Fantastic last two episodes of S3 finale !!! ( CAREFUL - some spoilers ) - The Expanse (2015) Discussion

[–] Volley (3433) 6 years ago

Yes that was very enjoyable, though the version I watched had some of the middle segments recorded out of order so I was crazy confused for a bit. Watching the proper DVR recording later today.

Season 4 is going places no doubt!

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[–] Alex (1503) 6 years ago

I saw that version too, did the SyFy fuckers did it just to fuck with us one last time?

You can't do this out or order crap unintentionally, man.

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

one reason why you have to watch the annoying ... "last week on ???" preambles. If they don't look familiar you need to investigate. ;-)

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[–] BruceBanner (59) 6 years ago

I saw that also, I had to go back to make sure I wasn't going mad! I persevered and then saw it went back to 'fill the gaps'... How does this even happen? Was it the uploader? Stitching the file incorrectly? SyFy? Odd... never seen that before.

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[–] TandyMan (11098) 6 years ago

Did this have a huge cliffhanger that would have been unresolved if Amazon didn't pick it up or did the story kind of wrap up already?

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

I'm not sure ... it seemed to end on a positive note, but set the stage for many more possible ways to go. I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Have you seen it or are you going to see it? I have some criticisms of it with respect to one character that seemed to go against their nature, but that made the whole show and it worked, even though it was dubious in my eyes.

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[–] TandyMan (11098) 6 years ago

I haven't seen any of the latest season yet. After I heard it was canceled I put it on the back burner.

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

All we can do is hope that it get picked up. I've heard NetFlix and I've heard Amazon. This has as much of more potential than any Star Trek sequels ... assuming they keep the same concepts and writing crew.

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[–] TandyMan (11098) 6 years ago

I thought season 4 at Amazon was a sure thing?

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

OK, if you say so ... great!

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[–] Ziggy (1799) 6 years ago

It's official.

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/the-expanse-season-4-amazon-1202823280/

There are several other articles that will show up if you google it.

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[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

"I haven't seen any of the latest season yet."
very brave of you to be posting in a thread called
"Fantastic last two episodes of S3 finale !!! ( CAREFUL - some spoilers )"

:D

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[–] RogueDemonHunter (2684) 6 years ago

Yeah. I'd say it was positive. If it all ended there, I wouldn't be super pissed.

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

It was a natural break point into something ... but to cancel it after they have so carefully developed these characters and this world would be a real shame. The characters are every bit as good as the original Star Trek cast, and much better really because they all have screen time and they are all the stars not just one over-acting hambone! ;-) I love Capt. Kirk really.

They could take that Mormon generation ship, and put all the actors on it and set out for new adventures all over the place and it would be great.

Even Clarissa Mao turned out to be OK and saved the universe. Just an all around great episode.

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[–] Eleazar (251) 6 years ago

Yes they were! Great tension. Great solutions. And finally that prick got his "lift" to where he belonged :)

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

you mean the belter punk?

i was disappointed in how they handled the David Strathairne character who was so great the whole season, and then went off the rails I thought. But the drink at the end was a pretty good save. I wonder if that was tacked in after they filmed a version where he got killed perhaps?

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[–] Eleazar (251) 6 years ago

Yes I meant Diego. Very pleasing scene. And good that Drummer survived. I really thought she was done.

And yes I liked Ashford, too. Great tension between him and Drummer.

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

What I don't understand and didn't particularly like is that this whole time the last 1/2 season or so they have built Ashford up as the model of reason and rationality, and then he he goes of his nut and first allows a bomb to be set off next to the ... whatever they're calling that alien station, and then decides after it reacted badly to try to attack it without getting agreement or all the information. Despite that though I did like the last scenes where Ashford and Drummer were having a toast. Ashford murdered someone on the bridge though so I wonder what will happen with him? He went nuts ... and that was so out of the character the crafted for him that it was a bid deal. It drove the whole finale, but still!

I really like these characters, The Martian Marine, and the whole Rocinante crew ... even Clarrisa Mao redeemed herself. It is nice not to see these braindead black/white good/evil BS shows and where everything is resolved by finding and killing the baddest character. Even the Pastor who was driving me mad with her pomposity I am ending up liking.

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[–] Eleazar (251) 6 years ago

I can never not like a character played by Elizabeth Mitchell ;)

I guess Ashford went nuts under all this stress and he clearly wasn't over his dead son - and for me he had this vibe off going of the rails the whole time he was on the screen. They made him look like he would take over the ship by force. Really liked that he didn't.

But you are right. It was a bit too much of questionable decisions they put on him - not even considering Holdens plan.

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

This whole time though Ashford/Strathairn was again and again the model of good, calm decision making, and then to have him crumble under the pressure of command was completely out of character ... BUT, I think that maybe without too much trouble they could have added some narrative that put his breakdown in some kind of context, but considering the whole plot revolved around him it was pretty much forced.

I have to admit though I just love watching them both together on stage, I've never seen so much chemistry between two actors that were not the romatic couple stars of a movie, and that scene where they were pinned by the farm machinery was really good.

But there are so many great characters in this show, thinking here specifically of the Rocinante crew, Amos and Alex and of course Naomi and Holden. I wonder how much if any they were influenced by "Firefly".

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[–] Ziggy (1799) 6 years ago

I understand what you guys are saying about Ashford, but I can't completely fault him for thinking that Holden wasn't going crazy. The only characters who believed he was talking to Miller were Naomi, Amos and Alex. Bobbi kept wanting to help him, but I'm not sure even she believed him.

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

Yeah, you do have a point, he thought he was doing what was the right thing, but he killed his first officer, or whatever Gregori was. That is what I was critical about, but also what was innovative about the series - that there was not a clear cut black and white, right and wrong take.

BUT ... the first mistake Ashford made was allowing the experiment of blowing up a nuke in proximity to the station. That is not quite as understandable to me. The logic was something like, well, we can't think or anything else to do so let's detonate a nuke right next to the station - and when they still should have been in fact-finding mode.

All in all a very brilliant and complex take in a sci-fi series ... I have not seem anything so nuanced and good for a long time, maybe since forever. I really like this series.

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[–] Ziggy (1799) 6 years ago

"but he killed his first officer ... That is what I was critical about"

Absolutely agree with you there. I knew Holden was going to end up being correct, but until Ashford killed that guy, I completely understood why Ashford was hesitant to believe Holden. I actually half expected that Marine to try to overpower Ashford or something. I was kind of surprised when I realized she seriously was sending Bobbi to stop them. Well, to stop Anna, anyway.

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

Ashford's first blunder was to allow the nuke detonation in proximity to the station. It would not have taken a genius to figure out that would be interpreted as a threat, and hence, that some submissive gesture would make sense. That whole plot line was really weak ... it's just that it worked out so well dramatically that I have to forgive them, plus as you mentioned the interplay of Ashford and Drummer was really magical, and funny to see Drummer bringing in a bottle to work out their differences at the close.

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[–] [email protected] (153) 6 years ago

I agree. Ashford acted in the last episode like he was "possessed" by an evil spirit, wanting to destroy the station and therefore the solar system. He even ordered to shoot Naomi when she was not pointing at him. Well, that's actually a direct message to SyFy and Amazon, like a stand off... "make up your mind fuckers":)

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[–] joegerardi (383) 6 years ago

I think you missed the very end- Drummer showed up with a bottle, yes, but Ashford turned his face away, like he didn't want anything to do with her. I got the feeling the whole season he was paying lip service and waiting for his chance to take over, outwardly helpful, but inwardly always plotting biding his time, and waiting for his moment to strike.

..Joe

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

I'll take your word for it that you are describing as you saw it.

The meaning you are imparting to that would not make sense to me, because Ashford is not stupid, he realized that he messed up worse than most people ever get a chance to ... I think he was ashamed to be given another chance. After all he was trying to murder her on false circumstances. I mean there is no point in keeping playing him going to the same way at this point because it would just be suspense-less because we all would know that he must die.

I guess we'll find out in the future. He could be a total psychopath, but that would make the show more formulaic and less interesting than it has been. I doubt he will ever get another chance to "strike" again in his life, people will be watching him.

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[–] joegerardi (383) 6 years ago

You're applying morals to a man didn't really have any- he was a pirate- that means he has killed innocents simply to get what he wants; he was also running guns for Dawes, and he knew the people that held those guns would kill people. And remember: when Holden surrendered, his reply was a simple "Shoot them."

He made his play for power and it failed. I don't think he wants anything to do with Drummer- she won.

Applying those Kumbaya touchy-feely attitudes is in direct contravention to everything he was, by his own words. People don't get do-overs.

He wouldn't have to die: in the spirit of The Belt becoming an equal to the Inners, they would try him and punish him legally, not just space him.

..Joe

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

Pirates of the Belt are outlaws because they are outlawed, not that evil. Ashford has a code that he was consistent with for the whole length of his appearance. Running guns to Dawes was helping the Belter's cause.

Why would he be so stupid and not see it. I don't think he is stupid enough to not notice that if Drummer had not won the whole of humanity might have been sterilized.

He make a series of errors from the start of when he allowed the bomb to go off ... that was stupid, and why would it have given him any power ... stupid is stupid ... not known as a great characteristic for leaders, with the possible exception of today's Presidents of the United States.

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[–] joegerardi (383) 6 years ago

Ah, I knew the Liberalism would rear its ugly head...

Especially when all the talk of "forgiving him" came up.

Okay. Let's end it here before I tear you a new one.

..Joe

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[–] brux (14724) 6 years ago

The only ugly head I see around here is yours, ugly brain and useless comments ... I put trolls on ignore.

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[–] joegerardi (383) 6 years ago

Please do.

..Joe

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[–] papamihel (1616) 6 years ago

It was a bit rushed IMO. I think they knew about the show being canceled and did their best to fit an entire book into something like 7 episodes.
But the season is much better than the first two and, considering how bad the books are getting, I can say that I'm more of a TV show fan than the book series fan now.

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[–] filmtenk (765) 6 years ago

I wonder if scifi can take back their decision to cancel the show.

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[–] legnadibrom (6236) 6 years ago

why would they?
amazon is airing the next season

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[–] filmtenk (765) 6 years ago

I’m guessing it’s too late even if they could. Why would they? Because the show is a success and loved by many. Maybe it’s not a sucess for scifi based on their business model.

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[–] Ziggy (1799) 6 years ago

My understanding is that the SYFY channel only made money when the show was watched live or on DVR within the first 3 days (or something like that). Waiting to watch it on DVR or watching through a streaming service didn't earn the SYFY channel any profit. Since most people either watch it later or watch it through a streaming service, SYFY wasn't making enough money.

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[–] willjbeau (725) 6 years ago

I think they rushed to fit in Abbadon's Gate so they could have something that felt like a proper season finale, and so they wouldn't have yet another "mid-season finale" the next year. I think they would have done it regardless of whether the show was "on the bubble", as they say.

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[–] TandyMan (11098) 6 years ago

The finale was a good ending to the whole Ring storyline, but I struggle to see what any of this season had to do with all the convoluted crazy crap in the first two seasons. This whole show was a mess and in the end it's just Stargate?

Whatever. I like the characters, there's now a cool world premise. Looking forward to seeing what Amazon does with it. Maybe it will be less of a chick show.

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[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

wow , im really gonna have to watch last couple of S3 again now S4 is out !

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