Season 3

From the least two seasons I'm beginning to think that The Expanse is the strongest at its first half. Like Season 2's Episode 5 ("Home"), Season 3's Episode 6 ("Immolation") is a mid-season finale, and it hits the strongest beat The Expanse has done so far, perhaps since Season 1's Episode 10 ("Salvage"). It ties all the loose knot in a very coherent structure altogether, at the same time. Most story arcs that have developed for a while now (some even from early Season 2) all come to a closing to a very satisfying end. The first half is not as gripping as Season 2's first half, but it is still gripping but nicely paced drama, thriller, and action.

The second half, however, has a noticeable drop. People seem to like it, but I notice less-than-excellent writings with its introduction of new characters. Melba is an uninspiring character, seems like rather tacky plot device to keep the story going, especially with her redemption in season finale. Ashford has a great potential with Camina - seeing their dynamics/rivalries is interesting - however the last three episodes seem to portray them inconsistently, emerging as a necessary antagonist late in the season. The second half also introduced secondary characters, but seem to feel more like stock characters that simply need to be there: e.g. Dr. Volovodov and captains of MCRN and UNN. Compare them with Admiral Souther or Dr. Strickland for example.

It still has the right beat however, but it's been relatively less tight than before. The finale is supposed to be mysterious and awe-inducing, but it didn't give me the same feeling as Season 2. That said, The Expanse is still one of the better (if not the best) sci-fi shows around right now, so I'll stick with it.

This season has cemented The Expanse for me as a show that is good but rarely great. The ideas here are fantastic but the execution so often lets it down. It's not afraid to completely change storytelling direction (I think this is more an effect of switching up book adaptions halfway through each season), and just like the previously we end up with two very different halves of a season.

The first half was by far the better one for me. The search for Prax's daughter, having Bobby along for the ride, the full corruption of Errinwright and the fantastic dynamic of Avasarala/Cotyar. Plus, it went some way towards rounding out the bad guys and giving us more perspective on everything happening. The second half of the season with the ring eventually built up to something quite exciting, but felt lesser all the time. Captain Ashford's motivations and personality seemed to change at the drop of a hat (an issue with most characters here), and Melba was an extremely disappointing direction for the story.

There is still a core issue in that I don't think the cast are quite right. The loss of Thomas Jane was heavily felt, as I think he was by far the best actor on the show and without him it all feels a bit amateur. So I am beyond delighted that he returns, however small the role is. I just don't think that the crew of the Rocinante have any chemistry together. Both Holden and Naomi are extremely empty characters and I find it hard to be engaged whenever they are the focus of a scene.

On the plus side, this is a compelling world that's been built. The various factions finally have been fleshed out to be more understandable and sympathetic, making for a nicely complex set up. Bobby Draper has evolved to become one of the most interesting and fun characters on the show and the addition of Elizabeth Mitchell has been very welcome. And at the end of the day I am delighted to have some real sci-fi television back in my life after so many years of nothing.