The Expanse returns to the small screen this month for a fourth season, after a move from Syfy to Amazon Prime saved it from cancellation. The move was helped in large part by the fanbase, who fought to save it after Syfy decided to drop it, and while this is far from the only series that has shifted network after fan outcry at a cancellation, it's still rare enough to draw attention. Clearly, there is something about this series that has made sci-fi fans take note, and while part of that is obviously down to the incredible characters and complex world, the sheer attention to detail that the series has taken when it comes to science is also a huge factor, and one that the cast and creative team were all too happy to talk about at New York Comic Con back in October.
The Expanse is set in a world where humanity has colonized vast reaches of space, but where there are still issues of economics and dwindling resources. It seems that in this world, warring factions, politics, and a simple lack of resources are just as much an issue as they are in the real world, despite advanced technology and far more space (literally) for humanity to spread out. Like any good sci-fi, the series is driven by larger questions, and at NYCC, ScreenRant heard from the cast (Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper, Wes Chatham, Cas Anvar, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Cara Gee, Burn Gorman, Naren Shankar (EP/showrunner) & Breck Eisner (director)) about their gratitude for how the fans managed to keep them on the air, but also about what makes the show stand apart - and a lot of that seems to be the way that The Expanse takes real science into account, and how that makes it truly special sci-fi.
Shohreh Aghdashloo, who plays Chrisjen Avasarala (the Secretary-General of the United Nations in this universe), may have been exaggerating just a little with her claims that there are no bad reviews, but she's not the only one to mention the fact that the scientific community are big fans of the series - because they really do pay attention.
Honestly, the best review I've read, and the show has received tons of great reviews, not even one bad one. But my favorite comes from the scientist, two and a half pages, he proves to you as to why this is the most accurate version of the future.
It's difficult to tell which particular interview Aghdashloo was referencing, but there have been a surprising number that cover the accuracies of the series. Dr. Katie Mack, Assistant Professor of Physics at North Carolina State University, wrote this piece about the accuracy of the physics in the series, and the series was even featured on the cover of 'Physics Today'. It's clear that keeping things as accurate as possible is a big deal for the showrunners, and EP Naren Shankar talked at length about how proud he is of the lengths that they go to to keep the show accurate... and how that makes it different.
We are able to show, I think, for the first time, a realistic depiction of life in space. One of the things that I always loved about the project was that we make space a character in the show, in the sense of if you're moving, you have gravity, you have acceleration. Space is a hostile environment. It doesn't want people to live in it. And it's like the physics of the ships, how they move. They're beautiful. And we show what these things are in a realistic way. They are not fighter planes over the Pacific in World War Two, you don't have dogfights like that, we have, you know, we care about conservation and momentum, the center of mass and it's because that's a realistic thing. And it also makes the show visually distinct. I think that all of those things kind of combined to make the show special.
Of course, this can be a scary thing, too. The cast was quick to talk about how working on a show that puts them so directly into a world where life has been destroyed has made them think - not just about the incredible technology that might be waiting for us in the future, but about the tragedy that could also be on the way if we are not more careful. For many, it's inspired them to create change.
I've been, I've always been kind of a science nerd. And then being part of the show, I've been exposed to the real science community of the world, the NASA scientists, and the space exploration scientists. I've been invited to a bunch of different conferences, and I've been introduced to reality, the new technology that's coming out, as well as all the data of what's happening to the planet. And that's really, quite, quite honestly scared the crap out of me. And that has made humbled me and it's made me rethink where I want to put my energy and my, my focus in terms of how I can use my voice as an artist, to not just do my work, but also benefit the world around me. And that's kind of where I've shifted in terms of the last year or two is trying to put my voice towards getting people to wake up and see that if we don't take care of this, in our lifetime. We don't even know what's going to happen.
Cara Gee (who plays Camina Drummer, the Captain of the Behemoth) also spoke about how she draws inspiration for her character from people in the world who are already creating change, who are fighting for their rights and for those of the planet:
I think there are some incredible Indigenous women, you know, leading the charge, especially in Canada. And in the states, actually, there's some really inspiring Indigenous women. Certainly, Pam Palmater and Cindy Blackstock in Canada are women who are at the forefront of fighting for justice, you know, for indigenous people. Jennifer Podemski is a fierce producer. And she has a documentary series called Future History that is looking at sort of ways of reclaiming culture that so much has been lost due to the genocide of indigenous people. And that renaissance of and the resurgence of that connection back to some of those cultural ways of seeing our relationship to the earth are really relevant to me.
It's clear that the reality of climate change is something that The Expanse is definitely commenting on, and that the creators are cognizant of when adapting the original book series. That said, no one is claiming that this is the only future possible- but that this is a series that is accurate as a projection of the future that we are currently facing. But as the cast was quick to point out, there's no way of knowing what might happen, and if everyone starts to make those changes, then perhaps this can be a warning tale that doesn't come true.
I don't think anybody knows 100% of what that's going to look like. But I think that's is the highest, highest percentage of an accurate portrayal as we can project.
More than one cast member was proud to say that not only is the scientific community behind a lot of what the show does, but the accuracy and cerebral take on the show is what makes it one of the best sci-fi shows on tv. And now that it has moved to Amazon, it seems that we are in for a few more seasons of this surprisingly realistic series - and hopefully enough to finish the story that is told in the books, if not to go even further.