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The Expanse TV Series Finale (Spoilers)
Jan. 16th, 2022 10:44 am*** Spoiler Warning ***
I was very satisfied with the season and series finale of The Expanse TV series.
As with all the episodes this season, it was very exciting. I’m glad they resolved the Belter’s basic issue that Inaros had used to gain followers before he became a megalomaniac. The only permanent solution to the Belter issue was to give them real power and equal status with Mars and Earth-Luna. Carmina Drummer is the best person to lead the agency that will control access to the Ring gates. She had experience administering Tycho station, and led her own little fleet.
I expected more of the regulars to die, since this was the last episode. (I decided not to read Babylon's Ashes yet so there would be more suspense.) There were several bits of dialog that were typical of the “hope for the future, then get killed off” scenario. Bobbie, Amos, Clarissa, Naomi, and Holden survived and end up back on the Roci. They squabble and even try to kill each other, but they are family and have respect for each other even when they disagree. I liked Naomi urging Jim to stop planning ahead for once and enjoy the now.
It would have been more heart-wrenching if Filip had actually been killed. But he realized what his father had become and abandoned the Pella just before the ship went through the Ring. We see him changed his ID to Filip Nagata. For now, Naomi thinks he is dead, but the ending portends that she might be reunited with him.
The cringe-worthy part of the series was the character Marco Inaros. So much scenery-chewing by him. Also that the UN government would refer to him by his first name. Marco this and Marco that. The only reason I didn't skip his parts was that he is so pretty to look at even when he is beaten up.
The things I enjoyed about the TV series was the attention paid to the physics of living in space. I was hooked when the coriolis effect was shown when Miller poured a glass of water on Ceres. Flip and burn. Gravity. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to suspend my disbelief. The characters were imperfect and they grew. I liked each of them enough to care was happened to them, even though they did stupid stuff, like people do.
The series was about space exploration, space ships, space battles, politics, weird alien science, colonization, prejudice, and how humans react to change. And it is also very much about family. The family you are born into and the family you choose to make. I love this about science fiction, that we can explore these ideas at a bit of a distance and perhaps allow the discussion to change our own views.
The Expanse has a fandom, of course. I interacted with it mostly on Reddit and Discord. The leaders of the Screaming Firehawks worked to keep it a kind, welcoming, and spoiler-free place to share our interest in the books and the TV series. They held a virtual finale party on Zoom. Now, the idea of a Zoom party was off-putting to the socially-awkward, hearing-impaired me. However, I had attended their Season 5 party and it was well organized. It wasn't just a bunch of breakout rooms with people staring at each other from boxes. There was a schedule, beginning with a watch party for the finale. There were break out rooms for general socializing and one for showing off costumes and props. People were always kind with their comments and reactions. There was a performance by "Moldy Filters" of Expanse-inspired filk songs. Someone showed artwork they had created. Some of the show's creative team even joined the party. Enthusiasts of the Belter language, Lang Belta, had a breakout room to practice speaking.
I even did my part by remarking, One of the things I'll miss the most will be seeing new outfits for Avasarala. That started an animated conversation. Sadly, I could not understand most of it, but I enjoyed watching nerds having fun.
I had met several of the organizers in real life. They taught an immersive Lang Belta course at several of the science fiction conventions I attend. Language is an important way to understand a culture. I am impressed that the writers used the idea that the many cultures that make up the Belter population would develop a shared language with elements from all the home languages. I learned Spanish in high school and it was fun to pick out words that were based on Spanish or latin languages.
I got a good feeling hanging out with these folks at the party and the fandom will continue as people discover the books and the TV series in the future.
I was very satisfied with the season and series finale of The Expanse TV series.
As with all the episodes this season, it was very exciting. I’m glad they resolved the Belter’s basic issue that Inaros had used to gain followers before he became a megalomaniac. The only permanent solution to the Belter issue was to give them real power and equal status with Mars and Earth-Luna. Carmina Drummer is the best person to lead the agency that will control access to the Ring gates. She had experience administering Tycho station, and led her own little fleet.
I expected more of the regulars to die, since this was the last episode. (I decided not to read Babylon's Ashes yet so there would be more suspense.) There were several bits of dialog that were typical of the “hope for the future, then get killed off” scenario. Bobbie, Amos, Clarissa, Naomi, and Holden survived and end up back on the Roci. They squabble and even try to kill each other, but they are family and have respect for each other even when they disagree. I liked Naomi urging Jim to stop planning ahead for once and enjoy the now.
It would have been more heart-wrenching if Filip had actually been killed. But he realized what his father had become and abandoned the Pella just before the ship went through the Ring. We see him changed his ID to Filip Nagata. For now, Naomi thinks he is dead, but the ending portends that she might be reunited with him.
The cringe-worthy part of the series was the character Marco Inaros. So much scenery-chewing by him. Also that the UN government would refer to him by his first name. Marco this and Marco that. The only reason I didn't skip his parts was that he is so pretty to look at even when he is beaten up.
The things I enjoyed about the TV series was the attention paid to the physics of living in space. I was hooked when the coriolis effect was shown when Miller poured a glass of water on Ceres. Flip and burn. Gravity. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to suspend my disbelief. The characters were imperfect and they grew. I liked each of them enough to care was happened to them, even though they did stupid stuff, like people do.
The series was about space exploration, space ships, space battles, politics, weird alien science, colonization, prejudice, and how humans react to change. And it is also very much about family. The family you are born into and the family you choose to make. I love this about science fiction, that we can explore these ideas at a bit of a distance and perhaps allow the discussion to change our own views.
The Expanse has a fandom, of course. I interacted with it mostly on Reddit and Discord. The leaders of the Screaming Firehawks worked to keep it a kind, welcoming, and spoiler-free place to share our interest in the books and the TV series. They held a virtual finale party on Zoom. Now, the idea of a Zoom party was off-putting to the socially-awkward, hearing-impaired me. However, I had attended their Season 5 party and it was well organized. It wasn't just a bunch of breakout rooms with people staring at each other from boxes. There was a schedule, beginning with a watch party for the finale. There were break out rooms for general socializing and one for showing off costumes and props. People were always kind with their comments and reactions. There was a performance by "Moldy Filters" of Expanse-inspired filk songs. Someone showed artwork they had created. Some of the show's creative team even joined the party. Enthusiasts of the Belter language, Lang Belta, had a breakout room to practice speaking.
I even did my part by remarking, One of the things I'll miss the most will be seeing new outfits for Avasarala. That started an animated conversation. Sadly, I could not understand most of it, but I enjoyed watching nerds having fun.
I had met several of the organizers in real life. They taught an immersive Lang Belta course at several of the science fiction conventions I attend. Language is an important way to understand a culture. I am impressed that the writers used the idea that the many cultures that make up the Belter population would develop a shared language with elements from all the home languages. I learned Spanish in high school and it was fun to pick out words that were based on Spanish or latin languages.
I got a good feeling hanging out with these folks at the party and the fandom will continue as people discover the books and the TV series in the future.
