in his classic 1966 novel (on my top ten of all time): The Moon is a Harsh Mistress http://www.amazon.com/The-Moon-Is-Harsh-Mistress/dp/0312863551 Professor de la Paz visits Earth as a Loonie ambassador from the Moon and needs a wheel chair. Chatter is that The Expanse owes a LOT to that novel. The bones and muscles quickly atrophy in space, even if you are BORN on Earth. If you were conceived in low g or zero g, or grew up there, your body would develop differently. Add generational adaptations and the Belters all look like the spy - TALL and super thin, unable to deal with gravity of planets. The show can't portray what they do in the books, so they drop comments here and there so far. It will be interesting to see if the show can keep true to that visualization. As the coroner dude said, average age on Ceres is 68, not 125+ as on earth. NASA info: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast02aug_1/ Think of the Belter torture as waterboarding using gravity. He literally can't breathe or hold up his body. He can barely function in a water tank with pressurized oxygen provided. Another AWESOME book with a similar premise: Falling Free, the prequel to the Vorkosigan saga, which some of the GoT folks at TWoP read after watching S1. They agreed it rivals GoT in quality, though a very different thing - space opera rather than fantasy. http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Free-Lois-McMaster-Bujold/dp/0671653989/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Edited by KMInfinity, Jan 2 2016, 12:11 PM.
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| bilki | Jan 2 2016, 03:49 PM Post #10 |
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Cool Yoda head! :chewy: Thanks for that link on gravity, KMI! One more thing that plays a big part of our daily lives that most of us never think about! |
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| Krystal | Jan 3 2016, 12:17 AM Post #11 |
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I'm going to check out the expanse. I'm also listening to some academic tapes in the car about science fiction and its relationship to religion. He is going over a lot of the authors in the book that I've read very at a very young age. |
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| bilki | Jan 3 2016, 08:20 PM Post #12 |
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After reading around, I'm going to re-watch the 4 episodes. In my confusion of trying to figure out what was going on, I'm sure I missed some details. And, I saw someone say that after reading the first few chapters of the book that the first episode made more sense. If I can find the first book at the B&N store.... |
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| Krystal | Jan 4 2016, 02:49 PM Post #13 |
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We watched two episodes last night and I thought they were really good. Will catch the next to on demand and then start recording on a weekly basis. I find the show a little confusing but what I'll do is read up some of the synopsis. |
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| KMInfinity | Jan 4 2016, 06:01 PM Post #14 |
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Yay! Krystal's watching too. A lot of posters around the 'net who really love the show admit the first two episodes were confusing and it took time to get a handle on all the characters. I think a rewatch would be a good idea for me too. I'll see after I read the first book. |
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| Krystal | Jan 4 2016, 06:19 PM Post #15 |
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Is the book called the expanse? |
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| bilki | Jan 4 2016, 06:58 PM Post #16 |
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The first book is titled Leviathan Wakes. I just bought a copy. There was a 3-book-set available but there are 5 in the series, so far. A new one is to be released this year. The first 2 episodes are less confusing on re-watch, as I have a better grasp on the characters. I still quite curious as to whether Naomi and Amos are members of the OPA. They have a number of reaction moments that seem to be indicative of something other than what's going on right then. Or I'm reading too much into the scenes, lol. It's interesting that Earthers and Martians see the OPA as more threatening than the Belters might see them. |
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| KMInfinity | Jan 4 2016, 08:20 PM Post #17 |
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The series is called The Expanse, with separate book titles. Sort of the opposite of Game of Thrones, which named the series after the first book and ignored the series title "A Song of Ice and Fire.' Bilki I am sure we are 'reading into' a ton of stuff. lol. With 5+ books and short stories already canon, they can mess with us bigtime with scenes that won't pay off or be significant for years. But that will be fun to figure out. Spoiler: click to toggle I think in some sense, the Belters ARE the OPA. If you are a Belter, you may not be a member of the OPA officially, but you are part of their 'constituents.' Remember how the soapbox preacher kept calling the detective a traitor? The OPA itself has sub groups I think, some of which are terrorists types, while others are legit politicians , and most others are supporters on some level. I think the parallel (in structure/not beliefs) might be that the OPA is like the worldwide Muslim community. Some non-Muslims differentiate what that means to be Muslim, others paint everyone with the same brush. A good, mostly spoiler-free overview of the series with some book vs show discussion. http://www.tor.com/2015/11/11/television-review-syfy-the-expanse/ Another very positive overview/review: http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2015/12/15/scyfys-new-space-opera-the-expanse-gets-off-to-a-terrific-start/ Edited by KMInfinity, Jan 4 2016, 08:21 PM.
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| bilki | Jan 4 2016, 08:38 PM Post #18 |
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I must have read that over at AVClub. It sounds like the character is a major player in Book 2, and most people seemed pleased the show found a way to integrate the character into S1 of the show. I saw someone say they thought S1 of the show won't cover all of Book 1. If that's the case, then I'm even more pleased I bought the book. But we both know how wrong GRRM was about his estimations of the book vs. the show, haha. I see what you mean about the Belters being the OPA. The OPA is motivated by the mistreatment of all Belters, so it would be odd if a Belter did feel some alignment with the OPA. Maybe the higher up political types would try to distance themselves from the OPA? I think when Holden asks Naomi if she's OPA it's more like him asking her if she's a terrorist. He's been away from Earth for awhile but he still has that mindset. Edited by bilki, Jan 4 2016, 08:45 PM.
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| Gatekeeper | Jan 5 2016, 02:31 PM Post #19 |
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Oooh ... I think I'm going to download the books. :) |
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| bilki | Jan 6 2016, 12:42 AM Post #20 |
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I'm enjoying Leviathan Wakes. I found the general area in which EP4 of the show ended and started from there. I don't know how fun it will be to watch the show now because I'll be comparing it to the book, lol. Most of what plays out on the Tachi/Rocinante after they escape the Donnager (EP5 of the show) is different in the book. But I'm pretty bad at visualizing what I'm reading, to it's nice to have a picture in my mind now. I don't know if the show has effectively communicated it but the Rocinante is a bad ass ship. I'm still trying to figure out where Ceres Station and Tycho Station are located in relation to the outer planets. Miller is already more interesting to me in the book than he is on the show. |
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| KMInfinity | Jan 14 2016, 09:06 PM Post #21 |
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yes and yes! I think E5 and E6 didn't do a good enough job in several areas - especially showing the growing development of the war; and showing the growing bonds with the Roci crew. I hope that's addressed soon. The show does hit a lot of good notes, and they do have some great sfx and visuals. Loved the small scenes with the uncle and nephew miners. I like comparing book/show decisions so I will try to save those for the Book thread...unless we should discuss both there? Might be easier? For instance I just now thought of a thing that is better shared in the book/show thread though it's about the show, and here I am. :cool: |
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| bilki | Jan 14 2016, 11:11 PM Post #22 |
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The book did such a good job of creating an air of tension on Ceres with the fallout from the Donnager as Miller was getting fired. It seemed like they skipped over that, which disappointed me. Maybe it will be addressed in the next episode? They changed things (Fred vs Holden, Dawes vs Miller) around enough that I didn't care much for this week's episode. Alex and Amos in the bar was nice, though. |
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| KMInfinity | Jan 15 2016, 03:54 PM Post #23 |
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Yeah. I've very curious about Alex and Amos's backstories, which we don't have much of in either book or show. |
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| KMInfinity | Jan 22 2016, 10:04 PM Post #24 |
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I was pretty disappointed in this week's episode. The show is really veering off from the book in a lot of ways. I keep wondering if they're injecting future stuff from Caliban+, which I can see might be needed, but it's coming at the cost of some really fine stuff from the first book if that's the case. |
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| bilki | Jan 23 2016, 11:47 AM Post #25 |
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Someone at PreTV said this episode has a lot of new material for book readers, so I haven't watched it, yet. The book is too fresh in my mind for me to appreciate changes to things I enjoyed in the first place. Now that I've gotten to know Book!Avasarala a bit, I might watch her scenes. I am curious about Holden's upbringing. At least it looked like they've made their way to Eros in the next episode. |
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| bilki | Jan 28 2016, 01:13 AM Post #26 |
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Episode 8-Salvage It was cool to see the gun fight in the hotel on Eros in action. I'm so bad at "seeing" that kind of stuff while I'm reading. Pleasantly surprised that we got to see Julie in the bathtub (shower?) but the way I visualized it while reading the book was much more fantastic. |
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| KMInfinity | Jan 29 2016, 05:23 PM Post #27 |
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Big agree. I thought the scene was too dark overall. Same for the Anubis scenes. I suppose the book might have described the lights being down (as part of the goal to limit radioactive feeding of the protomolecule) but the DESCRIPTIONS in the book still prevailed. So if I'm seeing the scene in my mind's eye via the book, the show has an obligation to find a way to SHOW the scene despite the implied darkness. I wanted to see the protomess on the Anubis reactor better. I also feel like adding the UN spy stowaway was a mistake. It seems his purpose was to cause friction with Amos, and set Holden and Amos in conflict. Overall, the show is playing the Rocinante crew differently and i don't like it. Imo, instead of emphasizing the drama and conflict and danger with the environment and the political situation they've decided to be less subtle and cause conflict with the crew. Maybe that's foreshadowing future books but I'd rather see the crew' s bonds as they developed in the books. I was really disappointed in the setup for the Eros hotel visit. I felt like the meeting with Miller was minimized. It was Miller, I thought, who realized what was going down, not Amos, right? or am I misremembering (I can't check...books with a friend.) I hate to nitpick, but it isn't really the changes here and there but rather the focus overall seems off. I can't quite put my finger on it, except to say the characters are not coming alive for me on the screen. I guess I'm at the point where I would like the show better if I watched it first, then read the books. but then...the books are spoiled. What to do what to do.... Edited by KMInfinity, Jan 29 2016, 05:24 PM.
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| bilki | Jan 30 2016, 01:18 AM Post #28 |
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In the book, Miller follows them to the hotel. He had been waiting for them where the port exits to the casino floor. Amos spots a man following them on their way and gives a description to Holden that we know is Miller. At the hotel, a woman holds a gun to Alex's head and tells him to go with her to the stairwell. Amos pulls out his gun, a bunch of men and women charge in from the stairwell, then the gunfight starts from there. About the only thing that was the same was the show having Holden and Naomi retreat behind the check-in desk. I don't like it, either. Either the show runners have decided to manufacture some drama between the crew, or the network has mandated it. As I've said before, I like how the crew interacts in the book much better than the show. |
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