I know I have posted about The Expanse before, but that was then and this is now. Now, Season 3 has aired and I have seen it and I cannot wait to watch it again. NOW SyFy cancelled the show, the fans rallied and Amazon saved it. AND NOW YOU CAN STREAM SEASONS 1-3 ON PRIME!

For those of you that don’t know, The Expanse if a sci-fi tv series based on the epic science fiction novels by James S.A. Corey. Without going into too much detail, it is a story set far in the future and deals with human kind’s first encounter with an alien life form, though that is barely scratching the surface. And really, at its core, The Expanse is about humans, it is about people, and how we treat each other.

What drew me to this show, what kept me watching is that it is quite optimistic. Yes, humans are still humans – we have divided up into Earthers, Belters and Martians and a bit of a cold war is raging between the three factions. Wealth is still unevenly distributed, politicians are still untrustworthy and Baltimore is apparently still a bit of a slum. BUT our lead characters’ main weaknesses are that they want to do the right thing. They want equality, they want to save everyone, they want people to know the truth of what is going on – they are optimists, or at least, optimistic that they can make the universe a better place.

Of course, as we know, in the real world doing the right thing can lead to all kinds of unintended consequences (for further investigation into that, watch The Good Place) and many times they have to come to terms with the fact that doing the right thing can cause a bit of a mess.

Season 1 has been described as a noir mystery, with two main stories – our ragtag group on a space ship and a down-on-his-luck detective trying to solve a missing persons case. There is a lot of set up in that season, world building, pieces being put into place, like a carefully balanced Jenga puzzle. You might be unsure of what you are watching as you sit through the first three episodes, but don’t give up. It all has a purpose. And you must pay attention because Season 2 is not going to wait around for you.

Season 2, after a piece of the jenga tower has been removed, you start to watch the bricks fall. One by one. You watch as the heroes struggle to find the truth. to make things right, to make the galaxy safe. But everything is unstable.

Season 3 pulls together everything from Season 1 and 2 and throws even more questions into the mix. And more amazing characters. This series has such a fantastic cast. Kickass women, diverse peoples, and just everyone giving 110% in front of and behind the camera. It is the kind of solid storytelling I want from my television shows.

So find a comfy chair, make a good pot of coffee, perhaps get a lasagna in the oven because you want to watch this. You want to be caught up. Because Season 4 is coming and everything has changed.