the fact the Dom Tipper and Cara Gee didn't even get Emmy noms for this show still pisses me off and just proves the judges only watch 2 shows a year....
And the horrific, disgusting, moronic train wreck that was the last season of GoT got 22 Emmy nominations for pulling rancid garbage out of their asses.
Dude Dom acted TF out of the last two seasons. She’s a champ. Cara was also insane. Wes Chatham nailed Amos. And Cas Anvar (yeah I know, sucks that he was a dickhole) nailed Alex.
@@DongusMcBongus Heck, which of the major actors DIDN´T nail their characters? Holden, Miller, Avasarala, Marco, Bobbie.... every single one of them was brilliant. Even minors like Duarte, Jules-piere Mao, Errinwright, Anna or Prax were pure joy to watch on screen. The fact that it takes god-tier performances like Dom or Cara had these seasons to rise above the fray says it all. Absolute respect and admiration to all of them.
Same here. I got even more annoyed when I looked up the noms for the Saturn Awards (major awards show for the science fiction and fantasy genre). For that year, the Expanse was no where on that list. You what was somehow nominated? The disaster that was Rise of Skywalker, for best scify film no less!!
No matter how many times I see it, Dominique's just anguished scream always gets me. And her speech about how you don't do good things because you expect a reward and sometimes you never get to know the impact on others you may have had. You just have to try. She may never know that Filip survived and that her words reached him. But she had to try. It's her guiding philosophy and a central tenant of her character. Beautiful
As an actor she isn't quite seasoned, The Expanse is both her only major credit, and her first big gig. Apparently, they cast her because as she is a dancer by trade, they thought she would take to the wire work. But she has developed her acting greatly over the run of the show, last season especially showed what she can do. The anguished scream she does in this episode was actually ad-libbed. They were shooting the reaction shots for the individual actors to Marco's (and supposedly Filip's) death, and got soo into it she screamed.
I see that nobody has yet commented about what I think is the greatest and most reverent Easter Egg of all time: the 30 names given for the away team are all some of the most beloved characters from previous sci-fi classics, the production crews' tribute to those in the sic-fi entertainment industry who had come before them and boosted sci-fi from comic book children's entertainment to by far the most populare movie genre of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Thank you for going on this journey for this AMAZING series with us!! Massive shout out to Keon Alexander, you portrayed an incredible villain in Marco that we all loved to hate (and wasn't too bad looking either haha). It's been an honor Screaming Firehawk's!!
I feel that when the camera focused on Filip’s face when Marco was doing his rousing speech, he was remembering what Naomi told him in season 5: sometimes walking away is the only choice you have. So he got up and walked away. And survived. It would be nice to think he might reconnect with his mother one day.
@@RamblersInc Yeah, thats a bit of a spoiler for the books :( But not a major plot point. I guess its like Ade's "Jim, there some you should know-" in S1E1, like the authors said, often life just doesn't stitch up nicely, you never know :(
Fun fact- the other fighters attacking the ring station are all names of characters from classic sci fi (Dune, Alien etc) There are so many callbacks to earlier episodes: the Pella disguised as a freighter (like the Roci at Eros), the ice hauler is the same class as the Canterbury, controlling the containers like the tugs used to capture the Behemoth. For me, The Expanse has been the best show (of any genre) of the last 25 years and a worthy successor to my other all-time favourite, Babylon 5 (which is my roundabout way of recommending it for a future watch ;) )
So glad you mentioned that little attack force Easter Egg. If you're a long time fan of classic sci fi its impossible to miss and reminded us all of the high standards of the creators and production staff. The callbacks to earlier seasons and key story high points were smart as it brings the show full circle. Totally agree that The Expanse is the best (or at least one of the best) shows of any genre in the last 25 years. And it owes a big debt to Babylon 5 too, the early progenitor of a multi year epic sci fi story with characters we grew to love. I regularly still watch it and modern shows don't hold a candle to it. Recommend getting the blu ray box set which has really made this 90s show look even better.
@@boldlygoing89having grown up on B5, agreed. Expanse is, for me, the better show but it couldn’t have existed without Babylon 5 leading the way as such a fantastic complex story of politics and flawed people making flawed decisions for what they think is right… Probably also a lot owed to Battlestar Galactica.
I think B5 is difficult as a reaction show, with it being a 22 episodes/45 Minutes show with lots of Alien of the week episodes and world building, and the big arc basically starting at the end of S01. Still on 4th place of my best of all time list, right behind Arcane, Blue Eye Samurai and The Expanse.
Having recently finished books 7-9, I like that they included the Strange Dogs novella. It leaves enough questions for the big if/when the show is picked up for seasons 7-9 (currently Alcon, the production company, is waiting for the rights to revert to shop it around) There's a 30 year time gap between 6 & 7, so it's not implausible to start back up in 5+ years and "anti-aging drugs" away the lack of extreme oldness.
@@saramarie2736 no guarantees, but they did say it's an obvious "pause point", plus the whole fact that Alcon will get the rights to create more sometime (only they know... I'd guess like a 5-7 year? So maybe 2026-2028?)
Yes this is what I hoped for - that the story will be picked up again. I haven't read strange dogs yet but it's on my list as I loved the Laconia stuff and the return to the sci-fi. Without the Laconia stuff in season 6 I think I would have been pretty desperate for at least some sci-fi. It connects also to the bigger picture of the "ring entities" that become basically the main threat to humanity and existence as they continue using the rings. I loved also the innocence of the story of the two children. She's like "if I die here they will fix me too" like it's no big deal. It's like Laconia has become their Neverland and they will never grow up. The mix of wonder/beauty and tragedy really gets to me. The sad thing is those actors playing the kids are too old now, I really wanted to see what happened next. But I can read strange dogs. I've gathered the kids aren't a huge part of the overall story but other people later also become "undead" and that scientist character studies it.
@@ViridisAmbrosia they've pretty much adapted the entirety of Strange Dogs here in the TV show. Anything beyond that is in the main novels, AFAIK. I'm still holding off reading 7-9. Holding out a little hope to be able to do it as I did 1-6. TV first, books second.
Not sure if it´s ever been confirmed one way or the other, but I think it was mentioned on a podcast (can´t remember which, wasn´t ty and that guy) that Dominique came up with that scream herself because she felt it was called for, and that everyone loved it so much that they kept it in. If true than she really is a legend. Also MAN, as bad-ass as she is, Christjen really had to be dragged kicking and screaming into giving the Belt some autonomy didn´t she.... That smile towards Holden said pretty clearly `if you were ANYONE else, you´d be falling out of an airlock tomorrow...`. Still, to her credit, she´s not one to break her word, be it through gritted teeth.
That smile and handshake was totally for the cameras, which is rather a guarantee to Holden that she's going along with it through those gritted teeth.
Xan asks "What's a substrate." an underlying substance or layer. the surface or material on or from which an organism lives, grows, or obtains its nourishment.
29:00 the showrunner naren shankar once said that Holden starts the show rejecting a job offer out of immaturity, and ends it rejecting a job offer out of maturity. they do love bookends on this show
Presumably, last season's Marco had help from the Martians to plan the attack up to the point of setting up the railguns on the Ring station. Once the Martians got what they wanted, they've got no use for Marco anymore and dropped him. The assault of the Ring station always reminds me of D-Day airborne landing in Normandy.
The Laconia stuff does explain how much value the Laconians put on the protomolecule...and therefore why they were willing to arm Marco in exchange for it. If Marco isn't helped by Laconia, there's no Free Navy.
Chrisjen Avasarala is even more sweary in the books. Loved her character. Shohreh Aghdashloo played her magnificently. Impecable costumes and accessories, every time she came on the screen it was a feast for the eyes. Three cheers for Joanne Hansen Costume.
I really really enjoyed your Expanse reactions! Thank you! I think they took the time to set up Laconia because they always intended to finish the series (and considering the time jump you already know about, a break in the series at this point makes sense.) Plus introducing Laconia might inspire people to read the books.
Well - we made it. Some personal reflections from a fella who has watched this series so much and lapped up into the world building that he has met so many new friends because of this show and this book. 1. Duarte - a small role - but the big bad in the background and all the set up is so important if they ever film books 7 to 9. It was essential and I can only hope it comes to fruition in the next few years. Strange Dogs novella is extremely important going into those last books set 30 yrs later. 2. The Pella’s disguise. A homage to season 1 Roci as a gas tanker. 3. The assault on the Ring Station - the names of the assault team. A sci fi geek’s wet dream 4. Holden - in episode 1 he refused a job as XO out if immaturity. He resigned his new presidential role, out of maturity. 5. Naomi’s scream - I think this was improvised by Dominique Tipper - I’ll need to check. 6. Marco’s death - this was the best way - not a blaze of glory for that narcissistic fcuker - but an anonymous whimper. This show, which I personally feel is better than the books - is an allegory to anthropology of society in different environments and how the story is serviced by it. And some fookin cool ships. I watched this home alone this afternoon - wife and kids out - on a huge telly and it so paid off. I’m slowly beginning to think this finale could be my favourite episode of the whole series (yes, Home, Immolation, Abaddons Gate, Gaugamela etc….). As for your reaction fellas - on point. I’ve watched a few reactors- usually emotive ladies stateside who cry at the right time. You guys have been probably the most cerebral and logical and probably how me and my brother have discussed these (both originally from London etc…). Keep up the great work and reactions - looking forward to more TV and films - BSG and For All Mankind could be fun - and well done for reading Holdens resignation mike drop! Oyedeng Inyalowda
You've put a brilliant perspective on Holden's growth 👏. Can't believe we missed those names on the assault team. Sad we didn't get as assassin Drummer take him out but this was still good, with him realising in his final moments. What...A....Show. On to the next rollercoaster 🙌
Long time watcher of you gents, first time commenter here. I want to thank you SO MUCH for sharing your wonderful Expanse journey with us as you've grown to love the crew of the Roci, the universe, the story and its characters as much as we all do. As I knew you would, this show has left a high mark on you as one of the best science fiction shows to date. And you are not alone in that judgement. As a long time watcher of sci fi, growing up with Trek, its been great to see special series each decade earn their classic status (Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica reboot among many). The Expanse joins this rare pantheon of all time classic television that exceeds its science fiction roots as great drama. Side note: back in the day when it started on SyFy, I was one of the early watchers, and was so impressed with its quality, I've told many about it, some of whom are Screaming Firehawks now. I even wrote to Amazon multiple times in support of the #SaveTheExpanse campaign to have the show continue. Like you and so many, we are thrilled it did as its a rare quality gift in the drab streaming age and I'm happy it came to a natural end. Or should we say pause? You never know... Several years on from the end of the show, interest in it is still very high (read Dragons Tooth and the books) as more people find it and have their minds blown by its epic scope and core humanity. You gents have done a fantastic job in sharing your journey, from recaps to analysis and discussion, plus adding in laughs along the way ("The Hamster" killed me every time you referred to her 😂). With your great reactions I'm sure many more will join the Screaming Firehawks family. Looking forward to your Firefly reactions (another favourite show that also ended too soon). Raising a glass of Lagavulin to you both tonight on your completion of your journey. The stage is set for your next one and I'll be there for that ride too.
Thanks for joining us on this journey. And what a show this has been (hopefully not the END end). I'll be carrying it on by reading Persepolis Rising. And thank you for being one of the reasons this show was picked up again. It's no small feat to get any show back on screen. I'm worried we'll fall in love with Firefly as well now 😂 Ahhh Lagavulin ...what a choice.🤌👌👏
Including the Laconia stuff was definitely a choice...and an expensive one at that (they built that whole forest set indoors with real trees so the kids wouldn't have to film outside in the Canadian winter.) Yes, the story jumps 30 years and it's not a spoiler to say that the Protomolecule story is not over yet. The "Stange Dogs" novella is kind of an origin story for what comes next (arguably the best part of the saga). Hopefully, we get to see it on screen one day. At any rate, thanks for bringing us along on this journey. You guys have been brilliant and something I've looked forward to every week. I'll catch you on the next show. Oyedeng, bossmangs.
What a journey. Thanks to you both of this has been great rewatching this whole show with alongside you. The last two seasons were exceptional, the acting stepped up from pitch perfect to unbelievably good and then even higher. Marco i think is easy, he was fantastic when things worked for he when his plans get disrupted or fail he falls apart because he believes his own myth. Which makes him as flawed as every other character in the show. Just wonderful. Again thanks its was a great reaction series.
The orchestral version of the theme reminded me of the Stark theme in Winterfell. We got our Jon Snow good ending; “I don’t want it, I never have” done right. What a ride it’s been, this show is how your channel popped up on my feed, and I’ll always support folks who watch this show. Just like Better Call Saul, so unappreciated by the general public, and those at the top of the industry. I hope the story continues, and still made with the care of how this has been produced. These characters should be more known. Spread the word!
@@RamblersInc if you do, don’t do it in chronological order - watch Breaking Bad first. Then Better Call Saul. It further enriches the prequel/ follow up (Actually contradicted myself- there’s a follow up element in BCS, so you have to watch Breaking Bad first)
It's definitely become my favourite show ever. It's a show that I believe you could watch 100 time over and never get bored of, infinitely rewatchable. It has just the right balance or drama, humour, action, horror and mystery. It has an effortlessly diverse cast, with some of the best female characters ever in any show, some of the best one-episode charters.... Hope to see more!
You say the Laconia scenes were useless without knowing anything about the fascinaing story, which is the main theme of books 7, 8, and 9, that starts with these scenes, the story of the twins, Cara and her brother. I loved all the Laconia stuff this season. Besides being fascinating in themselves they colored the season in a way that no other seasons of The Expanse were, and if you know the rest of the story they'll make you eager with anticipation for more.
The kid the brother goes off to play with is Santiago Singh, the first Laconian governor of Medina. The way the driver was treated probably had a big impact on the choices he made.
By that logic Marcos Inaros scenes should not have been on s4 and he should've just appeared without set up in these last two season. Same with Avasarala, in the books she only matters in S2. They shouldn't change the writing to have her in S1 which lead to more build up for her character. Do they like S4? Because by that logic also that season shouldn't exist for being mostly set up. ☠️
Actually I like to think that at that moment that Filip was talking to Marco telling him about Rosenfeld's death and seeing Marco's reaction (in what turned out to be the last conversation they'd ever have together), he was remembering what Naomi had told him about Marco - that he'd always be only too happy to sacrifice others including his own son, but that he'd never sacrifice himself for anyone else. That was the moment it dawned on him that his mom was right about Marco all along after seeing all the people around him (Fillip) that Marco had sacrificed and died for his "cause" and with Fillip's help. Also the part where Marco figures out what's happening as the ring entitiies start to annihilate his ship (and it's dawning on him what's happening to him at that moment. Don't worry, he figured it out. They too had been witnessing ships getting destroyed by the ring entities so he knew what was happening as soon as it started which is why he screamed "VEER OFF!!!" at the last minute, but it was too late.), he looks around the bridge and doesn't see Fillip at his station. Some part of me likes to believe that in addition to realizing that, it also dawned on him that Fillip had probably left the ship and that he'd die alone and empty (as Drummer predicted in that rousing speech), that in some part of his mind he also knew (or was starting to realize) that it was Naomi responsible for figuring out what triggered the Ring entities and they were the ones that blew up that freight ship creating the energy imbalance that triggered the entities. That it was in fact Naomi that killed him.
I think the Laconia stuff at the beginning of every episode was basically just a set-up for the next part of the story. Because Laconia is a big.....BIG.....deal in what happens in the rest of the story going forward. As is Duarte (the guy you saw looking up at the Protomolecule platform in orbit) So it wasn't just a throwaway stuff and no, it definitely was NOT useless. Also another point about the time-jump and characters still being there: Yes, a 30 year time difference seems like a lot and one that would mean most, if not all of the characters from the current Roci, and Solar System storyline still wouldn't be there. But you have to remember something:- At this point in time, the human lifespan has been increased to about an average of 130-150 years for Earthers thanks to advanced medical science and technology. (IT's slightly less for Martians, at about 110-120 years, and much less so for Belters at 70-80 years, right about what it is now for us in our time in the present). With that long a lifespan a 30 year time difference is not as much as it seems, and someone in their 60's or 70's or even 80's from Earth in their timeline would be equivalent to someone who is in their 40's and 50's in our timeline today - in terms of their physicality and vitality. So if you're bringing back most of the non-Belter Roci crew (Holden, Amos, Clarissa and Bobby), and assuming that while this story was happening, they were in their late 20's/early-to-mid 30's, then the story would indeed pick up when they were in their 60's, which would mean that they would only need to age them up to look like 40/50 year olds in out timeline. Most of the cast could realistically come back. Some obviously wouldn't be able to without major prosthetics and make-up (like Avasarala, obviously). They'd have to figure out some story-reason why the main Belters in the story (mainly Drummer and Naomi) don't look like 60 and 70 year olds, but that's an easy story fix (....like a new protomolecule-based life-extender for Belters that also allows them to adapt better to 1g planets, for example).
I thought the life expectancy was highest on Mars? See the coroner scene in S1 with Miller. Maybe Mars-Earth switched around versus the books? I don't remember.
Marco did make a ton of mistakes this season, but i think one of his earliest goes back to killing Ashford. Once he killed Ashford and Drummer found out, as hard as she tried not to early on, it set them on a figurative and near litteral collision course. Once she finally committed to get him, she stayed a problem for him and was willing to kill him or die trying.
“Eff you Marco” had literally no connection with the strange dogs scenes. Duarte never even had a clue about them. There’s no connection. The Admiral was simply done doing the dirty work for a Belta. Contract fulfilled. Alliance over. Free Navy distraction no longer required. That’s that. It’s just amazing that he didn’t literally betray Marco instead and turn those lovely guns ON him instead of OVER to him. And yes, I’d have preferred it that way. What they did instead was violate a foundational rule of writing laid down by Checkov himself, and not the one from Star Trek, either.
@@snarflcat6187 What rule was broken? It was set up like any season, Marcos Inaros in S4 is set up for S5-6 and the Laconia scenes here in S6 are set up for S7-9, the endgame. Why so angry about basic storytelling, this is nothing new.
Congrats on finishing the show (for now)! We can only hope that someone picks it up again to finish out the story. Also, don't forget to watch the bonus scenes from the "One Ship" thing. They were just some nice little character vignettes. I know you said you want to read the books, so I put together a little list of the recommended reading order - the novels are self-explanatory, but there are a number of short stories that work best when you read them in between some of the novels. I'd love to know what you guy(s) think of the books when you've read them, as well. Maybe an update video at some point? The Expanse #1: Leviathan Wakes The Butcher of Anderson Station: An Expanse Short Story The Expanse #2: Caliban's War Gods of Risk: An Expanse Novella Drive: An Expanse short Story The Expanse #3: Abaddon's Gate The Churn: An Expanse Novella The Expanse #4: Cibola Burn The Expanse #5: Nemesis Games The Vital Abyss: An Expanse Novella The Expanse #6: Babylon's Ashes Strange Dogs: An Expanse Novella The Expanse #7: Persepolis Rising The Expanse #8: Tiamat's Wrath Auberon: An Expanse Novella The Expanse #9: Leviathan Falls The Sins of our Fathers: An Expanse Novella Memory's Legion *short story collection
@@RamblersInc It's perfectly fine starting with Persepolis Rising if you've already watched the show. The only thing that might be confusing is Book Drummer, who's totally different from Show Drummer. But even that's not a big deal. Enjoy the ride.
@@RamblersInc You can just read from the 7th book, of course. But a lot of the earlier books are pretty interesting. The first two full novels were more or less the same as the show, but starting with book 3 a lot of stuff diverged and quite a few storylines end up quite different to how they are in the show. Also try reading all of the short stories, as those fill in a lot of backstory of which very little made it on the show (The Churn really elaborates on what they showed of Amos's story in season 5, for example). Also since you went with book 7 - the novella right before it, Strange Dogs, was the Laconia stuff that they showed here with the kids in season 6 - they covered almost all of what was in the book on the show, though.
And that's the end of an amazing and great journey! Naomi's scream thinking she had just killed her son absolutely rips my heart out! Also it took me till the end to realize multiple times throughout this series that Naomi has amazing monologs over layed on certain scenes that have such deep impact. In this one she says that Holden did the right thing. You didn't do it for a pat on the head or recognition! The universe never tells you if you did good or not, you just have to try. Last season Naomi told Filip that sometimes the only choice you have is to just walk away! Naomi may never know that she saved her sons life... Filip walked away! I'm definitely hanging around because I really enjoy your content! That being said, this is by far my all time favorite show! Thank you so very much for sharing your journey! It means so much to us Screaming Firehawks! Oya dang Beltalowda!!
"The universe never tells you if you did good or not, you just have to try." What a sentence 🥹👏 If only he walked away and Naomi found out he did. Thanks for joining us on this ride. We finally know what it means to be a Screaming Firehawk.
I tell everyone I recommend this show to that I think it’s the best SciFi story ever put on film. None of them believe me at first, of course. Then somewhere during their watching of the 2nd Season, or the first few episodes of Season 3, I’ll inevitably get a text, email, or they’ll drop in conversation how unbelievable they think the series is, how they’re shocked they hadn’t heard about it earlier & that they’re now recommending it to everyone they know. Glad you guys enjoyed the ride. Btw, someone’s probably already mentioned it, but if you look at just who was occupying the other pods being dropped on the Ring, you’ll undoubtedly see some familiar names fighting with Amos & Bobbie. Lastly, for all the praise given to all the great characters (& the tremendous job the actors did in their respective portrayals) of Amos, Chrisjen, Ashford, Naomi, & Drummer (who ended up as the most interesting of them all), IMO not nearly enough credit is given to Steven Strait & his job as Holden. He anchored that series & if he wasn’t believable as the reluctant pragmatic hero desperately holding on to the idealism he was raised to have faith in, the entire series would’ve failed. And just like Holden, in the end he didn’t just succeed in that role, he aced it. As did the series as a whole. And like you guys said in your reaction, best SciFi… ever. Wish it didn’t have to end.
Although I know it's not a high-profile show, the 12 Monkeys TV show ran for 4 seasons and is one of the best shows I've seen that no one talks about. It's truly worth a watch.
@@RamblersInc You don't have to watch the movie first. The show takes the basic premise and goes in a different direction that works better for a series.
I understand the wish for Marco to really suffer, but I think this death was perfect for him, for two reasons: First, he did see the other ships getting eaten by the entities and knew the implications of that, so his final words were "Veer off!", essentially an admission that he had been played and beaten. Second, he is a textbook narcissist, who would probably have preferred to die in some heroic way and be heralded for eternity. Instead, because he was killed by the entities, he was literally deleted from existence.
Thoroughly enjoyed your reactions to The Expanse. This finale and the show in general is one of those that leave you satisfied but also sad it is ending and wanting more. Hopefully, they will film the last 3 books but until then I'll just have to read them. Looking forward to Firefly and continuing with The Good Place.
This season covers book 6. The Laconia segments at the beginning of each episode is covered in the short story Strange Dogs. Its the hook for whats to come in the next seasons (books)
Just found your channel and binged your Expanse reactions! It's been a pleasure to go through this journey with you and I'll be looking forward to Firefly too!
So with regards to the laconia stuff. The brother/sister story is from a Novella set between book 6 and 7. Including it in the show at this point is a bit of an easter egg for the book fans, but also sets up Duarte and Cortizar on Laconia and some other stuff that has relevance IF they revive the show at a later date. There is a 30 year gap in the books but it is all the same characters (remember the average life expectancy is 130 or something like that)
“I have gods to kill.” -Duarte That’s the conflict of the last three books in a nutshell. Is it possible? Or just hubris? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z! Edit: I’ve said it before, you two have such perceptive brains. You guys get deep themes just get it. I watched your BoB reaction too. Star reactors. Thanks for the journey friends!
@@RamblersInc oooooh, cool! They’re damn good reads PS it a bit slow in my opinion. But Tiamat’s Wrath and Leviathan Falls are so damn good! Enjoy man!
Good point. Although not in the assumption that she also killed her boy as well. I hoped there was some form of reunion or at least a clue or hint that she realised that Filip made it out.
For the Laconia stuff: First of all, this is from a novella. It's not from book 6 or 7. Second, from the timeline when this happens, it belongs to the current part of the story, not to the final trilogy 30 yrs later. Third, they actually included the full novella. No other novella has been covered in such detail. That novella was release after book 6. Books & novellas are supposed to be read in publishing order. In other words, readers have been in the same situation after reading that novella. They got the same story as you have seen, but didn't know more about it for quite a while, because what's happening in "Strange Dogs" becomes only relevant again much later again, not in book 7 already. Then, they needed to include Duarte, Laconia, and the Protomolecule in _some_ way. It was all hinted to during, and especially at the end, of season 5. They would either have to drop that part completely, which would have felt pretty weird, or made up a new and different story for the show only. Instead, they decided to include the novella, which as said before makes sense for the timeline of events to include. So, at the end, they did what they did for most of the series; stay close to the original story. And I'm very happy they did, it's one of the best of all novellas, imho. Also, if they will ever be able to bring the last 3 books to screen, that Laconia part will become very relevant.
The Laconia segments that you see in these episodes show the events of the novella "Strange Dogs," and what happens when you bring active protomolecule to a planet with Builder technology. BTW the thing you see in orbit around Laconia is actually a fabrication unit. And all of the members of the Roci crew are still alive after the thirty-year jump (though Peaches mods are slowly killing her).
Actually that was one of the big differences in the show from the books. Prax had a bigger story. It would have been a spy-thriller and rebellion story from the other side of the war. How he snuck out the improved food farming proto-molecule tech.
In the books, Filip doesn't die at the ring. He had deserted from the Pella earlier so he wasn't on the ship when it disintegrated. Naomi however never finds out and thinks he is dead. And another fun fact, Filip actually appears later in one of the short stories. :)
Glad you guys reacted to this wonderful show - it’s been great watching along wit you. (glad you noticed the little red ring entity flashes in the ring at the end of the credits) …. Here’s hoping we get the last 3 books as a show someday. We’ll be watching to see what show you pick next - The story does pick up 30yrs later, It DOES continue to follow our crew… Laconia has not been idle in the 30 year gap (let your imagination run with that) and the 2 kids…. Well that would be a spoiler now wouldn’t it. 😉 Go read the books - they’re worth it! 🚀
@@RamblersInc I need to re-read them. It’s interesting to see how the stories / some characters were changed to adapt the series to a tv show. Lots of behind the scenes stuff avail. online. Really shows how lucky the show was to have the authors (Ty & Daniel) involved in writing & producing the show all the way through….. I still want the last 3 ! 😁 🚀
For those of us who've read all nine books, the scenes on Laconia, and especially the children, are fantastic. This is information we didn't get in the books, but it sets up things that do happen. Now, spoiler ahead: . . . That object in orbit around Laconia is an automated shipyard, left behind by the protomolocule builders...
15:48 I think my favorite easter egg in the show is right in here, there's a container with a big Mao-Kwikowski logo on the side but the Mao part has been scraped off. jules-pierre mao's reputation is still ruined
Awesome run guys. It was a joy watching your reactions. You did yourselves proud, being one of the better Expanse reactors on TH-cam. That off hand quip about Michio being Drummer's 'hamster' was both biting and sweet at the same time. So funny! It is sad when a great show comes to a close. And this one was a great wind web of unexpected surprises and world building. I remember thinking with my small brain how the show opens on Ceres and follows Detective Miler. I was 'expecting' a cop show. Hawaii 5-0 in space. Or something like that. But the mystery began to weave on 3 fronts and it was clear my imagination and their imagination were on infinitely different levels. With everyone involved stepping up providing a labor of love that shined like a jewel, episode to episode right up until the end. Looking back, I clearly ignored the opening info card that the belt was on the brink of war. All it needed was a spark. I quickly thought of that as merely the setting. And the 'real' story revolved around the protomolecule. Which 'is' true, when one adds on the final 3 books to the mix. However, without those episodes being produced, The Expanse, the TV show really is a story about war in the belt. At least as a six season story. Because of this I am slightly disappointed with seasons 4-6. Unlike you both I would rather have MORE of the protomolecule story in the final 3 seasons. One advantage of the first 3 seasons is the writing staff ignored being linear from book to book. The show, the story was infinitely better for mushing things about. And I feel the final 3 seasons suffer by each season fleshing out each book one at a time, one after the other. The joy of the first 3 seasons is it's complexity. We never see a plot line as being binary. Either A is going to happen or B is going to happen. However in the final 3, things get too binary. MIxing the books would have kept things at the amazing level we got for seasons 1-3. Still I tip my hat to you both. Here's to Miller. The sweet taste of rain. Amos saying "Peaches." And to Pro-Kenzo rising from the ashes and saving the Universe at the end of book 9.
Exactly the same. I thought we were going to get a procedural cop show but set in space with a different case each episode. Oooh how wrong we were.🤣 I'm gonna miss this show.😭
Marco was at least partly based on Alexander The Great, who was a brilliant tactician, to the point where he conquered the largest emoire the world had seen up to that point, but he wasn't a good long-term strategist, and didn't build a good Empire, as evidenced by the fact that it broke up immediately upon his death. Marco was the same. He was great at taking over tje solar system and beyond, but not good at running it.
Well, we finally made it to the end. I think it's a great finale. Wraps up the main storylines in a satisfying way, and leaves a few questions for the wider story should we ever get to come back. Lots of great action too, and each of our favourite characters got their own moment to shine. One thing I think that's worth a particular shout out is the score for the finale (and the season in general). It really does elevate some of the more impactful scenes. Speaking of which, probably the stand out moment for me in the finale is the montage after Naomi pushes the button, and you have the swelling score, and then her scream. Gets me every time. Because of them nailing the finale, I think this is now the best sci-fi series ever. Sure it has some flaws, but it had everything you could want. A good story, fantastic character development, great action and some iconic moments. It also had a willingness to show that conflicts are rarely black and white. And kudos for showing that you can make a show with a diverse cast (be that gender or race) without feeling like any of them are tokens. Shouldn't have to be pointed out in this day and age, but it's still a rare case of it being done right.
You guys should do a re-watch of this finale on your own time and catch some of the sweet Easter Eggs that they put in the episode. Like the names of the people on the roster for the Assault team they were sending down to Medina station in the ring. It's like a Love letter to everything great about sci-fi lore in the last 50 years.
I think the reason Marco didn’t seem as calculated this season is because he's a psychopath. He didn’t really have plans beyond the strikes in season five. He didn't think beyond that point. Dropping the rocks was an end in itself, rather than a means to an end. He has a poor understanding of consequences and once he's risen to power and become the figure he's always imagined himself as, he doest have any plans
Really enjoyed following your expanse journey, will definitely stick around and see what else you're up to. I was so happy with the way they wrapped up S6. Tidied up the main story line and character arcs but the laconia stuff and the red swirly death monsters aet up the final 3 books should they wish to come back to it😊
Filip turns up on a colony world in one of the Expanse novellas 'The Sins of Our Fathers' set after Book 9. Apart from that I don't think we see him again.
Just to be clear, Marco did know what it was that was destroying his ship. He knows (or knew) about the ring Entities and the ships that had been disappearing transiting through the rings. Everyone that had been using the rings knew about the ring entities, but they didn't understand what it was except for Holden who figured it out with Naomi's help.
Great reaction fellas, as always. I've really enjoyed going on this journey with you. You seem to have genuinely loved the show. The Laconia teaser at the beginning of each episode might seem a little 'stuck on', but if you knew the whole story, it would make much more sense. Without getting into spoilers, this is the structure of the story... Books 1-3 are about the Protomolecule and the ring. Book 4 is a standalone novel on Ilus. Books 5-6 are about Marco Inaros. Books 7-9 is a trilogy based around Laconia. (which I'm sure you have worked out) In the story, there is a 30 year gap between book 6 and book 7. This is something the showrunners are going to have to tackle to keep the original cast, which I'm sure they will. (shorten the gap and introduce anti-aging drugs maybe?) The novela, Strange Dogs, is what they have been feeding you which takes place in the same timeline as Book 6. So much like the ring gates opening at the end of Season 3, there is still obviously more to come. Leaving Strange Dogs out at this point could have been difficult to weave in afterwards. Personally, I think it's a ruse by Amazon. They'll carry it on when interest and demand builds up. There are also rumours of possibly exploring stories that take place during the 30 year gap, with the current cast. Who knows? One thing is for sure, if they give the final 3 books the same treatment as they have the previous 6, then you can look forward to an absolutely epic experience. The story is fantastic.
@@RamblersInc Haha, Brilliant. One major change from the books to the TV show is that Drummer isn't quite the same character. The TV version of Drummer is an amalgamation of several characters from the books. It's a while since I've read them so can't say how confusing this might be. Apparently they only brought Cara Gee into the show for someone who Fred could talk to. But she turned out to be so good that they had to give her much more screen time. Also, Alex survives into Book 7. Enjoy. 👍
One day we will, beratna. :) I predict this series will continue in 5-10 years time. And then 20-30 years from now it'll get rebooted--with zero-g scenes actually shot in space. It's a story that can and should be rewatched, reread, and retold.
@@--cs3 I like to believe that the plans are in place, with a shorter time jump, and it's just held close to the chest. I don't see a reason the time jump needs to be as long as the book, especially without Alex's story to follow
The Laconian stuff was in for a few reasons.... It answered what happened to the Protomolecule, and where Marco was getting the advanced tech. It was a bit for treat for the book readers.... It left the story open for going forward, and was a bit of a pledge by the show runners that they WANT to do the last 3 books. Whether or not they get the chance, the Laconian Vignettes showed that they don't want to abandon that side of the overall story. As far as the time jump.. remember Humans live to well over a hundred now.. Bit of Makeup could make them all look a bit older..... The last books are EPIC, I personally wouldn't want to be given the task of turning it in a TV show.
Thanks for a fun ride aboard the Roci, Gentlemen! ;-] "Firefly" eh? ...seems everyone is reacting to that, these days. I'll pass for now, but will swing around to watch your take on it when I inevitably get nostalgic for that great show again. Cheers from Canada, where Santa Claus is the only true King in the North! ;-]
The books did have a 30 year time jump. That being said, I find it interesting that the show made a point of letting us know that Clarissa only has 5 years to live. Minor book spoiler, C;arissa is there 30 years later. I think that the writers putting this 5 year thing is their way of saying that in the TV Expanse universe maybe only 5 years need to pass before the story continues.
When you reach the end of this book, you realize that Marcos was just a pawn for Admiral Duarte's goals all along. He has MASSIVE goals and he helped Marcos to use Marcos. In the larger scheme of the story, Marcos is a small fish. Seeing was is happening on Laconia, is clearly meant to stoke the appetites of the fans for more.
Marco is still a coward. He knew the UN fleet was a match for the Pella, so by sending a decoy toward the UN and disguising the Pella, he'd only have to fight the rag-tag Belter fleet. Most people won't get this, but the descent of the assault team was the exact visual experience of how classic SF novelist Robert Heinlein described an armored capsule trooper drop to a planet during a space attack in his novel "Starship Troopers." Bobbie's armor is also very close to Heinlein's description of an armored "cap" trooper. Yes, that Oni pin was a detail you missed. Amos had worn it from the beginning. If you know what it is, then you know what it's for: To ward away demons...and both of them have their demons to ward away. Marco to Filip three episodes ago: "Remember your name, the name we both share." Filip, typing: F I L I P N A G A T A I do think Naomi got into Marco's head and caused him to make some mistakes, but you're right that Marco did become more "emperor" than tactician. He had never set up a proper military chain of command. Duarte said, "I've got gods to kill." He's talking about the aliens that killed the Protomolecule Builders (and the Barkeith). That's going into the last trilogy of the saga. We had that much information about Laconia up to the publishing of book 6. The producers, knowing they weren't going to have enough episodes to tell the full Expanse saga, had a decision to make: Should they concoct a rushed ending just for television, or should they stick to the books and end season 6 the way book 6 ends. They made the correct decision to stick to the books. Two of the most inexplicable crimes of television history: That Firefly was cancelled halfway through its first season, and that The Expanse got zero television industry recognition. This series was an epic event, well worth the time we've spent with it, including the extra time we fans spend with good reactors like you fellows.
Marco S6 doesn't have the people restraining his ego and providing a check on his impulsiveness he had in S5. His narcissism is completely unchecked in S6... and he pays for it.
Although don't you think Rosenfeld seemed like a far more competent "right hand" than Cyn and Karal ? I thought she would have been able to handle him (and maybe guide him) better?
In the books, Marco Inaros did not survive the events of "Nemesis Games" (i.e. Season Five) so they had to modify his character and fit him into this season.
I think Marco was a great planner when he had time to think, but didn't think nearly so clearly in dynamic situations. Moreover, I think it became clear by the end that a lot of the planning actually got done by the Laconian Martians, who actually took Marcos ideas and figured out how to practically implement them. After the Laconians cut off communications with Marco, and he was forced to rely only on his own talents, he didn't do nearly so well. Of course, he couldn't acknowledge that, in any way. What actually happened here is that Marco thought he used the Laconian Martians to achieve his goals, but in fact the Laconians *used him* as a "cloak of lights" to distract everybody else while they secured their position on the other side of the Laconian ring and then made their position impregnable. The U.N., the MCRN and the Belters who flocked to Drummer didn't actually win this war. The *Laconians* did. That's why they had to show what was happening on Laconia. It lays the groundwork if they ever get the opportunity to jump that 30 years ahead and film the last three books -- or even put out some sort of content (games, spinoffs, whatever) about humanity's expansion out into those 1,317 systems during the 30-year interim. And you keep forgetting about the life-expectancies, in this series. When it comes to aging, 30 years in this setting is *no more than* about 15 years, today -- and maybe even less for people who have access to the finest medical care. So, it wouldn't be the equivalent of jumping from mid to late 30s to nearly 70, but rather to their late 40s; no more than age 50.
Yep. That makes a lot of sense. Duarte had a big hand in what we thought Marco was responsible for . I mean , how would Marco be so good at military strategy in the first place? Oh. So technically, if a studio where to pick the show back up for the final 3 books, it could work with the same cast?
@@RamblersInc Right, the same cast. They'd certainly need look well into middle age, but people in their 70s in this setting don't look like senior citizens -- they look 20-25 years younger than that. Remember Sauvaterre? He looked to be a healthy man in his late 50s, at most, but had a military career that had lasted for how long? (I forget.) Chrisjen is in her 70s, as the series starts; she at least age 80 by the end of it and still looks fantastic, although clearly the stress is affecting her health by Season 6. It all goes back to Miller's discussion with the coroner in Season 1. The *average* life expectancy on Earth is 120 years, and on Mars it's even longer. So, there are probably Martian Senior Citizens, and maybe even a few on Earth, who remember when Solomon Epstein discovered his breakthrough drive, 129 years before the series started.
I think that Marco has not changed that much from season 5 to 6 with regard to his planning. No matter how good of a strategist you are, some things will go wrong. He was just very lucky in the beginning. He always had the long term goal about the ring space, and pursued that pretty consistently. We have seen that with military leaders in history: A lot of lucky victories in the beginning, and then things seem to just go wrong.
I truly feel like they wouldn't have made all the opening vignettes on Laconia if they did have some kind of plan for adapting the last three books. It's a 28 year gap between books, and they continue with the same characters, so there is no reason the same actors shouldn't continue with their roles. Here are all the Easter eggs on the roster for the attack on the rail guns. Alpha Ackbar, G Giar Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) Idaho, D Duncan Dune (1984) Quaid, D Douglas Total Recall (1990) Rogan, A Alex The Last Starfighter (1984) Bowman, D Dave 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Nesmith, J Jason Galaxy Quest (1999) Shepard, C Commander Mass Effect (2007) Buck, E Edward Halo 3: ODST (2009) Bravo Garrity, K Shaenon K (IRL Author) Ochiai, H Hideo Drillimation Series Ripley, E Ellen Alien (1979) Vasquez, J Jenette Aliens (1986) Hicks, D Dwayne Aliens (1986) Hudson, W William Aliens (1986) Cooper, J Joseph Interstellar (2014) Deckard, R Rick Blade Runner (1982) Anderton, J John Minority Report (2002) O'Neil, J Jack Stargate (1994) Charlie Levine, R Richard Jurrasic Park (1993) Rico, J Johnny Starship Troopers (1997) Starr, L Lone Spaceballs (1987) Thrace, K Kara Battlestar Galactica (2004) Banks, L Luise Arrival (2016) Connor, S Sarah The Terminator (1984) Flynn, K Kevin Tron (1982) Stone, R Ryan Gravity (2013) Neary, R Roy Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Riker, W William Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
I know Firefly is next after this, but is there any chance you guys will react to LOST in the future?? It's an incredible mystery/sci fi/fantasy show that I think you guys would really like
and now you know.... most of the story. How different are you impression of this entire universe setting NOW, compared to during the "Dulcinea" episode when it started out so mundanely ??
@@RamblersInc another little detail I love is about the pipe that she almost gets killed trying to fix during the final battle - in the short where she learns about her father dying, she's going around the ship inspecting things and she finds a weakness in that same pipe and puts it on the list for maintenance
Before I read the books, the Laconia clips in S6 frustrated me because I knew it was a thread that couldn't be concluded in S6, and it actively took away from the story we all _wanted_ to see in S6, with our limited time. It was frustrating. _After_ I read the books, and understood the I N C R E D I B L E final 3 novels that the Laconia bits in S6 were teasing... IT STILL JUST FRUSTRATED ME! because it couldn't actually lead to and through the events of the final three books! If you're a fan of The Expanse world of the show, you _need_ to get your hands on the series. It's worth the whole run, because each book is layered with so much more than the show could offer (although the show did a certain few specific characters WAY better than the books) And it's no fucking joke when book fans say that the final three books *Persepolis Rising, Tiamat's Wrath,* and *Leviathan Falls* are best books in the series. It's not often that you get to see a 9+ book series stick the landing so well that fans think the final trilogy are the best books in an incredible series (9 mainline titles, with 1 additional novella before and after every book, which the show integrated and featured them heavily), and their stories never even made it to the show 😭
@@RamblersInc If you're not going through the whole series (understandable, but they're worth going through sometime!), I'd at least recommend picking up book 6 so you can get a sense of the books' representation of the full scale of "Season 6" as it leads into uncharted territory of 7, 8, 9! I think it's also important to spend some time with the novels' version of the characters so things feel less weird in 7+ when you're like, not used to some of their differences from the show's versions. Besides... More Expanse is _always_ good!
i have no faith this show will ever get picked up again..but i hope!! ill givee you one spoiler though... Naomi, never gts to find out that fillip lived
I agree with you two that the Proto/Laconia stuff was pointless. What I’d LOVE to see is s series in between. Call it The Spacing Guild (Dune reference). The NEXT 30 years as a long series. How space is truly conquered by humanity. Could deal with the Laconians, Belter splinter groups, as well as other space pirates, exploring new worlds, maybe even new aliens, ones that survived the Proto-Builders or ones that evolved after they vanished.
the fact the Dom Tipper and Cara Gee didn't even get Emmy noms for this show still pisses me off and just proves the judges only watch 2 shows a year....
And the horrific, disgusting, moronic train wreck that was the last season of GoT got 22 Emmy nominations for pulling rancid garbage out of their asses.
Dude Dom acted TF out of the last two seasons. She’s a champ. Cara was also insane.
Wes Chatham nailed Amos. And Cas Anvar (yeah I know, sucks that he was a dickhole) nailed Alex.
@@DongusMcBongus Heck, which of the major actors DIDN´T nail their characters? Holden, Miller, Avasarala, Marco, Bobbie.... every single one of them was brilliant. Even minors like Duarte, Jules-piere Mao, Errinwright, Anna or Prax were pure joy to watch on screen. The fact that it takes god-tier performances like Dom or Cara had these seasons to rise above the fray says it all.
Absolute respect and admiration to all of them.
Same here. I got even more annoyed when I looked up the noms for the Saturn Awards (major awards show for the science fiction and fantasy genre). For that year, the Expanse was no where on that list. You what was somehow nominated? The disaster that was Rise of Skywalker, for best scify film no less!!
I agree.... and think we are seeing a repeat with The Wheel of Time...the acting in this show is amazing.
No matter how many times I see it, Dominique's just anguished scream always gets me. And her speech about how you don't do good things because you expect a reward and sometimes you never get to know the impact on others you may have had. You just have to try. She may never know that Filip survived and that her words reached him. But she had to try. It's her guiding philosophy and a central tenant of her character. Beautiful
I sincerely hope that if the show continues, it follows the book and respects Naomi's sacrifice.
Yeah, her acting , that scream, gets me every time.
As an actor she isn't quite seasoned, The Expanse is both her only major credit, and her first big gig. Apparently, they cast her because as she is a dancer by trade, they thought she would take to the wire work. But she has developed her acting greatly over the run of the show, last season especially showed what she can do. The anguished scream she does in this episode was actually ad-libbed. They were shooting the reaction shots for the individual actors to Marco's (and supposedly Filip's) death, and got soo into it she screamed.
@@quiett6191 the difference in Dominique's acting S1 vs S5 and S6 - simply incredible growth! I think she has a great future ahead of her.
I see that nobody has yet commented about what I think is the greatest and most reverent Easter Egg of all time: the 30 names given for the away team are all some of the most beloved characters from previous sci-fi classics, the production crews' tribute to those in the sic-fi entertainment industry who had come before them and boosted sci-fi from comic book children's entertainment to by far the most populare movie genre of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Thanks for the heads up. I need to go back and watch that bit again.
Thank you for going on this journey for this AMAZING series with us!! Massive shout out to Keon Alexander, you portrayed an incredible villain in Marco that we all loved to hate (and wasn't too bad looking either haha). It's been an honor Screaming Firehawk's!!
I feel that when the camera focused on Filip’s face when Marco was doing his rousing speech, he was remembering what Naomi told him in season 5: sometimes walking away is the only choice you have. So he got up and walked away. And survived. It would be nice to think he might reconnect with his mother one day.
Writers have said she never finds out that he didnt die. Ouch
I'm glad he managed to walk away
WHAT? She never finds out? 😭
you really want an answer?
@@RamblersInc
@@RamblersInc Yeah, thats a bit of a spoiler for the books :( But not a major plot point.
I guess its like Ade's "Jim, there some you should know-" in S1E1, like the authors said, often life just doesn't stitch up nicely, you never know :(
In his final moment, Marco looks towards where his son should be sitting, only to realize he's been abandoned by him a split second before he ends.
Makes it all the more sweeter ...for the audeince.
Fun fact- the other fighters attacking the ring station are all names of characters from classic sci fi (Dune, Alien etc)
There are so many callbacks to earlier episodes: the Pella disguised as a freighter (like the Roci at Eros), the ice hauler is the same class as the Canterbury, controlling the containers like the tugs used to capture the Behemoth.
For me, The Expanse has been the best show (of any genre) of the last 25 years and a worthy successor to my other all-time favourite, Babylon 5 (which is my roundabout way of recommending it for a future watch ;) )
So glad you mentioned that little attack force Easter Egg. If you're a long time fan of classic sci fi its impossible to miss and reminded us all of the high standards of the creators and production staff.
The callbacks to earlier seasons and key story high points were smart as it brings the show full circle.
Totally agree that The Expanse is the best (or at least one of the best) shows of any genre in the last 25 years. And it owes a big debt to Babylon 5 too, the early progenitor of a multi year epic sci fi story with characters we grew to love. I regularly still watch it and modern shows don't hold a candle to it. Recommend getting the blu ray box set which has really made this 90s show look even better.
@@boldlygoing89having grown up on B5, agreed. Expanse is, for me, the better show but it couldn’t have existed without Babylon 5 leading the way as such a fantastic complex story of politics and flawed people making flawed decisions for what they think is right… Probably also a lot owed to Battlestar Galactica.
Damn. I need to go back and watch that scene again
I think B5 is difficult as a reaction show, with it being a 22 episodes/45 Minutes show with lots of Alien of the week episodes and world building, and the big arc basically starting at the end of S01. Still on 4th place of my best of all time list, right behind Arcane, Blue Eye Samurai and The Expanse.
Having recently finished books 7-9, I like that they included the Strange Dogs novella. It leaves enough questions for the big if/when the show is picked up for seasons 7-9 (currently Alcon, the production company, is waiting for the rights to revert to shop it around)
There's a 30 year time gap between 6 & 7, so it's not implausible to start back up in 5+ years and "anti-aging drugs" away the lack of extreme oldness.
Oh I didn't even know there was a possibility that they are looking into doing more seasons, you have given me a little hope 🙂
@@saramarie2736 no guarantees, but they did say it's an obvious "pause point", plus the whole fact that Alcon will get the rights to create more sometime (only they know... I'd guess like a 5-7 year? So maybe 2026-2028?)
The only issue would be the kids, but that's nothing a little recasting wouldn't fix.
Yes this is what I hoped for - that the story will be picked up again.
I haven't read strange dogs yet but it's on my list as I loved the Laconia stuff and the return to the sci-fi. Without the Laconia stuff in season 6 I think I would have been pretty desperate for at least some sci-fi. It connects also to the bigger picture of the "ring entities" that become basically the main threat to humanity and existence as they continue using the rings. I loved also the innocence of the story of the two children. She's like "if I die here they will fix me too" like it's no big deal. It's like Laconia has become their Neverland and they will never grow up. The mix of wonder/beauty and tragedy really gets to me.
The sad thing is those actors playing the kids are too old now, I really wanted to see what happened next. But I can read strange dogs. I've gathered the kids aren't a huge part of the overall story but other people later also become "undead" and that scientist character studies it.
@@ViridisAmbrosia they've pretty much adapted the entirety of Strange Dogs here in the TV show. Anything beyond that is in the main novels, AFAIK. I'm still holding off reading 7-9. Holding out a little hope to be able to do it as I did 1-6. TV first, books second.
Not sure if it´s ever been confirmed one way or the other, but I think it was mentioned on a podcast (can´t remember which, wasn´t ty and that guy) that Dominique came up with that scream herself because she felt it was called for, and that everyone loved it so much that they kept it in. If true than she really is a legend.
Also MAN, as bad-ass as she is, Christjen really had to be dragged kicking and screaming into giving the Belt some autonomy didn´t she.... That smile towards Holden said pretty clearly `if you were ANYONE else, you´d be falling out of an airlock tomorrow...`. Still, to her credit, she´s not one to break her word, be it through gritted teeth.
That smile and handshake was totally for the cameras, which is rather a guarantee to Holden that she's going along with it through those gritted teeth.
For a split second I was a bit worried for Holden 🤣
Xan asks "What's a substrate." an underlying substance or layer.
the surface or material on or from which an organism lives, grows, or obtains its nourishment.
"What does it mean to be in substrate?"
such an ominous query
29:00 the showrunner naren shankar once said that Holden starts the show rejecting a job offer out of immaturity, and ends it rejecting a job offer out of maturity. they do love bookends on this show
Presumably, last season's Marco had help from the Martians to plan the attack up to the point of setting up the railguns on the Ring station. Once the Martians got what they wanted, they've got no use for Marco anymore and dropped him.
The assault of the Ring station always reminds me of D-Day airborne landing in Normandy.
What a move from Duarte.
The look on Marco's face when he got dumped 😵.
The Laconia stuff does explain how much value the Laconians put on the protomolecule...and therefore why they were willing to arm Marco in exchange for it. If Marco isn't helped by Laconia, there's no Free Navy.
Chrisjen Avasarala is even more sweary in the books. Loved her character. Shohreh Aghdashloo played her magnificently. Impecable costumes and accessories, every time she came on the screen it was a feast for the eyes. Three cheers for Joanne Hansen Costume.
The costumes deserved their own award lol
I really really enjoyed your Expanse reactions! Thank you! I think they took the time to set up Laconia because they always intended to finish the series (and considering the time jump you already know about, a break in the series at this point makes sense.) Plus introducing Laconia might inspire people to read the books.
Thank You.
I mean they got me hooked enough to start the books, but I hope a studio picks it back up.
Well - we made it.
Some personal reflections from a fella who has watched this series so much and lapped up into the world building that he has met so many new friends because of this show and this book.
1. Duarte - a small role - but the big bad in the background and all the set up is so important if they ever film books 7 to 9. It was essential and I can only hope it comes to fruition in the next few years. Strange Dogs novella is extremely important going into those last books set 30 yrs later.
2. The Pella’s disguise. A homage to season 1 Roci as a gas tanker.
3. The assault on the Ring Station - the names of the assault team. A sci fi geek’s wet dream
4. Holden - in episode 1 he refused a job as XO out if immaturity. He resigned his new presidential role, out of maturity.
5. Naomi’s scream - I think this was improvised by Dominique Tipper - I’ll need to check.
6. Marco’s death - this was the best way - not a blaze of glory for that narcissistic fcuker - but an anonymous whimper.
This show, which I personally feel is better than the books - is an allegory to anthropology of society in different environments and how the story is serviced by it. And some fookin cool ships.
I watched this home alone this afternoon - wife and kids out - on a huge telly and it so paid off. I’m slowly beginning to think this finale could be my favourite episode of the whole series (yes, Home, Immolation, Abaddons Gate, Gaugamela etc….).
As for your reaction fellas - on point. I’ve watched a few reactors- usually emotive ladies stateside who cry at the right time. You guys have been probably the most cerebral and logical and probably how me and my brother have discussed these (both originally from London etc…).
Keep up the great work and reactions - looking forward to more TV and films - BSG and For All Mankind could be fun - and well done for reading Holdens resignation mike drop!
Oyedeng Inyalowda
You've put a brilliant perspective on Holden's growth 👏.
Can't believe we missed those names on the assault team.
Sad we didn't get as assassin Drummer take him out but this was still good, with him realising in his final moments.
What...A....Show.
On to the next rollercoaster 🙌
Long time watcher of you gents, first time commenter here. I want to thank you SO MUCH for sharing your wonderful Expanse journey with us as you've grown to love the crew of the Roci, the universe, the story and its characters as much as we all do. As I knew you would, this show has left a high mark on you as one of the best science fiction shows to date. And you are not alone in that judgement.
As a long time watcher of sci fi, growing up with Trek, its been great to see special series each decade earn their classic status (Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica reboot among many). The Expanse joins this rare pantheon of all time classic television that exceeds its science fiction roots as great drama.
Side note: back in the day when it started on SyFy, I was one of the early watchers, and was so impressed with its quality, I've told many about it, some of whom are Screaming Firehawks now. I even wrote to Amazon multiple times in support of the #SaveTheExpanse campaign to have the show continue. Like you and so many, we are thrilled it did as its a rare quality gift in the drab streaming age and I'm happy it came to a natural end. Or should we say pause? You never know...
Several years on from the end of the show, interest in it is still very high (read Dragons Tooth and the books) as more people find it and have their minds blown by its epic scope and core humanity. You gents have done a fantastic job in sharing your journey, from recaps to analysis and discussion, plus adding in laughs along the way ("The Hamster" killed me every time you referred to her 😂). With your great reactions I'm sure many more will join the Screaming Firehawks family.
Looking forward to your Firefly reactions (another favourite show that also ended too soon). Raising a glass of Lagavulin to you both tonight on your completion of your journey. The stage is set for your next one and I'll be there for that ride too.
Mi Beratna!!!!! You sound like a fine Kopeng!!!
Thanks for joining us on this journey. And what a show this has been (hopefully not the END end). I'll be carrying it on by reading Persepolis Rising.
And thank you for being one of the reasons this show was picked up again. It's no small feat to get any show back on screen.
I'm worried we'll fall in love with Firefly as well now 😂
Ahhh Lagavulin ...what a choice.🤌👌👏
Including the Laconia stuff was definitely a choice...and an expensive one at that (they built that whole forest set indoors with real trees so the kids wouldn't have to film outside in the Canadian winter.)
Yes, the story jumps 30 years and it's not a spoiler to say that the Protomolecule story is not over yet. The "Stange Dogs" novella is kind of an origin story for what comes next (arguably the best part of the saga). Hopefully, we get to see it on screen one day.
At any rate, thanks for bringing us along on this journey. You guys have been brilliant and something I've looked forward to every week. I'll catch you on the next show. Oyedeng, bossmangs.
I guess it's useful especially if a studio picks up the show for the last 3 books.
🥹 Thanks for joining us on this ride. Onto the next one.
What a journey. Thanks to you both of this has been great rewatching this whole show with alongside you. The last two seasons were exceptional, the acting stepped up from pitch perfect to unbelievably good and then even higher. Marco i think is easy, he was fantastic when things worked for he when his plans get disrupted or fail he falls apart because he believes his own myth. Which makes him as flawed as every other character in the show. Just wonderful. Again thanks its was a great reaction series.
Sounds like he was always going to spiral out of control. It was just a matter of time and luck running out.
The orchestral version of the theme reminded me of the Stark theme in Winterfell. We got our Jon Snow good ending; “I don’t want it, I never have” done right. What a ride it’s been, this show is how your channel popped up on my feed, and I’ll always support folks who watch this show. Just like Better Call Saul, so unappreciated by the general public, and those at the top of the industry. I hope the story continues, and still made with the care of how this has been produced. These characters should be more known. Spread the word!
BCS is incredible. And better than breaking bad
Thankfully this wasn't messed up like the GoT finale was.
That's two more to add to our list then.
@@RamblersInc if you do, don’t do it in chronological order - watch Breaking Bad first. Then Better Call Saul. It further enriches the prequel/ follow up
(Actually contradicted myself- there’s a follow up element in BCS, so you have to watch Breaking Bad first)
"I hope you're right."
--Avasarala to Nancy Gao (season 4 finale) and to James Holden (season 6 finale)
Wonder if that means anything?
It's definitely become my favourite show ever. It's a show that I believe you could watch 100 time over and never get bored of, infinitely rewatchable. It has just the right balance or drama, humour, action, horror and mystery. It has an effortlessly diverse cast, with some of the best female characters ever in any show, some of the best one-episode charters.... Hope to see more!
You say the Laconia scenes were useless without knowing anything about the fascinaing story, which is the main theme of books 7, 8, and 9, that starts with these scenes, the story of the twins, Cara and her brother.
I loved all the Laconia stuff this season. Besides being fascinating in themselves they colored the season in a way that no other seasons of The Expanse were, and if you know the rest of the story they'll make you eager with anticipation for more.
The kid the brother goes off to play with is Santiago Singh, the first Laconian governor of Medina. The way the driver was treated probably had a big impact on the choices he made.
Oh I'm just being a child because this show is ending. GIVE US MORE 😭
@@RamblersInc I can totally feel for you.
By that logic Marcos Inaros scenes should not have been on s4 and he should've just appeared without set up in these last two season.
Same with Avasarala, in the books she only matters in S2. They shouldn't change the writing to have her in S1 which lead to more build up for her character.
Do they like S4? Because by that logic also that season shouldn't exist for being mostly set up. ☠️
Actually I like to think that at that moment that Filip was talking to Marco telling him about Rosenfeld's death and seeing Marco's reaction (in what turned out to be the last conversation they'd ever have together), he was remembering what Naomi had told him about Marco - that he'd always be only too happy to sacrifice others including his own son, but that he'd never sacrifice himself for anyone else.
That was the moment it dawned on him that his mom was right about Marco all along after seeing all the people around him (Fillip) that Marco had sacrificed and died for his "cause" and with Fillip's help.
Also the part where Marco figures out what's happening as the ring entitiies start to annihilate his ship (and it's dawning on him what's happening to him at that moment. Don't worry, he figured it out. They too had been witnessing ships getting destroyed by the ring entities so he knew what was happening as soon as it started which is why he screamed "VEER OFF!!!" at the last minute, but it was too late.), he looks around the bridge and doesn't see Fillip at his station.
Some part of me likes to believe that in addition to realizing that, it also dawned on him that Fillip had probably left the ship and that he'd die alone and empty (as Drummer predicted in that rousing speech), that in some part of his mind he also knew (or was starting to realize) that it was Naomi responsible for figuring out what triggered the Ring entities and they were the ones that blew up that freight ship creating the energy imbalance that triggered the entities.
That it was in fact Naomi that killed him.
That "VEER OFF" bit was brilliant. I loved that he knew what it was. Or I'm just evil.
I think the Laconia stuff at the beginning of every episode was basically just a set-up for the next part of the story.
Because Laconia is a big.....BIG.....deal in what happens in the rest of the story going forward.
As is Duarte (the guy you saw looking up at the Protomolecule platform in orbit)
So it wasn't just a throwaway stuff and no, it definitely was NOT useless.
Also another point about the time-jump and characters still being there:
Yes, a 30 year time difference seems like a lot and one that would mean most, if not all of the characters from the current Roci, and Solar System storyline still wouldn't be there.
But you have to remember something:-
At this point in time, the human lifespan has been increased to about an average of 130-150 years for Earthers thanks to advanced medical science and technology. (IT's slightly less for Martians, at about 110-120 years, and much less so for Belters at 70-80 years, right about what it is now for us in our time in the present).
With that long a lifespan a 30 year time difference is not as much as it seems, and someone in their 60's or 70's or even 80's from Earth in their timeline would be equivalent to someone who is in their 40's and 50's in our timeline today - in terms of their physicality and vitality.
So if you're bringing back most of the non-Belter Roci crew (Holden, Amos, Clarissa and Bobby), and assuming that while this story was happening, they were in their late 20's/early-to-mid 30's, then the story would indeed pick up when they were in their 60's, which would mean that they would only need to age them up to look like 40/50 year olds in out timeline.
Most of the cast could realistically come back.
Some obviously wouldn't be able to without major prosthetics and make-up (like Avasarala, obviously).
They'd have to figure out some story-reason why the main Belters in the story (mainly Drummer and Naomi) don't look like 60 and 70 year olds, but that's an easy story fix (....like a new protomolecule-based life-extender for Belters that also allows them to adapt better to 1g planets, for example).
I thought the life expectancy was highest on Mars? See the coroner scene in S1 with Miller. Maybe Mars-Earth switched around versus the books? I don't remember.
It's been a great ride.
Marco did make a ton of mistakes this season, but i think one of his earliest goes back to killing Ashford. Once he killed Ashford and Drummer found out, as hard as she tried not to early on, it set them on a figurative and near litteral collision course. Once she finally committed to get him, she stayed a problem for him and was willing to kill him or die trying.
That was definitely a turning point.
So, with no Laconia scenes, would you've preferred Admiral Duarte just appearing out of the blue and saying eff you Marco?
Oh yeh. That's a good point. We did need those.
“Eff you Marco” had literally no connection with the strange dogs scenes. Duarte never even had a clue about them. There’s no connection.
The Admiral was simply done doing the dirty work for a Belta.
Contract fulfilled. Alliance over. Free Navy distraction no longer required. That’s that.
It’s just amazing that he didn’t literally betray Marco instead and turn those lovely guns ON him instead of OVER to him.
And yes, I’d have preferred it that way.
What they did instead was violate a foundational rule of writing laid down by Checkov himself, and not the one from Star Trek, either.
@@snarflcat6187
What rule was broken? It was set up like any season, Marcos Inaros in S4 is set up for S5-6 and the Laconia scenes here in S6 are set up for S7-9, the endgame.
Why so angry about basic storytelling, this is nothing new.
So glad you guys took up this show. Been great to ride along with you, beratnas!
Congrats on finishing the show (for now)! We can only hope that someone picks it up again to finish out the story. Also, don't forget to watch the bonus scenes from the "One Ship" thing. They were just some nice little character vignettes.
I know you said you want to read the books, so I put together a little list of the recommended reading order - the novels are self-explanatory, but there are a number of short stories that work best when you read them in between some of the novels. I'd love to know what you guy(s) think of the books when you've read them, as well. Maybe an update video at some point?
The Expanse #1: Leviathan Wakes
The Butcher of Anderson Station: An Expanse Short Story
The Expanse #2: Caliban's War
Gods of Risk: An Expanse Novella
Drive: An Expanse short Story
The Expanse #3: Abaddon's Gate
The Churn: An Expanse Novella
The Expanse #4: Cibola Burn
The Expanse #5: Nemesis Games
The Vital Abyss: An Expanse Novella
The Expanse #6: Babylon's Ashes
Strange Dogs: An Expanse Novella
The Expanse #7: Persepolis Rising
The Expanse #8: Tiamat's Wrath
Auberon: An Expanse Novella
The Expanse #9: Leviathan Falls
The Sins of our Fathers: An Expanse Novella
Memory's Legion *short story collection
Memory's Legion is not part 10, it is the compendium of all the short stories and novellas you listed in-between the 9 novels.
You absolute legend. Thanks for this. I just started Persepolis Rising. Is that not the best way to go? Should I start from scratch?
@@RamblersInc It's perfectly fine starting with Persepolis Rising if you've already watched the show. The only thing that might be confusing is Book Drummer, who's totally different from Show Drummer. But even that's not a big deal. Enjoy the ride.
@@RamblersInc You can just read from the 7th book, of course. But a lot of the earlier books are pretty interesting. The first two full novels were more or less the same as the show, but starting with book 3 a lot of stuff diverged and quite a few storylines end up quite different to how they are in the show.
Also try reading all of the short stories, as those fill in a lot of backstory of which very little made it on the show (The Churn really elaborates on what they showed of Amos's story in season 5, for example). Also since you went with book 7 - the novella right before it, Strange Dogs, was the Laconia stuff that they showed here with the kids in season 6 - they covered almost all of what was in the book on the show, though.
It was great following you two on your journey through The Expanse!
It was great having you with us on this ride, helping us when we were confused at times.
On to the next ride 🙌
And that's the end of an amazing and great journey!
Naomi's scream thinking she had just killed her son absolutely rips my heart out!
Also it took me till the end to realize multiple times throughout this series that Naomi has amazing monologs over layed on certain scenes that have such deep impact. In this one she says that Holden did the right thing. You didn't do it for a pat on the head or recognition! The universe never tells you if you did good or not, you just have to try. Last season Naomi told Filip that sometimes the only choice you have is to just walk away! Naomi may never know that she saved her sons life... Filip walked away!
I'm definitely hanging around because I really enjoy your content! That being said, this is by far my all time favorite show! Thank you so very much for sharing your journey! It means so much to us Screaming Firehawks!
Oya dang Beltalowda!!
"The universe never tells you if you did good or not, you just have to try."
What a sentence 🥹👏
If only he walked away and Naomi found out he did.
Thanks for joining us on this ride. We finally know what it means to be a Screaming Firehawk.
I tell everyone I recommend this show to that I think it’s the best SciFi story ever put on film. None of them believe me at first, of course. Then somewhere during their watching of the 2nd Season, or the first few episodes of Season 3, I’ll inevitably get a text, email, or they’ll drop in conversation how unbelievable they think the series is, how they’re shocked they hadn’t heard about it earlier & that they’re now recommending it to everyone they know.
Glad you guys enjoyed the ride. Btw, someone’s probably already mentioned it, but if you look at just who was occupying the other pods being dropped on the Ring, you’ll undoubtedly see some familiar names fighting with Amos & Bobbie.
Lastly, for all the praise given to all the great characters (& the tremendous job the actors did in their respective portrayals) of Amos, Chrisjen, Ashford, Naomi, & Drummer (who ended up as the most interesting of them all), IMO not nearly enough credit is given to Steven Strait & his job as Holden. He anchored that series & if he wasn’t believable as the reluctant pragmatic hero desperately holding on to the idealism he was raised to have faith in, the entire series would’ve failed. And just like Holden, in the end he didn’t just succeed in that role, he aced it. As did the series as a whole. And like you guys said in your reaction, best SciFi… ever. Wish it didn’t have to end.
Yeh, they got us hooked from the start.
And it doesn't have to end. Someone pick it up please😭
It was so wonderful watching your reactions to this show. ❤ I hope the story is picked up again in the future.
Me too 🤞
Although I know it's not a high-profile show, the 12 Monkeys TV show ran for 4 seasons and is one of the best shows I've seen that no one talks about. It's truly worth a watch.
Is it worth watching the movie first?
@@RamblersInc You don't have to watch the movie first. The show takes the basic premise and goes in a different direction that works better for a series.
I understand the wish for Marco to really suffer, but I think this death was perfect for him, for two reasons: First, he did see the other ships getting eaten by the entities and knew the implications of that, so his final words were "Veer off!", essentially an admission that he had been played and beaten. Second, he is a textbook narcissist, who would probably have preferred to die in some heroic way and be heralded for eternity. Instead, because he was killed by the entities, he was literally deleted from existence.
Good point. Why give him the satisfaction of a hero's death.
Thoroughly enjoyed your reactions to The Expanse. This finale and the show in general is one of those that leave you satisfied but also sad it is ending and wanting more. Hopefully, they will film the last 3 books but until then I'll just have to read them.
Looking forward to Firefly and continuing with The Good Place.
This season covers book 6. The Laconia segments at the beginning of each episode is covered in the short story Strange Dogs. Its the hook for whats to come in the next seasons (books)
Just found your channel and binged your Expanse reactions! It's been a pleasure to go through this journey with you and I'll be looking forward to Firefly too!
So with regards to the laconia stuff. The brother/sister story is from a Novella set between book 6 and 7. Including it in the show at this point is a bit of an easter egg for the book fans, but also sets up Duarte and Cortizar on Laconia and some other stuff that has relevance IF they revive the show at a later date.
There is a 30 year gap in the books but it is all the same characters (remember the average life expectancy is 130 or something like that)
“I have gods to kill.” -Duarte
That’s the conflict of the last three books in a nutshell. Is it possible? Or just hubris? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!
Edit: I’ve said it before, you two have such perceptive brains. You guys get deep themes just get it. I watched your BoB reaction too. Star reactors. Thanks for the journey friends!
Thank You.
I hope we get the final 3 books on screen as well ( I've already started Persepolis Rising anyway 😂)
@@RamblersInc oooooh, cool! They’re damn good reads PS it a bit slow in my opinion. But Tiamat’s Wrath and Leviathan Falls are so damn good! Enjoy man!
I think it was right that in the end it was Naomi who "got" to kill Marco.
Good point. Although not in the assumption that she also killed her boy as well. I hoped there was some form of reunion or at least a clue or hint that she realised that Filip made it out.
For the Laconia stuff:
First of all, this is from a novella. It's not from book 6 or 7.
Second, from the timeline when this happens, it belongs to the current part of the story, not to the final trilogy 30 yrs later.
Third, they actually included the full novella. No other novella has been covered in such detail.
That novella was release after book 6. Books & novellas are supposed to be read in publishing order. In other words, readers have been in the same situation after reading that novella. They got the same story as you have seen, but didn't know more about it for quite a while, because what's happening in "Strange Dogs" becomes only relevant again much later again, not in book 7 already.
Then, they needed to include Duarte, Laconia, and the Protomolecule in _some_ way. It was all hinted to during, and especially at the end, of season 5. They would either have to drop that part completely, which would have felt pretty weird, or made up a new and different story for the show only. Instead, they decided to include the novella, which as said before makes sense for the timeline of events to include. So, at the end, they did what they did for most of the series; stay close to the original story.
And I'm very happy they did, it's one of the best of all novellas, imho.
Also, if they will ever be able to bring the last 3 books to screen, that Laconia part will become very relevant.
The Laconia segments that you see in these episodes show the events of the novella "Strange Dogs," and what happens when you bring active protomolecule to a planet with Builder technology. BTW the thing you see in orbit around Laconia is actually a fabrication unit. And all of the members of the Roci crew are still alive after the thirty-year jump (though Peaches mods are slowly killing her).
That Peaches ending was sad.
Thank you for this entertaining reaction series! I thoroughly recommend the final three books and the short stories
Actually that was one of the big differences in the show from the books. Prax had a bigger story. It would have been a spy-thriller and rebellion story from the other side of the war. How he snuck out the improved food farming proto-molecule tech.
In the books, Filip doesn't die at the ring. He had deserted from the Pella earlier so he wasn't on the ship when it disintegrated. Naomi however never finds out and thinks he is dead. And another fun fact, Filip actually appears later in one of the short stories. :)
Well that's sad. So she never finds out ?
Glad you guys reacted to this wonderful show - it’s been great watching along wit you.
(glad you noticed the little red ring entity flashes in the ring at the end of the credits) …. Here’s hoping we get the last 3 books as a show someday.
We’ll be watching to see what show you pick next -
The story does pick up 30yrs later, It DOES continue to follow our crew… Laconia has not been idle in the 30 year gap (let your imagination run with that) and the 2 kids…. Well that would be a spoiler now wouldn’t it. 😉
Go read the books - they’re worth it!
🚀
Already started Persepolis Rising 🙌
@@RamblersInc I need to re-read them. It’s interesting to see how the stories / some characters were changed to adapt the series to a tv show. Lots of behind the scenes stuff avail. online. Really shows how lucky the show was to have the authors (Ty & Daniel) involved in writing & producing the show all the way through….. I still want the last 3 ! 😁 🚀
For those of us who've read all nine books, the scenes on Laconia, and especially the children, are fantastic. This is information we didn't get in the books, but it sets up things that do happen.
Now, spoiler ahead:
.
.
.
That object in orbit around Laconia is an automated shipyard, left behind by the protomolocule builders...
😱
Ok I'm starting the books now.
Bobbie did try to kill Holden. In S3E10 she fired on him inside the Ring station. And the station stopped her bullets. Then Holden got his vision.
Great job guys I freaking love this show.
TV, Sci-fi or not, does not get any better. Reactions? ... you guys are the best. Thanks!
Thank You.
Definitely one of the best shows out there.
15:48 I think my favorite easter egg in the show is right in here, there's a container with a big Mao-Kwikowski logo on the side but the Mao part has been scraped off. jules-pierre mao's reputation is still ruined
The attention to detail is second to none. I didn't even spot it till you said something.
Thank you for the journey, guys. It has been great re-experience the show through your eyes and thoughts🫡
What a rollercoaster
Awesome run guys. It was a joy watching your reactions. You did yourselves proud, being one of the better Expanse reactors on TH-cam. That off hand quip about Michio being Drummer's 'hamster' was both biting and sweet at the same time. So funny! It is sad when a great show comes to a close. And this one was a great wind web of unexpected surprises and world building. I remember thinking with my small brain how the show opens on Ceres and follows Detective Miler. I was 'expecting' a cop show. Hawaii 5-0 in space. Or something like that. But the mystery began to weave on 3 fronts and it was clear my imagination and their imagination were on infinitely different levels. With everyone involved stepping up providing a labor of love that shined like a jewel, episode to episode right up until the end.
Looking back, I clearly ignored the opening info card that the belt was on the brink of war. All it needed was a spark. I quickly thought of that as merely the setting. And the 'real' story revolved around the protomolecule. Which 'is' true, when one adds on the final 3 books to the mix. However, without those episodes being produced, The Expanse, the TV show really is a story about war in the belt. At least as a six season story. Because of this I am slightly disappointed with seasons 4-6. Unlike you both I would rather have MORE of the protomolecule story in the final 3 seasons. One advantage of the first 3 seasons is the writing staff ignored being linear from book to book. The show, the story was infinitely better for mushing things about. And I feel the final 3 seasons suffer by each season fleshing out each book one at a time, one after the other. The joy of the first 3 seasons is it's complexity. We never see a plot line as being binary. Either A is going to happen or B is going to happen. However in the final 3, things get too binary. MIxing the books would have kept things at the amazing level we got for seasons 1-3.
Still I tip my hat to you both. Here's to Miller. The sweet taste of rain. Amos saying "Peaches." And to Pro-Kenzo rising from the ashes and saving the Universe at the end of book 9.
Exactly the same. I thought we were going to get a procedural cop show but set in space with a different case each episode. Oooh how wrong we were.🤣
I'm gonna miss this show.😭
Marco was at least partly based on Alexander The Great, who was a brilliant tactician, to the point where he conquered the largest emoire the world had seen up to that point, but he wasn't a good long-term strategist, and didn't build a good Empire, as evidenced by the fact that it broke up immediately upon his death. Marco was the same. He was great at taking over tje solar system and beyond, but not good at running it.
Greatest sci-fi series ever, doubt it will ever be topped.
All done on a very modest budget.
Well, we finally made it to the end. I think it's a great finale. Wraps up the main storylines in a satisfying way, and leaves a few questions for the wider story should we ever get to come back. Lots of great action too, and each of our favourite characters got their own moment to shine. One thing I think that's worth a particular shout out is the score for the finale (and the season in general). It really does elevate some of the more impactful scenes. Speaking of which, probably the stand out moment for me in the finale is the montage after Naomi pushes the button, and you have the swelling score, and then her scream. Gets me every time.
Because of them nailing the finale, I think this is now the best sci-fi series ever. Sure it has some flaws, but it had everything you could want. A good story, fantastic character development, great action and some iconic moments. It also had a willingness to show that conflicts are rarely black and white. And kudos for showing that you can make a show with a diverse cast (be that gender or race) without feeling like any of them are tokens. Shouldn't have to be pointed out in this day and age, but it's still a rare case of it being done right.
The pain in that scream 😢 Great acting
Well said. I agree. If the writing and filmmaking is good enough, everything else blurs in the background.
You guys should do a re-watch of this finale on your own time and catch some of the sweet Easter Eggs that they put in the episode.
Like the names of the people on the roster for the Assault team they were sending down to Medina station in the ring.
It's like a Love letter to everything great about sci-fi lore in the last 50 years.
Can't believe we missed it. Thanks.
I think the reason Marco didn’t seem as calculated this season is because he's a psychopath. He didn’t really have plans beyond the strikes in season five. He didn't think beyond that point. Dropping the rocks was an end in itself, rather than a means to an end. He has a poor understanding of consequences and once he's risen to power and become the figure he's always imagined himself as, he doest have any plans
Thank you for the ride, guys! :)
🥹
Really enjoyed following your expanse journey, will definitely stick around and see what else you're up to.
I was so happy with the way they wrapped up S6. Tidied up the main story line and character arcs but the laconia stuff and the red swirly death monsters aet up the final 3 books should they wish to come back to it😊
Now that's how you do a finale. I hope they do eventually pick it up.
There are a bunch of easter eggs on the screen with all the names of the people in the cargo containers.
Filip turns up on a colony world in one of the Expanse novellas 'The Sins of Our Fathers' set after Book 9. Apart from that I don't think we see him again.
Shame. I would have liked a reunion.
Just to be clear, Marco did know what it was that was destroying his ship.
He knows (or knew) about the ring Entities and the ships that had been disappearing transiting through the rings.
Everyone that had been using the rings knew about the ring entities, but they didn't understand what it was except for Holden who figured it out with Naomi's help.
Ohhhh that makes his death just slightly more better.
Great reaction fellas, as always. I've really enjoyed going on this journey with you. You seem to have genuinely loved the show. The Laconia teaser at the beginning of each episode might seem a little 'stuck on', but if you knew the whole story, it would make much more sense.
Without getting into spoilers, this is the structure of the story...
Books 1-3 are about the Protomolecule and the ring.
Book 4 is a standalone novel on Ilus.
Books 5-6 are about Marco Inaros.
Books 7-9 is a trilogy based around Laconia. (which I'm sure you have worked out)
In the story, there is a 30 year gap between book 6 and book 7. This is something the showrunners are going to have to tackle to keep the original cast, which I'm sure they will. (shorten the gap and introduce anti-aging drugs maybe?)
The novela, Strange Dogs, is what they have been feeding you which takes place in the same timeline as Book 6. So much like the ring gates opening at the end of Season 3, there is still obviously more to come. Leaving Strange Dogs out at this point could have been difficult to weave in afterwards.
Personally, I think it's a ruse by Amazon. They'll carry it on when interest and demand builds up.
There are also rumours of possibly exploring stories that take place during the 30 year gap, with the current cast. Who knows?
One thing is for sure, if they give the final 3 books the same treatment as they have the previous 6, then you can look forward to an absolutely epic experience. The story is fantastic.
I'm holding out hope....... but I've started Persepolis Rising anyway 😂
@@RamblersInc Haha, Brilliant. One major change from the books to the TV show is that Drummer isn't quite the same character. The TV version of Drummer is an amalgamation of several characters from the books. It's a while since I've read them so can't say how confusing this might be.
Apparently they only brought Cara Gee into the show for someone who Fred could talk to. But she turned out to be so good that they had to give her much more screen time.
Also, Alex survives into Book 7.
Enjoy. 👍
I wish we could have seen the Laconian Empire in all its glory
I want to see the Magnetar class fight on screen so bad
One day we will, beratna. :)
I predict this series will continue in 5-10 years time. And then 20-30 years from now it'll get rebooted--with zero-g scenes actually shot in space. It's a story that can and should be rewatched, reread, and retold.
@@--cs3 I like to believe that the plans are in place, with a shorter time jump, and it's just held close to the chest.
I don't see a reason the time jump needs to be as long as the book, especially without Alex's story to follow
We so will. For the glory of the Empire and the First Consul
One day...one day.
Second... For the pause before the last three seasons!
(optimism)
🤞🤞🤞
When you are on Damage Control for a warship going into battle there is no such thing as a "safe place to be."
The Laconian stuff was in for a few reasons....
It answered what happened to the Protomolecule, and where Marco was getting the advanced tech.
It was a bit for treat for the book readers....
It left the story open for going forward, and was a bit of a pledge by the show runners that they WANT to do the last 3 books. Whether or not they get the chance, the Laconian Vignettes showed that they don't want to abandon that side of the overall story.
As far as the time jump.. remember Humans live to well over a hundred now.. Bit of Makeup could make them all look a bit older.....
The last books are EPIC, I personally wouldn't want to be given the task of turning it in a TV show.
I hope its given to a big studio to handle the last 3 books.
Thanks for a fun ride aboard the Roci, Gentlemen! ;-]
"Firefly" eh? ...seems everyone is reacting to that, these days. I'll pass for now, but will swing around to watch your take on it when I inevitably get nostalgic for that great show again.
Cheers from Canada,
where Santa Claus is the only true King in the North! ;-]
Thanks for joining us on the ride
That final sentence 🤣
What a pleasure, lads!
Going to miss your expanse reactions... but looking forward to your other reactions :)
10:52 the voice of the original actor avasarala's husband there
Marco was never clever, just charismatic. In the end, he was just a pawn for Duarte.
And I'm glad we got to see that he realised that.
The books did have a 30 year time jump. That being said, I find it interesting that the show made a point of letting us know that Clarissa only has 5 years to live. Minor book spoiler, C;arissa is there 30 years later. I think that the writers putting this 5 year thing is their way of saying that in the TV Expanse universe maybe only 5 years need to pass before the story continues.
Yeh that bit was sad. I had hoped there was some way to fix her.
Are you fine gents watching the mini episodes included after most full episodes of season 6? Lots of great storylines there.
We will.
When you reach the end of this book, you realize that Marcos was just a pawn for Admiral Duarte's goals all along. He has MASSIVE goals and he helped Marcos to use Marcos. In the larger scheme of the story, Marcos is a small fish. Seeing was is happening on Laconia, is clearly meant to stoke the appetites of the fans for more.
I'm so glad we got that camera shot of Marco's face dropping when Duarte cuts him off.
Marco is still a coward. He knew the UN fleet was a match for the Pella, so by sending a decoy toward the UN and disguising the Pella, he'd only have to fight the rag-tag Belter fleet.
Most people won't get this, but the descent of the assault team was the exact visual experience of how classic SF novelist Robert Heinlein described an armored capsule trooper drop to a planet during a space attack in his novel "Starship Troopers." Bobbie's armor is also very close to Heinlein's description of an armored "cap" trooper.
Yes, that Oni pin was a detail you missed. Amos had worn it from the beginning. If you know what it is, then you know what it's for: To ward away demons...and both of them have their demons to ward away.
Marco to Filip three episodes ago: "Remember your name, the name we both share."
Filip, typing: F I L I P N A G A T A
I do think Naomi got into Marco's head and caused him to make some mistakes, but you're right that Marco did become more "emperor" than tactician. He had never set up a proper military chain of command.
Duarte said, "I've got gods to kill." He's talking about the aliens that killed the Protomolecule Builders (and the Barkeith). That's going into the last trilogy of the saga. We had that much information about Laconia up to the publishing of book 6. The producers, knowing they weren't going to have enough episodes to tell the full Expanse saga, had a decision to make: Should they concoct a rushed ending just for television, or should they stick to the books and end season 6 the way book 6 ends. They made the correct decision to stick to the books.
Two of the most inexplicable crimes of television history: That Firefly was cancelled halfway through its first season, and that The Expanse got zero television industry recognition. This series was an epic event, well worth the time we've spent with it, including the extra time we fans spend with good reactors like you fellows.
Him typing N A G A T A was so beautiful. I needed a reunion but I guess that wont be happening.
0? It got no awards? What the hell beat it?
Marco S6 doesn't have the people restraining his ego and providing a check on his impulsiveness he had in S5. His narcissism is completely unchecked in S6... and he pays for it.
Although don't you think Rosenfeld seemed like a far more competent "right hand" than Cyn and Karal ? I thought she would have been able to handle him (and maybe guide him) better?
Highly recommend the books. The last 3 books will blow your mind. It just keeps getting better. Cant wait for them to get made someday
Same 🤞
28:50 gotta get ahead of the embezzlement scandal
🤣🤣🤣
Holden playing 4d chess and bailing.
In the books, Marco Inaros did not survive the events of "Nemesis Games" (i.e. Season Five) so they had to modify his character and fit him into this season.
Are you sure about that?
What? Yes he did. 😂
Bobby Draper, flyng into battle like a fucking Valkyrie
😉
Valkyrie 😢
I think Marco was a great planner when he had time to think, but didn't think nearly so clearly in dynamic situations.
Moreover, I think it became clear by the end that a lot of the planning actually got done by the Laconian Martians, who actually took Marcos ideas and figured out how to practically implement them.
After the Laconians cut off communications with Marco, and he was forced to rely only on his own talents, he didn't do nearly so well.
Of course, he couldn't acknowledge that, in any way.
What actually happened here is that Marco thought he used the Laconian Martians to achieve his goals, but in fact the Laconians *used him* as a "cloak of lights" to distract everybody else while they secured their position on the other side of the Laconian ring and then made their position impregnable.
The U.N., the MCRN and the Belters who flocked to Drummer didn't actually win this war.
The *Laconians* did.
That's why they had to show what was happening on Laconia.
It lays the groundwork if they ever get the opportunity to jump that 30 years ahead and film the last three books -- or even put out some sort of content (games, spinoffs, whatever) about humanity's expansion out into those 1,317 systems during the 30-year interim.
And you keep forgetting about the life-expectancies, in this series.
When it comes to aging, 30 years in this setting is *no more than* about 15 years, today -- and maybe even less for people who have access to the finest medical care.
So, it wouldn't be the equivalent of jumping from mid to late 30s to nearly 70, but rather to their late 40s; no more than age 50.
Yep. That makes a lot of sense. Duarte had a big hand in what we thought Marco was responsible for . I mean , how would Marco be so good at military strategy in the first place?
Oh. So technically, if a studio where to pick the show back up for the final 3 books, it could work with the same cast?
@@RamblersInc Right, the same cast. They'd certainly need look well into middle age, but people in their 70s in this setting don't look like senior citizens -- they look 20-25 years younger than that.
Remember Sauvaterre? He looked to be a healthy man in his late 50s, at most, but had a military career that had lasted for how long? (I forget.)
Chrisjen is in her 70s, as the series starts; she at least age 80 by the end of it and still looks fantastic, although clearly the stress is affecting her health by Season 6.
It all goes back to Miller's discussion with the coroner in Season 1.
The *average* life expectancy on Earth is 120 years, and on Mars it's even longer.
So, there are probably Martian Senior Citizens, and maybe even a few on Earth, who remember when Solomon Epstein discovered his breakthrough drive, 129 years before the series started.
Fingers crossed it gets picked up again and we have a big reunion.
I think that Marco has not changed that much from season 5 to 6 with regard to his planning. No matter how good of a strategist you are, some things will go wrong. He was just very lucky in the beginning. He always had the long term goal about the ring space, and pursued that pretty consistently.
We have seen that with military leaders in history: A lot of lucky victories in the beginning, and then things seem to just go wrong.
You're right. And it just kept on spiralling.
And now ... for the answer to everything ... oh wait ... nope denied again!
We got punkd AGAIN? 🤣
@@RamblersInc I really hope they pick this up in the future somehow but...
I truly feel like they wouldn't have made all the opening vignettes on Laconia if they did have some kind of plan for adapting the last three books.
It's a 28 year gap between books, and they continue with the same characters, so there is no reason the same actors shouldn't continue with their roles.
Here are all the Easter eggs on the roster for the attack on the rail guns.
Alpha
Ackbar, G Giar Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Idaho, D Duncan Dune (1984)
Quaid, D Douglas Total Recall (1990)
Rogan, A Alex The Last Starfighter (1984)
Bowman, D Dave 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Nesmith, J Jason Galaxy Quest (1999)
Shepard, C Commander Mass Effect (2007)
Buck, E Edward Halo 3: ODST (2009)
Bravo
Garrity, K Shaenon K (IRL Author)
Ochiai, H Hideo Drillimation Series
Ripley, E Ellen Alien (1979)
Vasquez, J Jenette Aliens (1986)
Hicks, D Dwayne Aliens (1986)
Hudson, W William Aliens (1986)
Cooper, J Joseph Interstellar (2014)
Deckard, R Rick Blade Runner (1982)
Anderton, J John Minority Report (2002)
O'Neil, J Jack Stargate (1994)
Charlie
Levine, R Richard Jurrasic Park (1993)
Rico, J Johnny Starship Troopers (1997)
Starr, L Lone Spaceballs (1987)
Thrace, K Kara Battlestar Galactica (2004)
Banks, L Luise Arrival (2016)
Connor, S Sarah The Terminator (1984)
Flynn, K Kevin Tron (1982)
Stone, R Ryan Gravity (2013)
Neary, R Roy Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Riker, W William Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
Wow. They put in a lot of names. I'm going back to watch that bit.
37:50 - No, it wasn´t.
I was just throwing a tantrum 🤣. One of my favourite shows "potentially" ended 😭
I know Firefly is next after this, but is there any chance you guys will react to LOST in the future?? It's an incredible mystery/sci fi/fantasy show that I think you guys would really like
Wow. It's got a great rating too . We'll add it it our list 👍. Hopefully in the future.
and now you know.... most of the story. How different are you impression of this entire universe setting NOW, compared to during the "Dulcinea" episode when it started out so mundanely ??
Amazing. A masterpiece of writing mixed with great filmmaking. MORE !
9:52 look at that symptom list closely and you'll see why she's been so weird about her food all season
amazing that they added that detail in
@@RamblersInc another little detail I love is about the pipe that she almost gets killed trying to fix during the final battle - in the short where she learns about her father dying, she's going around the ship inspecting things and she finds a weakness in that same pipe and puts it on the list for maintenance
Before I read the books, the Laconia clips in S6 frustrated me because I knew it was a thread that couldn't be concluded in S6, and it actively took away from the story we all _wanted_ to see in S6, with our limited time. It was frustrating. _After_ I read the books, and understood the I N C R E D I B L E final 3 novels that the Laconia bits in S6 were teasing... IT STILL JUST FRUSTRATED ME! because it couldn't actually lead to and through the events of the final three books!
If you're a fan of The Expanse world of the show, you _need_ to get your hands on the series. It's worth the whole run, because each book is layered with so much more than the show could offer (although the show did a certain few specific characters WAY better than the books) And it's no fucking joke when book fans say that the final three books *Persepolis Rising, Tiamat's Wrath,* and *Leviathan Falls* are best books in the series. It's not often that you get to see a 9+ book series stick the landing so well that fans think the final trilogy are the best books in an incredible series (9 mainline titles, with 1 additional novella before and after every book, which the show integrated and featured them heavily), and their stories never even made it to the show 😭
I'll be going through the final 3 books. I just hope someone picks the show back up to properly complete it.
@@RamblersInc If you're not going through the whole series (understandable, but they're worth going through sometime!), I'd at least recommend picking up book 6 so you can get a sense of the books' representation of the full scale of "Season 6" as it leads into uncharted territory of 7, 8, 9! I think it's also important to spend some time with the novels' version of the characters so things feel less weird in 7+ when you're like, not used to some of their differences from the show's versions. Besides... More Expanse is _always_ good!
finish watching credits!
I thought we did. The red entities appear right at the end ?
Yes!! @@RamblersInc
First... For the Last 😭
😭
i have no faith this show will ever get picked up again..but i hope!! ill givee you one spoiler though... Naomi, never gts to find out that fillip lived
😵 Yeh that's messed up. I'd be sort of ok with no reunion but at least the knowledge he made it out. Damn .
It was a far better series ender than Game of Thrones 😀
Then again.....what wasn't? 🤣
But...But.... the Bonus episodes ??? 😭
We bundled them all in one final episode. Coming next week.
8:22 BUT she's a bit..."wide" for a belter ain't she?(sry' Just me! 2024)
🤣🤣🤣
I agree with you two that the Proto/Laconia stuff was pointless.
What I’d LOVE to see is s series in between. Call it The Spacing Guild (Dune reference). The NEXT 30 years as a long series. How space is truly conquered by humanity.
Could deal with the Laconians, Belter splinter groups, as well as other space pirates, exploring new worlds, maybe even new aliens, ones that survived the Proto-Builders or ones that evolved after they vanished.
I'd watch that. If only someone pitches it and a studio picks it up.