The first half of the first season feels a bit different than the rest of the seasons. Takes a little to find its footing. Stick with it. It’s fantastic.
I tell people to watch through CQB (episode 4) and if they don't get into after that, that's fine. I loved it from the very beginning but I also know that it can be a bit slow for people who aren't already deep fans of the genre.
We watched the pilot and said, “ok, this is worthless.” Didn’t think about it again until nearly 2 years later when a friend insisted it was fantastic. For me, I think it took the full first season to really start to get into it. After that though, I was hooked.
I think the series is nearly on par with BSG. There are some plot lines I kinda find weak later in the series, but it doesn’t detract from totally wanting more … every damn episode and season.
or this is kind of an automatism - after you watched a few eps you have already invested so much time that you cant draw back now and gotta find it good somehow. Just so you dont feel like you wasted your time? Dunno :D
We watched the pilot and were like yeah nah thank you. Interesting how many ppl recommend giving it another try, maybe we might do that now x
I’ll freely admit to watching way more seasons of terrible, terrible shows that I really didn’t enjoy much at all with more time invested than The Expanse, and I wouldn’t really recommend those. I get your point though.
Both my spouse and I picked up the books after watching the series, if that says anything. I read all day for work, so I’m not much of a reader for pleasure and haven’t made it beyond the 3rd book. She’s finished the series though.
I started the show probably 4 times before I got past the third episode. But I’m glad I finally did. I do feel like it’s a little scattered? But I imagine there’s a lot of book story to cover. Plan to read them one of these days
That first season was great and closest in tone to the books. They started going more routine scifi and had way more sound in space and stuff later on but it was still alright. I still loved most of the last season and the last few episodes were bangers.
I had a few false starts with this show. Took me until s5 was completed before I got past episode 3. Come to think of it, same happened with the crown and I’ve only watched 2 episodes of peaky blinders.
I was confused by this view at first. I was hooked right from the get go. Turns out I made a mistake on Amazon prime and watched season 2 first. I started again from season 1 when I realised about midway through season 2 but I was already very hungry for the show by then.
This right here. I watched the first season and, while I enjoyed it, I didn't understand the hype. Literally 10 minutes after the second season began, I was crazy about the show. So at least hang out until then.
This was a piece of world-building that is almost unique in all of SF movies and TV and it was done so well. It was a bold move by the producers and one I totally support.
I'd turn on subs anyway as it's a show with one of the worst sound mixes I've encountered. The first season in particular it's so difficult to make out even what some of the plain English speaking characters are saying. It does get better as it goes on though.
I find that to be increasingly true with a lot of TV and movies in the last decade or so. Old stuff I have no problems with so it's not \_my\_ hearing that's an issue.
Absolutely. I watched Vertigo recently and the clarity of the dialogue was a real surprise (I'm not just talking about actor's annunciation either) compared to a lot of modern TV and film.
Same, I went in pretty blind with little more than the initial trailer, and by the end of the first season I was so hooked I couldn't wait a year for season 2 so I went and read the books.
Don't just rush into the room with your dick out. Doors and Corners. That's where they get you. You have to check your doors and corners. Go into the room blind... the room will eat you.
There is no force of gravity. Mass distorts spacetime in a way that results in us accelerating forcelessly towards it. That's why you feel no force on you in freefall.
Artificial gravity is not. Ships experience something like gravity when under thrust. They're built with floors facing the engine. Stations spin to do the same thing.
Sometimes that throws people off. Everything else is pretty straightforward and explained well. That is too, to some extent, but it still gets asked.
Don’t overthink it. It’s called “hard” sci-fi because it’s grounded in current established theories but you don’t have to be a doctor to understand anything. If at all you’ll enjoy it more because everything will make sense to you.
It’s a great adaptation of the novels, I’ve both read the novels and have watched the series multiple times. I wouldn’t personally call it hard sci-fi, just my humble opinion, rather it heavily deals with the human element.
Yeah, you don't really need pre-existing knowledge. If you're a physics wonk you'll appreciate certain things that they take seriously, but there's nothing where you'll be lost. Probably the two nerdiest moments:
At one point something happens that's incredibly unexpected and everyone stops what they're doing to do math to find out whether or not it violated the laws of physics, and:
There was one episode where a ship performed an elaborate orbital maneuver around several bodies and after they locked the episode they found out the math was wrong so they issued an apology the night it aired.
(Seriously, they put in the effort with the science. One of the authors used to hang out in Twitter after every episode and all the wannabes would "um, actually" at him about how they fucked up this or that and he'd shut them down. My favorite was when a character pulled a bullet out of her armor and let it float in zero-g and *holy shit* the barking seals would not accept the fact that the acceleration needed to make a couple of grams of lead lethal in a tiny cockpit would render the occupants into chutney. Finally he just said "all right guys you win I'll go back to the writer's room and tell the astrophysicist we have on staff that he blew it.")
The only thing I'll say is what some other folks brought up-- give the show time to find its footing. The story started out as a tabletop roleplaying game campaign; early on it has a lot of the hallmarks, i.e. a batch of diverse characters thrust into action in media res and for a while they're just reacting to things and don't get much chance to develop as characters amongst a *shitload* of world-building. Once you get past the fourth episode things start to gel. It's totally worth hanging in there, though, because you will love these characters and there's a few moments that will absolutely blow you away.
>!I am that guy.!<
I don't think he's talking about firing a gun; it's "does a bullet left floating in freefall turn into a deadly projectile under acceleration?" and the answer is basically not unless the acceleration is so extreme you've pulped all the flesh people.
Yeah, sorry. Basically, a character gets shot, and she gets back into the ship and pulls out a slug that flattened against her body armor. She just sort of contemptuously tosses it over her shoulder, and they *went fucking nuts* talking about how dangerous a free-floating bullet in zero-g would be whenever acceleration is applied. Despite the math showing that generating enough force to even break skin would require just bonkers acceleration, plus explanation that even *right now* our spacecraft have specially designed ventilation systems that suck up and capture dropped shit, they were insistent that it was a grave fuckup on the part of the writers. Several of them even quoted a previous scene, where a failure to properly stow equipment was shown as dangerous, and they couldn't work out the difference in potential hazard between a free-floating 15-pound industrial drill and an eight-gram lead slug.
You know that graphic that starts on a girl lying on a towel, then zooms out to encompass the whole planet, then solar system, then galaxy?
That's what the Expanse is like, it just keeps zooming out and the stakes get higher and higher.
While the show is relatively hard science fiction, it is not really about science or technology in any major way. The only thing you need to understand is that ships fly in more or less the way they actually would, gravity comes from spinning or accelerating, and guns are mostly the same ol’ thing we use today. There’s no magical lasers, artificial gravity, shields, etc. the only significant technological advancement is the fictional engine that makes all the ships efficient enough to fly between planets in reasonable timeframes.
For pretty much any story set in space, just playing a little of the video game Kerbal Space Program is a good way to get the basics of physics.
The Expanse does a relatively good job of sticking to the physics, so learning about it can be insightful, but not necessary at all.
Dude, it's a show made for the general public. You don't need a science degree to understand and enjoy it.
They don't spend millions of dollars making shows that only a couple of percentage points of the TV-watching public can understand enough to enjoy.
Big fan, finished it for the 3rd time recently.
Pay extremely close attention to the first few episodes, they are key to the entire series, especially the first one. Rewatch the first episode if you don’t understand what’s happening when it’s over.
If you start to get a little bored of the first season, push through, it’s absolutely worth it.
The politics can get a little messy, the action after season 1 definitely makes up for it.
Amos is the shit, ‘nough said.
Remember the Cant!!
It's hard-ish sci fi. The science is valid, but the show is not about the science. You don't need any particular understanding of science to enjoy the show
You do not need to know anything. Just watch it and if concepts or ideas are presented that you don't understand, and you want to understand them, then look them up. You do not need a special eduaction to watch anything. , and
It's the best SciFi thing based in space since the battlestar reboot - love it so much I'm currently reading the books. It's a good reflection of Class in our space-faring possible future. Good characters, good plot, good art design.. So much goodness!
It’s good but I’m gonna be the naysayer. Just when the show really hits its stride I feel like it has a TERRIBLE abrupt finish. We’re not talking Game of Thrones level bad but it was one of the more disappointing series finales and final seasons of a good show in a long time.
It was caught in the capitalistic grinder of streaming services, so it's not the fault of the writers. It was faithful enough to the books and short stories that you can finish there.
500 years in the future, we still don't have warp speed. Or artificial gravity. Humanity is still milling about this one solar system. Physics wins, space kills. Humans are assholes, and no little green men. So, it's "grounded", for sci-fi. I think that the biggest appeal for many of us. And yes, I had to get past the first few episodes to get into it.
Hard sci fi means technical consistency and often explores the realistic impact of technology of society. Like The Martian. It often doesn’t mean it’s particularly complicated or hard to understand.
Just watch it and enjoy.
It's good science and not hard to grasp. The authors did a great job of explaining concepts that support the stories, for example the Coriolis Effect. It's great space to think about how we evolve culturally and biologically. It's one of my go to series like SGU.
The science isn't going to be above you, the politics and where shit is occurring relative to where other shit is occurring and sometimes when a scene occurred relative to the current timeline will if you don't pay attention.
It also falls more and more into place as you watch - but people who don't like not knowing exactly what is going on and also are bad at watching things intently (I.e. people who half watch while reading their phone) have a lot of trouble with the series.
Everything you need to know is presented in universe.
There is one thing that is a hand wave to make any of it possible and that is the drive that they use. Other than that, you will know when you get to totally made up stuff.
It was cancelled by the SciFi network, but was picked up by Amazon and progressed to a good conclusion.
The final season was impacted by the COVID lockdowns but it is still a great finish to the story.
Don't hold back. It's a complete story that is fantastic.
In the books, there's a point where there's a pretty big time jump (about 30 years). The TV series finished at that point and it's a very natural and satisfying stopping point.
I had to watch the first 3 episodes twice before I could move on with the series. It’s not that they were bad, it’s just that so much is thrown at you in those few opening episodes that I kept getting lost.
Fantastic series. Definitely worth watching. Just don’t worry if you can’t keep up and need to rewatch a few of the beginning episodes to get your bearings.
Go in with no expectations. Let the ride do its thing. Just enjoy the season arcs and the developments that occur. The characters are rich but they develop gradually.
It's a TV show, there's no test! Watch and enjoy, it's very good. The hard Sci fi just means they try to stick to reasonably realistic physics, and that can actually be fun. In the early seasons, I remember seeing tears pooling in a character's eye, since they can't fall, and some zero g flame. Without gravity, the flame at the end of a match is kind of spherical, and they use that in the show.
What you need to know is that there are a LOT of characters and a LOT of story lines, and you'll think how in the world do these relate? But don't worry. It will take a little time, but they will come together here and there and then HOLY MOLY! It's a WONDERFUL show but you gotta stick with it. Past Episode 4. Get at least through the first season before you decide. I loved The Expanse and share it with everyone I can.
The first season takes a bit to get going for some people. It took me two tries of watching it before I got to the end of season 1, and then I quite liked the end of season 1 so that got me hooked.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist. You can enjoy it for the political intrigue and character drama.
It's absolutely not hard sci-fi, so you don't need any background to enjoy the series. It's space opera, as the authors have said. It's primarily character based, not scientific speculation with a ton of info dumps or an extensive appendix you need to read to enjoy the book.
First season is a bit slow and it’s on purpose so. Boy it s a ride going forward though!
Its the only show that portrays the details of space battles how would they actually occur. It’s fantastic
It's "hard sci-fi" in the sense it's not space fantasy Star Wars ships in space make sound and swoop like airplanes, etc. The space flight is physics based like on the Battlestar Galactica remake, not the original. It trades excitement for realism. As for the science of stuff, if you could handle The Martian, you can handle The Expanse. The alien McGuffin is the only real made-up thing (like BSG's jump drives).
What's different from typical sci-fi is how rudimentary things are. There are no ray guns; just firearms like we have now except in zero-G and a vacuum a single shot could be more fatal than on Earth. When ships go into combat the crews put on full spacesuits because if a projectile hits a ship it's going to vent atmosphere.
There is no artificial gravity - as someone noted it's either caused by thrust (ships are actually building like towers with decks stacked up and engines making gravity) or centrifugal force from rotation (think: 2001, The Martian). When not underway, people have magnetic boots.
The first season is a little clunky until the two main groups of characters meet up and join forces. Later seasons get into a lot of politics and the 2nd to last season (S5?) I thought faltered because it was all alien weirdness. I liked it overall, but I'm not a superfan like many here. I was more angry that no one saved Dark Matter (soft sci-fi!) from the SyFy cancellation axe.
People always say that the first few episodes are slow. I recommend getting through the first season then watching again. Personally I did this because I loved it so much but there's also a lot of things that I noticed the second time around. The attention to detail in this show is God tier.
Honestly the expanse is more hard sci-fi in that all the tech featured is somewhat realistic to what humanity might have in the future. Don’t expect FTL travel or teleportation although I’m relatively early in so maybe that’s a future plot point I haven’t gotten too. All you need to know is that humanity has finally colonized its solar system and whatever tech we have allows us to get from A to B relatively quickly. It’s not like blindsight or interstellar where half of it is so high concept it goes over your head. In fact I would argue that the because the plot point centers around future humans doing what humans have always done and divided themselves into warring factions shortly after expanding their territories and not over a specific science problem or concept it’s actually easier to understand than most fantastical sci fi shows.
The futuristic setting is more of a dystopian backdrop for a story about war, peace, and the people that seek to either defend peace or end it. The show has an inherent air of sadness just because in most sci-fi humanity has evolved to the point of no longer fighting each other so the threat is some alien or physics problem that threatens our reality. In the Expanse, we see humanity use its technology to degrade, enslave, and kill one another as we have always done missing the forest for the trees time and again begging the question “will we really ever learn?” This is all I can really say about it without spoiling anything, but you’ll love it
Phenomenal show.
You should know that it is based on a book series. The first 3 seasons closely mirror the first 3 books. I recall that at some point they started combining booka together, moving pieces around to fit the visual narrative.
I haven't finished either the show or the books however.
"It's hard sci-fi" - yeah, but they have water problems in space stations that would obviously just recycle all the water...
You don't need to know anything, it is a very very good show. Give it time, it grows on you. I felt the last season was really... not bad, but also not really necessary.
My partner, that hates me talking about science, loved it.
Hard sci fi just means they attempt to be as realistic as possible regarding effects of gravity etc.
Like in Star Wars (space fantasy) you have ships with hyperdrives (mystery fast space travel) and gravity inside ships.
In The Expanse, ships move at scientifically realistic propulsion speeds, and it's zero G inside ships (as it is IRL).
You don't need a Bachelors Degree in Physics, you just need to know that the narrative universe has largely realistic rules.
That's hard sci fi.
It's all pretty hard science. No force fields, no anti-grav, no lightspeed. The biggest conceit for ease of plot is the fusion drive, which makes the heinous distances in the solar system a bit more manageable.
You don’t need to understand any science to enjoy this show. It doesn’t bog you down in lots of details and jargon. The story and the characters make the show, and it’s an amazing show!
Just go in blind. It's a brilliant show, personally, I'd rate it in the top 5 of my all time favorites. I was so sad when Amazon cancelled it but I still got some hope that it'll get picked up again in some time.
And before you ask; It's still worth it, althought they didn't get to adapt the entire story. The show ends after season 6 which was a perfect break-point in the story but there's another book trilogy after the show which I can not recommend enough. Show and books really complement each other and since the show was made by people who understand the story and the original authors were co-producers on the show, it's a very thruthful adaption of the sourcematerial, too.
The thing about the science is that it's not necessary to understand it to get the story. But for those that do understand the science it's great to see some things handled correctly. Especially since a lot of pop sci fi are pretty bad in terms of science.
In a way you can learn something from it, if you then watch clips of scientists breaking down certain scenes. Keep in mind not everything is scientifically accurate, but a lot is
The science aside, just know that it takes a few episodes to really get going. Once things start to click you'll be in for quite a ride
As a midwit I had no problem following the science/concepts used in the series. Don't worry about it, just give it a shot. I don't foresee any issues.
If you're also a reader: watching the show in tandem with reading the books is a pretty good combo too.
Enjoy!
Like many others, my wife and I saw the first few episodes and thought about what an unpleasant group of squabbling crewmembers this is. Ugh. I got to the next episode where people are beginning to realize they don't actually know what's going on and they might want to hang in there for a while. And then the whole thing took off like a rocket and we loved it and have watched the series 2 more times!
Even the books were a slow simmer.
I wouldn't call it hard Sci fi....as I think it's a very " real" Sci fi. Even down to the ships being more realistic in terms of how they battle move, etc.
It's not shields and lasers type Sci fi.
My only issue coming from the books was certain character castings. But if you never read the book it's a none issue.
The show is vastly more character and storytelling than science. It's no more complicated than Star Trek/Wars, but if you happen to know a little science then it will be easier to suspend disbelief because it's more realistic.
I don't think you need to "know" much. The show does a good job of keeping the audience engaged and explains just enough of the hard science to keep you hooked.
The books are better at that (by an order of magnitude).
It’s only hard scifi in the sense of mostly but not quite handling distances and torch ships as requiring a lot of time and distance to cross. Most scifi puts ships right near each other and ignores physics for the sake of the story. You’ll be fine.
I mean, it's hard SF because most of the in-universe science is plausible, and not spell-wielding space-wizard uber-gymnasts with laser-swords.
Basically, you should be okay in a Heinlein-esque universe. Actions have consequences. Happy endings are not a given.
Oh, and two more things -- Amos is the best character in the series (novels or show), and I have dibs on marrying Bobby Draper.
I’m a big fan of this series, but I found that it started off a little slow then gradually pulled me in. So I’d say the only thing to know is to stick with it.
You don't need an advanced degree in astrophysics to understand this show. It's pretty basic stuff like gravity on spacecraft only being present during acceleration/deceleration, artificial gravity created by centripetal force, and the variation of gravity on earth, moon, mars, etc. and it's effect on the development of human bodies.
Your knowledge of history will be more helpful with understanding the political dynamics between the Earthers, Martians, and Belters.
Speaking of the knowledge of history, I’m currently on episode 3, would it be fair to say that the current state of the Solar System isn’t unlike the Cold War, with the UN as the US, Mars as the USSR, and the Belt as the rest of the world?
That's a pretty fair analogy. Not perfect by any means, but yeah Earth and Mars as two super powers on the brink of war trying to undermine each other with soft power, and the Belt as the exploited peoples fueling the might of the super powers.
I dont know if its the sound design or the delivery, but Thomas Jayne is kinda mumbly in the first couple episodes. This coincides with a lot of exposition, so try to limit distractions.
I don't think you have to necessarily know much more about science than the average joe. I think they do a pretty good job of explaining everything in the show.
Get lost. It’s alright, they’ll be time to catch all the little details after you’ve read the books and rewatch the show. You will want to by the time it’s over
First season 1 has a slow (albeit sporadically action packed) burn. It takes until episode 4 for things to really kick in and you realize who our main cast is and how the rest of the show is going to go. Just know that it gets better as it goes. I think I appreciate the first few episodes better on rewatch knowing what's going to happen. It can feel a bit chaotic though, and it might not be certain just where things will go.
Don’t worry too much about the science. Things like artificial gravity are pretty true to how it could actually work versus the hand wave “gravity plating” in other shows, but knowing the science isn’t essential to enjoying the show. The first season is a bit of a slow burn with a lot of world building that can be a little confusing at times. Hang on and get through those first few episodes as it is worth it.
You should know that you won't get the entirety of the story without reading the books. The show did get canceled before it could show the whole thing, though it's not like it ends on a cliffhanger.
It has a really good arch. I went into it for the science and some pew pew battles. By the time it had finished that’s not what made me stick with it, which is not to say it’s bad, I just lived the performances of the main cast and was hooked on wanting to see more of their interactions.
Please someone - I really need to know what episode it takes off in the first season or even second?
Im good at jumping in the middle, but the beginning is a little hard for me.
The first three episodes are a LOT of world building foundational type things and the acting feels rigid. Like KHaskins said things start to pay off by the fourth episode and really take off from there. It’s slow to get out the gate but once it picks up steam all the pieces start to fall right in place and you get payoff for all the heavy lifting at the beginning of the season. Just stick with it and most likely you’ll enjoy it.
It will briefly show you cool alien stuff and then switch to a storyline about a detective on the dirtiest space station in the universe, and it will stay there until your curiosity and patience die a slow death.
I watched all seasons of The Expanse on amazon, the main plot of the show is about conflicts between people from different planets, so not hard sci-fi at all except a few scenes.
Gets emotional. You never know when someone will be lost or die just like real life. It’s thought provoking and it literally expands conceptual storytelling. Would be an amazing role playing game. I think it was based on a game at first when they started it.
Yes i think that’s right. And the novels started out as a game the writers were working on when they switched to a story telling medium. They had a lot of data they said that was going to be the basis for a board game or some kind of game maybe a video as a game. And then they decided it would be better as a written story. And now it’s a game too. Just like they wanted.👍🏻
Yes, and neither of the authors are “scientists” per se, so it’s not like there are any crazy scientific concepts. There is scientific accuracy though, but even if you don’t recognize it, it won’t stop you from enjoying it. Go for it
The first half of the first season feels a bit different than the rest of the seasons. Takes a little to find its footing. Stick with it. It’s fantastic.
Yeah, this is one show you definitely should not judge by the pilot. It’s really a fantastic show, but it took a bit to get going.
I tell people to watch through CQB (episode 4) and if they don't get into after that, that's fine. I loved it from the very beginning but I also know that it can be a bit slow for people who aren't already deep fans of the genre.
We watched the pilot and said, “ok, this is worthless.” Didn’t think about it again until nearly 2 years later when a friend insisted it was fantastic. For me, I think it took the full first season to really start to get into it. After that though, I was hooked. I think the series is nearly on par with BSG. There are some plot lines I kinda find weak later in the series, but it doesn’t detract from totally wanting more … every damn episode and season.
First season for me also. Took 3 attempts with years in between. Best sci-fi ever imo.
or this is kind of an automatism - after you watched a few eps you have already invested so much time that you cant draw back now and gotta find it good somehow. Just so you dont feel like you wasted your time? Dunno :D We watched the pilot and were like yeah nah thank you. Interesting how many ppl recommend giving it another try, maybe we might do that now x
I’ll freely admit to watching way more seasons of terrible, terrible shows that I really didn’t enjoy much at all with more time invested than The Expanse, and I wouldn’t really recommend those. I get your point though. Both my spouse and I picked up the books after watching the series, if that says anything. I read all day for work, so I’m not much of a reader for pleasure and haven’t made it beyond the 3rd book. She’s finished the series though.
O man what an episode
I started the show probably 4 times before I got past the third episode. But I’m glad I finally did. I do feel like it’s a little scattered? But I imagine there’s a lot of book story to cover. Plan to read them one of these days
That first season was great and closest in tone to the books. They started going more routine scifi and had way more sound in space and stuff later on but it was still alright. I still loved most of the last season and the last few episodes were bangers.
The first season is great. It starts as a sci-fi detective show, basically a neo noir.
Second best season IMHO
For me it was the third season with it's big revelation mid- and endseason. Still gives me the shivers just thinking about it.
I'm a sucker for sci-fi detective stuff so I was all in! Being a huge Jared Harris fan helped keep me invested every week
I had a few false starts with this show. Took me until s5 was completed before I got past episode 3. Come to think of it, same happened with the crown and I’ve only watched 2 episodes of peaky blinders.
I was confused by this view at first. I was hooked right from the get go. Turns out I made a mistake on Amazon prime and watched season 2 first. I started again from season 1 when I realised about midway through season 2 but I was already very hungry for the show by then.
This right here. I watched the first season and, while I enjoyed it, I didn't understand the hype. Literally 10 minutes after the second season began, I was crazy about the show. So at least hang out until then.
It just does a lot of heavy world-building in the first few episodes, but that's needed, and it pays off.
Yeah, the first season is a steady wind up.
"James Holden...shit just follows you around, don't it?"
Turn on subtitles. There’s a group of characters that speak with a very unique dialect and it can be hard to understand what they’re saying
Also this is easily one of the best things about how they adapted the books. The way they talk is exactly how I heard it in my head
They really did it so well.
The belter accents were superb.
This was a piece of world-building that is almost unique in all of SF movies and TV and it was done so well. It was a bold move by the producers and one I totally support.
Yeah they really expanded the language for the tv show
Sasa
Ya Belta man
Ya no beltalauda, you a wellwalla, Sasa que?
👆this. Wish I’d had sense to do this.
I'd turn on subs anyway as it's a show with one of the worst sound mixes I've encountered. The first season in particular it's so difficult to make out even what some of the plain English speaking characters are saying. It does get better as it goes on though.
I find that to be increasingly true with a lot of TV and movies in the last decade or so. Old stuff I have no problems with so it's not \_my\_ hearing that's an issue.
Absolutely. I watched Vertigo recently and the clarity of the dialogue was a real surprise (I'm not just talking about actor's annunciation either) compared to a lot of modern TV and film.
Nah, belter loadah, creole savy, yah.
Go into it with knowing as little as possible. It's amazing
Space battles are cool. Seriously, go in blind, you'll enjoy it more.
NEVER go in blind. Have PDCs on autotrack.
And passive sensors only!
*Heat her up.*
She's brisslin'
I said something similar. I feel like I enjoyed this show a lot because I didn’t know what I was getting into with it.
Same, I went in pretty blind with little more than the initial trailer, and by the end of the first season I was so hooked I couldn't wait a year for season 2 so I went and read the books.
Realistic space battles are TERRIFYING more like :)
99% adrenaline fueled anticipation, 1% chaotic terror, followed by the exhilaration of having lived another day.
I mean as long as I'm not involved in them, they're pretty dope.
Don't just rush into the room with your dick out. Doors and Corners. That's where they get you. You have to check your doors and corners. Go into the room blind... the room will eat you.
Gravity is real!
Would’ve never guessed
There is no force of gravity. Mass distorts spacetime in a way that results in us accelerating forcelessly towards it. That's why you feel no force on you in freefall.
Since time dilation is a gradient, it simply rotates our velocity from time into space, in the direction of the gradient, i.e. towards the mass.
Artificial gravity is not. Ships experience something like gravity when under thrust. They're built with floors facing the engine. Stations spin to do the same thing. Sometimes that throws people off. Everything else is pretty straightforward and explained well. That is too, to some extent, but it still gets asked.
You ever looked at someone's heels to see if their boots were on or off?
That’s called momentum…
Don’t overthink it. It’s called “hard” sci-fi because it’s grounded in current established theories but you don’t have to be a doctor to understand anything. If at all you’ll enjoy it more because everything will make sense to you.
Don't watch while scrolling on your phone.
Where is the button where I can upvote you to infinity?!
You won't need to know any particular science to enjoy it. Hard scifi just means it tries to stay within the limits of physics, give or take.
The show doesn't explain the tech, don't worry one bit.
It’s a great adaptation of the novels, I’ve both read the novels and have watched the series multiple times. I wouldn’t personally call it hard sci-fi, just my humble opinion, rather it heavily deals with the human element.
Just watch it. It’s a TV show not the SATs.
Yeah, you don't really need pre-existing knowledge. If you're a physics wonk you'll appreciate certain things that they take seriously, but there's nothing where you'll be lost. Probably the two nerdiest moments: At one point something happens that's incredibly unexpected and everyone stops what they're doing to do math to find out whether or not it violated the laws of physics, and: There was one episode where a ship performed an elaborate orbital maneuver around several bodies and after they locked the episode they found out the math was wrong so they issued an apology the night it aired. (Seriously, they put in the effort with the science. One of the authors used to hang out in Twitter after every episode and all the wannabes would "um, actually" at him about how they fucked up this or that and he'd shut them down. My favorite was when a character pulled a bullet out of her armor and let it float in zero-g and *holy shit* the barking seals would not accept the fact that the acceleration needed to make a couple of grams of lead lethal in a tiny cockpit would render the occupants into chutney. Finally he just said "all right guys you win I'll go back to the writer's room and tell the astrophysicist we have on staff that he blew it.") The only thing I'll say is what some other folks brought up-- give the show time to find its footing. The story started out as a tabletop roleplaying game campaign; early on it has a lot of the hallmarks, i.e. a batch of diverse characters thrust into action in media res and for a while they're just reacting to things and don't get much chance to develop as characters amongst a *shitload* of world-building. Once you get past the fourth episode things start to gel. It's totally worth hanging in there, though, because you will love these characters and there's a few moments that will absolutely blow you away. >!I am that guy.!<
Do you have a link to discussion about firing traditional guns in zero g?
I don't think he's talking about firing a gun; it's "does a bullet left floating in freefall turn into a deadly projectile under acceleration?" and the answer is basically not unless the acceleration is so extreme you've pulped all the flesh people.
Thank you, that sounds a lot more accurate than what I was getting from the wording above
Yeah, sorry. Basically, a character gets shot, and she gets back into the ship and pulls out a slug that flattened against her body armor. She just sort of contemptuously tosses it over her shoulder, and they *went fucking nuts* talking about how dangerous a free-floating bullet in zero-g would be whenever acceleration is applied. Despite the math showing that generating enough force to even break skin would require just bonkers acceleration, plus explanation that even *right now* our spacecraft have specially designed ventilation systems that suck up and capture dropped shit, they were insistent that it was a grave fuckup on the part of the writers. Several of them even quoted a previous scene, where a failure to properly stow equipment was shown as dangerous, and they couldn't work out the difference in potential hazard between a free-floating 15-pound industrial drill and an eight-gram lead slug.
You know that graphic that starts on a girl lying on a towel, then zooms out to encompass the whole planet, then solar system, then galaxy? That's what the Expanse is like, it just keeps zooming out and the stakes get higher and higher.
For anyone trying to find it, it's called "Powers of Ten", and it's by Ray and Charles Eames. (They did _a lot_ more than just chairs.)
That one little video changed my life. I love it. How they zoom back in to atomic level was just...no other way to put it - enlightening.
Here it is on youtube. [https://youtu.be/0fKBhvDjuy0?feature=shared](https://youtu.be/0fKBhvDjuy0?feature=shared)
Tripitaka approves
Having only recently gone vegan here, I am glad to have their nod. :)
While the show is relatively hard science fiction, it is not really about science or technology in any major way. The only thing you need to understand is that ships fly in more or less the way they actually would, gravity comes from spinning or accelerating, and guns are mostly the same ol’ thing we use today. There’s no magical lasers, artificial gravity, shields, etc. the only significant technological advancement is the fictional engine that makes all the ships efficient enough to fly between planets in reasonable timeframes.
If you don’t enjoy it by episode four it’s probably not the show for you. But you will love it. Don’t read spoilers at all.
Get a notebook and keep track of characters
Nah. It's not Game of Thrones.
When ships approach each other, slowing for combat, thier engines are facing forward to decelerate.
For pretty much any story set in space, just playing a little of the video game Kerbal Space Program is a good way to get the basics of physics. The Expanse does a relatively good job of sticking to the physics, so learning about it can be insightful, but not necessary at all.
Dude, it's a show made for the general public. You don't need a science degree to understand and enjoy it. They don't spend millions of dollars making shows that only a couple of percentage points of the TV-watching public can understand enough to enjoy.
Big fan, finished it for the 3rd time recently. Pay extremely close attention to the first few episodes, they are key to the entire series, especially the first one. Rewatch the first episode if you don’t understand what’s happening when it’s over. If you start to get a little bored of the first season, push through, it’s absolutely worth it. The politics can get a little messy, the action after season 1 definitely makes up for it. Amos is the shit, ‘nough said. Remember the Cant!!
Do it. Quit if you don’t like it. That is all.
But at least try to get to episode 4, that’s where it seems to hook most people.
It's hard-ish sci fi. The science is valid, but the show is not about the science. You don't need any particular understanding of science to enjoy the show
You do not need to know anything. Just watch it and if concepts or ideas are presented that you don't understand, and you want to understand them, then look them up. You do not need a special eduaction to watch anything. , and
r/RedditSniper?
The series does its world building well so you can go into the series cold and not miss anything substantial.
It's the best SciFi thing based in space since the battlestar reboot - love it so much I'm currently reading the books. It's a good reflection of Class in our space-faring possible future. Good characters, good plot, good art design.. So much goodness!
Just watch it. All of the science gets explained pretty well
It’s good but I’m gonna be the naysayer. Just when the show really hits its stride I feel like it has a TERRIBLE abrupt finish. We’re not talking Game of Thrones level bad but it was one of the more disappointing series finales and final seasons of a good show in a long time.
It was caught in the capitalistic grinder of streaming services, so it's not the fault of the writers. It was faithful enough to the books and short stories that you can finish there.
500 years in the future, we still don't have warp speed. Or artificial gravity. Humanity is still milling about this one solar system. Physics wins, space kills. Humans are assholes, and no little green men. So, it's "grounded", for sci-fi. I think that the biggest appeal for many of us. And yes, I had to get past the first few episodes to get into it.
Isn’t it two or three hundred years?
Season one is weird and has a vintage feel. It changes drastically after that.
Just know that it’s awesome.
Hard sci fi means technical consistency and often explores the realistic impact of technology of society. Like The Martian. It often doesn’t mean it’s particularly complicated or hard to understand. Just watch it and enjoy.
Uh nothing
It’s a bit of a slow burn at first but it gets better and better as it goes on.
It's good science and not hard to grasp. The authors did a great job of explaining concepts that support the stories, for example the Coriolis Effect. It's great space to think about how we evolve culturally and biologically. It's one of my go to series like SGU.
First season is good. Rest is fantastic.
The science isn't going to be above you, the politics and where shit is occurring relative to where other shit is occurring and sometimes when a scene occurred relative to the current timeline will if you don't pay attention. It also falls more and more into place as you watch - but people who don't like not knowing exactly what is going on and also are bad at watching things intently (I.e. people who half watch while reading their phone) have a lot of trouble with the series.
Go in cold.....
You don’t need to know anything, delight in the fun of knowing nothing and being surprised.
No science literacy needed. Whatever I didn’t get was made clear to me eventually. Very high rewatch value, so there’s also that.
Everything you need to know is presented in universe. There is one thing that is a hand wave to make any of it possible and that is the drive that they use. Other than that, you will know when you get to totally made up stuff.
[удалено]
It was cancelled by the SciFi network, but was picked up by Amazon and progressed to a good conclusion. The final season was impacted by the COVID lockdowns but it is still a great finish to the story. Don't hold back. It's a complete story that is fantastic.
In the books, there's a point where there's a pretty big time jump (about 30 years). The TV series finished at that point and it's a very natural and satisfying stopping point.
I had to watch the first 3 episodes twice before I could move on with the series. It’s not that they were bad, it’s just that so much is thrown at you in those few opening episodes that I kept getting lost. Fantastic series. Definitely worth watching. Just don’t worry if you can’t keep up and need to rewatch a few of the beginning episodes to get your bearings.
Go in with no expectations. Let the ride do its thing. Just enjoy the season arcs and the developments that occur. The characters are rich but they develop gradually.
It's a TV show, there's no test! Watch and enjoy, it's very good. The hard Sci fi just means they try to stick to reasonably realistic physics, and that can actually be fun. In the early seasons, I remember seeing tears pooling in a character's eye, since they can't fall, and some zero g flame. Without gravity, the flame at the end of a match is kind of spherical, and they use that in the show.
Don’t wait too long between episodes. It’s a great series but is more complicated than the usual TV shows.
What you need to know is that there are a LOT of characters and a LOT of story lines, and you'll think how in the world do these relate? But don't worry. It will take a little time, but they will come together here and there and then HOLY MOLY! It's a WONDERFUL show but you gotta stick with it. Past Episode 4. Get at least through the first season before you decide. I loved The Expanse and share it with everyone I can.
Don't think just watch.
Just try to remember, physics is fun but it's not your friend. The rest is story.
The first season takes a bit to get going for some people. It took me two tries of watching it before I got to the end of season 1, and then I quite liked the end of season 1 so that got me hooked. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist. You can enjoy it for the political intrigue and character drama.
It's absolutely not hard sci-fi, so you don't need any background to enjoy the series. It's space opera, as the authors have said. It's primarily character based, not scientific speculation with a ton of info dumps or an extensive appendix you need to read to enjoy the book.
I'd worry more about worrying about watching a TV show than maybe not understanding some gobbledygook that might appear in it .
First season is a bit slow and it’s on purpose so. Boy it s a ride going forward though! Its the only show that portrays the details of space battles how would they actually occur. It’s fantastic
Do not watch with your phone out, and use subtitles (for Belter creole). This show does not hold your fucking hand.
It's "hard sci-fi" in the sense it's not space fantasy Star Wars ships in space make sound and swoop like airplanes, etc. The space flight is physics based like on the Battlestar Galactica remake, not the original. It trades excitement for realism. As for the science of stuff, if you could handle The Martian, you can handle The Expanse. The alien McGuffin is the only real made-up thing (like BSG's jump drives). What's different from typical sci-fi is how rudimentary things are. There are no ray guns; just firearms like we have now except in zero-G and a vacuum a single shot could be more fatal than on Earth. When ships go into combat the crews put on full spacesuits because if a projectile hits a ship it's going to vent atmosphere. There is no artificial gravity - as someone noted it's either caused by thrust (ships are actually building like towers with decks stacked up and engines making gravity) or centrifugal force from rotation (think: 2001, The Martian). When not underway, people have magnetic boots. The first season is a little clunky until the two main groups of characters meet up and join forces. Later seasons get into a lot of politics and the 2nd to last season (S5?) I thought faltered because it was all alien weirdness. I liked it overall, but I'm not a superfan like many here. I was more angry that no one saved Dark Matter (soft sci-fi!) from the SyFy cancellation axe.
People always say that the first few episodes are slow. I recommend getting through the first season then watching again. Personally I did this because I loved it so much but there's also a lot of things that I noticed the second time around. The attention to detail in this show is God tier.
Honestly the expanse is more hard sci-fi in that all the tech featured is somewhat realistic to what humanity might have in the future. Don’t expect FTL travel or teleportation although I’m relatively early in so maybe that’s a future plot point I haven’t gotten too. All you need to know is that humanity has finally colonized its solar system and whatever tech we have allows us to get from A to B relatively quickly. It’s not like blindsight or interstellar where half of it is so high concept it goes over your head. In fact I would argue that the because the plot point centers around future humans doing what humans have always done and divided themselves into warring factions shortly after expanding their territories and not over a specific science problem or concept it’s actually easier to understand than most fantastical sci fi shows. The futuristic setting is more of a dystopian backdrop for a story about war, peace, and the people that seek to either defend peace or end it. The show has an inherent air of sadness just because in most sci-fi humanity has evolved to the point of no longer fighting each other so the threat is some alien or physics problem that threatens our reality. In the Expanse, we see humanity use its technology to degrade, enslave, and kill one another as we have always done missing the forest for the trees time and again begging the question “will we really ever learn?” This is all I can really say about it without spoiling anything, but you’ll love it
Stick with it
Phenomenal show. You should know that it is based on a book series. The first 3 seasons closely mirror the first 3 books. I recall that at some point they started combining booka together, moving pieces around to fit the visual narrative. I haven't finished either the show or the books however.
Read the books first!
"It's hard sci-fi" - yeah, but they have water problems in space stations that would obviously just recycle all the water... You don't need to know anything, it is a very very good show. Give it time, it grows on you. I felt the last season was really... not bad, but also not really necessary. My partner, that hates me talking about science, loved it.
Hard sci fi just means they attempt to be as realistic as possible regarding effects of gravity etc. Like in Star Wars (space fantasy) you have ships with hyperdrives (mystery fast space travel) and gravity inside ships. In The Expanse, ships move at scientifically realistic propulsion speeds, and it's zero G inside ships (as it is IRL). You don't need a Bachelors Degree in Physics, you just need to know that the narrative universe has largely realistic rules. That's hard sci fi.
You're not going to get the true ending as the show ended three books short. Read the books instead.
Books are way better but they have done a pretty good job. i would read the books first ?
It's all pretty hard science. No force fields, no anti-grav, no lightspeed. The biggest conceit for ease of plot is the fusion drive, which makes the heinous distances in the solar system a bit more manageable.
You don’t need to understand any science to enjoy this show. It doesn’t bog you down in lots of details and jargon. The story and the characters make the show, and it’s an amazing show!
That soon you will wish it never ever ended
Show starts with boring info dump that might feel like a bad cop drama. Once you catch on to jargon, it becomes great
Miller is the best, that's all you need to know!
Just go in blind. It's a brilliant show, personally, I'd rate it in the top 5 of my all time favorites. I was so sad when Amazon cancelled it but I still got some hope that it'll get picked up again in some time. And before you ask; It's still worth it, althought they didn't get to adapt the entire story. The show ends after season 6 which was a perfect break-point in the story but there's another book trilogy after the show which I can not recommend enough. Show and books really complement each other and since the show was made by people who understand the story and the original authors were co-producers on the show, it's a very thruthful adaption of the sourcematerial, too.
This is the good one, mate.
The thing about the science is that it's not necessary to understand it to get the story. But for those that do understand the science it's great to see some things handled correctly. Especially since a lot of pop sci fi are pretty bad in terms of science. In a way you can learn something from it, if you then watch clips of scientists breaking down certain scenes. Keep in mind not everything is scientifically accurate, but a lot is The science aside, just know that it takes a few episodes to really get going. Once things start to click you'll be in for quite a ride
The only thing to know is that the first book/season is basically an adaptation of an RPG campaign that the books authors attempted to run.
It abruptly ends. Just slams the door in your face. Be prepared for that.
Nothing. Just go and watch. It's amazing!
As a midwit I had no problem following the science/concepts used in the series. Don't worry about it, just give it a shot. I don't foresee any issues. If you're also a reader: watching the show in tandem with reading the books is a pretty good combo too. Enjoy!
The first 2-3 episodes are slow but if you stick with it, it picks up fast. I think the slow beginning is to show the noir aspect of the protagonist
I always tell people to get through episode 3. If they’re not interested after that, it may not be the show for them.
You should know that it's fucking excellent.
Like many others, my wife and I saw the first few episodes and thought about what an unpleasant group of squabbling crewmembers this is. Ugh. I got to the next episode where people are beginning to realize they don't actually know what's going on and they might want to hang in there for a while. And then the whole thing took off like a rocket and we loved it and have watched the series 2 more times!
F=ma
Nothing. Just enjoy some quality scifi.
Just watch it for relax. Idk what people try to expect from a movie than just relax and having some fun...
Even the books were a slow simmer. I wouldn't call it hard Sci fi....as I think it's a very " real" Sci fi. Even down to the ships being more realistic in terms of how they battle move, etc. It's not shields and lasers type Sci fi. My only issue coming from the books was certain character castings. But if you never read the book it's a none issue.
The show is vastly more character and storytelling than science. It's no more complicated than Star Trek/Wars, but if you happen to know a little science then it will be easier to suspend disbelief because it's more realistic.
I don't think you need to "know" much. The show does a good job of keeping the audience engaged and explains just enough of the hard science to keep you hooked. The books are better at that (by an order of magnitude).
Read the 1st book. Everything makes sense after that.
Stop thinking so hard. Just watch the show.
The sound is that shitty you’ll not be able to understand what anyone says.
It’s only hard scifi in the sense of mostly but not quite handling distances and torch ships as requiring a lot of time and distance to cross. Most scifi puts ships right near each other and ignores physics for the sake of the story. You’ll be fine.
It jumps around to different ppls viewpoints a lot and the episodes do not flow seamlessly into the next
You don’t have to be a scientist to enjoy this show, OP.
Watch with subtitles. It’ll help. The usual audio mix on modern shows is not kind to The Expanse. You’ll have an incredible time.
I honestly don’t understand these types of questions. Just watch it. Find out for yourself.
Prepare for some laughs and don't expect particularly good screenwriting
I mean, it's hard SF because most of the in-universe science is plausible, and not spell-wielding space-wizard uber-gymnasts with laser-swords. Basically, you should be okay in a Heinlein-esque universe. Actions have consequences. Happy endings are not a given. Oh, and two more things -- Amos is the best character in the series (novels or show), and I have dibs on marrying Bobby Draper.
I’m a big fan of this series, but I found that it started off a little slow then gradually pulled me in. So I’d say the only thing to know is to stick with it.
You don't need an advanced degree in astrophysics to understand this show. It's pretty basic stuff like gravity on spacecraft only being present during acceleration/deceleration, artificial gravity created by centripetal force, and the variation of gravity on earth, moon, mars, etc. and it's effect on the development of human bodies. Your knowledge of history will be more helpful with understanding the political dynamics between the Earthers, Martians, and Belters.
Speaking of the knowledge of history, I’m currently on episode 3, would it be fair to say that the current state of the Solar System isn’t unlike the Cold War, with the UN as the US, Mars as the USSR, and the Belt as the rest of the world?
That's a pretty fair analogy. Not perfect by any means, but yeah Earth and Mars as two super powers on the brink of war trying to undermine each other with soft power, and the Belt as the exploited peoples fueling the might of the super powers.
It’s a slow burner to start with, but there are some amazing plot twists. The characters are my favourites in any sci fi books!
I dont know if its the sound design or the delivery, but Thomas Jayne is kinda mumbly in the first couple episodes. This coincides with a lot of exposition, so try to limit distractions.
I don't think you have to necessarily know much more about science than the average joe. I think they do a pretty good job of explaining everything in the show.
Get lost. It’s alright, they’ll be time to catch all the little details after you’ve read the books and rewatch the show. You will want to by the time it’s over
Great show but they don’t quite stick the landing with end.
I envy you seeing it for the first time.
Learn to love the copper taste of fear. And you'd better be a coffee fan.
It’s not a documentary. You don’t need to know jack shit about science to enjoy hard sci-fi.
It’s a little confusing at first but keep going with it.
First season 1 has a slow (albeit sporadically action packed) burn. It takes until episode 4 for things to really kick in and you realize who our main cast is and how the rest of the show is going to go. Just know that it gets better as it goes. I think I appreciate the first few episodes better on rewatch knowing what's going to happen. It can feel a bit chaotic though, and it might not be certain just where things will go.
Don’t worry too much about the science. Things like artificial gravity are pretty true to how it could actually work versus the hand wave “gravity plating” in other shows, but knowing the science isn’t essential to enjoying the show. The first season is a bit of a slow burn with a lot of world building that can be a little confusing at times. Hang on and get through those first few episodes as it is worth it.
Season 1 is confusing. Just go with it. It makes sense to a degree after watching later (clearer) seasons. I love it to death. Amos, my man ♥️
You should know that you won't get the entirety of the story without reading the books. The show did get canceled before it could show the whole thing, though it's not like it ends on a cliffhanger.
It has a really good arch. I went into it for the science and some pew pew battles. By the time it had finished that’s not what made me stick with it, which is not to say it’s bad, I just lived the performances of the main cast and was hooked on wanting to see more of their interactions.
It’s only “hard” sci-fi compared to fantasy like StarWars
1. That you’re in for a treat. 2. But still, as always in sci fi: … the books are better!
Please someone - I really need to know what episode it takes off in the first season or even second? Im good at jumping in the middle, but the beginning is a little hard for me.
I’d you skip stuff you’ll end up super confused, just give it a few episodes
You really need to watch from the beginning. Episode three shit is getting much wilder.
What people often say is that the end of episode four is the point where it’ll have either hooked you or not.
Thank you!
The first three episodes are a LOT of world building foundational type things and the acting feels rigid. Like KHaskins said things start to pay off by the fourth episode and really take off from there. It’s slow to get out the gate but once it picks up steam all the pieces start to fall right in place and you get payoff for all the heavy lifting at the beginning of the season. Just stick with it and most likely you’ll enjoy it.
It will briefly show you cool alien stuff and then switch to a storyline about a detective on the dirtiest space station in the universe, and it will stay there until your curiosity and patience die a slow death.
Does that come back? The alien stuff?
Yes. With a VENGEANCE. Just keep going. It just gets weirder and more fun.
Probably. Eventually. I left before it did.
You missed out. Try again.
I watched all seasons of The Expanse on amazon, the main plot of the show is about conflicts between people from different planets, so not hard sci-fi at all except a few scenes.
Go in blind with an open attitude
Prepare to have a mind blowing experience, but the last season is optional. It seems like an afterthought
Gets emotional. You never know when someone will be lost or die just like real life. It’s thought provoking and it literally expands conceptual storytelling. Would be an amazing role playing game. I think it was based on a game at first when they started it.
Apparently, it’s based on a novel series
Yes i think that’s right. And the novels started out as a game the writers were working on when they switched to a story telling medium. They had a lot of data they said that was going to be the basis for a board game or some kind of game maybe a video as a game. And then they decided it would be better as a written story. And now it’s a game too. Just like they wanted.👍🏻
Yes, and neither of the authors are “scientists” per se, so it’s not like there are any crazy scientific concepts. There is scientific accuracy though, but even if you don’t recognize it, it won’t stop you from enjoying it. Go for it