The Expanse

:

Season 5
Season #: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
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Critic Reviews

  1. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Zack Handlen
    Dec 15, 2020
    91
    None of these storylines are duds, and the ways in which they all interact with one another to varying degrees remains one of the show’s greatest accomplishments.
  2. Paste Magazine
    Reviewed by: Alexis Gunderson
    Dec 15, 2020
    88
    For fans who want a bit more going on than a bunch of solo heroes working through their own long, dark teatimes of the soul, I can see it being a bit of a slog. That said, a bit of a slog, when it comes to The Expanse, is still a deeply satisfying, multisensory experience, and for all that the interpersonal stories are smaller this season, it is still as beautiful to look at as ever.
  3. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Steve Greene
    Dec 16, 2020
    83
    Even with the protomolecule saga relatively sidelined this season, “The Expanse” draws so much strength from exposing how fragile an expansive society like this is.
  5. The Telegraph
    Reviewed by: Ed Power
    Dec 16, 2020
    80
    The Expanse’s complexity risks turning off the casual viewer. Yet its portrayal of a multi-faceted and morally ambiguous future brimming with dozens of heroes and villains remains a stunning achievement. For those prepared to commit the necessary time and attention, it’s an absolute blast.
  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Mike Hale
    Dec 15, 2020
    70
    If you can look past some wooden dialogue and stiff acting, however, the new season might be the show’s best as an adventure-drama delivery system — the creators have only gotten better at pacing and packaging a taut conspiracy thriller over 10 weeks.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 79 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 79
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 79
  3. Negative: 15 out of 79
  1. Kims
    Feb 6, 2021
    1
    Love Seasons 1-4.
    This season felt more like a soap opera than Action & Adventure.
    It lacks all the elements that make the past seasons great.
  2. flowirin
    Feb 3, 2021
    2
    This is not the same show anymore. It has morphed from an interesting character led scifi / astropolitical /thriller / mystery into aThis is not the same show anymore. It has morphed from an interesting character led scifi / astropolitical /thriller / mystery into a grindingly boring psychodrama with extra emoting, with all the other stuff resolved off screen or in very short segments.

    The showrunners have declared their colors on social media, attacking anyone who doesn't like their change in direction as sexist or racist so the thing is pretty much done.

    One of the actors has been accused of off-screen impropriety, but instead of recasting, they literally killed him, off screen, then made us watch the actor they've been shoving into our faces at every opportunity (2-3 minutes of nothing but their face and emoting at a time) emote about how it is her fault. Not once, either. I think they have a fetish for the actress or something.

    At any rate, the show has jumped the shark. The actual plot is reduced to tiny slots and the episodes that should have been devoted to it is instead wasted on dramatic, emotional nonsense and bad acting that is probably supposed to make us feel something. I'm not their target audience anymore, they seem to have pivoted towards the reddit/twitter ever-adolescents instead.

    The review sites are flooded with 2 line "best show evah!" and "Season 5 is action packed", and "season 5 is the peak" bogus reviews, so you know that they know that it is an absolute stinker. Be interesting to see if 6 actually gets made now. If it does, i'm not paying to watch it.,    … Full Review »
  3. CodyYoung
    Jan 1, 2021
    3
    There are quite a few factors one might consider when distinguishing between good cinema and poor. Individual variables such as writing,There are quite a few factors one might consider when distinguishing between good cinema and poor. Individual variables such as writing, acting, directing, production value et cetera et al are all invaluable in determining where the major faults may lie, but ultimately they are utterly immaterial if the most base aspiration is ignored: whether or not the production is convincing.

    Whether it is compelling, how well it is executed, these are distant and secondary considerations which will not matter if the audience can not be convinced of the reality - of the setting, of the characters, of the stakes. If they cannot be convinced it is real, or at the very least that they should want it to be real, then they will never be convinced they should care.

    I don't enjoy writing this. I discovered this show before I knew there were books. I roped a lot of friends into watching it after seeing the very promising first season and we would get together every season that followed for the first aired episodes, My friends got into the books and passed them back to me. All of which is to say I was very much invested. All of us shared a lot of enthusiasm concerning this series even as Amazon acquired the rights and believed Amazon would provide the only two things the series had ever seemed to lack: A spotlight and a larger market.

    Season 4 was really rough, but there was a lot of confidence that showed through. Season 5, however, is listless. Nothing sells the tensions or the stakes, none of the narrative archs track well, the production value is very thin, with messy, indistinct sets and tight framing which seems as though the directors and showrunners were more concerned with concealing what was not present rather than showcasing what was. The acting has always been inconsistent, some of the talent this season is much better than in previous seasons while inhabiting the same roles (special emphasis Wes Chatham and Chad L. Coleman) while a few of the new additions are also supremely competent despite still trying to find greater comfort with the material. It is good to see greater strides on this front it is simply a pity forward progress isn't obvious anywhere else.

    This season feels tired and as a result it absolutely fails to be convincing in any meaningful way and I feel confident that if nothing changes it will be put to sleep after another season if not sooner. The only thing worse would be if it were to be allowed to continue as it is now on life support.    … Full Review »
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