Three Seasons In, The Expanse Is Still The Best Sci-Fi Show On TV…

And that’s not going to change anytime soon.

Episode one is thick—like fresh syrup coming out of a maple tree in the northern-most forest of Canada during the dead of winter type of thick. While the first two seasons of The Expanse introduced and set up the pieces on the chessboard, season three starts off by flipping the whole damn table over.

There is a lot to unpack in this first episode. What I’ve said about previous seasons of The Expanse still holds true here: the special effects are still spectacular, the political intrigue is as thrilling as ever, but what I’m most excited to see this time around are the relationships between the cast and crew.

First up we have the somewhat soured social dynamic between Amos (Wes Chatham) and Naomi (Dominique Tipper). Amos has always been a bit unhinged and dangerous under the surface, but in past seasons, you could count on his unwavering loyalty to Naomi…and her reining him in if things go too far south. Not anymore. With Naomi deceiving the entire crew of the Rocinante by giving the protomolecule to Fred Johnson instead of destroying it, Amos now thinks, “She’s not the person I thought she was.” That single line by Amos scared the hell out of Alex (Cas Anvar), and me, too! If Naomi can’t keep him under control who can?!

But perhaps what I’m most curious to see is the relationship between Avarasala and Cotyar. By the end of the second season, both characters have been through hell. Avarasala, played by the ever-so-lovely Shohreh Aghdashloo, was figuratively backstabbed by undersecretary Errinwright (Shawn Doyle) and left to die in space, while Cotyar, played by the charming Nick Tarabay, was literally shot in the gut which resulted in him drifting in and out of consciousness.

We start off with Avarasala trying to patch Cotyar up with an onboard medi-kit. With his head in her lap and her hand on his forehead, it’s clear that she no longer thinks of him just as a simple for-hire bodyguard, but more of a surrogate son. Furthermore, what follows through the episode between them–the lighthearted bickering, the dark humor, and the endearing glances they give each other towards the end–just drives it home. I’ve ranted about Nick Tarabay before, but his on-screen chemistry with Shohreh in this episode was just a pleasure to watch!

Season three, episode one of The Expanse is unrelenting; every ongoing plot line is touched, every character is given screen time. Even with all of that, I was never confused or frustrated while watching it–the pacing was just absolutely perfect. If they can keep this going for the rest of the season (and I think they will) we’ll be in for another hell of a ride!

You can catch new episodes of The Expanse season three on Syfy.

Photo Credits: Syfy