Whenever science fiction television comes up, the first shows that come to mind are likely Battlestar Galactica or Star Wars, just as The Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones would when discussing the fantasy genre. One science fiction show that is often criminally overlooked, however, is The Expanse, which is likely the closest thing to “Game of Thrones in space” that the television medium has to offer, with the only difference being that The Expanse, from what I understand, actually sticks the landing. What’s more, it was shot almost exclusively at Pinewood Studios in Toronto and features an extensive Canadian cast, facts that are easily overlooked when consuming this visual feast.
Based on a series of books of the same name by James S. A. Corey, which is the pen name for co-authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, The Expanse’ vast and politically complex narrative spans our entire Solar System, which humans have colonized two hundred years in the future. This has led to cultural and societal fractures which can be broken down into three large powers. First is the United Nations of Earth and Luna, which is controlled by the U.N. and are colloquially known as Earthers; then there is the Martian Congressional Republic, otherwise known as Martians, a technologically advanced section of humanity that has settled under liveable domes on the Red Planet, with the active intent of terraforming it; finally, there is the Outer Planets Alliance (or OPA), which is a loose confederation spanning the asteroid belt and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and the closest thing to political representation for those that inhabit this region of the Solar System, who are known as Belters. Mars and Earth typically take advantage of Belters to mine valuable resources along the belt, while also living in low gravity environments that lead to some physically develop incorrectly, and as a result they would be unable to endure the gravity of somewhere such as Earth without experiencing significant pain.
Tensions between Earth and Mars have been simmering for some time, while the OPA and the oppressed Belters they represent seek independence of their own that does little to ease relations between these varying factions of humanity. However, an eclectic group of people from different parts of the Solar System soon stumble upon a conspiracy centring on a mysterious but frightening piece of organic technology, and those behind it seek to exploit the frails relations between humanity’s three factions with the goal of instigating an all-out war.
While I have only watched the first season at the time of writing this piece, it’s safe to say that I am totally hooked to this spectacular piece of sci-fi fare. The show features frequent use of CGI for spectacular and often breathtaking visuals that very much hold to this day, which is all the more impressive when you realise the show first released in 2014. What can often happen with shows like this – and the same can be said for innumerable movies – is there is such an emphasis on the visuals that the narrative and characters often suffer, but this is far from the case here. The creators and showrunners of the series, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, are seasoned creatives best known for writing the likes of 2008’s Iron Man and Childnen of Men, and just like these projects they clearly possess an intimate understanding of the material they are adapting. Of course, it also helps that Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck also serve as writers and executive producers on the show.
However, given that The Expanse is shot in Toronto, it also features an abundance of Canadian talent. While I am largely hesitant to look at Canadians who will feature in the show in later seasons so as to avoid spoilers, I do know that the likes of Keon Alexander, Cara Gee, and Lily Gao have yet to make their appearances. Though, there are still notable names that appear in the show’s first season, such as Paulo Costanzo, Shawn Doyle, and Cas Anvar, the latter of whom features in a major role, but would later be removed from the show after numerous accusations of sexual assault were levelled against the now-disgraced actor, and the issue seemed to have been well-handled by the studio after an internal investigation of the matter.
This controversy aside, The Expanse, so far for me, is worth the time of any science-fiction fan worth their salt, but don’t just take it from me. The show’s first three seasons were under Syfy, and while its viewership ratings were solid by the network’s standards, it wasn’t enough to justify its exorbitant budget, which is very much understandable given the high quality of the show’s visuals and set design. It would then be picked up for its final three seasons by Amazon for its own streaming platform, Prime Video, reportedly because Jeff Bezos was a big fan of the show and wanted to see it through, whatever the cost. While Bezos is one of the richest men in the world, and Amazon one of the most profitable companies, it says a lot that the founder of the company was willing to put his money where his mouth is, saying, “The show is extraordinary and these guys are unbelievably talented.” You know what Jeff, I couldn’t agree more.