The Expanse #2: Caliban's Thread - [spoilers for book only up to latest tv show episode]

[RedEyedGhost]

Board game announced.  I was kind of wondering if this would ever happen, with the roots for the series being in gaming.  The designer of the game, Geoff Engelstein, had a couple of hits last year, and the roots of this game are in a couple of very popular games (Twilight Struggle and El Grande - seems like a weird, but intriguing combination to me)... I'm cautiously optimistic, especially with that note that Dan and Ty collaborated on it.

[Dr. Pepper]

This episode was unbearably beautiful.  

[Corvinus85]

Yes it was. I am loving this season so far. Next up, Ganymede!

[SpaceChampion]

Great episode!  I don't remember from the book thinking Julie's mind was confused about what she is...  is the protomolecule just mimicking her and being exactly what Miller wanted?

[Steinman]

Another great episode. This season has been fantastic.

I must have missed the part where Julie/Miller convinced Eros to go to Venus though. Was that in some silent dialogue?

Anyone else think that the crew on the Marasmus were working with Protogen and carrying the plot forward into book 2?

[Dr. Pepper]

14 minutes ago, Steinman said:

Another great episode. This season has been fantastic.

I must have missed the part where Julie/Miller convinced Eros to go to Venus though. Was that in some silent dialogue?

Anyone else think that the crew on the Marasmus were working with Protogen and carrying the plot forward into book 2?

Miller told her to take it to Venus instead of Earth.  I think the exact words he used is, "Go to Venus." 

No, I think the Marasmus crew was just a sort of Doctors Without Borders group.  If I recall, we saw them in episode one, sort of background on the news.  

[SpaceChampion]

I loved Amos making a valiant effort at doing the math.

[Spockydog]

That was absolutely epic. And the culmination of Miller's transformation from shifty, morally-dubious sad-sack to heroic, world-saving romantic was heartbreakingly beautiful. One of the best episodes of television I've ever seen.

[Martini Sigil]

Miller's arc was terrific... in fact, the thing I might love most about this show, is the dimensions to all of its main characters... Amos could be written as just a pure musclehead... but he's so much more... Chrisjen's conversation with her husband could have easily been another hackneyed television trope, but because of the way her character's written, it came across as sincere.... Holden is smart, but unsure of himself and conflicted (an anti-Kirk).... Alex is the moral center of the ship... and Naomi is just the best character on tv...

well done, Thomas Jane.... miss you already.

[Mladen]

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

Chrisjen has already been my favorite character, but the way she mediated between 2 sides without giving out all her cards was surgically precise. And the fact that she didn't left the Earth. Bad-ass. 

I loved the aesthetic of Proto-Julie... I feel that the interaction between Julie and Miller was a bit rushed but it was nonetheless beautiful. 

Also, what the hell happened with those nukes? They went on a ride? Are they coming back? Will they have any role?

[Relic]

Hard to find fault with anything this season, it's been pretty awesome thus far.

I guess the overly emotional violin strings and Holden's over acting would be the only two things that ever broke my immersion in episode 5. Really looking forward to the second half of this season.  

[Dr. Pepper]

I rewatched it and it's still beautiful, which is amazing considering how hokey it could have been.  It could have been a season or even series finale, it was that epic.  In isolation, the stuff with Miller and proto-Julie is super hokey, but all the work they've put in with character development paid off.  Even Julie felt like a full realized character despite her being dead for all of the series so far and most info coming from Miller's investigation.  

I can't remember how I imagined the protomolecule while I was reading, but they did a bang job of it on tv.  That must have been the entirety of their cgi budget.  I hope there is still money left over for Ganymede.

[Astromech]

9 hours ago, Risto said:

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

Chrisjen has already been my favorite character, but the way she mediated between 2 sides without giving out all her cards was surgically precise. And the fact that she didn't left the Earth. Bad-ass. 

I loved the aesthetic of Proto-Julie... I feel that the interaction between Julie and Miller was a bit rushed but it was nonetheless beautiful. 

Also, what the hell happened with those nukes? They went on a ride? Are they coming back? Will they have any role?

I was surprised by it. I imagined it would be similar to last season after the spy was absorbed by it. A bit more ethereal. But the depiction last episode worked better for its interaction with Miller.

[Kalbear]

I am still a bit sad that Eros on the show didn't have the body horror that it does in the book - of limbs crawling about on their own, of ribcages and spines running loose, that sort of thing. It was beautiful and not at all horrific, and that makes me a bit sad. 

[SpaceChampion]

Ep. 6 clip

Promo for the remainder of the season, first sight of Prax:

 

[SerHaHa]

Beautiful is a great way to describe this week`s episode.  This season has surpassed even the excellent first season so far IMO.  I currently am flying with a lot of 45 to 60 year old guys, and every single one of them is hooked on this superb show.

Hugos, Saturns...deserved for sure this year, but if The Expanse doesn't get a lot of Emmy nods, I'm throwing a rock through my TV at the award nominations.  SyFy and all involved in the production so far have hit this so far out of the park, it's as though the ball isn't being affected by Earth gravity, fitting for this show and its themes. 

That actress playing Drummer/composite, Cara Gee, has been outstanding too, she's a fellow Canuck, and her spin on the Belter language and accent has been fantastic.  Apparently the authors of the books are big fans of her in season 2 as well.

I've always liked Jane's work, the Punisher is a cult favorite of mine, and his work on HBO was great, but this was truly something special, especially his short arc on season 2.  I'll be thinking about him and this episode for a long time.

The previews for the rest of the season look fantastic too, the throttle is getting pushed right to the floor for the remaining episodes this year from the looks of things.
 

Quote

 

That must have been the entirety of their cgi budget.  I hope there is still money left over for Ganymede.

 

That's an interesting point, considering how great the CGI has been, and how much of it we've been shown so far (especially the 1st and most recent episode), it's easy to be concerned about the budget.  The previews of ep 6 though look like they have a fair bit of effects, I guess we'll have to see.  Great effects so far though, their modelling in space of everything from ships to smaller weapons, and even the point defense guns, has been the best I've seen.  So many superlatives in this series, every single person I've spoken to that is watching it can't get enough, I've yet to hear one person poo-poo it so far.

 

As an aside, I've got a 1:500 scale 3d printed model of the Rocinante coming, and will airbrush it to the correct MCRN colors I think.  It's the first model out I've found so far - https://www.shapeways.com/product/8EGUTX465/1-500-rocinante-the-expanse

[Commodore]

that felt like a season or even a series finale, great stuff, stunning visuals

this episode required alot of explaining what was happening from the characters, but they pulled it off decently enough

the entire episode was people sitting in three war rooms, and Tom Jane walking around, but it was still exciting

definitely seems like Tom Jane won't be dead (although sometimes the more famous actors sign on for a limited role ala Sean Bean), since we don't see a body

[SpaceChampion]

Thomas Jane dies almost as much as Sean Bean.  Just saying.

 

It may not be true but I'm saying it anyway.

[Corvinus85]

3 hours ago, SpaceChampion said:

Thomas Jane dies almost as much as Sean Bean.  Just saying.

 

It may not be true but I'm saying it anyway.

Yes, I definitely read somewhere that Thomas Jane dies almost as much as Sean Bean.

[boojam]

 
If not watching The Expanse you a missing one of the best series on TV right now.

Second season of The Expanse:

I have been watching this , on Amazon (so I don’t have to put up with the ads) , this solar system space opera, it is better than Star Trek ever was (and I love Star Trek). The influences here are really John W. Campbell and verisimilitude of SF prose as it developed in the 40s and 50s. 

Season 2 is better than season 1. Can’s say it is perfect , some tap dancing going on, but this stuff is very familiar to old time readers , like me. Been waiting a long time to TV space opera done this well.