“The Expanse” Contracts

Falling budgets, failing ambitions, and a faltering show

It is indeed slipping from your grasp

I confess that when The Expanse was rescued from cancellation by a monomaniac who can afford his own space program, I let myself dare to dream a little: one of my favorite shows was about to get big.

In so many ways, SyFy intended The Expanse to be the next Battlestar Galactica: a critically-respected marquee space opera that would imbue the whole network with original-content mojo. The parallels are right there in the cast, most of whom are disposably-pretty Jamie Bamber types (Who is James Holden if not Apollo?) but they sprung for a few Edward James Olmoses in the form of Thomas Jane and Jared Harris. Wes Chatham readily distinguished himself as the show’s Starbuck, the breakout screen presence of the budget-friendly cast members.

That budget had never been small, or not exactly. The production team called it “The Expense” in reference to the creators’ insistence on pricey physics-porn CGI effects, as well as the diegetic 3D graphics that litter the screen. The particle-and-debris-laden spaceship sequences showed a marked maturation over BSG’s, which were essentially virtual motion-control model work with a better sense of scale. Every teensy set still reeked of SyFy’s unmistakable basic-cable production values and the bacon-y aroma of Canada — I resent…