The Expanse: Season Two Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Expanse: Season Two Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 23, 2017

These aren't the voyages of some fancy starship traveling well beyond the solar system to places where no man has gone before. No, in The Expanse, the interstellar actions are limited to Earth's own back yard, a relative stone's throw out to Mars and the mid-system asteroid belt where competition for political dominance and resources define the future-current state of affairs. The show, both its excellent first season and its equally engaging and, well, narratively expansive second, deals in dense politics, expressive characters, quality visual effects, intense action, and no shortage of engaging and evolving plot dynamics that fluctuate along the arc and are influenced by all of the many moving pieces that are at work in any episode and through full seasons. Show Runner Naren Shankar has, in two seasons, put together one of the best shows on television, one that's narratively engaging, timely to contemporary audiences in the best tradition of the Sci-Fi genre, and supported by intense and engaging action. It's a full package with season two only building upon the best qualities from season one, evolving them in positive directions and expanding the show in favorable directions that promise a fantastic third season in 2018.

Official synopsis: Hundreds of years in the future, humans have colonized the solar system. The U.N. controls Earth. Mars is an independent military power. The planets rely on the resources of the Asteroid Belt, where air and water are more precious than gold. For decades, tensions have been rising between these three places. Earth, Mars and the Belt are all on the brink of war. And all it will take is a single spark.

The Expanse is unsurprisingly relevant, a show that offers fantastic and forward-thinking plot dynamics that clearly, but not intrusively, parallel so many of today's contentious geopolitical headlines, here simply transplanted into outer space and along some of the closer, astronomically speaking, areas around earth. The show's strengths lie in its diversity, not diversity it so often makes headlines today but diversity in narrative branches and the way they all tie together and influence one another, from intimate ship's operations to large-scale political dynamics. The show operates on many different levels, but congruently. Season two only builds on that. It's a continuation of season one, so the core hasn't changed, even as the basic plot line evolves. It's tight at 13 episodes, not so sprawling as to dilute it and not too brief to sell it short.

Season two follows basic follow-up guidelines. It's not necessarily bigger, though the show does grow within its confines. Characters grow too, but the show never feels inorganic or pushing for the sake of pushing. It finds a fantastic blend of action and drama, both in various scales, and the season's big threat -- the Protomolecule, which is more sinister than it sounds -- offers an enticing ebb and flow that promises severe consequences one way or the other. It's mysterious, alluring, dangerous, its origins unknown. The season does a great job of dripping out information with plenty left for season three, where it will no doubt further influence the show's larger sphere. Beyond that, though, is the expansion of narrative ideas, continued amazing visual effects, rock-solid and in-depth performances, quality character growth: it's everything fans could have wanted, and it's certainly one of the best shows going on TV today.

The following episodes comprise season two. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray packaging. Some spoilers follow.

Disc One:

• Safe: Miller, Holden and the crew of the Roci deal with the aftermath of their narrow escape from Eros. We meet Martian Marine Gunnery Sergeant Bobbie Draper and her platoon when the "Cuban Missile Crisis" between Earth and Mars heats up.
• Doors & Corners: With the aid of Fred Johnson and OPA fighters; Miller, Holden and the crew of the Roci stage a dangerous raid in search of information about the mysterious Protomolcule. On Earth, Avasarala learns an important truth about Fred Johnson.
• Static: Returning to Tycho Station, Holden and Miller butt heads about how the raid was handled. Meanwhile, Naomi and Alex deal with the post-traumatic stress of the incident in different ways. Holden and Amos interrogate an affectless scientist. Avasarala reaches out to an enemy to forge an unlikely alliance.
• Godspeed: Miller divises a desperate and dangerous plan that includes stealing the massive Mormon generation ship, the Nauvoo, to eradicate what's left of the Protomolecule on Eros; Holden, the Roci crew, and Fred reluctantly agree. Meanwhile, Avasarala discovers who is behind the Protomolecule project.

Disc Two:

• Home: It's a race against time as the Rocinante chases an asteroid, now hurling toward Earth. As Earth prepares for the worst, Avasarala is surprised to learn Holden is still alive and that the Rocinante may be Earth's only hope of averting a cataclysmic disaster.
• Paradigm Shift: Earth and Mars search for answers in the aftermath of the asteroid collision and Avasarala wages war against Jules-Pierre Mao. The Rocinante crew continue their quest of eradicating the Protomolecule. Naomi and Holden's difference in opinion cause Naomi to take actions into her own hands. Bobbie and her Martian fire team arrive on Ganymede and are faced with the unthinkable.
• The Seventh Man: The preparations for an Earth/Mars peace conference tightens the tension on Errinwright. Bobbie's debriefing uncovers a deeper mystery after the attack at Ganymede. Anderson Dawes uses the flow of refuges coming into Tycho for this own ends, threatening to destabilize the uneasy alliance between Fred Johnson and Holden.
• Pyre: As Naomi tracks down signs of the Protomolecule in unexpected corners of the solar system, Fred Johnson's control over the OPA begins to collapse. A traumatized refugee from Ganymede may hold the key to finding a new threat.
• The Weeping Somnambulist: Holden crosses his own ethical boundaries in order to sneak into the war zone in his hunt for the Protomolecule and the people behind it. Bobbie becomes a pawn in the political struggle between Earth and Mars, but Avasarala recognizes her a chance to expose the enemies of humanity on both sides of the negotiation.

Disc Three:

• Cascade: Holden leads his crew through the war-torn and failing station on Ganymede. Errinwright and Avasarala have a confrontation that changes their relationship forever, and Bobbie discovers a side of Earth that shakes her basic understanding of her enemy.
• Here There Be Dragons: The Roci crew make a gruesome discovery, unleashing something they can't comprehend. Bobbie makes a decision that changes her future and remakes her past, while Avasarala finally makes contact with the elusive Jules Pierre-Mao.
• The Monster and the Rocket: A horrible discovery in a secret lab pushes Naomi and Holden apart and sets the crew of the Roci against each other. Avasarala and Bobbie make a dangerous rendezvous with the fate of humanity in the balance, and a result that no one on either side could anticipate.
• Caliban's War: The relief of the Roci's narrow escape is shattered by an unexpected enemy, and the crew is forced to fight to save the ship. Avasarala is trapped by enemies and far from help, with Bobbie Draper her only chance to survive.

The Expanse: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Expanse: Season Two was digitally photographed, resulting in an image that's occasionally pasty but generally very favorable. Even with the mildly smooth surface textures, the image finds a satisfying level of detail. Facial features and clothes -- whether ragged attire, sharper threads worn by politicians, space suits, or crew uniforms -- deliver a pleasing level of depth and intimacy, never to the highest standards the 1080p format can deliver but certainly satisfying for this show. Environments of varied elements, again reflective of fancier political arenas, rough planet surfaces, or drab ship interiors, reveal enough textural muscle to please. Colors are stable. Much of the show features that drab and depressing black-and-blue color space that's so prominent these days, but there are certainly moments of increased diversity and stability where showy attire, natural greens, and other support details find enough boldness to please. Black levels hold satisfactorily deep. Flesh tones are largely fine within any given scene's color temperature. Noise and, to a lesser extend, banding and aliasing are occasionally visible, though none of it to any seriously detrimental level. All in all, this is a very good release from Universal.

The Expanse: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Expanse: Season Two features an expansive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It takes but a few minutes for the track to reach top form. The first episode begins with a battle scene that features explosive gunfire that zips around the stage with impressive authority and a quality low end support push. As the stage becomes filled with projectiles, impacts hit all over, too. Explosions deliver a healthy enough wallop, debris scatters around the listener, and the track's ability to pull the audience into any given action scene throughout the season is very impressive. Musical presentation is strong, too, delivering a near perfect showing where separation is seamless, detail is high, and balance is terrific. Ambient effects in various locales are naturally immersive. Dialogue is clear and well positioned and prioritized. The track handles all that's asked of it expertly, leaving no element behind. Fans should be very satisfied with the aggressive-as-needed listen.

The Expanse: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Expanse: Season Two contains supplements on all three discs, though all of the featurettes are fluff pieces. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

Disc One:

• Audio Commentary: Director Breck Eisner, Executive Producer/Writer Mark Fergus, Show Runner/Executive Producer/Writer Naren Shankar, and Actors Steven Strait and Dominique Tipper for "Safe." Supervising Producers/Writers Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck and Actor Cas Anvar for "Doors & Corners."
• The Expanse: Season 2 Trailer (1080p, 0:51).
• The Expanse: Season 2 Preview (1080p, 2:26): Four reasons to watch the show.
• A New Mission (1080p, 0:41): Another season preview by a different name.

Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: Executive Producer/Writer Mark Fergus and Senior Visual Effects Supervisor Bob Munroe for "Home." Show Runner/Executive Producer/Writer Naren Shankar and Supervising Producer/Writer Daniel Abraham for "Paradigm Shift." Executive Producer/Writer Mark Fergus and Cast Member Frankie Adams for "The Seventh Man." Show Runner/Executive Producer/Writer Naren Shankar and Cast Member Wes Chatham for "Pyre."

Disc Three:

• Top 9 Job Requirements (1080p, 2:46): A fun little fluff piece in which the cast discusses enjoying and experiencing some of the demands the show places on them.
• The Powerful Women of The Expanse (1080p, 1:42): A short-focus piece on a few of the show's female characters.
• We Love Our Fans (1080p, 0:39): The cast talks up the fans.
• Audio Commentaries: Executive Producer/Writer Mark Fergus and Cast Members Steven Strait and Shohreh Aghdashloo for "The Monster and the Rocket." Show Runner/Executive Producer/Writer Naren Shankar, Supervising Producer/Writer Ty Franck, and Cast Member Dominque Tipper for "Caliban's War."

The Expanse: Season Two Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Expanse makes for fantastic television. It's smart, sprawling, ever evolving, relevant, packed with excitement and quality visual effects, filled with great characters and strong performances. Season two only improves on the first. It's even more intense, well-written, bigger, and more confident. This is a high quality show all-around that promises even more of the same, if not better, in its can't-come-soon-enough third season. The Expanse: Season Two's Blu-ray features high quality video and audio. Supplements are limited to fluff beyond the commentaries -- some meatier insight outside of episode-specific commentaries would have been most welcome -- but they're better than nothing. Highly recommended.