Archive for November 22nd, 2015
Syfy’s The Expanse – action and detective drama in space
by Doc on Nov.22, 2015, under Television
Political tensions are high. A rebellious daughter has gone missing. And someone wants war.
The Expanse mixes political, detective and action drama all into one, and sets it in space…not far off, though. It’s based in our solar system, set between Earth, Mars and the asteroid belt, set about 200 years in the future. Earth and Mars are in a state of cold war, competing for precious resources, especially water, which is available in the belt. But the Outer Planets Alliance based on Ceres, which represents the “Belters”, are also unhappy, seeing themselves as slave labor mining the belt for ice and other resources for the others, where they also need need it – water and air are the most precious materials to them.
Detective Josephus Miller (Thomas Jane, Hung, The Mist), a gruff alcoholic Belter who other Belters seem to consider a “traitor to his people”, is called on to investigate the disappearance of young woman, but finds that it might be part of a much greater conspiracy. On Earth in New York City, UN Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala (Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Saddam, House of Sand and Fog) has to deal with the three way tension with Mars and the OPA. Meanwhile on board the ice freighter Canterbury, a distress call is received from another ship and reluctant executive officer James Holden (Steven Strait, 10,000 BC, Magic City), an Earther among a Belter crew, must decide between profits and doing the right thing – and his decision might be the catalyst to all-out war.
(continue reading…)