The Expanse cast is determined to adapt the whole series and “stick the landing”

The Expanse is one of the best sci-fi/fantasy shows on the air right now, a twisty, interplanetary potboiler that’s as much about political machinations as it is about ship-to-ship dogfights. Fans aren’t wildly out of step when they call it Game of Thrones in space.

And the Game of Thrones comparison may be apt in more ways than one. For example, it’s hard not to think of HBO’s mega-hit when reading a new Inverse interview with Expanse star Wes Chatham (Amos Burton), who’s looking ahead to how the Amazon show will eventually end. “[A]s fans, we get together and talk about shows that we’ve loved,” he said of the show’s tight-knit cast, “and how disappointing it is when you’re really invested in something and it doesn’t stick the landing, if it doesn’t maintain the quality level as it did in the beginning.”

The final season of Game of Thrones infamously received a huge amount of backlash, and while I admit I’m reading into Chatham’s comments here, it sounds like he wants to avoid that. “We always thought, wouldn’t it be amazing, wouldn’t it be great if we can really stick the landing and deliver a story that we would love to see,” he continued. “That’s definitely something we sit around and talk about. My hope is that before we get to 2030, we have completely told the whole Expanse story that includes all the novels through nine. I would love to be able to complete the full story and tell The Expanse at its highest expression.”

At the moment, there are eight Expanse novels out on shelves, plus a smattering of short stories and novellas, all of them by James S. A. Corey, a joint pen name for authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. There’s a ninth novel in the pipeline, presumably the last. The series has been adapting the books a rate of about one per season, so the show could stretch on for a while.

And how will The Expanse guarantee that it will keep up a high level of quality for that long? Well, for one thing, everyone’s heart is in it. “It’s a rare, rare thing where the cast, the crew, and the writers are working as hard now than they’ve ever worked,” Chatham said. “Usually when you start to get into later seasons, you start to relax a little bit. But not this show. Particularly after we were saved, there’s a certain kind of gratitude, but also a chip on our your shoulder. We believe this thing is amazing, and now we’re getting an opportunity to really show it.”

The Expanse aired its first three seasons on SyFy, but was cancelled and “saved” by Amazon. Its recent fourth season may have been its best yet.

According to Chatham’s costar Steven Strait (James Holden), the team also wants to ensure quality by sticking as close to the source material as possible. “It is essential that we stick to this meticulously plotted story,” he said. “[T]he minute you veer away, suddenly that’s all lost, and then you can’t really go back. We are always aware that these books are beloved for a reason. We’ll always stick to the to the plot because it’s exquisitely done.”

The Expanse has stayed fairly faithful, although it’s made some changes, like expanding the role of Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), a representative of the UN. So far, everything’s been pretty well considered.

But this is all in the far future. At the moment, we’re just wondering when season 5 might come out on Amazon. “They were very clear on me not being able to say anything about it,” said Chatham. “But I’ve seen a lot of – well, some of – Season 5, and I feel like it is hands-down the best thing we’ve done in this show so far. It just all kind of came together, and I’m so excited about it.”

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