The Expanse (SyFy)

That’s really weird because I don’t feel that way about the show at all.

Same here. All the sets are really convincing to me. Sure some of the CG is a bit flimsy but still some of the best on TV.

Well, it would not be the first time “an” Author expressed BS opinions due to monetary reasons.

Lee Child praised the choice of 5 foot 9 inch Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher!! They would have to point out the clues that Holden was 30 to convince me. But the more major problem is that the actor looks 25, not 30.

Yeah, I thought Amos looked youngish too.

Miller was spot on though.

I will probably watch the 2nd episode tonight.

Stupid comic. The Expanse has terrific production values for a TV show.

This.

Yeah, bad special effects was not my first impression at all.

Then again I grew up with Star Trek TOS in its first run and Lost in Space.

I don’t like the art style of the protomolecule effects – blue glowing things just make me think of cheesy video game stuff. The physical ships and CGI exteriors are good though:

Alright, at this point, I’ve read all of the books and seen all 3 seasons of the TV show. I vastly preferred the first 2 seasons of the TV show to the 3rd. There were some significant character combinations, removals, changes, etc. in the 3rd season (vs the books) that I thought weakened the story. In particular, the various issues with the ring and Anna’s character have way more tension in the books because Ashford falls in with religious zealots. I was pretty confused by the changes in his character in the TV show vs. the books. It removed a lot of dramatic tension. Likewise, Drummer is a more sympathetic character how the books present her. I missed the additional characters from the books that were cut from the show, like Sam and Carlos. They made the story feel bigger and more complex. Maybe that doesn’t translate to the screen… too many characters?

Perhaps what drove me most nuts, however, was the visual depiction of the ring space. IIRC, in the books, it’s all black with no stars and just feels like an empty void. I understand that wouldn’t work well on television, but the swirly void effect they used looked extremely cheap to me. Likewise, the station in the center of the ring space feel completely flat for me, visually.

I look forward to seeing what they do moving forward. I hope it involves fewer “outside” shots inside the ring space and/or they tone down the visuals there.

I thought they did about as good as a TV budget could do with the ring, the station and the stuff that goes on within. It has been awhile since I read the book I really didn’t have that big of an impression on what they should be like.

I’m about 6 episodes into the first season, and the cast is growing on me a bit.

I was fairly puzzled about the naming of the Rocinante though, I always thought it was a Don Quixote reference due to Holden’s habit of tilting at windmills, but apparently it’s just a random Spanish phrase, I think they said "workhouse"or “workhorse”(audio continues to be a Firestick problem)?

It is absolutely a Don Quixote reference. At least, it is in the books.

This drives me nuts. The effects on the space stations and ships and green screen backgrounds are generally amazingly well done. But any effect dealing with the protomolecule looks like cheap videogame blue glowy bullshit. The fact that they nail one and fail so hard with the other is so weird!

The name Rocinante was particular to Don Quixote’s “steed” but is a play on the word rocín which as I understand does or did mean workhorse.

They covered the fact in a later episode I watched after I posted this, that Holden liked Don Quixote. I don’t know why he didn’t bother to make the reference once he suggested the name though, maybe he figured no one else would know It.

I’m up to the beginning of season 2. Funny, I have read all the books and never thought Bobbie was Hawaiian\Polynesian. I kind of pictured her like the gal that now plays Wonder Woman, but I’m guessing she was outside the budget! :)

I am going through the thread and saw this. This is me exactly, I assumed it was just a problem with my Firestick, but I guess not!

I think you must have missed something when she was introduced. I always pictured her as Polynesian. The authors even spent some time on that being the reason she was so huge.

(I haven’t seen the TV show yet, I’m just talking about the books).

They also mention it again in book 4, which I’m reading right now, and when they mention her family/brothers.

Book 4 is my favorite.

I got stuck on Book 6 though, when they spend so much time with new characters, I just got lost, and it’s hard to go back and figure out who these new characters are when you have big gaps between readings.

Yes that was my favorite so far. I mean I really hated Murtry, wanted Holden to destroy him. Of course, he is a better person than me lol
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Actually gasp its book 5 they mention her family. I’m reading book 5 already. What did you think of this one Rocky? I didn’t like it as much, though all the stories about Amos were my favorite, his banter with “Chrissy” had me laughing out loud. He’s now my favorite character in the books, even above Holden.