THE EXPANSE 4x01 Season Premiere Reaction - "New Terra"

[@lisamadison2671]

It's so nice to see intelligent viewing of The Expanse. I always look forward to your viewings.

[@Mannchini]

‘It was astounding, Bobbie thought, how quickly humanity could go from “What unimaginable intelligence fashioned these soul-wrenching wonders?” to “Well, since they’re not here, can I have their stuff?”’

[@gearoidosullivan356]

That scene of the Roci landing and Naomi getting to walk on a planet for the first time gets me every time I see it. Great sci-fi. I mentioned it in a previous comment, but now that you are reading the books, it'd be cool if you did a special episode when you finish the TV series about the similarities and differences of book&tv show, and what worked or didn't work in terms of adaptation. Considering your own background in the industry. Sure there are a few bits here and there that didn't quite do it for me, but this is probably my favourite sci-fi show ever, and one of the best adaptations from book to tv ever IMO. Enjoy the season.

[@CodyTaylor115]

You don't realize it at first but once you have read the books you realize how fast they zoom through the story

[@ems7448]

I don't know if you noticed it already in this episode, Neil, but the show changes the aspect ratio continuously throughout this season, depending on the location, which I found to be a subtle but very neat effect. From an interview with the showrunner, Naren Shankar: "... We've never really done a frontier-planet kind of look on the show ever. ... What Ilus provided us was a way to kind of up the look of the show in a way we hadn't done before. We shot it in 2.39:1, so it’s a very wide aspect ratio, which gives you a sort of huge, you know, like Panavision Westerns, you get the massive, big, wild view of the world. Typically, that was done with anamorphic lenses ... so when you roll focus you see that weird shift as the picture sort of stretches and compresses; you see that in a lot of movies that are anamorphic. "... It gave Ilus a sort of eerie, otherworldly, alien quality to it. Because as soon as you're out there, the frame is bigger, it's wider. You feel the outdoors more. You feel the horizon. That was a great opportunity. And so, if you're watching closely, we mix those different aspect ratios. When we're back on the ship, we're back in 16:9, and the frame fills up. When you're on Ilus, it's 2.39:1 and the wide frame with bars. Your brain kind of factors it out pretty easily."

[@scambammer6102]

the change in scope and pacing of season 4 is refreshing after the frenzy of S3

[@nealaluna]

Your reactions to The Expanse are the best part of my Thursdays. Thank you, Neil. :)

[@magus104]

Meeting the parents has a whole new meaning when you have 8 of them

[@brauliob]

Although Naomi cringed at one of the father's attempt at Belter-creole, I think that she understood that they were trying to include her into her new Earth family. It shows that Holden's values were passed on to him from them and that they are good people too.

[@mascan7905]

Season 4 is explicitly styled as a Western, with settlers and land barons, and the Protomolecule playing the role of raiding Indians.

[@obelisk21]

You have referred to the protomolecule almost like it was a civilization. This isn't spoilerish because they discussed this already to some extent but the protomolecule is a piece of technology that is the base building block of the civilization that built the ring gates. Think of it as nanites that can be programmed to build anything. The ones on Phoebe that were sent toward the Sol system were instructed to build a ring gate to connect Sol to the gate system but they can build other things as well.

[@LeeCarlson]

Season Four of The Expanse blended together the novel "Cibola Burn," which is about the Illus/New Terra colony, and Bobbie's adventure in the novella "Gods of Risk."

[@Yesquire0]

Given the obsession every military organization has with absolute loyalty and following orders, Bobbie's fate seemed inevitable, but, damn, just like Peaches, helping save all of humanity doesn't seem to carry any weight when judgment time rolls around.

[@mmattson8947]

That's why it is important to get paid BEFORE you save humanity.

[@kirkdarling4120]

Bobbie did directly kill one Marine (that woman's eyes were glassy when she went down from Bobbies kick...she was dead) and was an accessory to the death of another. Besides, we already know how petty Martians are.

[@Sinewmire]

@@kirkdarling4120 Yeah, military superpowers don't tend to look kindly on disobedience.

[@kirkdarling4120]

@@Sinewmire You overlook my point. Bobbie KILLED a fellow Marine.

[@Sinewmire]

@@kirkdarling4120 From the perspective of martian command, what's worse? A Marine who killed a comrade for whatever reason, or a servant of uncertain loyalty?

[@snarflcat6187]

It’s amazing how much like Earth Canada looks!

[@NeilTalks]

We pride ourselves on our verisimilitude!

[@m.e.3862]

I think it’s the same abandoned quarry near Toronto where they filmed Star Trek Discovery exteriors

[@StarkRG]

Bobbie's not doing ship repairs, she's doing ship disassembly.

[@PsychoMuffinSDM]

I like that it is not just one belter perspective, but a bunch of them.

[@scambammer6102]

different earther perspectives too

[@ericc.6255]

I love when reactors can pick up on the subtle brilliance of this show. Alot of people miss what isn’t spoon fed to them. The little part about belters being “creatures of space” and the debate to settle on a planet… just great subtle world/culture building

[@LeeCarlson]

And while Avarsarela wants to prevent people from going through the gates to new worlds, the Royal Charter Energy has apparently finagled a charter from the UN and Mars to explore/exploit "New Terra."

[@kirkdarling4120]

Right. The UN is always up to something duplicitous against Belters, even under Avasarala. They can't let Belters get a break.

[@ОбразцовТимофей]

Music and views in this season are top tier.

[@HazrulNizamSidek]

Fidget Spinners! 😂 first time hearing them described like that!

[@LeeCarlson]

Life can take on a multitude of new forms when you are talking about worlds evolving on worlds around distant stars.

[@LeahB31]

Drummer says future generations will not be belters, but it seems like she forgot that her ancestors are from earth and a lot more generations at that.

[@kirkdarling4120]

I don't even think they would stop being Belters. But I'd point out that there are already two kinds of Belters. There are deep-space Belters like her and Naomi and Ashford; they live their entire lives on ships, marry, have families, die on ships. Then there are rock-dwelling Belters like Miller and Prax for whom (like Martians and Earthers) ships are just a way to get from one rock to another. I don't think the Ganymede refugees would ever stop being "Belters" in terms of recognizing their heritage, and I think a certain percentage of them would voluntarily return to ships every generation.

[@scambammer6102]

@@kirkdarling4120 Drummer says in 2 generations they will become inners. I think she is right.

[@kirkdarling4120]

@@scambammer6102 They aren't going to be any more Inners than Miller and Prax were already Inners. They were already "welwalas" in their own way, but they were NOT "innawalas." I don't think they'll ever been "innawalas." They'll never be natural allies of either Earth or Mars, unless there is some kind of future war against an enemy that threatens them all. That's the only reason the US ever became an ally of Britain...up until WWI and really up until WWII, the US rather disliked Britain and favored France.

[@thontor]

You have now left the SyFy era and entered the Amazon era of The Expanse

[@elvisibra]

S4 is steady, "slow burn" (actually if had couple eps more would be perfect), building up, very realistic (human realm) as The Expanse is/was i.e. should continue to be, with Protomolecule element added as more "magic" sci-fi. Very good season overall..

[@CodyTaylor115]

A "Cibola Burn" if you will

[@scambammer6102]

the pace is slower but there is still plenty of action and suspense

[@elvisibra]

@@scambammer6102 in retrospect: S4 is the best (other than 1st half of S5) and only true to what we used to know as The Expanse, of all Amazon-seasons.

[@pssthpok]

My thought as well, after the incredible ramp-up to the Everest peak that was S3E13, going larger would have been too much, I think. Scaling things back to a couple of grounded threads was just fine for me. And all the character growth was a wild bonus!

[@daxeah8472]

On first watch, I was not a fan of season 4. It didn't fit in with the rest of the show that we had seen up until this point. BUT the more I rewatch the show the more I grow to appreciate and enjoy this season. It is a slow burn but the writers really are using this season to build a foundation for seasons 5 & 6. I hope you relish this season as much as I do.

[@DrEsky914]

Yeah, it is just as much fun to rewatch as all of the other seasons! The performances are amazing and the new characters introduced are so interesting and memorable. I particularly love Bobbie's story which is not clear for a good part of the season. But just being on an alien planet, that is as sci fi as you can get and I love it every time! (even though it is really just Ontario Canada but it is still very cool!)

[@philipturner9087]

Sort poetic justice Ashford the space pirate has become a cop.

[@jamesholland5761]

Great reaction and analysis Neil! Welcome to season four! Yes the Rocinante is sexy! And that landing on Illus was spectacular! Watching Naomi take her first steps on a planet was emotional! Interesting scene between Amos and Clarissa! Looking forward to the next one!

[@jim3944]

Hey Neil - first time "catching up" with the reactions since I found your channel! Love the content, you pay so much attention and catch on to dialog & plot points that most reactors (especially group reactors) just miss. Sad I have to wait week to week now for new episodes :(. You definitely deserve a bigger following! I know you watched the pilot during your pilot week - but I highly recommend Black Sails if you end up running a poll/needing to make a decision for future series options. I think you'd love it. Keep up the good work!

[@bomjism]

Season 4 is a bit of a slow burn, so be ready for that. Still one of the greatest sci-fi shows ever.

[@mmattson8947]

If we think of this as the start of another trilogy of books (seasons), then this has build the foundation like season 1 did. It was also the first season after the show left SyFy and moved to Amazon, so there were probably a fair number of viewers who needed time to catch up to the seasons they hadn't seen before.

[@vorpalrobot]

Welcome to the Western season. We had the mystery season, political thriller season, and sci fi season.

[@gregdesouza17]

Season 4 is the best Written season in my opinion. The others have higher highs, but season 4 is the perfect pocket season, the sheer amount of set up and pay offs, well done tension increase, the microcosmos of conflict, it is a full conflict season (man vs nature and other man and also god)

[@elvisibra]

​@@gregdesouza17 Nothing wrong with S4; realistic, steady, well written (mostly), kept all strengths of The Expanse, kept existing in already carefully and well established world (different to after S4), and in retrospect, S4 is (turned out to be) actually the best Amazon-Season of the show.

[@Loked420]

Glad to hear you're reading the books. Once you've wrapped up the series for both the show and the books, I would love to hear your thoughts on all the various changes that were made.

[@lithium23]

Mars is post-cold war vibe now that 100s of habitable planets became accessible

[@gabsrants]

Swarm of fidget spinners - that's actually a very good name, I'll call em that from now on.

[@theoriginalkimerli]

21:30 Roci is a vehicle of space

[@PsychoMuffinSDM]

Don’t forget the novellas too. I think actually a big box set came out, or is about to, which has all of those, and includes the last novella I think. I just read them in release order.

[@kirkdarling4120]

Not all "Belters" are creatures of space. Miller and Prax, for instance. The Ganymede refugees prefer to live on a rock rather than on a ship, which is why they were so desperate to get to a Ring planet. They're not "inners," but they are, essentially, "rockwalas." Alex has almost certainly been out on the surface of Mars in a suit, but we know Martians haven't experienced a large-planet horizon or open skies, so he should have felt the same discomfort we saw Bobbie and other Martians experience on Earth. Oh, well. I hope you paid close attention to Security Chief Mutry's conversation with the (now deceased) commander of the Edward Israel. Although there is a three-way treaty between the UN, Mars, and the OPA, Earth and Mars have given Earth mining corporation RCE (Royal Charter Energy) a charter to prospect and mine Ilus (New Terra). The OPA was cut out of that negotiation. In the series, that charter was granted to the RCE Corporation after the Ganymede Refugees had discovered and begun mining lithium on Ilus (Avasarala ostensibly is not allowing any colonization because it's too dangerous...yet, she allowed a mining charter to RCE). Murtry's job, as he outlined it to the commander, is to force the Belters to turn over their valuable mineral claims for RCE, a job he said he'd done many times before. That's an old story of the Old West, most recently being told in the current Netflix series "1923." There are two known samples of Protomolecule left: The blob on the Roci and the sample Fred Johnson holds. You don't seem to have followed Proto-Miller zooming to Ilus as soon as the Roci went through the Ring.

[@MatthewCallison]

"Peaches" (because peach melba). :-)

[@bryanm1225]

Neil, I’m not able to watch this episode for free on Patreon as you’ve described. It works for other season openers like The Expanse 3x01 but not this one. Is it an issue of settings on your end or do I need to do something different on my end?

[@NeilTalks]

Thanks for the heads up, Bryan. I tweaked the settings and it should be free for you to check out now. Cheers!

[@bryanm1225]

@@NeilTalks It works now. Thank you.

[@rodentnolastname6612]

Of note; they change the adpect ratio when on the planet. 😮

[@garethking5322]

As a Space Western Season 4 for me felt the most "Star Trek" - in a good way; in a way modern Star Trek should be! So i like Season 4 more than most - but generally I think its being reappraised as very good - but had mixed reports at the time.

[@bambusbjorn3508]

the only thing that threw me a little of was landing with reaction control thrusters only ... those steaming things are way to less powerful to accomplish that.

[@evilvolts]

This was the 1st episode on the Expanse's new home Amazon Prime after Scifi channel dropped them so they had a much better budget

[@DrEsky914]

Well as Ty says over and over, the budget didn't increase much but their skill at filming and CGI etc got better and better!

[@ddanielsandberg]

Sol ring - the name of our sun is Sol. Which if you think about, makes it wrong to call other star systems "solar systems". They should be called Vega system, Epsilon Eridani system, etc...

[@caseyshultz5447]

not 'wrong', exactly. "solar" as an adjective has never referred explicitly to Sol, our local star, but to stars in general. we just refer to the Sol system as 'the solar system' because it was the first example of a solar system we had (and is still the one we use to explain the concept in school). it wasn't until astronomy got advanced enough that we really pieced together that OUR solar system wasn't 'THE' solar system, but just 'A' solar system. and The Expanse novels do a really good job of referring to each system by the star's name (or perhaps by the name of the primary colony in each system), including calling "the solar system" just "Sol system"

[@alienanxiety]

I found it surprising that after season 3, when the show moved from SyFy to Amazon Prime, the scale of the show seemed to shrink. Not necessarily in terms of budget, but in terms of the scope of the story. Season 4 feels very contained, at times almost like a Western, and reminds me of John Carpenter’s “Ghosts of Mars”, in terms of the New Terra sets, although this is a fantastic and intelligent show and Ghosts of Mars is the worst thing Carpenter ever did. But I digress.

[@scambammer6102]

I think S4 is a refreshing change of pace.

[@brauliob]

Being a Martian, Alex has some advantages over Naomi. Mars is rich enough to afford the best drugs for dealing with gravity than most Belters would; remember Miller explaining about substandard "bone juice" that Belters get? Plus, 20 years driving a transport for the MCRN may have exposed him to more chances to fortify his body.

[@NeilTalks]

Plus, I'm sure Alex has spent some time on Mars itself, therefore grew up with Martian gravity of .6 or whatever it may be. My point was more that this may be the very first time that he was breathing a planetary atmosphere instead of being onboard a ship or under a dome.

[@kirkdarling4120]

@@NeilTalks Alex should have suffered the same reactions they showed Martians suffering on Earth in season 2.

[@philipturner9087]

No need to fight? We. Are humans we can always find reasons to fight it’s in our nature.

[@MusikCassette]

5:15 U R an Ice - guy?

[@internaut4257]

I think you look a bit like an older version of james holden

[@josephkrengel]

You know what happens when you assume...

[@donstrader]

I was going to be a pedantic and correct you on how to pronounce "corollary" but discovered your pronunciation is the UK English pronunciation /kəˈrɒl.ər.i/ opposed to the US /ˈkɔːr.ə.ler.i/. Never knew US and UK had differing pronunciation on that word