Spoilers The Expanse - Season 4 Spoiler Discussion

That's not quite right, at least judging by the books. The Protomolecule itself is just a machine with no self awareness whatsoever. It doesn't think at all, unlike the Borg. However, it doesn't really ever dispose of any information - which includes the consciousnesses of everyone absorbed on Eros. Thus their minds are in storage, still aware of existing, but trapped and having awful things done to them, not out of malevolence, just ignorance.

 

Just watched over the past few days. A decent season, though perhaps not the absolute strongest this show has ever offered. I liked how things just kept getting worse and worse on Ilus. And in fact a lot of the characters had really good character arcs this season. The show looked great. The new additions to the cast were all excellent too. Though pretty much everything back in our solar system seemed to be a setup for season 5.

 

Probably can't be helped when its adapted what seems to be the weakest novel in the series.

 

I didn't like the Arjun Avasarala recast. They were basically two different characters with the same name.

 

lol. It's been so long since I saw that character, I didn't even notice the recasting.

 

The role was originally played by Brian George of Seinfeld and The Big Bang Theory fame. You'd recognize him if you saw him but might not know his name or where you know him from.

 

oh, I know. I looked it up after when I read that it was recast. I totally know who he is. But, like I said, it’s been so long since I’ve seen the character, it clearly didn’t bother me that the character was recast since I didn’t even realize it.

 

Does anyone know why they recast? Having watched the series to prepare for season 4, it was a bit Jarring and the two actors are very different.

 

I hope the fan and BTS reaction is heard, and they do a week-by-week release of Season 5. There's something to be said for instant gratification, but it's a lot more fun when new Expanse lasts two or three months instead of two or three days.

 

^ That's on the viewer though, isn't it? I mean even as someone who binged it over a couple of days that's a matter of self-control. What I do like with a weekly release is I think it does make for livelier discussion as everyone discusses and speculates on each episode from week to week.

 

Yeah, that's the part of the experience I miss. Pacing it for my own sake gains me nothing except making it more likely I'll be spoiled with every passing day. A paced release means we all get the chance to discuss each episode and really chew over it. The best example would probably be "The Mandalorian." If it had all come out all at once five weeks ago, I guarantee no one would remember its breakout character by now. It happens all the time to all the Netflix shows.

If anything, I'd argue your point to the people in favor of binge releases; if the week-long waits are so excruciating, and you get nothing from the zeitgeist discussions, just wait until the whole season is out and watch it all at once.

 

Finally getting around to watching S4 and just finished Ep 7. I am pacing myself, only watching one or two episodes a night. Thank God Amazon saved this show. It's been a couple of years since I read Cibola Burn, but the show seems to be handling the planet stuff really well. CB was the last book I've read from the Expanse series, so I'm guessing the Earth, Mars and Belter plots happen in later books. Anyway, so far I'm really enjoying the season. I'll probably go ahead an rewatch from S1 sometime in 2020.

 

I'm having that issue with Stranger things right now. When Season 4 premieres I will forget who the characters were or what the underworld was. Also, great point about Mandalorian. People are still talking about Baby Yoda because it's sticking with people a lot longer. When did you last have a discussion about Altered Carbon or Stranger Things?

 

Finished watching the season. I enjoyed it greatly although it didn't quite hold up to the previous seasons. While the drama was mostly good, it seemed like we spent most of the time just surviving on the planet and not advancing forward. Last season I remarked that that single season felt like two seasons because there were so many things going on. This season didn't quite feel like a full season because while they survived the planet, and learned a few things, it just didn't seem as packed as before. I guess I was spoiled!

That all said, loved seeing our characters back. Looking forward to seeing where things progress from here (having not read the books)!

 

I found the book (Cibola Burns) a bit of a chore to get through as a lot of it was about the conditions on Illus

 

I also liked season 3 better, but I'd heard a lot of people didn't care for Cibola Burn, and I definitely think it helped to expand the scope with the Avasarela, Belter, and Bobbie plotlines. The Belter storyline setting up the cliffhanger, especially, was a highlight for me. I really enjoyed Ashford and Drummer's working relationship (especially how Drummer has gotten to the point where she gets along better with Anderson Dawes' right-hand man better than she does with Fred Johnson), and I really liked how Ashford's arc went with him going from being an outlaw and pirate in his backstory to being so committed to the Belt as an equal participant in the larger human race.

 

^ Great points. I agree! I think I kind of forgot about those developments with the larger focus on surviving the planet. But, those major changes in the characters felt utterly believable.