Author Topic: 'The Expanse' on SyFy - First trailer for new space opera show  (Read 127026 times)

Offline GalacticIntruder

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So far so good. Seems more coherent and has deeper characters than Season 1.
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Offline mjcrsmith

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I like that the authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (aka James S. A. Corey) are heavily involved with the TV version.  It will be interesting on how they adapt the books for TV and what changes they will make with the hindsight of writing the 6 books.

Online ZachF

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Definitely liking how season 2 is going so far.  ;D

When most other shows/movies are "WWII in space" this show is pretty refeshing...
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Offline Lars-J

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Season 2 just premiered yesterday with a double episode, a good start to a new season!  8)

The show is now getting to the conclusion of book 1.

My only complaint would be that they are IMO overdoing it with Draper. I know she is a fan favorite, but she is being shoehorned in as a badass a bit too strongly.

oh c'mon, in Babilon's Ashes she rocks. Seriously, no spoilers but.....

Yeah, but you show it through character actions that matter to the plot. Like Amos was introduced over season 1. Not silly things like arm-wrestling a power armor arm.
« Last Edit: 02/02/2017 06:37 pm by Lars-J »

Online Blackstar

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I really enjoyed the season opener (actually the first two episodes). I found myself on the edge of my seat for the battle sequence.

There were a lot of things I liked about it. They showed that each of the major powers--Earth, Mars, the Belt--has people who want war and people who really want to prevent it. But what I liked about it was that even some of the people who wanted war, like the Mars Marine, have a point. They're not just caricatures, they have motives and cannot be dismissed out of hand. For many of the people involved they are doing a calculation in their heads: would war be good or bad for their side? And they're coming to different conclusions.

And while the big political stuff is interesting and well done, the show also works well on the individual level. Joe Miller, the cop, is world-weary, but also has a sense of responsibility. When he insists on riding along with the Belters on the raid, it's because he knows that they're a bunch of brawlers with no leadership and no real training. And when he gets onto the station, he's proven right: they just want to shoot everybody in sight rather than figure out what the heck is going on. Amos is dangerous, but not because he's "evil" but because he doesn't seem to have any kind of moral compass at all. As Joe says about him, "his antenna's broken."

And then you have the combination of the big political stuff and the individuals. It's not just the leadership trying to make strategic decisions, sometimes--oftentimes--it falls to individuals making right and wrong and altruistic and selfish decisions. And one individual doing something stupid can mess everything up.



The IMDB cast page is here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3230854/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
« Last Edit: 02/02/2017 07:37 pm by Blackstar »

Online ZachF

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I really enjoyed the season opener (actually the first two episodes). I found myself on the edge of my seat for the battle sequence.

There were a lot of things I liked about it. They showed that each of the major powers--Earth, Mars, the Belt--has people who want war and people who really want to prevent it. But what I liked about it was that even some of the people who wanted war, like the Mars Marine, have a point. They're not just caricatures, they have motives and cannot be dismissed out of hand. For many of the people involved they are doing a calculation in their heads: would war be good or bad for their side? And they're coming to different conclusions.

And while the big political stuff is interesting and well done, the show also works well on the individual level. Joe Miller, the cop, is world-weary, but also has a sense of responsibility. When he insists on riding along with the Belters on the raid, it's because he knows that they're a bunch of brawlers with no leadership and no real training. And when he gets onto the station, he's proven right: they just want to shoot everybody in sight rather than figure out what the heck is going on. Amos is dangerous, but not because he's "evil" but because he doesn't seem to have any kind of moral compass at all. As Joe says about him, "his antenna's broken."

And then you have the combination of the big political stuff and the individuals. It's not just the leadership trying to make strategic decisions, sometimes--oftentimes--it falls to individuals making right and wrong and altruistic and selfish decisions. And one individual doing something stupid can mess everything up.

Did you notice on the battle when the rounds are flying through the ship, and they go under thrust and the glowing shrapnel trails "fall" to the floor?
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Online Blackstar

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Did you notice on the battle when the rounds are flying through the ship, and they go under thrust and the glowing shrapnel trails "fall" to the floor?

I'm going to rewatch the battle sequence. I noticed the rounds going through the ship and thought that was pretty cool. Did not notice them falling to the floor.

There's a great quote where Jim tells Naomi to depressurize the ship and she complains about it. He explains that when they get hit the hull will depressurize anyway, and she responds with something like "Yeah, but that seems like we're saying it's okay to do that." I loved that line.
« Last Edit: 02/05/2017 11:47 pm by Blackstar »

Offline Triptych

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I'm going to wait until the season is over and then binge watch it in one sitting.  ;D

Offline Ben the Space Brit

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IMO, if any major changes are made in the TV version, I think that there is going to be a more obvious 'good guys' and 'bad guys' amongst the three major factions. I'm thinking that Fred Johnson's OPA faction will be more 'white hat' when we get to the Ganymede Crisis, simply because it will be easier to have the protagonists stick with an established ally group.

I've already noticed that the TV adaption is somewhat exaggerating Holden's sometimes-irresponsible 'the people have to know' attitude, which makes me think that the coming episodes will more greatly emphasise the clash of ideologies between Holden and Miller when it comes to what is objectively right and wrong when facing a great evil.

Finally, I'm suspecting that there is going to be a rewrite of the Miller/Juliette Mao interactions purely because of the fact that phantom!Julie has only started appearing since the Eros Crisis began. I think that she's going to be presented as a far more proactive character in the TV adaption. It is even possible that she may not be killed off at the end of the Eros arc (although such a change would create a huge downstream change with an ever-widening arc of consequences for future stories).

My only complaint would be that they are IMO overdoing it with Draper. I know she is a fan favorite, but she is being shoehorned in as a badass a bit too strongly.

It's harder to phase major characters in and out in TV than it is in giant novel-length books. I suspect that this is why they had Undersecretary Chrisjan Avarasarala appear a book early in the TV show. I think that the primary crew of the Rocinante will be more fixed in the TV show than it is in the books and, yes, that means establishing Bobbie and getting her on a certain 'salvaged' missile frigate earlier is going to be a thing.

Long-Term Plot Changes Call:
I suspect that Avarasarala (Possibly using Johnson as an agent) will be established as the protagonists long-term patron and will be the 'voice from the speakers' who gives out assignments. Given how the character is portrayed in the show, there will always be a degree of uncertainty if she's doing this to maintain peace and order in the solar system or just because she fancies herself as the first Solar Empress.


[edit]
Fixed quote tags
« Last Edit: 02/03/2017 09:25 am by Ben the Space Brit »
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Offline Lars-J

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Ben... I don't think everyone here has read the books, so be careful about spoiling future events.

For those who have seen the episode, here is a short part of the 'battle', allowing you to see some details that have been pointed out, like the projectile slag falling down when under thrust:
« Last Edit: 02/03/2017 04:13 pm by Lars-J »

Offline Lars-J

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'The Expanse' on SyFy - First trailer for new space opera show
« Reply #90 on: 02/04/2017 01:54 am »
I forgot to mention that I really appreciated that they are paying close attention to spin gravity this season - see especially the docking scene at Tycho station and also the spacing. They are also making a better distinction about gravity on the ship and how it only happens due to being under thrust. Thumbs up!
« Last Edit: 02/04/2017 01:55 am by Lars-J »

Offline nacnud

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I forgot to mention that I really appreciated that they are paying close attention to spin gravity this season - see especially the docking scene at Tycho station and also the spacing. They are also making a better distinction about gravity on the ship and how it only happens due to being under thrust. Thumbs up!

The docking irked me a bit. I presume you were talking about when Josephus Miller was faffing around in zero g until the moment the ship docked, when he fell to the floor. The ship would have had to match velocities before docking, not at the instant of docking. He should have fallen but as the ship was maneuvering.

Reverse the order of the shots of Jo falling and the ship maneuvering and I'd be happy :)
« Last Edit: 02/04/2017 02:19 am by nacnud »

Offline Lars-J

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'The Expanse' on SyFy - First trailer for new space opera show
« Reply #92 on: 02/04/2017 02:23 am »
I forgot to mention that I really appreciated that they are paying close attention to spin gravity this season - see especially the docking scene at Tycho station and also the spacing. They are also making a better distinction about gravity on the ship and how it only happens due to being under thrust. Thumbs up!

The docking irked me a bit. I presume you were talking about when Josephus Miller was faffing around in zero g until the moment the ship docked, when he fell to the floor. The ship would have had to match velocities before docking, not at the instant of docking. He should have fallen but as the ship was maneuvering.

Reverse the order of the shots of Jo falling and the ship maneuvering and I'd be happy :)

Nope. This is a spin station. The docking is the opposite of releasing something from the spin. To dock, you carefully put yourself on a intersecting/tangential trajectory with the clamps at the outside of the spin area, and they grab the ship when it is closest, causing sudden gravity. What is shown is accurate.
« Last Edit: 02/04/2017 02:24 am by Lars-J »

Offline nacnud

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I made a video to show, yes I am procrastinating from doing more important things.
« Last Edit: 02/04/2017 03:33 am by nacnud »

Offline Lars-J

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I looked at it again, and I suppose it is inconclusive from the effects, but it (rapid gravity) does match how it would be most efficient to dock with a spin station. Trying to match velocity would just be a waste of propellant.

Offline nacnud

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Given the ships can sustain high g for days I don't think propellent is of much concern  8) Oh and I made a video, see above!

Offline Lars-J

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Given the ships can sustain high g for days I don't think propellent is of much concern  8) Oh and I made a video, see above!

Nice video, and a reasonable interpretation from the VFX alone, but it is not the most efficient way to dock - and the live action doesn't match it.  :)

Offline Dalhousie

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You have to wonder at the amount of space debris infesting the solar system by then, and the general casualness about generating it.
Apologies in advance for any lack of civility - it's unintended

Offline Lars-J

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You have to wonder at the amount of space debris infesting the solar system by then, and the general casualness about generating it.

Space is big, much bigger than we can wrap our minds around. And ships would have radar and other means to detect most debris.

Offline nacnud

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Nice video, and a reasonable interpretation from the VFX alone, but it is not the most efficient way to dock - and the live action doesn't match it.  :)

True, but instantaneous docking would put huge forces through the docking ring. I'd like to see the main engine firing towards the station too as that's the direction the ship is really accelerating. Man I'd love to see the size of the control moment gyros keeping the whole station stable while adding the amount of momentum a ship the size of Rocinante would have ::), and Rocinante is a small ship!

At least the ships docks the right way round for the gravity seen onboard, :)
« Last Edit: 02/04/2017 10:15 am by nacnud »

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