8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A police detective in the asteroid belt, the first officer of an interplanetary ice freighter and an earth-bound United Nations executive slowly discover a vast conspiracy that threatens the Earth's rebellious colony on the asteroid belt.
Starring: Thomas Jane, Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper, Cas Anvar, Wes ChathamSci-Fi | 100% |
Mystery | 20% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Based on the writings of Author James S. A. Corey (a pen name for the duo of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck), SyFy's The Expanse takes a look at a grim, dark future where technology has advanced to allow man to colonize the stars but has not seen man evolve in tandem. The ten-episode first season is part noir mystery and part complex science fiction, exploring a relatable human condition within a much broader scope of place and time. Stylishly dour, insightfully dense, and incredibly detailed, the show tells a story that's fantastically futuristic but tangibly relatable and aware, exploring the human condition as it is and will be in the broader prism of the politics and social structures of a future that looks different but feels eerily the same.
The detective.
Much of The Expanse: Season One's 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer favors a cold, bleak, dreary, gray- and blue-dominant color scheme. It's uninviting at best and inhospitable at worst, a rather grim façade that accentuates the series' noir underpinnings and darker themes. The show does occasionally allow for a more neutral or, at times, robust palette where flesh tones enjoy a fuller, healthier appearance and clothing and accents find positive, popping colors that don't simply blend into the dulled and diluted tinting. Detailing is fine-to-exceptional, though the digital photography and resultant flatness, combined with the mostly gloomy overlay, doesn't do much of it any real favors. Basic, organic elements like faces find enough complexity to please demanding viewers, while the series' environments that are often some combination of gritty and futuristic enjoy enough tactile texturing to help draw the viewer into the world. Aliasing is plentiful in lower end digitally animated effects shots, while other maladies, like banding and macroblocking, are largely absent.
The Expanse: Season One's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack packs in plenty of interesting little details and presents the broader sonic picture with aplomb. Many of the creaks, rattles, beeps, bloops, and other sounds of space travel are tightly interwoven into the larger sonic landscape, creating a real sense of sensory placement and immersion in various star side locations. Grounded city streets bustle with a favorable level of background activity. Music presents with an authoritative posture that pushes through the front and wraps around the back. The rears are seemingly always active in some form or fashion, whether carrying important details or supporting minor ambient effects. Directional detailing is a plus for the track, too, as sounds maneuver about the stage with effortless precision. The soundscape isn't perfectly polished, but that seems as if by design; like the worlds in which the show takes place, it's all a little loose and imperfect, but those imperfections actually often equal a more robust and rewarding listening experience. Dialogue is almost always well prioritized, only occasionally drifting under supportive details. Clarity and positioning are fine, whether hushed whispers or at rallies where speech reverberates about the soundstage.
The Expanse: Season One contains deleted scenes for "Dulcinea" (1080p, 2:12) on disc one, and that's it. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.
The Expanse: Season One offers a strong combination of action excitement and complex human dealings as man expands his base and explores his universe. The central concept: the more things change, the more they stay the same. Conflict, greed, social structures, political squabbles, mistrust, and prejudice all define a future world that's very different but instantly recognizable. It's a very well done show, supported by several strong lead performances and production design that accentuates the themes without covering them with flash. Universal's Blu-ray release of The Expanse: Season One delivers high quality video and audio. Supplements are disappointingly limited to about two minutes' worth of deleted scenes. Still, the set comes recommended on all other fronts.
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