# The Expanse; season 3 (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 11, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247 "2018-04-11T22:07:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/181 "2019-04-05T02:39:50Z")
I haven’t been able to find anything, but is there a firm launch date for season 4? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/182 "2019-04-05T03:40:10Z")
[Last I heard was from February](https://deadline.com/2019/02/expanse-season-4-premiere-date-1202556783/): > [@](#): > > As to when that will happen, “Hopefully, we are working toward having it on before the end of the year,” he said, later reiterating that the plan for The Expanse is to return before the end of 2019. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/183 "2019-05-29T03:50:22Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > And that 8th book was delayed from Dec 2018, but [it is out now](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiamat%27s_Wrath). An unnecessary bump to say I just finished the 8th book (_Tiamat’s Wrath_), and I thought it was one of the best yet. IMO, the series hit a low spot with _Nemesis Games_, but it has been steadily climbing since. And they’re still saying end of 2019 for season 4. Can’t wait! ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/184 "2019-05-29T14:27:34Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I figured that might the case, but source material has a way of creeping back in… That’s my kinda woman! I can see where casting for that role might have been difficult tho. Yeah, she’s described as basically being some kind of hot looking female version of Dwayne Johnson. As in, 6’6", 220 lbs, fit and muscular, as well as pretty. I suspect Frankie Adams is about as good as they were likely to do as far as casting is concerned- she’s a 5’11" Samoan boxer/actress. And I agree with **Mean Joe**. They did a poor job of conveying the sense (through Holden) that as powerful as the protomolecule is, there was a race that created it and the gates. And that there’s something ELSE out there that was wrecking them wholesale- enough so that they started wasting entire star systems to try and defeat/stop it. And that they failed. That’s kind of the underlying simmering fear that underlies the next stage of the overall story, and they haven’t done much of a job of setting that up. Maybe the plan is to set it up as they expound on **Cibola Burn’s** storyline. I have fears that they’ll fuck Cibola Burn up though, since it takes place almost exclusively on Ilus/New Terra and is very Holden-centric, and the showrunners will feel like they have to introduce a lot of spaceflight stuff and ensemble cast stuff to keep people interested, and probably end up changing the storyline for the worse to accomodate it. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/185 "2019-05-29T16:48:57Z")
> [@bump](#): > > And I agree with **Mean Joe**. They did a poor job of conveying the sense (through Holden) that as powerful as the protomolecule is, there was a race that created it and the gates. And that there’s something ELSE out there that was wrecking them wholesale- enough so that they started wasting entire star systems to try and defeat/stop it. And that they failed. > > That’s kind of the underlying simmering fear that underlies the next stage of the overall story, and they haven’t done much of a job of setting that up. Maybe the plan is to set it up as they expound on **Cibola Burn’s** storyline. > > I have fears that they’ll fuck Cibola Burn up though, since it takes place almost exclusively on Ilus/New Terra and is very Holden-centric, and the showrunners will feel like they have to introduce a lot of spaceflight stuff and ensemble cast stuff to keep people interested, and probably end up changing the storyline for the worse to accomodate it. Thank you! :-D. I think you bring up a good point, with Cibola Burns the story becomes very self-contained to Holden and Ilus/New Terra. For me I disliked that divergence from the broader story and involvement of the crew that had been told so far. I mean, I get in context of the broader story you’re going to have these conflicts with settlement of these worlds but this just was too focused on the events on-planet so to speak and that is what this story is about but… I dunno, I just didn’t like it as much. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/186 "2019-05-29T17:48:23Z")
> [@MeanJoe](#): > > Thank you! :-D. I think you bring up a good point, with Cibola Burns the story becomes very self-contained to Holden and Ilus/New Terra. For me I disliked that divergence from the broader story and involvement of the crew that had been told so far. I mean, I get in context of the broader story you’re going to have these conflicts with settlement of these worlds but this just was too focused on the events on-planet so to speak and that is what this story is about but… I dunno, I just didn’t like it as much. I have faith they will expand the story beyond Ilus and Holden by pulling in content from later books or the novellas. Remember, Avasarala was in season 1 despite not being a character in the first book at all. The showrunner said “The book Cibola takes place entirely on Ilus… We are going to tell that story in Season 4, sure, but we’re not leaving Earth and Mars and the Belt behind.” That said, _Cibola Burn_ wasn’t my favorite book, so I do share some of your concern. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/187 "2019-05-30T12:27:00Z")
I’m pretty sure they’ll start investigating the ships vanishing while passing through the ring gates and the parts of the Martian fleet also mysteriously vanishing while the Roci is in the Ilus system. My bet is that Bobbie will be looking into that stuff, on the orders of Chrisjen & Fred. They’ll probably also start foreshadowing the Free Navy and maybe even Laconia stuff. **Book spoilers galore** , do not look if you haven’t read them. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/188 "2019-05-30T15:46:14Z")
We probably should spin off a book thread… ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/189 "2019-07-20T23:10:41Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I haven’t been able to find anything, but is there a firm launch date for season 4? [December 13th](https://io9.gizmodo.com/hell-yeah-the-expanse-season-4-finally-has-a-trailer-a-1836427380). (A Friday, FWIW.) ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/190 "2019-07-22T22:05:59Z")
The scene of the Roci descending through the atmosphere and touching down looks fantastic. And in his brief appearances, Burn Gorman as Murtry is more than sufficiently bad-ass. If he has a decent amount of screen time, I’m a little less worried about the Ilus story line being boring. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/191 "2019-07-22T22:36:04Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > The scene of the Roci descending through the atmosphere and touching down looks fantastic. If you manage to not think about all the things that would be burned away or torn loose on a real craft that looks like that, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/192 "2019-07-22T23:12:33Z")
I manage it just fine. I like hard sci fi, but I’m always willing to sacrifice scientific realism for the sake of the story or a good visual. ---
**Author:** ![BeagleJesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5daacb/32.png) [@BeagleJesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeagleJesus)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/193 "2019-07-23T12:27:27Z")
Everything about this show is so well crafted, the characters are compelling, the dialog is witty and interesting, and the visuals are damn near orgasmic. I haven’t read the books so I would appreciate it if someone could answer a few questions: - Does Bobbie Draper ever become a permanent part of the Rocci crew? At the end of last season she was strapping in next to Alex and she is such an awesome character I would love to see her get a lot more screen time. - In the books, is Holden as wooden as Steven Strait portrays him on screen or is Steven just a bad actor? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/194 "2019-07-23T12:30:14Z")
> [@BeagleJesus](#): > > Everything about this show is so well crafted, the characters are compelling, the dialog is witty and interesting, and the visuals are damn near orgasmic. > > I haven’t read the books so I would appreciate it if someone could answer a few questions: > > - Does Bobbie Draper ever become a permanent part of the Rocci crew? At the end of last season she was strapping in next to Alex and she is such an awesome character I would love to see her get a lot more screen time. Sort of, IIRC. Not really “permanent” – more like reoccuring, I’d say. > [@](#): > > - In the books, is Holden as wooden as Steven Strait portrays him on screen or is Steven just a bad actor? I think Strait has improved, but book Holden is still kind of a do-gooder, which is a hard kind of character to make compelling, IMO. But Strait is still probably the weakest of the main actors. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/195 "2019-07-23T12:38:25Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > If you manage to not think about all the things that would be burned away or torn loose on a real craft that looks like that, maybe? We don’t know what materials they’re made of, or how strongly they’re bolted on. Also, because it’s a powered descent, it’s moving much slower than, say, a Space Shuttle did when landing. Modern spacecraft hit the atmosphere at orbital speeds, which is why they come in so hot; the Roci probably decelerated to much slower than than before it reached the planet. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/196 "2019-07-23T13:03:51Z")
I also have to add that it’s really _weird_ seeing those characters outside, in daylight. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/197 "2019-07-23T14:14:58Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > We don’t know what materials they’re made of Obviously handwavium. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/198 "2019-07-23T14:34:45Z")
You don’t think we’ll have stronger materials 300 years in the future? We have stronger materials now than we had 300 years in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/199 "2019-07-23T14:34:53Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > If you manage to not think about all the things that would be burned away or torn loose on a real craft that looks like that, maybe? > [@Alessan](#): > > Also, because it’s a powered descent, it’s moving much slower than, say, a Space Shuttle did when landing. Modern spacecraft hit the atmosphere at orbital speeds, which is why they come in so hot; the Roci probably decelerated to much slower than than before it reached the planet. Yeah, this is the main factor. Once you allow the Unobtanium Drive that is the “Epstein Drive” in the show, there’s lots of things you can do that current spacecraft simply can’t. After all, the only reason current spacecraft have to move at “orbital speeds” is that this is the only way we currently have to avoid plummeting to the surface under the influence of gravity. But with drives that can routinely accelerate at 3-10 Gs for days, weeks, or even months at a time, even if they’re rat-ass rock-hoppers, hovering over a planet at 1 G is easy. The only limit would be fuel, and the fuel limits are exactly what the Epstein Drive was supposed to overcome. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247/200 "2019-07-23T14:39:07Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > You don’t think we’ll have stronger materials 300 years in the future? We have stronger materials now than we had 300 years in the past. I think (as with most of the great technological leaps that we have had in the past couple of centuries) we are much closer to the ending than to the beginning. And no, I do not think we will ever reach the stage where heat shielding and aerodynamics are no longer a factor in entry vehicle design. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-expanse-season-3-open-spoilers/812247.md?page=11)