The Expanse Series 6: 4 Things We Loved (and a pair of Things We Didn’t Love)

The Expanse is over. Long reside The Expanse! With season six now within the books and the present wrapped for good, we’re wanting again on the closing season. Obviously, it’s nonetheless one of many biggest sci-fi exhibits of all time (it made io9’s listing of greatest TV of 2021!), however we had a couple of nitpicks this closing go-round… retaining in thoughts that the “worst” of The Expanse remains to be higher than most sequence might ever hope to be. Let’s dive in!

What did we love about The Expanse season six?

Action Scenes That Looked (and Felt) Great

Once once more, The Expanse was full of an unimaginable array of motion scenes this season—together with a number of house battles that had been among the many sequence’ perfect. But all that superb warhead-flinging and rail gun fireplace didn’t exist in a vacuum; every sequence was fastidiously paced and contextualized to convey as a lot rigidity and pleasure to the display screen as attainable. The Expanse could also be a TV sequence, however the motion scenes all the time had a manner of feeling cinematic; this season’s standouts included the Rocinante’s skirmish with the Pella that led to Holden disarming the kill shot simply earlier than it landed, Amos and Bobbie’s teeth-rattling assault on the Ring Station, and the Roci crew’s genius (and meticulously timed) plan to remove Marco Inaros as soon as and for all. Props to administrators Breck Eisner, Jeff Woolnough, and Anya Adams, together with the sequence’ results crew, for making every battle really feel high-stakes and unpredictable.

Getting to Spend Time With Everyone’s Growth

Considering The Expanse is predicated on a extremely acclaimed guide sequence, it’s no shock that the writing (Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham, who wrote the books collectively as James S.A. Corey, penned a number of season six episodes) is considered one of its strongest factors. Throughout the season, the motion scenes nabbed our consideration, however the extra intimate moments between characters—be they candy, contentious, bitter, or revelatory—additionally made an impression. Season six actually made an effort to point out how The Expanse’s core characters have developed over the sequence; consider Chrisjen Avasarala recalling her merciless remedy of a Belter prisoner (a throwback to season one) and realizing that whereas she’s not that individual anymore, it’s on her to verify all people else realizes that, too. Speaking of throwbacks, season six was additionally capable of tie in some acquainted faces from earlier seasons, like Prax and Elvi, in ways in which felt natural slightly than fan service-y.

This season additionally took time to evolve sure relationships (Amos and Bobbie, specifically, shaped a pleasant bond this season primarily based on brawn and snark; Holden and Naomi, the present’s stalwart couple, remained as robust as ever), whereas additionally displaying the cracks that’ve shaped between different characters on account of what they’ve all been by way of—that Drummer-Naomi “fuck you” scene was significantly highly effective, as was each confrontation between Filip and Marco.

Cara Gee as Drummer (and Everyone Else)

The Expanse solid has all the time been nice, so no shock right here. My choose for season-six MVP is Cara Gee as Drummer—even whereas battling immense private loss and a serious existential disaster, she’s as fierce on the battlefield as she is on the negotiating desk. But total, everybody was wonderful (from the refined work of Steven Strait as Holden to the over-the-top swagger of Keon Alexander as Marco)—and the chemistry, particularly between the veteran solid members, has by no means been higher.

The Bonus “X-Ray” Extras

The season solely ran six episodes, so the “X-Ray” bonus content material (a brand new function this season) was significantly welcome. Bundled beneath the theme of “One Ship,” it consisted of brief vignettes that had been hooked up to the primary 5 episodes. Thanks to those shorts, we realized extra about Drummer’s fractured relationship along with her buddy/frenemy/soul mate, Naomi; noticed a stressed-out Avasarala soften a bit whereas reconnecting with a beloved younger member of the family; obtained the reply to the proverbial Expanse query “What would happen if Amos and Bobbie brawled?”; witnessed Clarissa confront some very advanced emotions about her father (a personality we obtained to know in earlier Expanse seasons); and, maybe most delightfully, noticed the precise second when Holden determined to hitch the crew of the Canterbury, the ship he was serving on throughout The Expanse season one, episode one—and whose doomed destiny set the entire dang plot in movement.

What didn’t we love about The Expanse season six?

That It Felt Too Short (Because It Was)

We knew going into season six that we’d solely be getting six episodes; we additionally knew that, contemplating The Expanse was cancelled by Syfy after its third season, the truth that we obtained three extra seasons on Amazon was one thing of a miracle. So possibly we’re being grasping by saying we certain want season six had been the earlier Amazon customary of 10 episodes? Just a couple of extra hours would have given among the subplots extra time to search out their footing—the breakup of Drummer’s household, Monica Stuart’s journalism campaign, the disaster on Ceres). It additionally would have allowed for a bit extra character improvement, each for characters we already know and love—Amos, specifically, felt a bit brief shrifted this yr, after season 5’s concerned arc—and new faces like Kathleen Robertson’s doomed Belter, Rosenfeld—a charismatic, assertive presence who by no means obtained to do something past inform Filip and Marco Inaros behave round one another. That, and extra episodes would have completed a lot to mitigate…

… Those Dangling Plot Threads!

One suspects the crew behind The Expanse would’ve dearly liked to dig deeper into the Laconia plot line. And there was no manner season six couldn’t have included it; Admiral Duarte’s cope with Marco Inaros was an important a part of Marco’s story and in establishing the massive finale with the showdown on the Ring Station. Also, Laconia was a solution to hold the protomolecule—such an necessary motivator all through all earlier seasons—actively concerned within the story. But there merely wasn’t sufficient time to actually clarify Duarte was as much as (in “Babylon’s Ashes,” enigmatically he tells Marco that he has “gods to kill” in his kiss-off message, however that’s a cool line that’s then by no means adopted up on), nor did we get any payoff for the protomolecule-fueled construction hovering within the Laconian sky. Also: let’s not neglect a child got here again from the useless on Laconia, one thing that obtained a cautious build-up however wasn’t pursued past its eerie reveal.

Of course, clearly, curious followers of the Expanse sequence can all the time choose up the Corey books to search out out what occurred after the occasions of “Babylon’s Ashes.” But the present did such an impressive job bringing the books to the display screen, with distinctive pacing, casting, and visible aptitude, that it’s disappointing to not get a full follow-through on the Laconia story. The present properly left the query of whether or not Naomi and Filip would reunite—or if she would even get the possibility to comprehend he didn’t perish alongside Marco—to the creativeness; they may meet sometime, however you can even envision a future the place they’ve discovered peace other than one another. We didn’t want a interval placed on each single storyline, either–a part of the enjoyment of The Expanse is that the characters might face far-out house conditions, however additionally they really feel like actual individuals who cope with real-life stuff, like well being issues, character clashes with co-workers, and never having the ability to discover a good cup of espresso. Their lives could have twists and turns that we are able to go away to the creativeness, and really feel simply tremendous about that. But again on Laconia, little Xan’s protomolecule-fueled, black-eyed, black-blood-oozing, hug-demanding zombie corpse remains to be on the market operating by way of the forest together with his sister—whereas ceaselessly operating by way of our nightmares.

The Expanse season six is offered on Amazon.

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