The Expanse Season 3

[Mr Awe]

That was a fantastic season finale. In fact, the season was so packed with good storytelling that it felt like two seasons. Of course, the structure helped foster that sense but there was a lot of quality storytelling that made the season feel full.

The end to this season was very satisfying. A lot of different puzzle pieces came together and produced a good conclusion to the ongoing story lines as well as opening the door to a bunch new story lines. The character interactions felt very natural in this story. Both the characters that worked together and against each other. As Anna said, everyone thought they were doing the right things for the right reasons.

One aspect was a little unbelievable to me. The idea of turning off all of their reactors to indicate they weren't a threat but then turning them back on right afterwards was a stretch. Umm, aren't they a threat once they're back on?

I'm so glad Amazon picked up the series and I'll be watching next season!

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

If only they wouldn't show someone floating one moment, then plopping down into a seat the next. That just highlights the inconsistency.

Magnetic underwear?

 

[EmoBorg]

Good season finale. 1300 new worlds to explore. Overpopulated Earth can ship so many people now to her new potential colonies.

About the aliens who built that gateway, why didn't Holden and Miller know about the nature of the threat that ended them. Was it a disease ? Another alien race perhaps. Or a genetic defect that doomed the gateway builders.

 

[Mr Awe]

About the aliens who built that gateway, why didn't Holden and Miller know about the nature of the threat that ended them. Was it a disease ? Another alien race perhaps. Or a genetic defect that doomed the gateway builders.

I believe the implication at the end is that learning what happened to the aliens is the "case" that Miller has been referring to and wants to solve.

 

[bigglesworth]

I believe the implication at the end is that learning what happened to the aliens is the "case" that Miller has been referring to and wants to solve.

I guess it would be akin to someone surviving a global disaster here on Earth. You would know something happened, but not necessarily what actually caused it and/or what was affected. Miller (a manifestation of the proto-molecule core) has some information but not the whole picture.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Well, that certainly worked as a series finale for those folks who won't be able to see it when it comes to Amazon.

I was thinking the same thing while I was watching that it would make for a very satisfying series ending. In fact, I think wherever the series goes from here it may never find a better spot to bow out.

Loved Bionic Drummer and Amos is one of my favorite characters ever, I love the way he sees the world and the way he never wavers in how he sees his role in it.

 

[Noname Given]

One aspect was a little unbelievable to me. The idea of turning off all of their reactors to indicate they weren't a threat but then turning them back on right afterwards was a stretch. Umm, aren't they a threat once they're back on?

I'm so glad Amazon picked up the series and I'll be watching next season!

^^^
I pretty much have that same issue with the ending. I mean if the 'base' AI is that simple; the OTHER thing everyone should still be worried about is the fact that the base could again determine it needs to eradicate the Sol system for any number of questionable actions or mis-step by any ship travelling through the ring space.

In fact Holden knows for a fact the base did this before in the past for some unknown reason in an attempt to stop something that was happening.

I would hope the books did, and the series will cover the general reaction of the Sol system population at large learning that they have a uniquely dangerous 'gate' at the edge of the system.

Overall, I still really love the series and hope they get a chance to tell more of the stories from the books.

 

[Mr Awe]

I would hope the books did, and the series will cover the general reaction of the Sol system population at large learning that they have a uniquely dangerous 'gate' at the edge of the system.

I think that's a fantastic idea and the closest that hard SF can get to the question of how to appease an all powerful but capricious god! There will be different beliefs about that. I'm not sure if the books go that way or not but it's an interesting idea.

The Expanse generally deals with how humans react to the unknown such the protomolecule and the ring. That obviously allows for compelling human drama. And, I'm sure that'll continue with showing how humans react to the powerful but mysterious Gate AI. But, I also hope we get stories set in the other star systems where they're looking for clues to Miller's case!

 

[The Wormhole]

Not bad. A minor complaint, Ashford killing his bridge officer, the scene worked better in the novels when the antagonist killed a recognizable character who'd been there since Book 1, not so much here where the character killed is basically a nobody only introduced last week.

Some things I'm not clear on in the closing montage:
-Why was Ashford laying down? It can't be because of Clarissa beating him, he continued to stand throughout the bridge scenes afterwards.
-So, the final scene, is that supposed to be Rocinante returning to the Sol system, or entering one of the new solar systems?

One aspect was a little unbelievable to me. The idea of turning off all of their reactors to indicate they weren't a threat but then turning them back on right afterwards was a stretch. Umm, aren't they a threat once they're back on?

In the novel, once the reactors were shut down, Miller was able to arrange things so they could re-start and no longer be classified a threat. I guess the show cut it for time?

 

[bigglesworth]

Some things I'm not clear on in the closing montage:
-Why was Ashford laying down? It can't be because of Clarissa beating him, he continued to stand throughout the bridge scenes afterwards.

Maybe he was standing only because of zero-G and his mag-boots in the same way his 1st officer was just standing there arms outstretched after being shot?

-So, the final scene, is that supposed to be Rocinante returning to the Sol system, or entering one of the new solar systems?

I'm thinking they were returning to Sol unless the show jumped ahead by several months in the last few seconds. Rocinante was in pretty bad shape after the events in the slowzone. Naomi had barely gotten comms to work, but I think a lot of other systems were still crippled. Furthermore Naomi, Alex and Amos took most, if not all, of the medical supplies over to the Behemoth.

 

[The Wormhole]

I'm thinking they were returning to Sol unless the show jumped ahead by several months in the last few seconds.

Well, yeah, my impression was the montage was a bit further down the road, as we saw plenty of other ship go through the Sol Gate heading to other ring-gates leading to other systems.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Maybe he was standing only because of zero-G and his mag-boots in the same way his 1st officer was just standing there arms outstretched after being shot?

I got rear-ended once driving my sister to school and didn't feel a thing all day. Woke up the next day and could barely get out of bed it hurt so bad.

 

[David cgc]

One aspect was a little unbelievable to me. The idea of turning off all of their reactors to indicate they weren't a threat but then turning them back on right afterwards was a stretch. Umm, aren't they a threat once they're back on?

When an animal rolls over and shows its belly, it doesn't need to stay on its back forever to still have demonstrated it wasn't going to fight.

 

[Mr Awe]

When an animal rolls over and shows its belly, it doesn't need to stay on its back forever to still have demonstrated it wasn't going to fight.

Animals also aren't reactivating nuclear bombs.

No, I think we have to assume that Miller did something more behind the scenes.

 

[Hyperspace05]

Great finale...
And I guess now the viewers who initially disliked the show because it "lacked aliens and interstellar travel" now should have another look... Yes that was a common complaint during season 1, and many of us had to hold our tongues to refrain from saying "just wait".

I'm glad the show got to this point, and that we get to see more. We are only 1/3rd of the way into the story, and now act II is about to start on Amazon Prime. (7 out of 9 novels are done with the 8th coming out later this year, and the final conclusion in 2019)

 

[eschaton]

For those who haven't read the books, there were several points where the showrunners were literally trolling people who read the books. Essentially they set up many of the scenes to look as though they were going to play out in the book fashion, and then did it in a completely different way. Which was great, because it added a bit of suspense to the show which it wouldn't have otherwise had.

In general, I really thought things felt a bit too rushed though. I'm glad they're going to be able to take their time to tell the stories the right way with Amazon. And I'm stoked that the showrunners confirmed that Cibola Burn is going to be covered next season, not skipped as some fans on reddit seem to demand!

 

[crookeddy]

So could we get some (as minor as possible) spoilers on what we should be expecting next season? Time jump? Same characters? Did we just finish book 3 or book 4? You can answer is spoiler tag, and I don't want any details!

 

[crookeddy]

And I guess now the viewers who initially disliked the show because it "lacked aliens and interstellar travel" now should have another look...

That was literally one person. Paging @kirk55555

 

[Hartzilla2007]

So could we get some (as minor as possible) spoilers on what we should be expecting next season? Time jump? Same characters? Did we just finish book 3 or book 4? You can answer is spoiler tag, and I don't want any details!

They finished book 3 this season.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I found book 4 a bit boring and spun out. I can't imagine them expending a whole season on it.