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And thanks to you I have enjoyed HOURS of fantastic content and legitimately artistic moments in this amazing series! I can't believe it took this long for me to watch it.
Drinker, you managed to say all of that without tell your loving audience that 'The Expanse' started out as a MASSIVE Book series. It is one of THE best sellers on the planet. The artwork on the first 6 covers was the only reason I bought the first book. It is easily the best series of books I have read in the last 20 years, and man, I read a LOT. Go look for Leviathan Wakes at your Local book store instead of doing it online! The Bookstores REALLY need your help right now.
The belt is actually the asteroid belt between mars and jupiter, not the kuiper belt. expanse.fandom.com/wiki/Asteroid_Belt One of the reasons the show is so good is that it is based on a series of well written books, and the series for once don't go totally astray from them. Most of the characters are well cast, although they come across as a bit more cool and younger than how they were portrayed in the books. (at least how I read them). The only one I'm not to fond of is Naomi, who IMO doesn't match the book Naomi as good as the rest of the cast match their dito. Amos is a more interresting character in the series, and very well portrayed by Wes Chatham. OK, I'm gone now...
Honestly this show is genuinely incredible, also season 5 gives Amos some much-needed character depth like almost the entire season revolves around his character development but its not forced, you still get a good feel for what else is going on with the other main characters and where they are and why they're doing what they're doing
Hey Drinker, your sci-fi knowledge is lacking. The Belt is (obviously) the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The Inner Planets are those between the Belt and the Sun and the Outer Planets are those beyond the Belt. The Kuiper Belt is a disk of icy bodies of which our knowledge is too limited and they are too far in a region of space that's too inhospitable to be used in a show with conditions such as those in the Expanse. Since you enjoyed this fantastic show which truly sets the benchmark for sci-fi, I'd urge you to read the books as well - although reading the books should come before watching them unfold on the screen.
2:20 Wrong belt. The belt that is portrayed in the show is the asteroid belt between the inner and outer planets. There also aren't any moons (that I'd know of) in either belt. There are, however, some dwarf planets.
at 64 i,ve watched many sci fi shows , this is up there with the best. ithought it was gonna be yet another woke piece of bull.... like startrek discovery , was gripped after a couple of episodes,watched all 5 series in a week. superb books enhanced by great screen writers,superb sci fi, an education to others still producing mediocre c.ap. excellent review.
I think they actually refer to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter as "the Belt" , and not the Kuiper Belt that is located where more or less Pluto is, as the farthest settlement /structure in the Solar System is, later on, the Ring gate.
The writers at Hollywood who can still write are actually the writers of the books. You forgot to mention that while this is a fantastic show - the first two seasons are better than the books! - it was almost cancelled after season 3 and now we are looking at season 6 as "the last season" although there are four more books to cover. It doesn't matter how well you write if you are being controlled and micromanaged by corporate sociopaths.
Hell yes. The expanse is hands down the best TV has to offer these days, imho. I mean, even the "supporting" roles are leagues ahead of what wins Oscars these days. Gosh, have you seen Cara Gee in this, for instance?!
Iv seen all 5 seasons. First 3 are awesome 4th is absolutely boring and a waste of time. You could literally skip this season and barely miss anything. 5th season gets alot of hate online but i really enjoyed it. At least they were back in space in Season 5 unlike Season 4.
I've only just got around to binge watching seasons 1-3 and I fucking love it. Only thing is its looks like I'll have to sign up to Amazon Prime to see 4-5-6. I suppose they deserve it, since it was Bezos who literally saved the show.
I’m only half way through season 2 and wow 🤩 this is THE best Sci-Fi series I’ve ever seen thanks The Critical Drinker I would not have seen it if wasn’t for your review! I’ll drink to that 🥃👍
That's a good point about diversity. It has one of the most diverse cast out there are badass members of all races and sexes in the show, but it never seems preachy unlike other shows that have done that And it does navigate social justice issues in the show, mainly in that you can see some belters making social justicy arguments when it comes to the Earth's oppression of the belt, but unlike any other show, it doesn't seemed forced
The show was amazing up to Season 3 which was being produced by SyFy. Amazon took over starting at Season 4 and you can see the difference. The dialogue and plot flew out the window, and they pretty much only show a small handful of different locations.
Thank you for the recommendation! It was after your video that I finally got to watching the show. I absolutely loved it and can't wait for the new season.
0:56 Same here, but on the other hand, I didn't have to wait years to know what's going to happen. Bingewatched the shit out of it. NOw I'm torn wether to read the books or wait the final 6 season, and considering that there are 9 books and 1 book basically 1 season, I am a little bit concerned with how they are going to squezze it in one season. I dont want another GAme of Trhones disaster
Sorry Drinker but this show is EXTREMELY overrated. After slogging through it for 2 1/2 seasons, I have seen so many issues with it. Character motivations are all over the place (certainly in Miller's case), and not fleshed out at all for pretty much everyone else. Miller is the generic-ass "world-weary detective" stereotype who falls in love with some woman he's never met, and it's never explained why, or how a smart detective (who would have seen tons of cases by now) would ever give such a shit about a person he's never met. While we're on the subject of Miller, his transition from "corrupt cop that takes bribe money" to "altruistic cop that suddenly starts giving a shit about people" is immediate and completely unearned. He went from accepting bribes from repairmen in order for them not to replace filters (air is important), to actively beating the shit out of the same people for not replacing the filters, all in the same _episode,_ in just a few minutes time, all because he saw a fucking picture of Julie Mao, and that somehow made him "start caring again". That is _beyond_ absurd. It's a downright farcical attempt to get anyone to care about his character. He basically has no purpose in the story whatsoever, but he goes around from place to place because the plot wants him to do things. But what does MILLER want? Who the fuck knows. Maybe he doesn't know either. In which case...why does he do anything? Holden is the typical boy scout stereotype that just wants what's best for his people, oh and also he loves coffee. Neat. Amos is just the muscle, but really he's a dog on a leash who always listens to Naomi because they're friends or something, but he's never once gone against her decisions (after 2 seasons at least)...sounds like a pretty one-sided friendship to me. Maybe he should stop being a simp and start being a character with specific motivations. Naomi is the smart one, and despite Holden being captain, she's the glue that keeps everyone together, especially Amos. Don't really know a god damn thing of importance about her other than that. Whoop-dee-doo. Alex is a pilot...he loves piloting the _shit_ outta things. And he used to be Martian but now he's not, and he used to have a family that he cared about but now he doesn't, because he likes piloting more. Because _PILOT,_ that's why. That's literally it for him. Shed was the ONE person who ever made any sense, ever showed any real human emotions, and he dies in like the 1st or 2nd episode. Rip poor Shed, I kinda liked you, Shed. It's all so bland and ridiculous. These cardboard cutouts that people are calling "characters" go throughout the story, being propelled from one plot event to another, but we barely get any kind of character depth in the process. The show never takes a moment to sit back and "breathe," because there's no time, they have to get to the next objective and do the next thing, and then the next, and then the next. And therefore the viewer is not allowed to see the characters taking in the events that have transpired, and acting like real characters that are facing hardships would act. I feel like I'm watching a long-ass Michael Bay film, just jacknifing from one action scene to the next. Then there's the dialogue. I cannot count how many times there has been either repetitive dialogue or cryptic dialogue. The repetitive dialogue comes in the form of telling the viewer what just happened, right after _showing_ us (which is always the better option anyway). It's extremely cringe and annoying, and I would much rather see that time used to give us a much-needed window into the _inner_ thoughts of these otherwise wooden-ass characters instead. The cryptic dialogue often comes in the form of a response to an unexpected character action. Example - Miller executes a scientist literally _right after_ trying to save the other scientists on the same station. Why the fuck did he do that? Don't know. The cryptic dialogue came when there were several interactions Miller had with other characters after this event, and they would ask _why he did that,_ and he would just give some bullshit cryptic response that meant nothing, such as "He had to be put down," and "I didn't kill him because he was crazy, I killed him because he was makin' sense." These responses don't explain why an inexplicably competent detective would _kill his best fucking lead._ This shit tells me the writers also have no clue why Miller did that, and it's just painful to watch because it's so obvious. Let's get into the Belters. Belters have no reason to be Belters. They live in shit conditions, in a world that has access to spaceships that can go anywhere. Why the _fuck_ does anyone bother working the Belt when they can go live on Earth or somewhere that isn't as difficult? I get the gravity differences, but they are humans all the same and they could eventually adapt to a life on Earth, or failing that, the Moon or Mars or something else, _anywhere_ else. Why live as a Belter? What's the point?? Life expectancy is way less, they have to ration water like crazy, and they all sort of just put up with it. It leaves me really scratching my head, because all this show has is worldbuilding, and they not doing that great of a job even at that. Speaking of worldbuilding - ships are made out of paper mache. Seriously, there's a scene where the Rocinante, an advanced Martian gunship, has like 20-something rounds zipping through the ship past crewmembers as they sit comfortably in their seats, carrying out their duties. Meanwhile, Shed's headless corpse floats through empty space somewhere as a solemn reminder of what ONE of these shots can do to a person. I laughed out loud seeing this. My thoughts - 1. How lucky, the crew survived! 2. *WHAT IS THE POINT OF HULLS?!* I haven't even begun to talk about how the fucking Belter slang makes the first half of the 1st season completely unwatchable without subtitles, because you can't tell if you're mishearing words or if it's just belter slang. (and honestly, the sound/audio mixing is fucking terrible anyway, with the dialogue being too quiet, so you'll probably want to have subtitles for the whole show regardless). There is a somewhat interesting story buried under all this bullshit, I guess.... but you'd have to get past a lot to get there. You gotta get past 2 dimensional characters, some nonsensical plot devices, awful, repetitive, often pointless dialogue. I cannot get over how anyone "loves" this show. It's a huge mixed bag, at best.
Thank you Mr Drinker for recommending this show, otherwise I would never have known about it! And yes I agree with all of this..great show! I especially like how they at least attempt to keep it realistic and stick to the laws of physics, more than any other show I can think of. Like the ships actually use retro rockets to steer, and of course there's none of that silly "artificial gravity" nonsense in EVERY other sci fi TV show - they use magnetic boots (It does lapse occasionally however with the inconsistant portrayal of gravity in the space ships). And the attention to detail also in the different cultures - dialects, fashion, even physiology. The one detail they do seem to ignore is the lengths of time it would take to travel the vast distances - no matter what sort of wonderous propulsion they have, it would still take a loooooong time to go from the asteroid belt to Mars for eg. But, it can't be perfect :) I really get the feeling that this is how it actually could be when we eventually colonised the solar system.
Coincidentally I’m just ploughing through this and it’s awesome so far (I’m just starting season 4). In some ways it reminds me in tone of Babylon 5 which is very much a good thing. It’s a slightly slow start but well worth persevering.
I like the Expanse... But, the character of Bobbie Drapper will bother the hell out anyone that served in the military. Any military actually. The way Drapper constantly question orders (because she didn't get to kill people), insulting and demeaning superiors (because they won't let her just kill people), these action would all be disciplined in any military. But the way Draper repeatedly undermines the entire mission of the Martian Navy (to prevent war), literally calling their duly elected government's decision a mistake and attempts to recruit other service members to her position (that there must be a war)... That's called sedition and it has the death penalty in every military in existence. Sorry, the fact that this character exists kept destroying my suspension of disbelief. Also, why does everyone keep calling this kid a Gunny? Maybe a Martian Gunny is their equivalent of a Lance Corporal. IDK. Other then this one character it was a great show, really enjoyed it.
i stopped watching expanse after first epsiode...why? because they had a copy of jusus burnham, and that one was among survivors while they killed off so many good pple in first epsidoe, why ddint they kill michael burnham copy? nah cant watch.
A gritty, grounded, morally ambiguous, sci-fi, political space drama with strong acting, strong character motivations, excellent writing in general, and sleek visuals. Not only is this among the best sci-fi the films industry have to offer, it’s one of the best overall shows I’ve seen period
I didn't bother with this show for years! Tried to watch it once and thought it was a little slow to start, but if I literally gave it 10 more minutes, I'd have been hooked! Finally watched it and love it. As you say a rich and diverse cast that's not forced, and just builds on itself organically. You're right, there's so much in here, you could spend weeks talking about it all. I'm just waiting for the next season. Hasn't gotten old yet!
@Basic Shapes At times Amos can be a typical unfeeling sociopath and much of this is due to his very rough upbringing on Earth. What is interesting about him however and what makes him a little different than similar characters, is that he recognizes this. I believe he says in the books that he knows he lacks a moral compass and because of that he tries to be close to people he respects and views as moral, in order to keep him on a good path. That's why he kept close to Naomi and that's why he sticks with Holden. The fact that he knows he can go bad at any time and not feel anything about it, yet forcing himself to be with people who set him a good example is why I like him. They touch on this as the series progresses, but they do a better job in the books (as usual).
Me. Amos is a bland, boring stereotype - the muscle head that just wants to shoot first and ask questions later. The only thing that makes him even remotely interesting is the fact that he respects Naomi so much, but after two seasons, the show hasn't given us the reason for that. (and Naomi saying "Amos and me go way back" is not a reason, it's a response that means nothing - we can already infer that "they go way back.") However, I hear the book version of Amos is much more interesting. Currently reading the first book and will find out if that's true...
Yup, thank god they managed to keep their political views mostly out of it. Anyone who follows the "author" (not sure which of the two manages the account) on Twitter knows what I mean...
Damnit drinker.... You pulled me into it and I just binged the entirety of season. 1 in one sitting. Great show and the cast and writing makes it so easy to invest in the characters.
@A.M.7 Can't really put my finger on anything specific (although I don't find the actress playing Naomi particularly attractive tbh, which is a big point the books make). I think that when you read first you get a pretty strong mental image that sometimes just doesn't gel when you get to see someone else's imagination.
I watch the first two seasons before reading all 8 books, so the actors where my first view of these characters. However, reading the books, I think their portrayal was pretty loyal. Like Alex's accent or Holden's morals. Sure Naomi is not tall and Amos is actually attractive in the series but oh well. I think they even managed to improve some things (rare thing for a series/movie to say), like Errinwright's character. What was it that hit you so bad if you don't mind me asking?
I just finished Season 4 and absolutely love this show. I am going to try and slowly watch Season 5...ha. I can say this: Best sci-fi show I've ever seen. Period. I will watch this show from episode 1 again I know. Great show, great stories, great characters. They seemed to have gotten the science and space right for a change. The rail guns firing and the missiles were a sheer delight to see. This is a gem of a show. Highly recommended.
The expanse is liberal subversive hot garbage wrapped in competent writing. As long as arsenic pills have been wrapped in sugar stupid westerners have been consuming poisonous turds like the Expanse like candy. Unless personally immune to mental toxins, no one should be watching this or reading this sh it.
@Rob Davis Are you actually able to swallow truth pills and unplug from that which has wired your brain all your life? Riddle me this, the series pushes two ideas. 1. earth has a population of billions. 2. Montana (of course, a western location.) takes 8 people to afford 1 child... just how the FCK can such a society not collapse to a fraction of its former population in a generation? Do you see how the series is pushing for population extinction AND also pretending that it wouldn't occur? Subversive That is one out of DOZENs riddled throughout the series. You are like a computer with no firewall going around pretending that there is no such thing as harmful mind viruses.
"Subversive"..regarding what displayed cultures in this show? Be more constructive with your criticism, there are three majoe ones to choose from. "Liberal" ? Is this your way of saying that you don't like it when some people are gay...not in this solar system, not now or in the fictional future? What exactly do you deem so "toxic" about it?
Thank you, Drinker! I’ve binged all 5 seasons in the time since you’ve made this video, and it’s one of my all-time favorites now. I’m even reading through the novels because I want to get into the story and world-building in more depth. Someday, I’d love to hear your review of the various seasons with spoilers!
I dont watch too many series but i have to say that the expanse is the best show i have ever seen. Not just the best scifi show but the best show period. I just hope they keep it being as good as it is now. Every season so far has been better than the previous one, and if the books are anything to go by it will only get better.
Sci-fi, "by adults, for adults". When most of it is geared for tweens and young teens. "Diversity done right", "without hitting you over the head with it". Couldn't have said it better myself. This is a don't miss.
Thank you for this honest review. I am a diehard sci-fi fan and this show finally brought my expectations to The big screen. Ive read all the books and in my honest opinion I would only want to se a few minor tweaks to Naomi and Amos but otherwise its spot on. F***ing awesome show and Great cast. Epic in all ways! Read/watch it! 🤤
This glowing praise definitely applies to the first few seasons, but there's a lot of droning on with boring stuff in the later seasons, and a lot of interesting plotlines that were thrown away and never explored. Highly plausible Mormon interstellar colony ship? Nah, mission canceled. Gateways to multiple worlds all over the galaxy? Don't reference that at all in Season 5. Endless bitching about Belter grievances? Yes please!
That's too bad about the colony ship, because as an Ex Mormon, the L.D.S.S. Nauvoo was genuinely the one thing that has kept me entertained! The rest of the show....well...I'm in season 2, and I can already see the writing is bad enough that I can certainly believe what you say. Not sure why Drinker loves this show, it has a LOT of issues, if I'm being honest. Mixed bag, at best.
Thank you for showing this to me! 🙂 Who cares about Star Trek: Discovery and Picard, when we have The Expanse and The Orville? To anyone who cares about the Star Trek franchise, Discovery and Picard could be set in an evil mirror universe (watch the Downfall Hitler videos about them) and the _real_ Star Trek franchise is done after Star Trek Continues - which coincidentally ended the same year as when Star Trek: Discovery and The Orville started. I really respect William Shatner for not being complicit with Alex Kurtzman in giving Kirk his own pathetic solo series like Star Trek: Picard, because William himself should and does know how much played-out Star Trek stories are after being the face of them for 50 years, and he is too old and tired to go on with Star Trek: Kirk. March 24, 2021, 10:35pm
