Skinypupy wrote: ↑Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:08 pmI think the only character that doesn't really work for me is Chrisjen Avasarala, mainly because I don't think Shohreh Aghdashloo does a very good job. Every line she says looks like she's reading it straight from a teleprompter. Which is weird, as I've seen her in other shows where she's a phenomenal actress. Not sure why she is so stilted and awkward here, but she grates my nerves quite a bit.
Which is unfortunate because Avasarala is such a bad ass in the books. I don't mind the actress, but she doesn't bring the menace, threat and sarcasm as much as the book character.
How much of that is the fact that Avasarala swears a whole fucking lot more in the books than she does on TV?
She is also used much more early in the TV shows than she is in the books. In the shows she starts out as a major player and that isn't how she starts out in the books.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 5:23 pm
by Skinypupy
Holman wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:35 pm
Somehow it doesn't seem to fit the aesthetics and world-making of gritty realism and shoestring resources, and the effect is to make the set look cheap.
Remember that the Rocinante is a Martian ship. I got the sense from the show that if there's one thing that's not done on "shoestring resources", it's the Martian Navy. Every one of their ships looks pristine and spotless like that, and they seem to be willing to spend whatever it takes to make their military successful (Exhibit A: the Mars Marine power armor).
If a belter ship looked like that, then I'd tend to agree with you. But Mars does their military shit up right.
Holman wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:35 pm
Somehow it doesn't seem to fit the aesthetics and world-making of gritty realism and shoestring resources, and the effect is to make the set look cheap.
Remember that the Rocinante is a Martian ship. I got the sense from the show that if there's one thing that's not done on "shoestring resources", it's the Martian Navy. Every one of their ships looks pristine and spotless like that, and they seem to be willing to spend whatever it takes to make their military successful (Exhibit A: the Mars Marine power armor).
If a belter ship looked like that, then I'd tend to agree with you. But Mars does their military shit up right.
Yeah, but just to belabor the point, it doesn't seem like a military design either. It's too lofty and empty, feeling more like a warehouse than a warship.
I'm being picky, I know, especially when so much about the show's design feels right.
Holman wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:35 pm
Somehow it doesn't seem to fit the aesthetics and world-making of gritty realism and shoestring resources, and the effect is to make the set look cheap.
Remember that the Rocinante is a Martian ship. I got the sense from the show that if there's one thing that's not done on "shoestring resources", it's the Martian Navy. Every one of their ships looks pristine and spotless like that, and they seem to be willing to spend whatever it takes to make their military successful (Exhibit A: the Mars Marine power armor).
If a belter ship looked like that, then I'd tend to agree with you. But Mars does their military shit up right.
Yeah, but just to belabor the point, it doesn't seem like a military design either. It's too lofty and empty, feeling more like a warehouse than a warship.
I'm being picky, I know, especially when so much about the show's design feels right.
As a friend who has served on submarines likes to say, submarines are never as open and well lit in real life as they are in the movies.
Holman wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:35 pm
Somehow it doesn't seem to fit the aesthetics and world-making of gritty realism and shoestring resources, and the effect is to make the set look cheap.
Remember that the Rocinante is a Martian ship. I got the sense from the show that if there's one thing that's not done on "shoestring resources", it's the Martian Navy. Every one of their ships looks pristine and spotless like that, and they seem to be willing to spend whatever it takes to make their military successful (Exhibit A: the Mars Marine power armor).
If a belter ship looked like that, then I'd tend to agree with you. But Mars does their military shit up right.
Yeah, but just to belabor the point, it doesn't seem like a military design either. It's too lofty and empty, feeling more like a warehouse than a warship.
I'm being picky, I know, especially when so much about the show's design feels right.
I'm thinking there's a lot of storage built into the hull so you can float freely without bumping into things if needed during combat. Also, Martians due to having to live underground may have opted for an open air design as a matter of aesthetics. Earther ships are rather inelegant.
Holman wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:35 pm
Somehow it doesn't seem to fit the aesthetics and world-making of gritty realism and shoestring resources, and the effect is to make the set look cheap.
Remember that the Rocinante is a Martian ship. I got the sense from the show that if there's one thing that's not done on "shoestring resources", it's the Martian Navy. Every one of their ships looks pristine and spotless like that, and they seem to be willing to spend whatever it takes to make their military successful (Exhibit A: the Mars Marine power armor).
If a belter ship looked like that, then I'd tend to agree with you. But Mars does their military shit up right.
Yeah, but just to belabor the point, it doesn't seem like a military design either. It's too lofty and empty, feeling more like a warehouse than a warship.
I'm being picky, I know, especially when so much about the show's design feels right.
Also, the Rosi was designed for a much larger crew. They do have controls and handholds on all surfaces, as well as strapping on all seats, because gravity is variable and acceleration can be a bitch.
I can forgive some unrealistic wide open spaces for camera room. I'll have to reevaluate whether that bothers me from now on.
Holman wrote: ↑Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:35 pm
Somehow it doesn't seem to fit the aesthetics and world-making of gritty realism and shoestring resources, and the effect is to make the set look cheap.
Remember that the Rocinante is a Martian ship. I got the sense from the show that if there's one thing that's not done on "shoestring resources", it's the Martian Navy. Every one of their ships looks pristine and spotless like that, and they seem to be willing to spend whatever it takes to make their military successful (Exhibit A: the Mars Marine power armor).
If a belter ship looked like that, then I'd tend to agree with you. But Mars does their military shit up right.
Yeah, but just to belabor the point, it doesn't seem like a military design either. It's too lofty and empty, feeling more like a warehouse than a warship.
I'm being picky, I know, especially when so much about the show's design feels right.
One other thing to remember, as a Martian military ship it is designed to carry many more people than is the current crew of the Rocinate. I don't know what the normal compliment would be, but every now and then they will show an area with gear for a larger crew.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2019 4:09 pm
by Jaymann
Season 4 of The Expanse is in the can on Amazon. Could be out by next month.
It’s also possible, however, that because The Expanse is an Amazon show now, the entirety of Season 4 — supposedly 10 episodes in total — will release all at once. If that is indeed the case, then the time between the end of production and the series air date is closer to six months. So Season 4 might not be released on Amazon until July 2019.
Longer teaser clip of the Rocinante landing in Ilus here:
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2019 10:58 am
by Kurth
I. Cannot. Wait.
This has become my current favorite show and book series. I'm about to go away on an extended vacation, and Amazon just delivered Books 5 (Nemesis Games) and 6 (Babylon's Ashes). Looking forward to diving into those shortly!
Also, I think season 4 of the show has the potential to be amazing.
Cibola Burn was not actually my favorite Expanse book so far, but I think it's going to translate exceedingly well to the screen and also give the actors some excellent material to work with. It's far less focused on technology and space faring than the other books, but the conflicts and tensions of the planet-side events on Ilus/New Terra are going to be fun to watch play out with this cast.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2019 1:55 pm
by hepcat
Looks like Amazon sunk some serious cash into the show, from the looks of those special effects.
Can't wait!
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2019 5:17 pm
by Kraken
In terms of realism and scientific accuracy (both of which I prize), Expanse is among the best sf ever. Maybe even THE best. Looks like Bezos feels the same way. And because we have Prime, I can actually watch it!
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2019 8:35 am
by MonkeyFinger
Yeah, really looking forward to this. Love how they've handled the transition of the story from the books to the small screen, now I just need to remember what was going on back then. Finished book eight (Tiamat's Wrath) of nine earlier this year, amazing how the story has expanded from its humble beginnings.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2019 10:27 am
by Kurth
MonkeyFinger wrote: ↑Mon Jul 22, 2019 8:35 am
Yeah, really looking forward to this. Love how they've handled the transition of the story from the books to the small screen, now I just need to remember what was going on back then. Finished book eight (Tiamat's Wrath) of nine earlier this year, amazing how the story has expanded from its humble beginnings.
Spoilered for anyone who doesn’t want to hear about the setup for Cibola Burn (Book 4):
Spoiler:
Story on this one is much smaller in scale than previous installments: After the gate opens up, a belter ship full of refugees from Titan (including poor Katoa’s family) make a run for it, get through, and set up a colony on an exo-planet they call Ilus. At the same time, inner corporate types have staked a claim to the same planet and dispatched a ship with a full contingent of scientists (and security) to establish the first official colony on Ilus, too, although they call the planet New Terra. Not surprisingly, when the two factions meet up, things go sideways fast and Avasarala and Johnson call in Holden and the crew of the Roci to act as neutral mediators. The whole book/season takes place on Ilus/New Terra and in orbit around the planet.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2019 11:17 pm
by Smoove_B
Amazon announced they've already approved Season 5:
Amazon clearly has a lot of confidence in its revival of The Expanse -- the internet giant has renewed the gritty sci-fi show for a fifth season months before season four's December 13th premiere. That's not completely surprising when the Prime Video series both has a devoted following from its Syfy days and an experienced team. Nonetheless, it's likely to be comforting for fans worried that Amazon might resurrect the show only to axe it soon afterward.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I would take this to mean they like what they've been seeing so far and that it's likely cheaper to keep production rolling now rather than stop and drag it all out.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 12:12 pm
by The Meal
Excellent
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2019 6:30 pm
by Zaxxon
This is about the books, specifically Babylon's Ashes, but we have no book thread and it's non-spoilery, so...
I love that there's a ship in this world named the Mark Watney, out of Mars, of course.
That is all.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 9:19 am
by MonkeyFinger
Yup... I LOL'd at that.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2019 12:11 pm
by Zaxxon
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 10:34 pm
by Daehawk
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 10:35 pm
by Zaxxon
I'm free right now.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 10:38 pm
by Holman
I watched earlier and got deep into season 2 and then got distracted. Now I've decided to read the books first because, you know, George R.R. Martin or something.
Can someone tell me where each season falls in the sequence of novels? Is it (roughly) one book per season?
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 10:41 pm
by Zaxxon
Kind of. This coming season (four) corresponds to book four (Cibola Burn). However, the first three seasons don't all fit perfectly across books one to three.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2019 10:24 am
by pr0ner
The first season is up to the point in the first book where Eros moves.
The second season wraps up the first book in the fifth episode, "Home", then picks up the second book in the next episode.
The third season wraps up book two in the sixth episode, "Immolation", then rushes through the third book in the rest of the season.
They do take some liberties with characters (introducing them early, melding two into one, etc), and add in back story from some of the novellas or later novels, but all in all, it stays pretty faithful to the overall book storylines.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 12:49 am
by Daehawk
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 8:03 pm
by Daehawk
A character refresher for Season 4.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 11:20 pm
by Defiant
Season 4 got released early.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2019 11:38 pm
by $iljanus
Defiant wrote: ↑Thu Dec 12, 2019 11:20 pm
Season 4 got released early.
Yes!!! Much more interesting than watching the Ravens run up the score against the helpless Jets.
BELTALOWDA!
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 12:43 am
by pr0ner
Holy shit, Amazon is putting up HDR versions of the first three seasons, too.
I am Jack's unrestrained excitement.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 3:23 am
by Kurth
Episode 1 of the new season did not disappoint! Some small changes, but seems like it’s following the plot pretty closely.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 3:53 am
by Jaymann
I just happened to turn on Prime and there it was! This was my least favorite of the books, but hey it's The Expanse!
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 11:41 pm
by Ralph-Wiggum
Just finished episode 1 and it was pretty great. It also looks like Amazon upped the budget on the show; the effects were never bad, but now they look noticeably better. Also, more cursing!
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 12:53 am
by Sudy
Glad Thomas Jane is still poking around. I just miss him when he was alive.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 10:09 am
by MonkeyFinger
I need to start binging this!
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 1:22 pm
by Kurth
Watched another 3 episodes last night and went to bed way too late. For book readers, looks like this season is definitely taking some turns away from the book. Not surprisingly, the pacing is different (very accelerated), but it's also interesting to see some of the decisions the writers have made to change up some of the key characters in this one. Not bad at all, but it took me a little to get used to. Still, I'm loving season 4.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 11:39 pm
by hepcat
Just finished the first episode of season 4 and it was fantastic. The special effects are cinema level in many cases...sometimes even better than most films I’ve seen recently. The story is pure sci fi goodness too. Can’t wait to make my way through the rest of the season.
The only thing I found odd was that the usually great actress Shoreh Aghdashloo seems to have forgotten she’s a great actress. Her acting seemed really off. Maybe it’s just me, but everyone else was firing on all cylinders, and she seemed to just be phoning it in.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:07 am
by Jaymann
If drunken sailors had phones.
Re: [SyFy]Expanse
Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2019 10:55 am
by hepcat
Jaymann wrote: ↑Sun Dec 15, 2019 12:07 am
If drunken sailors had phones.
