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= The Expanse (TV series) =
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Introduction
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'The Expanse' is an American science fiction television series
developed by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby for the Syfy network and is
based on the series of novels of the same name by James S. A. Corey.
Set in a future where humanity has colonized the Solar System, it
follows a disparate band of protagonists - United Nations Security
Council member Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), cynical
detective Josephus Miller (Thomas Jane), and ship's officer James
Holden (Steven Strait) and his crew - as they unwittingly unravel and
place themselves at the center of a conspiracy that threatens the
system's fragile peace, while dealing with existential crises brought
forth by newly discovered alien technology.
'The Expanse' received positive critical response, with particular
praise for its visuals, character development and political narrative.
It received a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and three
Saturn Award nominations for Best Science Fiction Television Series.
Syfy cancelled the series after three seasons. Amazon later acquired
the series, producing three more seasons, with the series concluding
with its sixth. The series premiered on December 14, 2015 on Syfy,
with the series finale being released on Amazon on January 14, 2022.
Setting
=========
Hundreds of years in the future, humanity has colonized the Solar
System. The three largest powers are the United Nations of Earth and
Luna, the Martian Congressional Republic on Mars, and the Outer
Planets Alliance (OPA), a loose political confederation of colonies
scattered across the asteroid belt and the moons of Jupiter and
Saturn. The United Nations is a militaristic, ultra-capitalist society
with authoritarian undertones, while the Martians have evolved into a
corporatist culture. Both ruthlessly exploit and oppress the "Belter"
populations of the OPA to gain control of their valuable natural
resources.
Season 1
==========
UN Deputy Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala works to prevent simmering
tensions between the United Nations and Mars from erupting into
all-out war. Ceres police investigator Josephus "Joe" Miller is tasked
with finding a missing young woman, Julie Mao, who has ties to the
OPA. The 'Canterbury', an industrial ice-harvesting ship, and the
Martian Navy flagship 'Donnager' are destroyed by unknown stealth
ships. James Holden, Naomi Nagata, Alex Kamal, and Amos Burton survive
both attacks and escape in the 'Tachi', a Martian gunship. They rename
the ship 'Rocinante', which becomes the main setting of the series.
The crew of the 'Rocinante', with Miller's help, investigate and
eventually discover a biohazard that kills off most of the humans on
the asteroid spaceport Eros, including Julie. Chrisjen sends her
family away after realizing that a faction within the UN is
responsible for the demise of both ships.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a score of 78% with an
average rating of 7.1 out of 10 based on 46 reviews. The site's
consensus states: "'The Expanse' blends sci-fi elements and detective
noir into a visually compelling whole, though it takes a few episodes
for the story to capture viewers' intrigue." The first season received
a rating of 65 out of 100 on Metacritic based on reviews from 23
critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Reporting on the
pilot screening, io9's Lauren Davis declared herself "blown away" by
'The Expanse', appreciating its "incredible sense of scale" and its
"deeply thought out future world that reflects on our present one,
with high production values and characters who speak and act like real
people". Max Nicholson of IGN characterized the pilot as "grim and
dramatic", and a "'very' dense hour of television", with the
terminology and large cast sometimes difficult to follow for viewers
unfamiliar with the novels, but highlighted the pilot's "gorgeous"
visuals and effects reminiscent of 'Battlestar Galactica', 'Dune' and
'Firefly'. Writing for 'Variety', Maureen Ryan was unimpressed by the
first four episodes "awkwardly linking a series of somewhat muddled
stories" and the series's stereotypical characters but credited it
with tackling "issues of class, representation and exploitation" and a
convincing design. At 'Tor.com', Justin Landon highlighted 'The
Expanse's' "bold and unique cinematography" and its claustrophobic,
discomforting set designs, as well as the "extremely faithful"
characterization, but remarked that the patois spoken by the Belters,
the natives of the asteroid belt, made the series difficult to follow.
Season 2
==========
The crew of the 'Rocinante', along with members of the OPA, attack the
station responsible for the biohazard on Eros. Learning that it is an
extra-solar bio-weapon known as the protomolecule, they attempt to
destroy Eros. Miller becomes trapped there and dies when it crashes
into Venus. Martian Marine Bobbie Draper fights an inhuman figure on
Ganymede and later, during peace talks between Earth and Mars, becomes
a protégé of Avasarala. The crew tries to help a father, Prax, find
his daughter. In the process, they encounter and kill a figure akin to
the one that Draper fought, now known as a "protomolecule hybrid",
developed by Jules-Pierre Mao. A research ship, sent to Venus to
investigate the crash of Eros into the planet, is stopped dead in the
atmosphere and dismantled by the protomolecule.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a score of 95% with an average
rating of 9 out of 10 based on 21 reviews. The site's critical
consensus reads, "'The Expanse's' second season offers more of the
show's excellent signature production values while increasing
character development and politically thrilling narratives." On
Metacritic, it has a score of 77 out of 100 based on 5 reviews.
Writing for io9, Katherine Trendacosta noted how the show had become
"shockingly prescient", insofar as many of the issues and ideas
explored by 'The Expanse' mirrored contemporary trends in global
politics. Brian Tallerico, in "Why 'The Expanse' Is the Best Sci-FI TV
Show You're Not Watching" for 'Rolling Stone', praised the show for
its contemporary political relevance and called its willingness to mix
tones, and its protagonists, laudable. He summarized that at its core,
'The Expanse' was all about people responding to fear - fear of the
other, fear of the new, fear of inequality, fear of death. Writing for
13.7: Cosmos & Culture, a blog hosted by NPR, astrophysicist Adam
Frank praised the show and its writers for the scientific realism. He
wrote that "more than any other TV space-themed show, it gets the
science right".
Season 3
==========
The UN declares war, as Earth and Mars send science vessels to
investigate what is happening on Venus. Political tensions soar as the
OPA is recognized as the government of the Belters and Prax is
reunited with his daughter. The protomolecule forms the Ring, a
structure which takes an orbital position beyond Uranus, and all three
governments race to send their ships through. After a Belter racing
ship slingshots through the Ring at high speed, the ring believes the
high speed humans and objects to be dangerous and activates defenses
that threaten humanity. Through Holden, a projection of Miller tries
to shut off the defenses of the ring and convince the protomolecule
that humanity is not a threat. The ring reveals itself to be a massive
network of wormholes to other solar systems, each containing a
habitable earth-like planet.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a score of 100% with an average
rating of 8.6 out of 10 based on 26 reviews. The site's critical
consensus reads, "Building on earlier potential and extending
character arcs throughout a solidly crafted third season, 'The
Expanse' continues to impress - and shows no signs of abating."
Michael Ahr of 'Den of Geek' said the series "wowed fans with its
complex characters, its political intrigue, its attention to
scientific authenticity, and its stunningly good visual effects, and
with several more books in the series that inspired the show, there's
plenty more source material for the adaptation to explore in future
seasons." Liz Shannon Miller of 'IndieWire' praised the performances
of Coleman and Strait in the absence of the Joe Miller character,
saying "In general, while the mid-Season 2 departure of Joe Miller
(Thomas Jane) and his wonderful hats does leave a bit of a vacuum, the
ensemble has coalesced nicely, with both established performers like
Chad L. Coleman and relative newcomers like Strait settling into their
roles." Speaking about the premiere, Kevin Yeoman said, "All in all
.... season three begins by dramatically raising the immediate stakes
of the story without drastically altering the dynamics of the show
itself."
Season 4
==========
A land rush to other star systems with habitable worlds begins, with
thousands of planets accessible via the Ring's wormholes. Refugee
ships from the Belt and overcrowded Earth are stopped at the gateway.
A ship runs the blockade, and the crew of the 'Rocinante' are sent
through the portal to investigate the situation on the exoplanet,
called 'Ilus'. The settlers have been joined by an officially backed
scientific expedition with private military support, leading to
frequent violence between the two groups. The crew fails to ease
tensions and decides to find out what is happening on the planet and
where the previous civilization has gone. With the help of Miller,
Holden reactivates an ancient structure, setting off a chain of
cataclysmic events. Efforts to terraform Mars wane as habitable worlds
are available.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a score of 100% with an average
rating of 9 out of 10 based on 34 reviews. The site's critical
consensus reads, "Smart and thrilling as ever, 'The Expanse's' fourth
season doesn't miss a beat, successfully navigating network changes
without losing any of its rich character work or narrative
complexities." The season received a rating 91 out of 100 on
Metacritic based on reviews from 4 critics indicating "universal
acclaim". Writing for 'Den of Geek', Michael Ahr gave it a 5/5 review
and wrote, "With its brilliantly crafted, multilayered plot, 'The
Expanse' season four proves itself worthy of Amazon's rescue in a
nearly perfect season." Sadie Gennis of 'TV Guide' also praised the
fourth season, giving it a score of 4.5/5.
Season 5
==========
A deadly conspiracy threatens Earth, as the crew of the 'Rocinante'
pursue personal missions while their ship is in dry dock at Tycho
Station. Draper and Avasarala investigate the Martian military's ties
to a growing threat from a rogue faction of Belters. Marco Inaros, the
rebel leader, assembles a Belter fleet and attacks Earth with
stealth-shielded asteroids.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a score of 100% with an average
rating of 8.7 out of 10 based on 32 reviews. The site's critical
consensus reads, "'The Expanse's' many threads come to a head in an
excellent fifth season that expertly capitalizes on everything that
makes the show work while setting the stage for an epic final season."
The season received a rating 82 out of 100 on Metacritic based on
reviews from 5 critics indicating "universal acclaim".
Season 6
==========
Holden and the crew of the 'Rocinante' fight alongside the Combined
Fleet of Earth and Mars to protect the Inner Planets from Marco Inaros
and his Free Navy. The combined fleet, allied with the ships of Camina
Drummer and other Belter forces, defeats Marco and the Free Navy by
antagonizing an unknown alien presence. On a distant planet, a young
colonist discovers animals that can resurrect her dead sibling.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a score of 96% with an average
rating of 8.6 out of 10 based on 23 reviews. The site's critical
consensus reads, "'The Expanse's' truncated final season honors the
series' characters and themes with a graceful conclusion."
Cast and characters
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Character Portrayed by Appearances
Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6
Joe Miller Thomas Jane colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2"
James Holden Steven Strait colspan="6"
Alex Kamal Cas Anvar colspan="5"
Naomi Nagata Dominique Tipper colspan="6"
Amos Burton Wes Chatham colspan="6"
Shed Garvey Paulo Costanzo colspan="5"
Juliette Mao Florence Faivre colspan="2" colspan="3"
Sadavir Errinwright Shawn Doyle colspan="3" colspan="3"
Chrisjen Avasarala Shohreh Aghdashloo colspan="6"
Bobbie Draper Frankie Adams colspan="5"
Camina Drummer Cara Gee colspan="2" colspan="3"
Marco Inaros Keon Alexander colspan="3" colspan="2"
Filip Inaros Jasai Chase Owens colspan="3" colspan="2"
Clarissa Mao Nadine Nicole colspan="2" colspan="2"
Main
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* Thomas Jane as Joe Miller/The Investigator (seasons 1-2; special
appearances seasons 3-4), a Belter detective on Ceres assigned to find
Julie Mao
* Steven Strait as James Holden, the Earther executive officer on the
'Canterbury', later the captain of the 'Rocinante'
* Cas Anvar as Alex Kamal (seasons 1-5), the Martian pilot of the
'Canterbury', later the pilot of the 'Rocinante'
* Dominique Tipper as Naomi Nagata, a Belter engineer of the
'Canterbury', later the engineer of the 'Rocinante'
* Wes Chatham as Amos Burton, an Earther mechanic of the 'Canterbury',
originally from Baltimore; later the mechanic of the 'Rocinante'
* Paulo Costanzo as Shed Garvey (season 1), the 'Canterbury's' medical
technician
* Florence Faivre as Juliette "Julie" Andromeda Mao (seasons 1-2;
special appearance season 3), the missing daughter of business tycoon
Jules-Pierre Mao
* Shawn Doyle as Sadavir Errinwright (seasons 1-3), UN Undersecretary
of Executive Administration
* Shohreh Aghdashloo as Chrisjen Avasarala, UN Deputy Undersecretary
of Executive Administration, later UN Secretary-General
* Frankie Adams as Roberta "Bobbie" W. Draper (seasons 2-6), an MMC
(Martian Marine Corps) gunnery sergeant
* Cara Gee as Camina Drummer (seasons 4-6; recurring seasons 2-3),
Tycho Station's Belter head of security, later the leader of the rebel
faction opposing the Free Navy
* Keon Alexander as Marco Inaros (seasons 5-6; recurring season 4), a
Belter faction leader, later head of the Free Navy
* Jasai Chase Owens as Filip Inaros (seasons 5-6; guest season 4),
Marco and Naomi's son, currently working for Marco
* Nadine Nicole as Clarissa Melpomene Mao (seasons 5-6; recurring
season 3; guest season 4), Jules-Pierre Mao's elder daughter who
initially seeks revenge against Holden, later a crew member on
'Rocinante'
Introduced in season 1
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* Chad L. Coleman as Fred Lucius Johnson, "the Butcher of Anderson
Station" (seasons 1-2, 5; guest seasons 3-4), a UNN
colonel-turned-leader of the OPA on Tycho Station
* Martin Roach as Michael Souther (seasons 1, 3; guest season 2), a
UNN admiral
* François Chau as Jules-Pierre Mao (seasons 1-3), the owner of
Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile
* Athena Karkanis as Tavi Muss (season 1), Miller's former partner at
Star Helix Security
* Jared Harris as Anderson Dawes (seasons 1; guest season 2), the
OPA's Ceres liaison
* Jay Hernandez as Dmitri Havelock (season 1), Miller's Earther
partner at Star Helix Security
* Lola Glaudini as Shaddid (season 1), captain of Star Helix
Security's Ceres detachment
* Kevin Hanchard as Sematimba (season 1; guest season 2), a detective
on Eros
* Daniel Kash as Antony Dresden (seasons 1; guest season 2),
Protogen's head of biological research
* Brian George (seasons 1; guest seasons 2, 6) and Michael Benyaer
(season 4) as Arjun Avasarala, Avasarala's husband
* Greg Bryk as Lopez (season 1), an MMC lieutenant assigned to the
Martian Congressional Republic Navy (MCRN) 'Donnager'
* Elias Toufexis as Kenzo Gabriel (season 1), a Davila Aerospatiale
spy on Tycho Station
* Sara Mitich as Gia (season 1), a brothel employee in the Rosse Buurt
district of Ceres, who is secretly teaching the Belter language to
Havelock
Introduced in season 2
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* Andrew Rotilio as Diogo Harari (seasons 2-3; guest season 1), a
young Belter from Ceres in the OPA
* Nick E. Tarabay as Cotyar Ghazi (seasons 2-3), a security
professional working for Avasarala
* Terry Chen as Praxideke "Prax" Meng (seasons 2-3; guest season 6), a
botanist from Ganymede
* Leah Jung as Mei Meng (seasons 2-3), Prax's daughter
* Ted Atherton as Lawrence Strickland (seasons 2-3), a pediatrician on
Ganymede
* Jonathan Whittaker as Esteban Sorrento-Gillis (seasons 2-3), the UN
Secretary General
* Byron Mann as Augusto Nguyễn (seasons 2-3), a UNN admiral
* Mpho Koaho as Richard Travis (season 2), an Earth-born MMC private
assigned to the MCRN 'Scirocco'
* Carlos Gonzalez-Vio as Paolo Cortázar (season 2; guest seasons 5-6),
a Protogen scientist
* Peter Outerbridge as Martens (season 2), an MCRN captain and
chaplain assigned to the MCRN 'Scirocco'
* Sarah Allen as T. Hillman (season 2), an MMC private assigned to the
MCRN 'Scirocco'
* Dewshane Williams as L. Sa'id (season 2), an MMC corporal assigned
to the MCRN 'Scirocco'
* Conrad Pla as Janus (season 2), an UNMC colonel assigned to the UNS
'Arboghast'
* Ted Whittall as Michael Iturbi (season 2), a UN scientist assigned
to the UNS 'Arboghast'
* Hugh Dillon as Sutton (season 2), an MCRN lieutenant assigned to the
MCRN 'Scirocco'
* Jeff Seymour as Pyotr Korshunov (season 2), the former MCR Minister
of Defense
Introduced in season 3
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* David Strathairn as Klaes Ashford (seasons 3-4), a Belter
pirate-turned-executive officer of the OPAS 'Behemoth'
* Elizabeth Mitchell as Anna Volovodov (season 3; guest season 6), a
Methodist pastor and speech writer
* Brock Johnson as Grigori (season 3), a former acquaintance of
Ashford's aboard the OPAS 'Behemoth'
* Chris Owens as Kolvoord (season 3), a science officer aboard the UNN
'Thomas Prince'
* Genelle Williams as Tilly Fagan (season 3), a socialite aboard the
UNN 'Thomas Prince' who befriends Anna
* Anna Hopkins as Monica Stuart (seasons 3, 5-6), an Earther
journalist filming a documentary on the 'Rocinante'
* Jaeden Noel as Katoa Merton (season 3), Mei's friend
* Raven Dauda as Nono Volovodov (season 3), Anna's wife
* Brandon McGibbon as Elio "Cohen" Casti (season 3), Monica's
technical crewman and camera operator
* Ari Millen as Stanni Kulp (season 3), a Savage Industries
electrician assigned to the UNN 'Thomas Prince'
* Paulino Nunes as Hank Cortez (season 3), a priest aboard the UNN
'Thomas Prince'
* Sabryn Rock as Riko Oshi (season 3), an MMC private assigned to the
MCRN 'Xuesen'
* Hamed Dar as Jed Trepp (season 3), an MMC private assigned to the
MCRN 'Xuesen'
Introduced in season 4
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* Burn Gorman as Adolphus Murtry (season 4), chief of security for
Royal Charter Energy (RCE) aboard the 'Edward Israel'
* Lyndie Greenwood as Elvi Okoye (season 4; guest seasons 5-6), a
biologist working for the RCE
* Rosa Gilmore as Lucia Mazur (season 4), a medical technician on Ilus
* Patti Kim as Carol Chiwewe (season 4), a Belter leader
* Kyla Madeira as Felcia Mazur (season 4), a Belter refugee
* Steven McCarthy as Jakob Mazur (season 4), a Belter refugee
* Dayle McLeod as Leelee (season 4), a thief on Mars
* Jess Salgueiro as Chandra Wei (season 4), corporate security officer
* Zach Smadu as Fayez Sarkis (season 4), a scientist aboard the
'Edward Israel'
* Kolton Stewart as David Draper (season 4), Bobbie's nephew
* Lily Gao as Nancy Gao (seasons 4; guest season 5), a candidate for
UN secretary-general
* Paul Schulze as Esai Martin (season 4), a corrupt police officer on
Mars
Introduced in season 5
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* José Zúñiga as Carlos "Bull" de Baca (season 5), chief of security
on Tycho Station
* Michael Irby as Felix Delgado (season 5), a UN admiral
* Sugith Varughese as David Paster (season 5), a high-ranking UN
official
* Brent Sexton as Cyn (season 5), an old friend of Naomi
* Bahia Watson as Sakai (season 5), chief engineer on Tycho station
* Oluniké Adeliyi as Karal (season 5), a henchman in the Inaros
faction
* George Tchortov as Leveau (season 5), a Tycho officer who assists
Holden
* Sandrine Holt as Oksana Busch (season 5), a member of Drummer's crew
* Samer Salem as Josep (seasons 5-6), a member of Drummer's crew
* Vanessa Smythe as Michio (seasons 5-6), a member of Drummer's crew
* Lara Jean Chorostecki as Emily Babbage (season 5), a Martian
lieutenant
* Somkele Idhalama as a Tycho Engineer (season 5), helping Holden
pursue the Zmeya
* Jacob Mundell as Erich (season 5), a childhood friend of Amos in
Baltimore
Introduced in season 6
========================
* Krista Bridges as Sandrine Kirino (season 6; guest season 3),
captain of the MCRN 'Hammurabi'
* Conrad Coates as Sidiqi (season 6), a UNN admiral
* Ted Dykstra as Gareth (season 6), an aide to Chrisjen Avasarala
* Emma Ho as Cara (season 6), young girl colonist on Laconia
* Ian Ho as Xan (season 6), young boy colonist of Laconia
* Daniel Jun as Gary (season 6), Cara and Xan's father
* Dianne Aguilar as Dot (season 6), Cara and Xan's mother
* Stuart Hughes as Liang Walker (season 6), a Free Navy captain
* Kathleen Robertson as Rosenfeld Guoliang (season 6),
second-in-command to Marco Inaros
* Jo Vannicola as Nico Sanjrani (season 6), administrator of Ceres
Station
Guest
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* Jean Yoon as Theresa Yao (season 1), captain of the MCRN 'Donnager'
* Rachael Crawford as J. Peñano (season 2), an MCRN admiral
* Atticus Mitchell as Sinopoli (season 3), a MCRN ensign who served
aboard the MCRN 'Kittur Chennamma'
* Natalie Lisinska as Shaffer (season 3), a lieutenant aboard the UNN
'Agatha King' who is loyal to Souther
* Morgan Kelly as Mancuso (season 3), a lieutenant aboard the UNN
'Agatha King' who is loyal to Souther
* John Kapelos as Ren Hazuki (season 3), a Savage Industries
electrician assigned to the UNN 'Thomas Prince'
* Yanna McIntosh as Chandra Lucas (season 3), captain of the MCRN
'Askia', later captain of the MCRN 'Xuesen'
* Tim DeKay as Emil Sauveterre (season 5), a Martian admiral
* Gabriel Darku as Yoan (season 6), friend of Filip
* Dylan Taylor as Winston Duarte (season 6), former Martian admiral on
Laconia
* Vieslav Krystyan as Owain (season 6), Belter on Ceres with a cat
* Joe Perry as Tadeo (season 6), repair technician onboard the 'Pella'
Development
=============
'The Expanse' is based on the novel series of the same name by James
S. A. Corey, a pen name of the authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck,
who also serve as writers and producers for the show. The first novel,
'Leviathan Wakes' (2011), was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best
Novel and Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. On September 4,
2013, 'The Expanse' was optioned for television by Alcon Television
Group. On April 11, 2014, Syfy announced a straight-to-series
commitment to a television adaptation of the book series, and ordered
the production of 10 one-hour-long episodes for the first season. On
that date Syfy President Dave Howe commented: "'The Expanse' is epic
in scale and scope and promises to be Syfy's most ambitious series to
date". Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby wrote the pilot and served as
writers and showrunners alongside Naren Shankar.
Terry McDonough was revealed to be directing the first two episodes of
the series in October 2014. In May 2015, before the first season
aired, writing commenced for a second season, which was ordered in
December 2015. The second season of 'The Expanse' premiered on
February 1, 2017. On March 16, 2017, 'The Expanse' was renewed by Syfy
for a 13-episode third season to air in 2018. Four digital comics
based on the books and tying into the television series have been
published by ComiXology. The first focuses on the origin of James
Holden and was released February 1, 2017. The next three, highlighting
the origins of other characters are: Naomi Nagata, released April 19,
2017; Alex Kamal, released May 24, 2017; and Amos Burton, released
July 12, 2017. The show's title sequence was animated and directed by
Australian studio Breeder and its VFX team.
Cancellation and renewals
===========================
Alcon Entertainment produces and finances the series. It sold three
seasons to Syfy, which canceled the series in May 2018. Fans protested
the cancellation, gathering over 100,000 signatures for an online
petition. They lobbied Amazon Studios and Netflix to greenlight the
fourth season and a crowdfunding campaign paid for an airplane to fly
a "#SaveTheExpanse" banner around Amazon Studios. Celebrities
including Wil Wheaton, George R. R. Martin, Patton Oswalt and Andreas
Mogensen supported the campaign. Amazon Prime Video picked up the
series for a fourth season, which was released on December 12, 2019.
In July 2019, Amazon renewed 'The Expanse' for a fifth season, which
premiered on December 15, 2020.
On November 24, 2020, ahead of the fifth season's release, Amazon
renewed the series for a sixth and final season. Filming started in
late January 2021. However, the authors of the novels and writers on
the series, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, have stated that they view
season 6 as a "pause" rather than a conclusion and that Alcon
Entertainment "is very committed to the IP", Alcon's Andrew Kosove and
Broderick Johnson said that they are "considering all kinds of
interesting possibilities". On October 8, 2021, it was announced that
the sixth and final season would premiere on December 10, 2021.
In January 2023, it was announced that the continuation of the series,
set between 'Babylon's Ashes' and 'Persepolis Rising', would be
adapted into a 12-issue comic book series, 'The Expanse: Dragon
Tooth.'
Casting
=========
In July 2014, Thomas Jane was cast as Joe Miller. In August 2014,
Steven Strait and Shohreh Aghdashloo's attachment to the series as
James Holden, and Chrisjen Avasarala was announced. October of that
same year, Dominique Tipper, Cas Anvar, Paulo Costanzo, and Wes
Chatham were cast as Naomi Nagata, Alex Kamal, Shed Garvey, and Amos
Burton while Jonathan Banks and Jay Hernandez were announced to be
guest starring in the series. One month later, Shawn Doyle was cast as
Sadavir Errinwright, while Chad L. Coleman and Jared Harris were cast
in the recurring roles of Fred Johnson and Anderson Dawes,
respectively. Frankie Adams was cast as Bobbie Draper for the second
season in April 2016. On January 21, 2020, Keon Alexander, Nadine
Nicole, and Jasai Chase Owens (who portray Marco Inaros, Clarissa
Melpomene Mao, and Filip Inaros, respectively), were promoted to the
main cast for the fifth season. Later, Lily Gao was cast in a
recurring role as Nancy Gao for the fourth and fifth seasons, a
candidate for UN secretary-general. Anvar did not return for the sixth
and final season after being the subject of multiple sexual misconduct
allegations.
Filming
=========
Produced by Alcon Television and The Sean Daniel Company, principal
photography on the first season started on October 29, 2014, in
Toronto and concluded on March 27, 2015. The second season filmed
between April 13, 2016, and September 12, 2016. Filming for season 3
began on July 12, 2017. In February 2019, cast member Lyndie Greenwood
announced that the fourth season concluded filming. Filming for the
fifth season began on September 23, 2019, and ended on February 21,
2020. Production on the sixth season took place between January 27,
2021, and May 7, 2021. It was impacted by COVID-19 pandemic
restrictions, as was post-production of the fifth season.
Title sequence
================
The title sequence of the series has been lauded by reviewers for its
ability to elegantly and wordlessly convey important information about
the worlds in which the series takes place. The title sequence was
created by Breeder, a motion graphics design studio in Brisbane,
Australia. Drawing comparisons to the opening sequence of 'Game of
Thrones', Jason Morehead of 'Opuszine' notes that not only does it
depict the development of Earth's expansion into the solar system, it
introduces the viewer to the political dynamics within the series.
"Earth is the old guard, intent on controlling the system and her
former colonies; technologically advanced Mars is driven to become a
paradise; and the Belt is fighting to keep from being treated as a
second-class citizen by both Earth and Mars."
While the title sequence does change visually as the series
progresses, the lyrics that accompany Clinton Shorter's title theme -
written and performed by Lisbeth Scott - remain the same. Scott noted
in a post on Facebook that her words were drawn from Norwegian, though
she apologized for any errors in syntax, grammar and pronunciation.
Music
=======
The show's soundtrack was composed by Shorter. The first season's
soundtrack dubbed 'The Expanse Season 1 - The Original Television
Soundtrack', consisting of nineteen tracks, was released by Lakeshore
Records, on May 20, 2016, via iTunes, and on May 26, 2016, via Amazon.
Language
==========
The Belter characters speak Belter Creole, an invented language
created for the show by linguist Nick Farmer; these characters speak
English with a distinctive accent. As explained in one article,
"People who have migrated to the Belt come from all over Earth
speaking dozens of languages, and they're often isolated for years at
a time on remote mining stations. To communicate, they evolve a creole
called Belter, which becomes the 'lingua franca' for what is
essentially the solar system's new proletariat."
Release
======================================================================
The pilot episode was screened at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2015. In
the United States, seasons 1 to 3 of 'The Expanse' were broadcast by
Syfy and streamed on Amazon Prime Video. In Canada, these seasons
aired on Space and streamed on Crave. In New Zealand, these seasons
aired on Sky. In all other countries where Netflix is available,
seasons 1 and 2 were streamed until September 2018. On February 8,
2019, Prime Video took over exclusive distribution of the first three
seasons worldwide in preparation for premier of the fourth season in
2019.
Scientific accuracy
=====================
'The Expanse' was widely praised for its scientific realism and
technical accuracy, with executive producer Naren Shankar - a former
PhD student in applied engineering - being credited for effectively
applying his knowledge of physics and engineering. The show's
depiction of stealth technology, uncontrolled decompression, the
vacuum of space, and spacecraft propulsion were singled out for
praise, with other reviewers arguing that the show effectively
prepared viewers for future scientific developments.
Genre and themes
==================
The series has been described as a space opera by critics. Emily
VanDerWerff of 'Vox' describes the first season of the series to be a
"blend of science fiction and noir-infused detective drama, with a
backdrop of political intrigue". 'Vice' has referred to the series as
a "sci fi noir mystery-thriller" and as hard science fiction. Opposed
to the latter, the source books' authors defined their approach as
aiming for a "Wikipedia level of plausibility". To complicate the
plot, they kept inertia realistic, as well as light speed delay, which
solved a "cellphone problem" for the show.
Prior to the series premiere, Mark Fergus spoke of the series's
Western themes: "Everywhere is kind of back to the frontier rules so
it gives us all that stuff back that we lost. Cellular technology. You
can get a little more Western about it." The fourth season, according
to the writers, also had "space Western vibes".
Analyzing the show, 'Tech Times' wrote that 'The Expanse' "...is more
than just a science fiction show about people traveling the solar
system in spaceships. It ... covers ... politics, poverty, oppression,
discrimination, and the struggle for resources in harsh environments."
Ratings
=========
Season four was the first season not to be broadcast on live TV and
not get weekly viewership ratings. Per Parrot Analytics, the season
ranked fourth in most watched digital originals in the United States
in December 2019.
Accolades
===========
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result
rowspan="4" |2016 |Directors Guild of Canada Awards |Best Sound
Editing - Television Series data-sort-value="Ferriera, Nelson" |Nelson
Ferriera, Nathan Robitaille, Dustin Harris, Tyler Whitham, Dashen
Naidoo |
|Saturn Awards |Best Science Fiction Television Series
data-sort-value="Expanse, The" | 'The Expanse' | |
|Visual Effects Society Awards |Outstanding Visual Effects in a
Photoreal Episode data-sort-value="Munroe, Robert" | Robert Munroe,
Clint Green, Kyle Menzies, Tom Turnbull | |
Dragon Awards Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series
data-sort-value="Expanse, The" | 'The Expanse' |
rowspan="4" |2017 Directors Guild of Canada Awards Outstanding
Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series data-sort-value="Lieberman,
Robert" | Robert Lieberman |
Dragon Awards Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series
data-sort-value="Expanse, The" | 'The Expanse' |
Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
data-sort-value="Fergus, Mark" | Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby and Terry
McDonough |
|Saturn Awards |Best Science Fiction Television Series
data-sort-value="Expanse, The" |'The Expanse' |
rowspan="4" |2018 |Directors Guild of Canada Awards |Best Sound
Editing - Television Series data-sort-value="Ferriera, Nelson" |Nelson
Ferriera, Kevin Banks, Nathan Robitaille, Dustin Harris, Tyler
Whitham, Dashen Naidoo |
|People's Choice Awards |The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2018
data-sort-value="Expanse, The" | 'The Expanse' | |
|Saturn Awards |Best Science Fiction Television Series
data-sort-value="Expanse, The" | 'The Expanse' |
|Dragon Awards Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series
data-sort-value="Expanse, The" | 'The Expanse' |
rowspan="3" |2019 |Directors Guild of Canada Awards |Best Picture
Editing - Dramatic Series data-sort-value="Roque, Stephen" | Stephen
Roque | |
|Hugo Awards |Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
data-sort-value="Abraham, Daniel" | Daniel Abraham, Ty Franck, Naren
Shankar, & Simon Cellan Jones |
|Saturn Awards |Best Streaming Science Fiction, Action & Fantasy
Series data-sort-value="Expanse, The" | 'The Expanse' |
rowspan="2" |2020 |Hugo Awards |Best Dramatic Presentation, Short
Form data-sort-value="Abraham, Daniel" | Daniel Abraham, Ty Franck,
Naren Shankar, & Breck Eisner
|Dragon Awards Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series
data-sort-value="Expanse, The" | 'The Expanse' |
rowspan="6" |2021 |Nebula Awards |Outstanding Dramatic Presentation
data-sort-value="Nowak, Dan" | Dan Nowak, Amazon Prime
Dragon Awards Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series
data-sort-value="Expanse, The" | 'The Expanse' |
|Hugo Awards |Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
data-sort-value="Nowak, Dan" | Dan Nowak, Nick Gomez
rowspan="2" |Directors Guild of Canada Awards |Best Picture Editing -
Dramatic Series data-sort-value="Deogrades, Roderick" | Roderick
Deogrades |
|Best Sound Editing - Dramatic Series data-sort-value="Ferriera,
Nelson" | Nelson Ferreira, Alex Bullick, Dustin Harris, Josh Brown,
Craig MacLellan, Ayaz Kamani
|Saturn Awards |Television Spotlight Award data-sort-value="Expanse,
The" | 'The Expanse' |
rowspan="3" | 2022 Writers Guild of America Awards Adapted Short Form
New Media data-sort-value="Chatham, Wes" | Wes Chatham, Julianna
Damewood, Glenton Richards
|Hugo Awards |Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
data-sort-value="Abraham, Daniel"| Daniel Abraham, Ty Franck, and
Naren Shankar
rowspan="1"|Saturn Awards Best Science Fiction Series (Streaming)
'The Expanse' |
2023 |Hugo Awards |Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
data-sort-value="Abraham, Daniel"| Daniel Abraham, Ty Franck, Naren
Shankar and Breck Eisner align="center" |
''The Expanse: A Telltale Series''
====================================
During The Game Awards 2021, a reveal trailer announced 'The Expanse:
A Telltale Series' which was co-developed by Deck Nine Games and
Telltale Games. The game is a prequel to the TV series, Cara Gee
reprised her role as Camina Drummer, the executive officer onboard a
scavenger ship named 'Artemis'. Chad L. Coleman, Florence Faivre,
François Chau and Shohreh Aghdashloo also reprised their roles.
Episode one was released on July 27, 2023, and is published by
Telltale Games for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
X/S, and the Epic Games Store on PC.
Aftershow and podcast
=======================
Beginning December 16, 2020, Wes Chatham and Ty Franck started hosting
weekly programs that feature behind-the-scenes information about the
series, first as 'The Expanse Season 5 Aftershow' after each season's
episode. Upon the conclusion of Season 5 (after the airing of the
season 5 finale), they continued on Wednesdays as 'Ty & That Guy
Podcast', covering each series' episode, from 'The Expanse' S1E1,
additionally discussing their inspirations from genre culture, and
occasionally having guests both related and not to the series. 'The
Expanse Season 6 Aftershow' with Chatham and Franck, produced by
Amazon Studios, was distributed by 'Amazon Prime Video' and 'Ty &
That Guy Podcast' in video and audio formats.
External links
======================================================================
* on Syfy
* [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MMJTJSH 'The Expanse'] on Amazon Prime
Video
*
*
License
=========
All content on Gopherpedia comes from Wikipedia, and is licensed under CC-BY-SA
License URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_(TV_series)