Lion

The big bad hasn't been revealed, though there is plenty of info for viewers to speculate. The factions are pretty clear: Earth, Mars, Belters. There might be other operators within these factions. For example, Anderson Dawes seems pretty high up within the OPA, but a viewer could wonder if he and Fred Johnson are on the same team. Sort of like how one can wonder if Crisjen and Errinwright are on the same team or how viewers could have easily theorized that Miller and the Star Helix Captain may not have been operating under the same assumptions (and now we see they weren't). But, I mean, if you aren't interested, I just don't get why watch? Yeah, I've rewatched, too, and I'm a fan of the book series. That doesn't mean that I think there is something wrong with the show or that I'm struggling to follow along. I have the image from the books in my head and I might miss changes they've made in the show. If I'm rewatching, it's because I like something. I didn't imply a lack of intelligence. I said this show is intelligently written. Viewers aren't being spoonfed. This means that one might maybe need to pay attention during watching. The comments in these past few episodes are slowly building towards the typically hate watching comments. You don't like the show after 6 episodes, and yet you keep watching and complaining about the same crap over and over. Eventually it will be not liking the show after 22 episodes and screaming and crying asking yourself why you watch something so terrible. It's a familiar pattern. I yearn for the day I can maintain an involvement on a show forum with actual fans, or at least the day hate-watchers or on-the-road-to-hate-watcher make their own dedicated threads.

It's hit and miss with my social group as well. The problem, the people who say they don't like it claim that it's because things don't make sense, but it turns out they aren't even paying attention because what they think doesn't make sense was discussed in a previous scene or episode. If watchers are hitting the point where they can't follow along, it probably means it's not their cup of tea. It's a show that's a bit more intelligently written than lots of other tv. The writer's aren't spoon feeding the audience, they trust that viewers can make these logical connections. The way I see it, we are well past the pilot. After about two or three episodes, people should know if they are going to like the show or not. If one doesn't like it, it would probably make a ton of sense to, you know, stop watching. Or at the very least, stop posting in a forum about how much you hate the show. I get it, sometimes it's entertaining in it's own way to hate watch something, but dayum, it sure would be nice to have one forum that isn't overrun with hate-watchers. Maybe there should be a dedicated hate watch thread.

It wasn't explained, but that's a best guess based on what we've seen. Super advanced technology that doesn't exist amongst humans, something being shot into space creating a beautiful light effect, etc.

Before Tycho was commissioned to build the Mormon's ship, they typically 'spun up asteroids'. Tycho is the sort of station that created Ceres. It's a mobile construction station, so it's right where it needs to be. I'm not exactly sure where Tycho is placed on the map in the show, but it wouldn't be too difficult for the station to position itself in the right orbit at the right speed so as to avoid asteroids. Space is big.

Hahah. So when I was watching, all I could think about is how they seemed to purposely cast the actors with the worst hair for the leads. I'm always so disgusted with Holloway's and Callies' hair. Holloway is always nasty and greasy and Callies apparently writes it in her contracts that her hair must always be unbrushed and stringy. Not going to lie, it's for hair alone that will likely not keep me around past episode two.

This is an episode that sort of grew on me long after I finished watching. Immediately after it ended, I wasn't too sure I liked it. Then thinking about it and comparing it to the books in my head, I found that it will be a great transitional episode once the season is complete. However, this episode really confirms that this show might have been better off released all at once. Jared Harris is really making Anderson Dawes come alive. I don't think I thought too much about him in the books beyond how he serviced the plot. But he's so excellent on screen and that's totally down to Harris.

Did anyone notice that Cassie is really old when she dies? There is that massive grey streak in her hair. So when she says that a lot has happened, we may not be looking at the Cassie two years from 2015, but a Cassie who has experienced decades.

Miller is portrayed as something of a wash out, someone who tries to hard, thinks he's sort of above it all, but also totally unaware of this. It's much the same in the books. In the books, the Belters have very distinct looks. They all look much like that one Belter that Crisjen had hanging on hooks. This is just impossible to really portray on screen. Instead, they seem to have gone with hairstyles and tattoos to differentiate the belters from the Martians and Earthers. A lot of Belters have tattoos and a lot have those hairstyles with half the side buzzed short, and many have both (like Naomi, for example). So, with Miller's characterization and with how they are differentiating the Belters, universal dislike of his "Belter bob" is probably the point. It looks so stupid, but being a huge fan of the books and Miller specifically, I have to say that it's such a perfect touch in making the character.

I don't think we yet know what's on the chip. What we do know is that the chip came from the dead data broker. Julie's ex-lover said she was in heavy with the OPA, namely Anderson Dawes, and that she asked him (ex lover) to connect her with the data broker. Something got the data broker killed and Julie is missing and all of this Miller is connecting with what's happening throughout the belt with the Scopuli, the Canterbury and now the Donnager. So Miller goes to check out the front for the data broker (btw, did anyone catch what sort of shop that? I swear I thought the dude was selling sunglasses but wtf? He was wearing a camo shirt which cracked me up). Password at the front is "i need a sherpa". In the back where the data broker worked before he was murdered, there was a mechanical mouse like the one that was in Julie's apartment. Those data chips Miller was testing in the "sherpa's" office were the same sort that he found in Julie's mouse. Something important or relevant is probably on that chip but we don't yet exactly know. I actually think they are doing a really good job with Miller's growing obsession with Julie. The changes in how he and Anderson Dawes interact is what sells it for me. In the show, Anderson is encouraging Miller to keep looking and wanting Miller to share whatever he finds. In exchange, Anderson will give up the man who stuck a stake in Havelock. Miller ends up tossing that clue because he wants Julie all to himself. Well, there are other reasons, but still. He's skipping out on Star Helix's hunt for Havelock's attackers and giving up the hand terminal that could have led him right to the main attacker. He's getting testy with the ex lover seemingly for being an ex lover. Miller's falling in creepy love. I'm glad they didn't have Avasarala. I like that the "Earth" section of this episode was with them being the tyrants of the belt. Obviously it introduces Freddie's history, but it also gives way more insight into the anger in the belt and why the OPA exists and why they might have certain goals. The naming of the Roci made me so happy. Flying Alamo would have been an excellent alternative! Slowly but surely the crew is beginning to become a unit.

I think casting has been pretty decent so far. In some cases we haven't yet reached a point where we can tell for sure if some specific casting is really a good representation of the character in the book. For the most part, I don't place extreme importance on how the actors look. It's simply impossible to get exact matches. We aren't going to have a cast full of Belters looking exactly as they are described in the books. Casting can't be totally blind to appearances, of course. Amos would be something different if a middle aged fat man were cast, for example. But he needn't be a hulking meathead with a 40 inch neck in order to be the Amos we know in the books. He should be fit, yes, but it's more important that he convey an air of intimidation coupled with amiability. You can be intimidating without veins popping out. I do think it's important to maintain diversity when casting and this is one area where I will feel strongly when it comes to judging the physical appearance of the actors to determine if it's a good cast. Thomas Jane as Miller has been the most spot on. He conveys the sort of shady intelligent washed up detective who doesn't know he's washed up that's written in the books. He's both likeable and unlikeable. He was my favorite character in the book so I'm most happy this casting has worked so well. I like the Roci crew. Even with the changes they've made in the adaptation, these characters are still very familiar to me. I definitely hear Cas Anvar's accent and I've had several friends unfamiliar with the books asking why he's speaking like me (a Texan native). My opinion on the Roci crew could change when the story turns to them interacting in the same way they did in the books. That sort of chemistry and relationship between them will really define things. I don't have much opinion on Chad Coleman as Fred Johnson. It's probably how I imagined him physically, though perhaps a bit older. He was an officer and is like the CEO (or equivalent) of Tycho and later becomes the equivalent of President of the OPA, but I'm not really seeing that sort of persona yet. I'm seeing the asshole that is the Fred we know, but so far he's looking more like a mechanic who has worked his way up. We'll see how that works out. My only complaint might be Avasarala. I'm not a fan of Shohreh anyway so I was always going to be annoyed with listening to her gross voice. My my personal hatred of her voice isn't all that relevant. It was always obvious that Avasarala was never going to be exactly like she was in the book. There can't be that much cursing on basic cable. I do wish they'd have adopted something like "frak" to convey a swear. But there is a way to make Avasarala the character we know in the books without the potty mouth. I'm just not sure if polite backstabbing of close friends while the earth is on the brink of war is really making her the character she was in the books. I'm not impressed so far.

It looked as though Holden passed out there at the end, which is something that happens in the books. The problem is that Alex is up there turning around in his chair shouting how he's 'doing it'. There are some instances in the books where high g burn causes broken bones. I remember that Prax or maybe Amos or both had a broken toe or twisted knee because it wasn't perfectly placed on the crash couch before hitting high g. I guess there is a legitimate reason the 'couches' have to be flimsy, probably makes it easier with filming and editing. But it does annoy me that they aren't showing how completely dangerous and harmful it is each time they go into high g burn. Plus they are being inconsistent. If Holden passes out, Alex shouldn't be up there turning his head around and shouting his stupid words.

Not gonna lie, I also assumed several unsavory reasons the tv people would make Ade white, including reasons listed here by David and Danny. Ade's race isn't all that relevant to the plot apart from a bit of world building. With the introduction of each new character's ethnicity, we're learning more about what national boundaries still exist, the immigration patterns of ethnic groups, etc. We're also learning how institutional and personal biases have evolved over the centuries. The color of one's skin, the shape of one's eyes, one's sexual orientation...these things largely no longer matter as the type of gravity one grew up in has become the major line of division. Ade being white isn't a huge deal or anything. I'm just not entirely sure why they did it and the reasons I come up with seem suspect. They obviously didn't do color blind casting, so it was an intentional decision to change her race.

Brought over from episode 1 Dulcinea thread since it discusses book specific things. A story told on screen will require different things than one told in print. This is an adaptation so changes an adjustments will need to be made in order to effectively relay information. With a few changes and two or three minutes of screen time, we have some big world building, tons of character development and exposition and set ups for future possible plots where in the novels this stuff was laid out over hundreds of pages and across five different books and counting. Space is harsh, space is dangerous, there are pirates who don't hesitate to attack and kill making it very dangerous to answer distress calls. Then there's Holden, a seemingly unambitious man who has trouble following the rules and often thinks in black and white without fully considering the consequences of his decisions. In a few short scenes, we know who Holden is, which isn't yet different than who he is in the books. The few changes are not relevant and don't cause big changes to the overarching plot. Naomi is not a change to the plot, though the way the interactions went on the Donnager is different. Naomi is a seeming mystery. She's mega smart and has several advanced degrees in the show and the books, and yet she's working on a shit-ship like the Canterbury. There has to be a reason, right? Just like there was a reason that the once ambitious Holden found himself comfortable working on the Cant for five years. The careful viewer would already see that Naomi's neck tattoo is enough to make one question whether or not she has a connection with OPA. In Leviathan Wakes, the Roci crew works directly with OPA. In later books, the pasts of the various characters are examined. We learn much about Naomi. We also continue to learn about the OPA. The first few episodes treat them like only a terrorist organization. It's similar to in the books. Until we learn more. So far, I really think the adaptation is working well. All of the changes make sense. The characters are roughly as I imagined. The only major issue I've had is the crash couches. They are such weaklings when they should be big things and I'm annoyed by the characters turning their heads and moving around when in high g burns. I'm guessing the process of filming and editing required the crash couches to be barely visible around the cast so I can live with that.

The Ade thing annoyed me. The book series has an extremely diverse cast of characters. I just hope this whitewashing of characters of color doesn't continue. To the highlighted, no, it's the same. The OPA in the books and the show both appear to consist of all inhabited areas beyond Mars. The spoilered section I'm taking to the book talk thread as it brings up things that are in other episodes and future books.

I think a show should be able to stand on it's own without requiring the viewer to read the source material. So far, I think this show stands on it's own well. What parts are you feeling lost with? Some of it may be intentional as there is a central mystery that's introduced and none of the main characters know what it is yet. The cast is also rather large so it will take time to get to know all of them. I've heard that the sound isn't great in the first episodes so some of the intentional dialects presented with the different factions (Belter, Mars, Earth) might cause some confusion, though I think that's something that one will just get used to over time especially if one has familiarity with any foreign language or a creole language. I think the books are great and would recommend them to anyone, but I don't think they are necessary to understand the show.

I have been a mega fan of both the ASOIAF and The Expanse book series. I'm an uber nerd. I participate on fan forums for these series and go to comic cons just to connect with other fans. I can't remember it ever being discussed that these books are so comparable that they are practically interchangeable. I never read Leviathan Wakes and thought "well hey, this is just like Game of Thrones, except in space." Nor have I read Game of Thrones and thought it was just like Leviathan Wakes, except in a fictional middle ages-esque world. Sure, both series touch on some of the same themes, but that's not a reason to say one is just like the other. I could name a hundred books or shows that have political issues, POV characters, use standard tropes and explore various social concerns. Shit, with those parameters, we might as well also say this is The Walking Dead in space. There was some sort of zombie-ish weird creature in the opening scenes, after all. It's clearly a marketing ploy to liken it to GoT. This show can be likened to any show that is or has been popular if they think it will bring in viewers. It was a gamble to sell this show as the space version of GoT. I'm not sure it will pay off. Hard science fiction is a niche genre. Syfy is a niche network. I think it would have made more sense to market to the known target audience and then build from there rather than trying to start off with trying to grab as many GoT type viewers as possible. People unfamiliar with sci-fi and Syfy are more likely to be disappointed if they come in expecting to be offered the same sort of intro into fantasy that GoT offered, and that came on the heels of years of the audience being treated to successful fantasy blockbusters. Hard science fiction is just barely getting a foothold in Hollywood. They probably couldn't have done it due to rights and such, but it might have made more sense to market it as something fans of Interstellar or The Martian would enjoy.

Thank you. This has been my most personally anticipated show this year. The Expanse is my favorite book series right now and I have wanted to see it play out on screen since I read the first prologue. It's annoying to me how many of my friends and reviewers have been complaining that we dont know the entire story in the pilot. It's a serial, people! We're only getting a basic introduction to the world right now, along with a set up for the season's arc. Well, we've only gotten very little information on the military mights of the three factions that were introduced. I don't think one needs the source material to know that space is freaking huge and there is no way that any single entity could patrol every single corner of it. It's a bit like being out on the ocean. It's so huge and harsh and custom dictates that anyone around who hears a distress signal responds to it. As explicitly mentioned in the show, you do it for others because it might eventually be you out there in distress. Especially when on a freighter that is falling apart and working for a company, as Holden mentions, that would find it cheaper to pay out widow's wages than adequately repair the freighter.