The Expanse: Dark, Moody, & Incredible

So good it's scary!

            Imagine Game of Thrones went into space then blended perfectly with Battle Star Galactica. You'd get a mind blowing, visually stunning, addictive story! SyFy's new (I'll say ambitious) show The Expanse takes place hundreds of years in the future where humanity has colonized most of the solar system. The U.N. controls Earth while Mars has become an independent military power and these two behemoths are in the middle of a Cold War that will combust into a war at any moment. 

Smile for the cameras...

          Cast is very colorful character wise. Shohre Aghdashloo, Cas Anvar, and Paulo Constanzo I've seen before and they have impressed me greatly. I love antihero and outsider-type characters who pretend not to care but when faced with a decision to save themselves they break their hard shells. Miller and Holden never met but they have a lot in common with each other. Holden's loyalty is to his crew even though some of them he wasn't very close to. He kept giving them a way out but they refuse to abandon him. 

Don't mock the hat, bro

        Detective Miller is a bit harder on the outside but he punishes a criminal he accepts bribes from for depriving children of oxygen in the Medina as he searches for Julie Mao and actually falls in love with her (I think that was a movie... Hitchcock?); I feel like it's more admiration because here's a rich Earther girl forsaking fortune to help Belters. But nevertheless Miller digs despite being told to drop the case. 

Mars is a military power? Buying into that Roman
God of War are we?

         While being dark (literally I mean there's not that much light in space) The Expanse isn't all doom and gloom. As far as settings go it's kind of colorful showing separation of the classes on Ceres and in the asteroid belt. The Belters even have their own language to truly distinguish them from Martians and Earthers (and not just most Belters being tall and thin). 

Get ready for a class warfare!

       The story is kind of Game of Thrones with several people following different story lines but they're all connected so there's something to hold the story together as well as your attention instead of it being all over the place. And I'm feeling some BSG energy not because of the dark sets but because of the theme. The fall of humanity and our hope to build a better future; to expand our horizons but somehow we can't stop fighting each other. 

So which side are YOU on?

         Despite Martians and Belters originally coming from Earth there's this alienation between all nations. Mars wants to turn it's planet into what Earth was, a garden and Earth is struggling to keep going, and then there's the Belters who are no better than slaves being used as pack mules. I actually feel more on their side despite the radical factions of the OPA. That's how good this show is! Though you see how each side has their own story on how they're the victims or how they're all working towards a goal for their nations but at what cost? Highly recommend The Expanse for anyone interested in space dramas. 

      

"The Expanse" may just leave you breathless!