Space's The Expanse is thrilling, intelligent, and emotional sci-fi

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

One of my latest obsessions of late has been James S.A. Corey's The Expanse series of sci-fi books as well as its lavishly produced TV adaptation The Expanse on the Space channel (Syfy in the US). The Expanse is many things, it is a noir detective mystery set in space, it's a tale of a band of misfits uncovering an overwhelming conspiracy as well as the emergence of an awesome and mysterious new threat.

Now on its second season (season one is now available on Blu-Ray). The Expanse, which is shot and produced largely in Toronto, Canada, offers some of the most visually stunning set designs and special effects we've seen on TV. There's a neat mix of Blade Runner's gritty cyberpunk aesthetic, the immensity of space as shown in films like Gravity and Interstellar as well as an almost Kubrickian poetry to the ways of life in future Earth, colonized Mars and the powder keg of characters in The Belt.

What makes The Expanse so engaging is that it is character driven and we have one of the most likeable ensemble cast of actors in a sci-fi show since probably the original Star Trek. Thomas Jane (Hung, The Punisher) serves as a classic gumshoe detective Josephus Miller, his is a complex character who is obsessed by the girl he's hired to find.

Jane has made Miller on of the iconic heroes, just like Harrison Ford's Deckard, there's depth and humour even in the face of. Shoreh Aghdashloo as the formidable UN Assistant Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala as well as Wes Chatham, Cas Anvar, Dominique Tipper and Steven Strait as the core crew of the Rocinante ship that tries desperately to uncover a conspiracy that claimed the lives of 50 of their friends in an unprovoked attack.

It's amazing to see the quality and detail that goes into each episode of The Expanse, it is also fun so see some glimpses of Toronto venues (like City Hall and the Roy Thompson Hall), visual effects are credible and used sparingly and the non-existence of alien life forms (so far) keep a very human focus on the story. The Expanse as well as the books that the show is based on, are worth checking out. This really is some of the best sci-fi we've seen in years in any medium.