Season 5 of The Expanse aired its last episode on February 3rd, 2021, with its most compelling narrative arc so far, which is hardly surprising since it portrayed the events of Nemesis Games, one of the best books in this amazing series. As I was looking for some cast interviews and discussions on the recently concluded season, I stumbled on the information for this podcast, hosted by Ty Franck (who together with Daniel Abraham gave life to the authorial duo of James S.A. Corey) and Wes Chatam (the actor who plays Amos Burton on the screen). The second half of the podcast’s name comes from a remarkable “Amos Moment” in Season 3, the famous line: “I am that guy” – one of my favorite scenes, indeed…
The podcast is a sort of companion to the YouTube aftershow chats that went online once the single episodes aired on Amazon: I still have to watch the after shows, because I want to do a complete re-watch of Season 5, prior to writing my review, but the podcast looks like an interesting way of… filling the corners, so to speak, and learning something more about the genre at large.
In this first episode, the two hosts talk about the way the 1979 movie Alien inspired the creators of The Expanse: it was a fascinating listening experience because of the parallels between the two worlds, certainly, but also because it helped me to look at both The Expanse and Alien from angles I had never considered before. For example, both aboard the Nostromo and in the Belt you can forget the glitzy atmospheres of many SF backgrounds, like Trek’s: Alien’s ship and the Belter settlements are working environments, often cramped, dark, dirty, and the people living in them are not dashing, well-dressed officers doing heroic deeds, but ordinary persons doing their job and working hard for their wages.
While talking about Ridley Scott’s seminal movie, Franck and Chatam explore The Expanse’s themes and characters starting from Season 1, and I was surprised and delighted by the fascinating details that came out of the chat: both of them are fun, charming people and listening to them was a joy. If you are a fan of The Expanse – both the books and the TV series – I can heartily recommend this podcast: it will turn out to be time well spent 🙂
If you are interested, here are the links:
Enjoy!
Space and Sorcery 
I watched the first season when it came out but after that, my screen watching time just shrank so I had to prioritize 🙂
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Dividing time between books and TV is indeed a struggle, because I like both mediums – but for The Expanse I can always make an exception, because I love both the books and the show 🙂
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Isn’t it nice when it works out like that? 😀
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There’s nothing better than listening to creators talk about their influences, so I can see why this would be a lot of fun😁
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And they are both fun, delightful people, which enhances the listening experience 🙂
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I love learning about creative processes! That’s the kind of podcast I would love listening to!
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After listening to them I decided I need to re-watch Alien: it’s been a long time, and I’m certain their comments will make the experience more interesting 🙂
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Oh, yes. I am interested. Thanks.
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You’re very welcome! Enjoy 🙂
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This is one of those series that I let lapse – and I fully intend to get back into, again. So I will definitely keep the Podcast in mind. Thank you for sharing the links, Maddalena:)).
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You’re more than welcome! I have been literally *pestering* anyone who would listen about either reading the books or watching the TV show. I can be very obnoxious… 😀 😀
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Nonsense – you’re adorable! Anyone who pesters others about reading books is a DIAMOND:))
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oh, wow… 🙂
Thanks!
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I’m really not up to date on podcasts, so thanks for pointing this one out! I’ll have to take a look, especially since the creators are involved…
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It’s also a lively, fascinating production: this episode lasts close to an hour and yet it flew by very quickly 🙂
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I need to catch up on that show–I think I’m somewhere in season 3. I didn’t realize they have a podcast!
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It’s quite new, as were the after-show YouTube chats that started with Season 5: I have to watch them still, but they look promising 🙂
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I haven’t watched any of this unfortunately but always happy to see something that you are enthusiastic about and thanks for sharing the links.
Lynn 😀
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You’re welcome! And if I have piqued your curiosity about The Expanse – in whatever medium you choose – I’m glad it worked… 😉
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I just finished the series last night. Ryan, my son, keeps prodding me to finish reading the books. I’m on book 3 but not very far. I feel the way I did when I got to book 4 of Game of Thrones–not as engaged–but now that I’ve seen some of the new characters in action, like Bull, maybe I can re-engage.
Thanks for sharing the podcasts. Oh, what’s your take on the Alex situation?
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Book 4 of The Expanse is (IMHO) the less “attractive” of the series, but if you can get over that small hurdle (and it’s not a given that you will not enjoy it as the other ones), from book 5 (which is the basis for this latest season) onwards it keeps getting better and better.
On screen, my own “jury” is still out on Bull, while my appreciation for Dominique Tipper/Naomi went up a few notches from an already high consideration, and my only regret is that there was not enough of both Avasarala and Drummer, who in some instances reminds me of someone from another show… 😉
As for Alex, I understand and approve the reasons they had to let the actor go, and even though the way they took Alex out of the equation was far from perfect – at least technically speaking, because it’s clear that it’s a freeze frame – at least he went away, narratively speaking, by trying to save a member of his found family, which to me was a noble sendoff.
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Funny you say that about Drummer, because I agree.
I don’t recall Bull being as prickly in the book but I am only at the beginning of #3 where it seems like he’s directing a lot of traffic at that moment, so there’s not a ton of character stuff yet. I noticed that, in the show, he’s holding Alex’s mug (Kamal) so..foreshadowing?
If I didn’t know the backstory for the actor playing Alex, I would have found it to be a natural and normal progression of things. He did have a noble end. I also have to give LOVE to the Amos and “Peaches” story. I really like both actors and her redemption arc, and the way Amos worked Holden to get her onboard.
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Well, “Peaches” becomes a fixture on the Roci from book 6 – this is not a spoiler but rather a way of… nudging you back toward the books 😉
I’m not sure about the “mug foreshadowing” because I read that the whole sorry mess exploded after they had closed the season’s shooting – hence Alex’s freeze-frame sequence – but I’m curious to see what they will do with Bull’s character in season 6.
As for Drummer… well, the usual GMTA applies 😀
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LOL–cheers to GMTA!
I remember he was calling her “Peaches” last season or whenever it was that she was introduced to them. I’m sure he saw the same killer who needs a conscience in her. I figured Peaches was because she’d called herself Melba…Melba Peaches? Now I’ll have to read more books! LOL. I do want to.
I am curious to see what they do with Bull. I think there’ll be some tension between him and Naomi, based on the racist terms he uses for Belters.
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I’m certain that the “Peaches” nickname comes from Amos’ quizzical humor tied to the Melba fake identity, and if Bull joins the Roci’s crew things might not be so easy, indeed. If they follow the books, another character should join the crew… 😉
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Hmmm…now I really have to read the books!
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Of course you do! You *must*!
No pressure… 😀 😀
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LOL!! I know, I know. My son tells me the same. Now that we’ve rid ourselves of the “former guy” (that man who “led” our country the last 4 years, my brain has settled a bit…
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No time like the present, then! 😉
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Love your passion for the Expanse and everything related to it. I never thought of even connecting it to Alien in any way possible but such a comparison just makes me even more excited to finally read the books though. Thanks for sharing this with us! 😀
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You’re welcome! And I can never recommend The Expanse enough: I fell in love with the books from volume 1 and now the TV series is a wonderful complement to the written saga. You *know* you want to read it… 😉 😀
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