“The Expanse” is based on James S.A. Corey’s Hugo-nominated 2012 novel “Leviathan Wakes,” which depicts a 23rd century in which much of our solar system has been colonized but interstellar travel remains out of humanity’s reach. Planetary governments are at odds, and a conspiracy is unearthed that may or may not involve non-human technology.
Hawk Ostby & Mark Fergus, credited as co-writers of “Children of Men,” “Iron Man” and “Cowboys & Aliens,” wrote the teleplays for the 10-episode series, said to be the most costly in Syfy history. Thomas Jane (“Hung”), Shohreh Aghdashloo (“24”) and Jonathan Banks (“Better Call Saul”) star.
... nothing in the central performances, the writing, the action or the computer effects goes beyond proficient, and nothing has the stark, strange, sometimes brutal feeling that made “Battlestar Galactica” compelling. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... starts sluggish and confusing but improves through its first four episodes as three disparate stories begin to converge. It’s not “Battlestar Galactica”-quality — neither was “BSG” at its outset — but it is the best Syfy scripted series since “BSG.” …
... if the drama is to live up to its potential, it will have to improve on its first four episodes, which awkwardly link a series of somewhat muddled stories, and introduce characters that are too often standard genre types rather than distinct individuals. … tries to do too much at once in its opening episodes, which ultimately undercuts their overall effectiveness. Storylines about rogue elements, terrorist machinations, a missing woman and political gamesmanship are all crammed into hours that have very little room to breathe. Clearly “The Expanse” wants to set up a series of linked mysteries, but too often it ends up sketching out a set of scenarios that could have been plucked from dozens of other sci-fi serials, and yet are vague, confusing or insubstantial. …
... fails to emerge from a far-flung muddle over its first four episodes. …
10 p.m. Sunday. Syfy.
