Comments on: Expanse https://www.habitablezone.com/2015/11/26/expanse/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:07:28 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Robert https://www.habitablezone.com/2015/11/26/expanse/#comment-34400 Robert Sun, 06 Dec 2015 00:43:32 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52795#comment-34400 he he, I plan to do that deliberately. he he, I plan to do that deliberately.

]]> By: Robert https://www.habitablezone.com/2015/11/26/expanse/#comment-34297 Robert Thu, 03 Dec 2015 06:25:33 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52795#comment-34297 I don't think I develop a very strong mental picture of most characters in a novel, at least not without the author's explicit help. I just sort of took the casting in the show for granted. The only actor I recognized, in fact, was there just for one episode, I think, Holden(?)'s girlfriend, who played a werewolf for several years on Being Human (US version). Thought the...what would you call all the infrastructure creation, the ships and stations etc., all of it CGI, and thought all of it was really nicely realized. Somehow the term "set design" doesn't seem to come close to the creation of entire universes in a good scifi production. Speaking of production, I forget to check the credits. But what are the odds it <i>wasn't</i> produced in Vancouver? I've only read the first two novels in the series, and I can tell I"m not nearly the hardcore fan you are. But I've been planning to continue reading, because I really appreciated the novels, so with the video version too I'm pretty much happy as a pig in...well you know. I don’t think I develop a very strong mental picture of most characters in a novel, at least not without the author’s explicit help. I just sort of took the casting in the show for granted. The only actor I recognized, in fact, was there just for one episode, I think, Holden(?)’s girlfriend, who played a werewolf for several years on Being Human (US version). Thought the…what would you call all the infrastructure creation, the ships and stations etc., all of it CGI, and thought all of it was really nicely realized. Somehow the term “set design” doesn’t seem to come close to the creation of entire universes in a good scifi production.

Speaking of production, I forget to check the credits. But what are the odds it wasn’t produced in Vancouver?

I’ve only read the first two novels in the series, and I can tell I”m not nearly the hardcore fan you are. But I’ve been planning to continue reading, because I really appreciated the novels, so with the video version too I’m pretty much happy as a pig in…well you know.

]]> By: SDG https://www.habitablezone.com/2015/11/26/expanse/#comment-34180 SDG Mon, 30 Nov 2015 23:17:03 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52795#comment-34180 This hearkens back a bit to the conversation we had on Sci-fi sets. Plus a bunch of other cool stuff: http://www.tested.com/art/movies/555199-building-world-syfys-expanse/ This hearkens back a bit to the conversation we had on Sci-fi sets.

Plus a bunch of other cool stuff:

http://www.tested.com/art/movies/555199-building-world-syfys-expanse/

]]> By: SDG https://www.habitablezone.com/2015/11/26/expanse/#comment-34176 SDG Mon, 30 Nov 2015 21:40:23 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52795#comment-34176 I have to admit that after posting that youtube link, I tested it to see if it works and accidentally ended up watching the whole show a second time. :) I have to admit that after posting that youtube link, I tested it to see if it works and accidentally ended up watching the whole show a second time. :)

]]> By: SDG https://www.habitablezone.com/2015/11/26/expanse/#comment-34175 SDG Mon, 30 Nov 2015 21:36:01 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52795#comment-34175 Holden seemed much younger than I pictured when reading the books. Alex much older. When I mentioned this to a friend of mine who I turned onto the books he said the ages were in line. He's probably right. And Major Anderson (wasn't in the pilot, saw it on the website) is black? Didn't get that from the books, but damn it works. Miller and Naomi were right on as was Chrisjen Avasarala. Actually Avasarala's casting had to have been taken straight out of my brain it was so dead on. Then there are the ships. They did such a great job with the Canterbury, I can't wait to see what the Rocinante looks like. Holden seemed much younger than I pictured when reading the books. Alex much older. When I mentioned this to a friend of mine who I turned onto the books he said the ages were in line. He’s probably right. And Major Anderson (wasn’t in the pilot, saw it on the website) is black? Didn’t get that from the books, but damn it works.

Miller and Naomi were right on as was Chrisjen Avasarala. Actually Avasarala’s casting had to have been taken straight out of my brain it was so dead on.

Then there are the ships. They did such a great job with the Canterbury, I can’t wait to see what the Rocinante looks like.

]]> By: Robert https://www.habitablezone.com/2015/11/26/expanse/#comment-34124 Robert Sat, 28 Nov 2015 21:40:14 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52795#comment-34124 Saw the pilot. I'll find a way to watch the rest of the show. It was sometime in the last year when I read my first Expanse novel, so it was fresh in my mind last night. It felt familiar from the opening scene of the woman locked into a tool locker on the abandoned ship, zero-g sex with the werewolf girl from Being Human (well maybe not that from the book), the bushwhacking, the mercenary lawman...in just the first episode. Lots of books in the series. At this pace I have a feeling they could turn one novel into TV per season, for a lot of seasons. If they can maintain the quality of the pilot. A most excellent tip, SDG, thank you! Saw the pilot. I’ll find a way to watch the rest of the show.

It was sometime in the last year when I read my first Expanse novel, so it was fresh in my mind last night. It felt familiar from the opening scene of the woman locked into a tool locker on the abandoned ship, zero-g sex with the werewolf girl from Being Human (well maybe not that from the book), the bushwhacking, the mercenary lawman…in just the first episode.

Lots of books in the series. At this pace I have a feeling they could turn one novel into TV per season, for a lot of seasons. If they can maintain the quality of the pilot.

A most excellent tip, SDG, thank you!

]]> By: Robert https://www.habitablezone.com/2015/11/26/expanse/#comment-34101 Robert Sat, 28 Nov 2015 00:41:12 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52795#comment-34101 Syfy only controls access to "their" shows inside the United States, and most shows are distributed through other channels in other countries. Showcase in Canada (showcase.ca) frequently airs the same shows, e.g. Continuum and Defiance. There's a Syfy-Australia to keep an eye on, too. Finding the overseas partners is usually just a matter of googling the show title and looking for the foreign sites that stock it. AFAIK, the US is the only place where we use the draconian system of requiring your cable company to vouch for you, so access is sometimes easier if you put on an accent. One thing I learned cutting the cord is that "channel" just means distribution channel, and people like Syfy are just pipes. Shop around for the best pipe for each show. Don't worry about me, if I want to keep watching Expanse after the pilot, I will. Syfy only controls access to “their” shows inside the United States, and most shows are distributed through other channels in other countries. Showcase in Canada (showcase.ca) frequently airs the same shows, e.g. Continuum and Defiance. There’s a Syfy-Australia to keep an eye on, too. Finding the overseas partners is usually just a matter of googling the show title and looking for the foreign sites that stock it. AFAIK, the US is the only place where we use the draconian system of requiring your cable company to vouch for you, so access is sometimes easier if you put on an accent.

One thing I learned cutting the cord is that “channel” just means distribution channel, and people like Syfy are just pipes. Shop around for the best pipe for each show.

Don’t worry about me, if I want to keep watching Expanse after the pilot, I will.

]]> By: Robert https://www.habitablezone.com/2015/11/26/expanse/#comment-34096 Robert Fri, 27 Nov 2015 20:15:29 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52795#comment-34096 I tested the link, it works, I'll watch it later today. On YouTube, eh? As a cord-cutter you know that's not a good omen for our prospects to see the rest. I'm not unwilling to pay Apple's $2.99/episode for a show that's extraordinarily good, but it's going to have to prove itself. I never pay to watch a new series before it's been around long enough that I can get a good feel from everybody else's reaction. And in the case of the majority of merely good shows, they'll come to Netflix or Prime eventually, and I can be patient for merely good. The fact that they're playing hardball reassures me that it's becoming more and more a viewer's market. I tested the link, it works, I’ll watch it later today.

On YouTube, eh? As a cord-cutter you know that’s not a good omen for our prospects to see the rest.

I’m not unwilling to pay Apple’s $2.99/episode for a show that’s extraordinarily good, but it’s going to have to prove itself. I never pay to watch a new series before it’s been around long enough that I can get a good feel from everybody else’s reaction. And in the case of the majority of merely good shows, they’ll come to Netflix or Prime eventually, and I can be patient for merely good. The fact that they’re playing hardball reassures me that it’s becoming more and more a viewer’s market.

]]> By: SDG https://www.habitablezone.com/2015/11/26/expanse/#comment-34095 SDG Fri, 27 Nov 2015 15:26:10 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52795#comment-34095 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvZeQD1Vf2s I'm a cordcutter as well, so I get all of the angst. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvZeQD1Vf2s

I’m a cordcutter as well, so I get all of the angst.

]]> By: mcfly https://www.habitablezone.com/2015/11/26/expanse/#comment-34093 mcfly Fri, 27 Nov 2015 14:46:21 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52795#comment-34093 This one could have legs. Awesome production values, solid acting and a plot driven by characters that are bursting with backstory. I didn't have any trouble playing the episode at <a href="http://www.syfy.com/episodes" rel="nofollow">http://www.syfy.com/episodes</a>, and the link SDG provided worked ok when I tried it. I didn't need to log in to get to it. Haven't been to their site in a long time, looks like they're finally putting some real content online. Maybe, just maybe, they'll offer upcoming episode on the web. Maybe. This one could have legs. Awesome production values, solid acting and a plot driven by characters that are bursting with backstory.

I didn’t have any trouble playing the episode at http://www.syfy.com/episodes, and the link SDG provided worked ok when I tried it. I didn’t need to log in to get to it.

Haven’t been to their site in a long time, looks like they’re finally putting some real content online. Maybe, just maybe, they’ll offer upcoming episode on the web. Maybe.

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