BSG really wrote themselves in a corner in season 3 and after that seemed to rely a lot on the Deus Ex Machina of Starbuck's visions. I also got annoyed at how much BSG went out of the way to create conflict between the characters. That I think was the big flaw with BSG and Stargate Universe is that you have characters who are very accomplished but are so flawed they do routinely do things that sabotage their own survival. While there is a lot of conflict in the Expanse I think it makes more sense given the nature of the characters and the situation. Holden and his crew aren't well trained military personnel, scientists or administrators. Holden is almost a Forest Gump character who happens to blunder into things that affect the fate of the Solar System. Miller is a failed detective looking for redemption who happens to be handed a cast that is meant to be simple but far more complicated and important. Avasarala is a conniving politician but uses her political skills expertly to advance an issue she thinks is important.
If you say so. Yeah those soapy plots that ran through BattleStar were so interesting. I really liked BS and watched it twice but I like The Expanse better. To each his own.
I agree, BSG went off the rails and SGU had smart people doing dumb things, but they were still entertaining shows IMO. The Expanse is just boring. You have all these cool things going on with the setting of the show, but the plot is so boring to me. I feel nothing for what is going on. The episodes just wash over you.
I'm reading the series and watching the show and the first two books are good but 3 and 4 are a formula-matic slog -- the show has some good episodes but imo has generally been disappointing. I thought the move to Amazon would bring more money and a new energy, but it's just been meh -- I'm taking an extended break from the books because 3 and 4 were pretty boring tbh. BSG is great but... so many episodes and so much filler -- I wish there was a breakdown of episodes to skip. Definitely a pre bring tv show.
I quit reading Babylon’s Ashes because it was so dull. I need to read a recap and move to Persepolis Rising because it looks a little more interesting.
To each their own. I find the characters on the Expanse very interesting well acted. Avasarala is one of my favorite characters in Sci-Fi and loved in the 3rd season how she and Bobbi Draper played off of each other. To me she's very similar to Tyrion Lannister from GOT. Like Tyrion Lannister she's a manipulator who can be corrupt and greedy but still keeps the greater good at heart. Much of the story of The Expanse is driven by her efforts to protect humanity even when it means going against the narrow interests of the Earth. Also her cut downs of those who oppose her and underestimate are great and very well done by Shohreh Aghdashloo. I like Bobbi Draper too and think the actor really does a good job of portraying her as a good soldier put into very bad situations. She's the type of the character that I think works that while there is a a lot of conflict with her and others in the Martian military I don't get the feeling it's forced like in BSG or SGU, where you wonder how did any of these people actually get to be high ranking officers or scientific team leaders. Bobbi acts like a marine trying to live up to principles. Her conflicts arise not out of pettiness or personal pique but because she sees her principles collide with loyalty to Mars. It's not like one day she woke up and decided that she could run the Martian military better than her CO. The most wooden character is Holden but I think he works as the straight man that everything works around. There are a lot of shows / movies where the main character is the least interesting character and in some cases they are too wooden to make it work but I think Holden is done well enough and Steven Strait does a good enough job that he's not a drag. He shows just enough annoyance and confusion at what's happening around him that he does feel like just the average guy thrust into very unusual situations.
This. I enjoy the way have humanized everybody and you understand their motivations. My 2 favorite characters are probably Amos and Camina. And just because they gave a great role to Chad Johnson I will always be grateful.
