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The Expanse |S2| You guys look like shit - Wednesdays on Syfy

DevilDog

DevilDog

Member
I can't put myself in his position. It seems completely out of place and was a moment that really stained Miller for me.

I know that they tried to show Miller falling for her throughout the series and I always thought I was getting the wrong message because of how out of place and far fetched it looked. Turns out it just was what I didn't want it to be.

Maybe if I rewatch it with a difference mindset it will make sense for me.
 
T

tearsintherain

Member
There are two sides to the show. The human side - Earth, Mars, Belters, Holden, Fred, etc - that is heavily grounded in reality and takes great measures to try and match current levels of technology, extrapolated out slightly for 200 years.

Then there is the protomolecule side. The unknown, the alien, the advanced, the extrasolar, the classic Clarke quote, "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic". They do try to drop in subtle hints that its NOT magic, like when Eros started moving Amos noticed a heat build up in parts of Eros which means there IS some physical process that is converting ?? to heat and doing ?? with gravity but it might as well be magic as far as our understanding of it is.

Its not insane and completely out there. We understand things like vacuum energy, gravity generators, zero point energy, nanotech, quantum entanglement, that maybe the brain is a set of quantum fields, it is theoretically possible to read a persons memories at a quantum level and run it in a different substrate, etc. We just have zero idea of how any of it would be implemented. But what happens if we run into something that does...
 
J

jem0208

Member
aku:jiki said:
This is hard to say without a vague spoiler, so here's a vague spoiler only the two of you should read and which doesn't actually spoil any specific events:
This is not the hard scifi show you thought it was. There is going to be more fantastical and alien shit and there's only going to be more and more added for each new season. Bail out now if you don't want space opera mixed with some elements of hard scifi and politics.
Click to expand...
Eh.

That's a little disappointing to hear but it's not enough to turn me off completely. I'll definitely still keep watching, just got to set my expectations accordingly.

Also for the most part I didn't have a problem with the the protomolecule doing crazy things like moving Eros etc. It was the fact that Julie apparently had some form of control and that Miller was able to convince her to change course to Venus that I didn't like. Felt too convenient and kinda broke my suspension of disbelief.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
It would probably make more sense if they had made them like the hive-mind space zombies in the book.
 
S

suzu

Member
Zoe said:
It would probably make more sense if they had made them like the hive-mind space zombies in the book.
Click to expand...

Yeah. All ya'll who don't like the pretty blue stuff can just replace the images of that with RE7 black goop if it makes you feel better. lol
 
C

Carn82

Member
jem0208 said:
It was the fact that Julie apparently had some form of control and that Miller was able to convince her to change course to Venus that I didn't like.
Click to expand...

Well, just like our favorite Xenomorph, the protomolecule needs a host. Seems that this patient zero is 'dominant' in the resulting hivemind if it spreads.

Zoe said:
It would probably make more sense if they had made them like the hive-mind space zombies in the book.
Click to expand...

I wonder if they didnt film that stuff because if budgetary reasons; or that it might have ended up on the cutting floor.
 
S

suzu

Member
Julie is the "seed" that spreads the Eros infection, so it's not a huge leap for the protomolecule to base itself off of her mind and body.

Now if it's actually Julie herself.. I guess it depends on what your definition of alive / dead is. :p
 
E

Extollere

Sucks at poetry
I just watched episode 4, oh wow.. the writing in this show is so good. This is like.. a legit amazing show right now.
 
J

jem0208

Member
I get the whole seed thing I'm just not particularly keen on it. I think I would have been happier if there was a little bit of foreshadowing about it. Maybe have Dawson or the scientist say something.

Honestly I think the worst part of the scene was Miller kissing her. I can kinda get why he is up for it but she's known him for all of about 30 seconds and suddenly is all for making out.

I would have vastly preferred the scene had he just taking off his helmet/suit and held her hand or something as they died. The kissing felt really forced.

Side note: should I be spoilering this?

Cornballer said:
No. Anything that has aired is fair game. The things that need spoiler tags are book discussion, trailers and previews for episodes that haven't aired yet, and anything else that covers material that we haven't seen.
Click to expand...
Alright, cool.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
jem0208 said:
Side note: should I be spoilering this?
Click to expand...
No. Anything that has aired is fair game. The things that need spoiler tags are book discussion, trailers and previews for episodes that haven't aired yet, and anything else that covers material that we haven't seen.
 
N

Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
What was the point of the epstein drive subplot in the last episode?

Was it setup or just flavor for universe building?

I saw that the nukes were built by epstein drive corp but like was that the extent of it?
 
K

Kyougar

Member
Not Spaceghost said:
What was the point of the epstein drive subplot in the last episode?

Was it setup or just flavor for universe building?

I saw that the nukes were built by epstein drive corp but like was that the extent of it?
Click to expand...

it was flavor with the important theme of groundbraking changes. And the nukes are just powered by epstein corps drives. Just like a Boeing that uses Rolls Royce turbines.


Cornballer said:
Link.

I wonder what he means by "very soon."
Click to expand...

Probably after the last episode airs on syfy :(
 
N

Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
Kyougar said:
it was flavor with the important theme of groundbraking changes. And the nukes are just powered by epstein corps drives. Just like a Boeing that uses Rolls Royce
Click to expand...

Ah alright lol I figured it was something like that but I wasn't sure if I missed something. It's a neat approach to world building I hope they use again.
 
DevilDog

DevilDog

Member
suzu said:
Yeah. All ya'll who don't like the pretty blue stuff can just replace the images of that with RE7 black goop if it makes you feel better. lol
Click to expand...

suzu said:
Yeah, the kiss is cheesy. It wasn't originally in the script or book. lol
Click to expand...

Why did they change this stuff? It sounds way better than what we have now. Especially the kiss.

Ok, I see now it's the TV producers fucking around. I might actually take a look at the books.
 
K

Kin5290

Member
Cornballer said:
- Sneak peek from tomorrow's episode via EW (please spoiler tag any discussion)
Click to expand...
I only read the text description. Huh, that's quite a departure from the book. Book Bobbie makes it clear in no uncertain terms that the UN WASN'T responsible for attacking her squad. In fact, she notices that the thing that attacked them attacked the UN forces first, and her last act before losing consciousness is trying and failing to message that to the Martian fleet assets in orbit before the UN and MCRN ships stop blasting each other into pieces.
 
J

jem0208

Member
Cornballer said:
- Sneak peek from tomorrow's episode via EW (please spoiler tag any discussion)
Click to expand...
Is anyone else disappointed that Bobby is still alive? She's easily the worst character in the show. Her entire crew actually reminds me of the sandsnakes in GoT, poorly acted, poorly written, one note and boring. Bobby herself is a like a spoilt toddler complaining about why she can't go murder everyone on Earth.

Kin5290 said:
I only read the text description. Huh, that's quite a departure from the book. Book Bobbie makes it clear in no uncertain terms that the UN WASN'T responsible for attacking her squad. In fact, she notices that the thing that attacked them attacked the UN forces first, and her last act before losing consciousness is trying and failing to message that to the Martian fleet assets in orbit before the UN and MCRN ships stop blasting each other into pieces.
Click to expand...
Hmm, that would be much better.

On a side note: I realise I've only actually been posting complaints about the show in this thread so far. I actually really, really enjoy it.
 
C

Carn82

Member
Yeah the few Bobbie-scenes have been pretty one-note, and the few scenes revolved just as much around her squadmates, who have exited the building ;P

My guess is they're going with a sort of flashback-storyline where Bobby pieces the events together and changes her stance.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
New episode tonight:
The Seventh Man

The preparations for an Earth/Mars peace conference tightens the tension on Errinwright. Bobbie's debriefing uncovers a deeper mystery after the attack at Ganymede. Anderson Dawes uses the flow of refugees coming into Tycho for his own ends, threatening to destabilize the unease alliance between Fred Johnson and Holden.
Click to expand...
 
P

Parch

Member
Very good show. I like that it's grounded sci-fi, meaning that it's more realistic in that it isn't FTL travel encountering a bunch of funky faced aliens. For a near future setting, sticking to our own solar system is more realistic to me.

They're moving on with a more alien mystery storyline so we'll see how that goes, but I would have been happy if they just stayed with the Earth/Mars/Belter reality. I realize they're just following the books, so I can deal with it getting more alien.
 
S

suzu

Member
DevilDog said:
That is the very definition of a huge leap.
Click to expand...

Eh, it's sci-fi. ;P The book depicted the whole Eros event way more creepier than the show did. Having the protomolecule basing itself on a person seemed fitting to me and tied in with Miller's story.
 
D

DrSlek

Member
Only tangentially Expanse related:

I watched Fantastic Beasts last night, and I kept seeing
Dominique Tipper (Naomi) throughout the movie. She had a non-speaking role as one of the Aurors.

9qrI40g.jpg
 
T

Tony Redgrave

Member
DevilDog said:
That is the very definition of a huge leap.
Click to expand...

If you really wanna know, very, very minor 'spoiler'
the Protomolecule was sent to Earth in order to hijack bacteria and unicellular life, after consuming and assimilating complex-sentient life it was overwhelmed and 'infected' by it, as Miller very briefly mentions near the end. That's why Julie became the 'seed crystal' of Eros and was able to somewhat influence the Protomolecule.
 
F

Freeza Under The Shower

Member
DevilDog said:
That is the very definition of a huge leap.
Click to expand...

normally I'd be the first to yell "you have my axe" at that (see S1 pilot reaction post), but I'm honestly cool with it because the show already had to explain the proto-molecule absorbing people / biomass and energy from the first scene onwards, and the science guy explained that it's basically a self-rewriting instruction language (kind of like Python, I suppose. I'm not a programmer, but I saw someone mention that in a thread). Combining local biomass with adapting the instruction set leads to local adaptation of instructions for whatever the goal was by the original sender (like loading a different website for different countries, kind of). Miller simply inferred as much -in his own way- when he was on Eros and knew about the other sites being destroyed and what the proto-molecule does, so in terms of what the writing of the show has shown us as far as the breadcrumb-trail goes, that is acceptable 'fantasy logic'.

I mean, in reality bio-incompatibility would be where everything ends by default anyway, and recomputing an alien mind is certainly not within the realm of reasonable feasibility within any kind of accurate range. As soon as a space opera drops the word 'alien' you have to accept real-world logic is not going to apply. Whatever realism you do get is mostly about believability of the interconnectedness of diegesis concepts.

And in those terms I think it's fine, even if on surface level it is a leap.
 
D

DangerMouse

Member
Time for more of this greatness.

Edit: Owning that room.
Hmmm, what are you up to...
Amos.

That's a weird choice of a person to talk to about this stuff Amos!
 
D

DBT85

Member
DrSlek said:
Only tangentially Expanse related:

I watched Fantastic Beasts last night, and I kept seeing
Dominique Tipper (Naomi) throughout the movie. She had a non-speaking role as one of the Aurors.

9qrI40g.jpg
Click to expand...

That's weird, I watched that just the other day and didn't see her at all lol.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
- Onion A|V Club review
- Promo for next week's episode (please spoiler tag any discussion)
- Blastr podcast
Welcome to Episode 6 of The Churn, our post-show podcast about The Expanse. Each week during Season 2, The Expanse creators Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham (who you all know as James SA Corey) and Syfy Wire's resident The Expanse superfans -- Fangrrls Managing Editor Cher Martinetti and Editor-in-Chief Adam Swiderski -- take a deeper dive into the latest episode.

After a horrifying encounter on Ganymede, Bobbie wakes up on a gurney to find out she's the sole survivor. But it's during her debriefing that an even more troubling discovery starts to emerge. Meanwhile, while helping with the humanitarian efforts on Ceres, Amos has a run-in with a refugee that hits painfully close to home while Holden and Naomi find themselves on opposing sides of a tense political situation and Chrisjen continues to show everyone who the HBIC is. All this, plus VFX supervisor Bob Munroe joins us to talk about bringing The Expanse universe to life.
Click to expand...
 
MisterFalcon

MisterFalcon

Member
suzu said:
I like listening to Dawes. His accent is so interesting. lol
Click to expand...

For a moment there I had hoped for a glorious Dawes/Avasarala negotiation scene but alas, not going to happen. The Dawes/Drummer scene was great though. For a second I thought she called him 'Papa' but it was 'Pampaw' which means grandfather or Old Man in Belter.

Cara Gee, who plays Drummer, has a major part in a web series called Inhuman Condition where she (and a zombie and a werewolf) being evalualuated by a shrink to determine if her powers (which killed hundreds of people when she was a child) are too dangerous to let her live in society. It's pretty good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWWgVZFzr4w

Also: Peter Outerbridge ! Canada sci fi stalwarts continue to appear. Still no Luvia Petersen unfortunately, she'd be a great Belter or MMC Marine.
 
DevilDog

DevilDog

Member
Jackpot said:
You're forgetting that
the proto-molecule was sent to hijack single-cell lifeforms, not sentient beings.
Click to expand...

I don't think they ever said that in the show. And still, it just sounds like an excuse to have octopus sentient hivemind things pop out of a what it seemed like, hard realistic sci fi.
 
H

Himynameischris

Member
DevilDog said:
I don't think they ever said that in the show. And still, it just sounds like an excuse to have octopus sentient hivemind things pop out of a what it seemed like, hard realistic sci fi.
Click to expand...

Isn't that kind of the point though? I haven't read the books but it seems, to me at least, that the story is about humanity off doing it's own thing like usual, fighting among ourselves, always on the brink of war and out of nowhere this thing comes from outside the solar system, sent here with a purpose and humanity is completely unprepared to handle it. The fact that it's that much more advanced than anything humanity has ever seen just makes the threat much more urgent.

At least that's what I'm getting.
 
M

melichrous

Member
Himynameischris said:
Isn't that kind of the point though? I haven't read the books but it seems, to me at least, that the story is about humanity off doing it's own thing like usual, fighting among ourselves, always on the brink of war and out of nowhere this thing comes from outside the solar system, sent here with a purpose and humanity is completely unprepared to handle it. The fact that it's that much more advanced than anything humanity has ever seen just makes the threat much more urgent.

At least that's what I'm getting.
Click to expand...

And that is, in essence, the feeling I got from the first 2 or 3 books. I will say that it would possibly have been better if the show had ran with the way the protomolecule worked in the books, which was way more body horror/nightmarish than just the blue firefly effects.
 
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