The Expanse
This year also saw the beginning of the sixth and final season for The Expanse. The science fiction epic has had a crazy run, with its first three seasons airing on the Syfy Channel before it was cancelled and then subsequently saved by Amazon Prime Video, where it lived for three more seasons. We’re a little more than half way through the final season of the show as of this writing, and it’s been a near-perfect spring to the finish.
Based on the book series by James S.A. Corey (a pen name for authors Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham), The Expanse explores a near future where humanity has colonized the solar system and a dangerous alien technology called the protomolecule pushes civilization to take an enormous leap forward. Of course, humans being humans, we’ve brought all our prejudices and issues with us into space, as the people of Earth, Mars, and the asteroid belt all vie for power and dignity. The final season focuses on a solar system-wide war, and it is heavy, moving, and exhilarating by turns.
In terms of tone, The Expanse might be one of the closest shows we’ve gotten to Game of Thrones. It’s done a fantastic job of giving viewers big-picture quandaries as well as getting us invested in small found families. The effects this year have been exceptional, with arguably some of the best space combat ever put to the small or big screen. Even better, since the writers of the books are active members of the show’s writers room, The Expanse is one of those rare series that has managed to make large changes to its source material while staying true to the heart of the story.
There’s a lingering question of whether we’ll ever see more of the show — there are three more books to adapt — but for now, the ending of The Expanse feels like a momentous occasion. — Daniel