The Expanse is probably the only really good hard science fiction program on television right now. Based on a series of novels written by (pseudonym) James S. A. Corey, The Expanse takes place something like 300 years in the future, when Earth is controlled by a United Nations government, Mars has been colonized and become a "nation" independent of Earth, and the asteroid belt has been colonized and become a rather dependent independent "nation." Earth and Mars each have their own military forces and appear to be on the verge of war with one another, and if war were to break out, the belt would likely be caught in the proverbial middle.
I'm not going to write about the story here, as I don't want to spoil anything for those who watch it or may watch it in the future. Instead, I'll just write about a few observations that I have made that have impressed me about thew show.
First, there are the ship designs. Rather than sleek-looking starships or massive battlestars, neither of which I have any problems with, the people of The Expanse travel through space in relatively smaller and more "realistically" designed vessels that use chemical propulsion engines and thrusters, do not have artificial gravity, and completely and properly ignore the science of aerodynamics, which does not apply in space. As much as I like starships and battlestars, it is nice to see a more "realistic" science fiction series.
Second, there are the differences in language. Over the roughly three centuries between our present reality and the time during which this series takes place, Terrans, Martians, and Belters have all developed their own forms of what was once a single English language. Not only would that likely happen in reality, but in many cases it also helps viewers to know immediately from where a particular character comes.
Third, there is the grittiness. One well known and often subconsciously accepted aspect of Star Trek is that it was always clean. The starships' interiors were clean. The main characters were always clean-cut. Their uniforms were always clean. That is not always the case in this show. Some characters have strange tastes in hairstyles. While the government leaders and military officers usually look their best, other recurring characters often get their hands dirty. They drink, they fight, they whore around, they hook up with shipmates, etcetera. They are like...real people, with real problems, real personality quirks, real issues.
I wrote above that I wasn't going to talk about the story, but I will say this. At the core of the story there is a real science-fictiony event -- an event that started out very subtly and has grown in importance as the series progresses, allowing the viewer to discover things as the characters discovered them.
If you like good, solid, science fiction, I highly recommend this show.
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