This week's Expanse (5x08, I think?)

[sholio]

It's been long enough since I was actually following a weekly show as it was released that it's really interesting to notice the difference between marathoning a show all at once vs. watching it week to week in how it keeps it at the top of my brain. The one-sitting shows either stick or sink - mostly sink, if they don't happen to grab me in a particular way. With ongoing shows, though, there's that constant refreshment of emotional tension and speculation from week to week. Expanse didn't really hook me in a fandom way - I mean, I enjoy the show, and as sci-fi I think it's one of the best shows I've seen, but it wasn't a new obsessive thing for me. However, having new episodes coming out is a constant source of low-level refreshment of interest. It makes me wonder about the long-term impact on fandom of having so many shows drop all at once these days, rather than being strung out over a season like they used to be.

Anyway ...


This was an EXCELLENT Naomi & Drummer episode! It's so nice to have Naomi back to actively doing things - being brave and resourceful, moving the plot along. Also, ow. Poor Naomi. Her poor hands and throat and things.

(I said to Orion that putting on gloves before you throw yourself out an airlock is probably a good idea. He pointed out that putting on gloves probably gives away the whole "fake suicide" thing. Which, okay, point.

Orion: The spacesuit is a dead giveaway.
Me: Yes yes, point taken.)

Drummer cracking was really painful to watch. She just feels so much. My baby. ;___; I have a lot of feelings about the symbolism of Drummer getting trashed on a bottle of whiskey that represents one dead friend while mourning another. And just a lot of feelings about Drummer in general, as usual.

I am actually enjoying her new crew/family more now that they're starting to fracture over working for Marco. I think my big issue with them is that there's just nothing going on there. They are blandly fond of each other, but we've never seen them disagree, never seen them pushed. This episode - fighting, and making up, and playing together - was the most interesting I've found them so far! So I'm really interested how that's going to shake out, especially since this is presumably going to result in Drummer pulling away somewhat.

Still really enjoying the Bobbie and Alex team-up, though we got very little of it this week.

Amos's childhood friend interests me not at all, and I also kind of had an issue with the whole idea of just abandoning the people that he's responsible for. It's a similar kind of issue to the problem I had with the unargued assumption in the Mars scenes last season that everyone's going to abandon the Mars terraforming project now that there are new worlds through the Belt. Like, why? Sure, some people will leave, of course. But for others, it's their home. Bobbie still feels strongly about it. She can't be the only one. And similarly, in this case - I mean, it makes sense from an Amos standpoint that he wouldn't see any point in sticking around to help people, because Amos is a sociopath, and his friend is a gangster, so yeah, it's not like just GTFO'ing doesn't make sense for these people.

But I guess the show's not quite selling me on the magnitude of the disaster enough to get me on board with the idea that leaving is the best and only option for someone in a position to actually help out. The references to "millions" of people dead (on an Earth that must contain tens of billions) also feel like they're underselling the disaster a bit, though I guess it hits differently since we're living in a world right now with millions of people dead in a disaster that hasn't resulted in the world becoming an unlivable hell pit. (Granted, all of this is at least partly due to the show's budget and timeframe just not really giving them scope to really show the magnitude of the devastation that I think we're supposed to be sold on. Still, the "millions dead" is - I mean, it's got to be tens of millions of casualties just on the Eastern seaboard alone, right?)

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes! I was expecting a resolution to the Marco plot this season, but I'm starting to wonder if we have enough episodes for it. Oh well, one can only hope.

Comments

[lunabee34]

I do think there is something magical that creates and sustains fannish interest when a show is parceled out over time rather than dropping all at once.

[sholio]

Yeah, it's interesting having it demonstrated for me with a show that I was never really *that* hooked on in a fandom kind of way (Expanse) but the ongoing format is keeping it in the front of my mind and keeping me requesting it in exchanges and that sort of thing, while shows that I had more intense feelings about at the time are just dropping entirely off my radar once a week or two goes by.

[lunabee34]

*nods nods*

I think musesfool's discussion of the different formats below is spot on.

[musesfool]

I definitely think there's a difference in how we interact with shows we binge versus shows that we watch week to week. I think the latter model makes fannishness easier, as there's a lot of time to digest and cogitate and write meta and fic, but not *too* much time that everybody gets wedded to their personal version of what happened next as often happens with two or three year lags between installments (I am thinking specifically of Harry Potter here, and also some movie fandoms, though now it also applies to TV shows like Stranger Things etc.).

It's a similar kind of issue to the problem I had with the unargued assumption in the Mars scenes last season that everyone's going to abandon the Mars terraforming project now that there are new worlds through the Belt. Like, why? Sure, some people will leave, of course. But for others, it's their home.

My read on that situation was that they were losing all the younger people, not the people who'd made terraforming Mars their whole lives and goal. So even though the people who were dedicated to it - people Bobbie's age and older - weren't going anywhere, there also wasn't the same united sense of purpose now that there were other avenues open to the younger folks. I think the show speeds it up a lot, but I think that was the main gist.

My heart broke for Drummer, who has lost so much. But hopefully we'll get an excellent Naomi/Drummer reunion at some point.

[sholio]

I think the latter model makes fannishness easier, as there's a lot of time to digest and cogitate and write meta and fic, but not *too* much time that everybody gets wedded to their personal version of what happened next as often happens with two or three year lags between installments (I am thinking specifically of Harry Potter here, and also some movie fandoms, though now it also applies to TV shows like Stranger Things etc.).

Yeah, I think you're right that it tends to make TV fandoms behave and feel more like movie/book fandoms that way.

It's really one of those mixed blessing things, because some shows do work much better in that format, and it also lets creators do tight plotting and short, experimental stuff in a serialized format. But it's such a different experience without the long-term investment that you get from anticipating and speculating week to week.

My read on that situation was that they were losing all the younger people, not the people who'd made terraforming Mars their whole lives and goal. So even though the people who were dedicated to it - people Bobbie's age and older - weren't going anywhere, there also wasn't the same united sense of purpose now that there were other avenues open to the younger folks.

Aaahhhhhh, this makes a lot of sense, thank you!! One thing about marathoning the previous four seasons of the show very quickly is that there wasn't a lot of time to stop and think about things much. But that fits really well - viewing it as a dying factory town sort of deal, where the kids will be looking for opportunities elsewhere.

Re: Naomi/Drummer - I love presumed dead as a trope, so I'm looking forward to the reveal on that! Which hopefully will happen this season. I'm starting to get deeply nervous that a bunch of stuff I thought would be resolved this season isn't going to be.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I was a little surprised that gangster jerk face (cannot remember his name) would leave so easily, but then he started listing the neighborhoods he controlled that had been flooded. I thought he lost most of the area he controlled, and I'm not sure he feels responsible for his people. That may be just because I don't like him.

I'm liking Clarissa more than I thought I would, especially her dynamic with Amos. I detested her when we first met her.

And I loved this episode because I felt like we got Naomi back after she'd checked out for a few there! We started getting her back when she knocked out Cyn, but she was especially awesome here. (I wish she could have worn gloves! I was hurting every scene she was in!)

And Drummer!

I did want more Bobbie, though. I hope we'll see more this week.

I also hope Naomi and Camina have a great reunion and that Marco gets his fast, because I am so done with him.

[sholio]

I am starting to have worrying thoughts that we might be in for another season of Marco if they don't deal with him fast. PLEASE NO. I liked stargates and aliens so much better!

I am also completely uninterested in gangster jerkface (LOL). I have been enjoying Clarissa as a protag! I hated her at first but liked her heel face turn when she kicked Ashford's ass (I mean, I loved Ashford, but it had to be done) and I'm finding her very enjoyable this season.

And I loved this episode because I felt like we got Naomi back after she'd checked out for a few there!

Yes, this! She's been so passive the last few episodes. I know she's dealing with a lot, but it wasn't much fun to watch. Naomi being "on" is so much better, even if I was wincing through all her scenes too!