Thomas Jane absolutely crushed his role as Miller. Such a compelling and complex character brought to life by amazing acting. I always get emotional watching his final scene. RIP Miller
Most people miss this the first time watching (as I did), but back on the Roci (after leaving Eros), Miller tells Naomi: "I wake up at night and see her standing there...She takes my hand and says YouBelongWithMe". I'm paraphrasing, can't remember the exact words, but it's significant because it ends up being the last thing you hear Julie say to Miller before launching to Venus.
I remember it now that you mention it but I did completely forget! Boy...that stings. Its like it was written in the stars that Miller and Julie's fates would be intertwined
@@WarpReactor Well, Dresden did say the Protomolecule would break all the rules, right? Remember when Julie was dying, she saw a vision of Miller (with his hat) and the bird from Ceres? And Miller kept seeing Julie randomly. What if, because they were now together and both infected with it at THIS time, it allowed them to "see" each other at different points in this past...
@@kirkdarling4120 if my headcanon is correct (and I'm pretty sure that it is) then there is a really neat physics based explanation for it...just like with the bird thing.. Can't talk about it without spoiling until the end of season 3 though...
@@user-df8hd6dp8b Yep. You have to know a little bit of physics, but if you do then it makes perfect sense. Good job exercising the needed self-discipline. 😀
"What are you gonna do with all the missiles, Fred?" Fred: 😏 The showrunner for this series was Naren Shankar who got his PhD in engineering physics and electrical engineering and almost immediately proceeded to get an internship on The Next Generation where he quickly grew to be one of the main staff writers. He was science consultant for TNG's sixth season, and story editor for its seventh. He wrote 9 episodes of TNG (two as co-writer), several of them considered the best episodes, two episodes of DS9 and one of Voyager. He was show runner of CSI for seven or eight seasons, executive producer (and possibly showrunner) for Farscape. He was an executive producer on Almost Human (a sadly cancelled-before-its-time show about a police detective played by Karl Urban who hates androids and is given an android partner played by Michael Ealy, it's very Asimovvy). In other words, he's had a major role in televised sci-fi for over three decades. If Rodenberry was the once and future king of televised sci-fi, Shankar is one of the knights of the sci-fi round table.
One of the most emotionally charged episodes of a show ever, not just scifi. I cried during your reaction, the same as I cry every time I watch this one. Fantastic setting, writing, action, execution. Can't do it much better. Damn fine reaction as always.
Hey fellow Screaming Firehawk! I loved Miller, but didn't realize just how much until he was gone. He's one of those characters that, over time, got underneath the skin and made his way to the heart. Ty & Daniel wrote a beautifully complex character, but Thomas Jane personified him in a way only he could do. Thank you for all the wonderful things you say about this series! Makes me proud to be a Screaming Firehawk.
Its gotten to the point that I look forward to Thursday mornings as I watch your reactions instead of throwing myself into my work. Watching these is like watching the show all over again with a friend who is just as enthusiastic about it as I am.
You’re right: The Expanse is as TV show that’s ever been made. It should be so much bigger in terms of its fan base. I wonder if the that’s because it expects new viewers to concentrate. It never panders to the casual viewer who watches while playing with their phone.
The most significant part of the problem is that Syfy and then Amazon should have spent more time and money advertising the show. Many people just never heard about it, and I've seen many complaints about this in the past.
I always felt that Miller's utter lack of humanity throughout his arc, ironically let him find all the humanity needed to save Earth in his conversation with proto-Julie.
Thank you for the insightful and honest reaction. Did you notice when Holden had to make the decision to chase Eros or not... he looked at Amos and Naomi first, getting a feel for his people before he made the call. They gave hints, but left the decision to him. I see this as an example of growth for all of them. How did this show not win every video storytelling award? I think Yoda said it best: "Criminally underrated, is The Expanse!"
The toast to Miller with his bottle of Ganymede Gin still gets to me no matter how many times I rewatch that ep. I've wondered when Miller had Proto-Julie touch the touchscreen and it goes dark, was that like feeding her the radiation to give her an energy boost to change the PM's destination? She said that she didn't think she could change destinations earlier. Did Miller do that intentionally?
Mao calls himself a "man of the system." Dresden would have said the same thing, because that would support a willingness to do evil things for the "good of all humanity." Cortazar had said that the Protomolecule was building something. When Miller suggest that she stop Eros, there was an unearthly voice asserting, "You can't stop the Work!" that Proto-Julie echoed. Yet, it accepted the suggestion to go to Venus. I think you're onto something. You noticed that the bomb lost power when Julie touched it. That kiss was ad libbed by the actors. Personally, I thought it was over the top...that's not the relationship they had. Miller was more in awe of Julie than in love with her. Miller had already asserted his total commitment when he took off his faceplate and took a deep breath. Remember Dawes had told Miller, "When you have lost everything, you will find your way home...and it will welcome you." Miller had told Semi, "Julie is all I have." Then he lost Julie. So, he found his way home (hence, the title of the episode), and it welcomed him. The term you were looking for is "deuteragonist." This refers to lesser characters in a story after the protagonist, often serving as key figures alongside the protagonist but not necessarily in direct opposition like an antagonist. They may have their own goals, motivations, and character arcs that contribute to the narrative. I think a streaming movie, that long format does work so well for stories that adapted from novels or written like novels ("Andor" is a story that was written as though it were a novel). "Solo" would have done well in long format as a story similar to "Andor." But most writers, producers, and even actors haven't really understood what this "novel" format can do for them, and most streaming networks don't recognize it, even when they've had tremendous successes like "The Expanse" and "Andor." And this show got zero television industry recognition.
I don't mind the ad-libbed kiss. I think us in the present-day Anglosphere are all too quick to sexualise such an action. In some other cultures, this is not the case. Two lost and forgotten souls with an, essentially, supernatural connection uniting to face their likely doom / demise.
I also didn’t like the kiss, I thought the simple laying his head on her chest was just as intimate and the kiss was overkill. But as annoyances in a show go, it was a fairly minor one.
One of my top 5 exchanges between characters is the one between Avaserala and Holden in this episode. Just the awe on the Earth council's faces that Holden is the one to respond and is the one in the ship nearest to Eros. So awesome!
It's mixed for me. Because I rewatched 1-2 while waiting for season 3. Then I re-watched 1-3 while waiting for season 4, 5, then 6. Then I re-watched from the beginning 1-6 at least once. Then I watched it again while viewing reactions. So all told I've seen Seasons 1-3 like 6-8 times and the rest of them between 4-5 times or something
There's a beautiful line within this series, and I feel it applies here: "If life transcends death, then I will seek for you there. If not, then there too."
I stumbled over this show by accident one night, trying to find something to watch with my Dad. We both love SciFi so thought ‘hey that looks neat’. We were hooked & it is in my Top 5 of all time. Start to Finish, in every category. It is criminally underrated. Love your passion for this show. ❤
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this to you yet, but Ty Frank and the actor who plays Amos (Wes Chatham) have a podcast where they did a deep dive on the show's episodes. They still do the podcast now, but do deep dives on other movies and TV shows. Highly recommend checking it out when you've finished the show.
36:17 hell yes! This is such a great episode, one of my favorites of the whole series. Regarding Julie and Miller, this episode actually "explains" some of their connection. Because the protomolecule defies the laws of physics, their moment of meeting and sort of fusing together at the heart of protomolecule-infected Eros in this episode has ripples both forward and backwards in time. That's why Miller feels so attached to her before they ever meet and why they both see visions of the other. I don't think this is ever directly stated in the show but the author has talked about it. So are they both dead now, or what? That's a complicated question! Don't expect to have it answered for a while, and don't expect the answer to be a simple one.
People say Julie didn't know Miller, but that isn't true. There's a flashback where we see Julie seeing a vision of Miller standing at the doorway, with a bird, and her rosemary beads. He's also wearing his hat, which he only wore on Ceres (when he leaves Ceres for Eros he hangs up his hat). So Julie must have sensed he was looking for her. Also, why would she say "You belong with me", not only in his visions, but in person, if they'd never met? They were aware of each other the entire time.
You're my favorite current Expanse reactor... might end up my favorite Expanse reactor full stop. Love the investment, the character love and just the right amount of exposition without too many wrong tangents (sometimes people get so caught up in their wince-worthy theories that they lose sight of the actual story). If I were more of a sci-fi watcher to include other shows or if you were further along with The Expanse I'd find the money for Patreon, but sadly I struggle to get my devices to do simultaneous watching so extended reactions, alone, aren't enough of a draw. I will probably get to that point sooner than later, anyway. I love these weeks with two uploads, though, it's so hard to wait for Thursdays. I'd give you more comments, but others know more than me ans RUclips does not like to let me type. It was worth fighting the app to let you know how much I'm enjoying you, though.
I listened English audio book versions of the entire series a few times already -- they are great. The thing is: some things are still better in the show, since the authors were actively involved in the productions process, after the books were complete, so they had a chance to fix some mistakes they didn't like. Some other stuff however was cut out due to limited budget and other production issues. So both the books and the show has their own strong parts, worth checking out. You may think of it as two parallel universes, where everything is similar but a bit different. Anyway, like your reactions, can't wait to see you watching season 3 -- I heard it's cliffhangers could drive a person mad, so good luck 🖖🤘
I’m off work “sick” so before kids get home I’m watching this on the big tv!!! This is one of my top 5 over the 60 odd episodes Oh preach brother. Yes your ending was on point. It’s practically on a loop and my wife really doesn’t get it. Heck I now go on holidays to meet other Firehawks. It transcends the screen and the books. And I can’t wait for you to reach my other top 4 episodes
Great reaction! And can we get some love and appreciation for Clinton Shorter's musical score? Can you imagine the Miller and Julie without it? Trivia: he wrote it and had it recorded then watched the resulting audio-visual combination and thought it wasn't quite right, emotionally. There was no show budget for re-doing music, so he paid himself to have it re-recorded (basically transposed an octave) in one of the top London studios. One strings player overdubbed all the individual parts I believe.
Very apt observation regarding the protomolecule now “owning” Venus. While it was good to steer Eros away from Earth, all they did was drop the seed into a much larger garden. Earth is saved… for now. But the inevitable has only been postponed.
For what it's worth, I was genuinely surprised the kiss is such a big deal for some people. It definitely says more about them than the characters though.
I am with Ty Franck on this one - I don't like that they kiss. It was apparently Thomas Jane's idea, and he convinced the director to do it like that. Makes no sense to me, as it adds a superfluous physical relationship to their connection, on top of the fact that Julie is not herself, and does not know Miller at all.😢
@@huro1845 Ty Franck is a genius! And also a bit of a cold soul ;-) I think we can be too quick these days, in the Anglosphere and its surroundings, to sexualise any kind of physical contact. This is totally not the case in some other cultures, and in different times. Julie was ignored/dismissed by her father, used and abandoned by Anderson Dawes. She lay there utterly alone, dying, and the last thing she saw was a vision of Miller coming to try to save her. Then, as she is pretty much about to die all over again, he's there to comfort her and accompany her into oblivion, stating his belief in her. He's not someone that proto-Julie does not know at all.
@@huro1845 yeah, like the commenter above me mentioned and is also what I meant. It's a very culturally subjective thing. And not even kissing being sexual, which is far from universal, but even the idea of sexual interest being somehow "impure" or "spoiling".
Since you've reached this part of the amazing, outstanding story I have to add one comment. The Expanse replaced a number of sf shows I considered the best in their particular fields - the Expanse managed to be better than Firefly, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek DS9 where those series are at their best. Season two is great, but season 3 outshines it and in my opinion seasons 5-6 (I consider them one story) reaches levels I never even imagined the show could reach. Take care!
Great reaction and analysis! As Kirk said in the comments, when Miller last saw Dawes, Dawes told him he hadn't lost everything. When does he would see what matters most and see it clearly for the first time! Then he would find his way " Home!" Also its already been mentioned but Miller told Naomi that he sees Julie and knows she's not there but she takes his hand and says " You belong with me!" God I hated losing Miller 😢 Not so long ago I was driving to work after watching this episode for who knows how many times and it hit me.... it hit really really hard! Most people I know haven't experienced this amazing show and may never know just how much it hurts to lose such an amazing character as Miller! It still hits hard..... Looking forward to episode six.... hold on!!
Great job in all respects. The Expanse is by far the best TV I’ve even seen and going on the journey with you is the next best thing to watching for the first time. Keep up the great work.
Season 3 has my favorite display of physics in the show, one that honestly could be put into training videos for astronauts on a reminder of why the simple things matter. It also a humorous exchange about an appearance by everyone but the tooth fairy and a simple man’s response to that very improbable situation. I would explain, but spoilers, and I’m guessing a lot of fans know exactly which scenes I’m talking about.
If you get rid of the hat, I say a Belter Tattoo is the needed replacement lol. Yes, it does just get better from here. Both cast and crew become more comfortable in the process which just elevated everything. As far as adaptation goes, in my opinion, it's also the best book to screen adaptation I've seen, and I'm an old fooker lol. Also, don't forget Babylon 5 in your list of Mt. Rushmore carvings; just saying ;) Crap, now I have to wait a week - bleh lol
I agree. One of my favorite parts of this show is how many people step up and do courageous selfless things for other people. It gives me hope for humanity. And, yes, it's a travesty how few people know about this show. I've been working on getting my brother interested but he saw the first episode and wasn't really into it so it hasn't happened yet. I'll keep working on him!
So, the books are incredible. I'm coming close to finishing my second read-through of them, and they've just gotten better for me having experienced them again. After you have finished the entire TV series, you should listen to the "Ty and That Guy" podcast. It's Ty Franck(one of the co-authors of the Expanse novels) and Wes Chatham(the actor who plays Amos)talking about the making of this show, The Expanse in general, as well as a lot of other fun side topics. There are a TON of interesting insights into the characters and story of the Expanse, straight from the horse's mouth as it were! Very well worth your time if you love this show and these characters! Let me stress, wait until you have finished the entire series before you watch/listen to this podcast, because they let the spoilers flow freely! But it's a fucking fantastic show! Absolutely love your reactions so far! I can't wait to see more as you get deeper into this world! It only gets crazier and more epic from here!!!
This was the episode that 100% confirmed it for me - that this is the greatest tv series of all time. Sci-fi is by far y fav genre, so i'm obviously predisposed to love a sci-fi series, but im pretty cognoscente of the difference between a good genre tv show, (or film for that matter), and a great show or movie - regardless of genre. The fact is that there are plenty of phenomenal sci-fi shows, that while great in their own right - they still simply aren't on the same level as other "prestige" tv series of the past 2 and a half decades or so. That is, except for Battlestar-Galactica, which was the previous number 1 best show that i had seen all the way up to this show. I was pretty sure it was one of if not the best sci-fi show, (not counting BSG), by the end of the first season. But between "Doors and Corners," and then "Home," after that yeah - it's definitely my number one show now, regardless of genre. Love your reactions man! When i watched this episode live, for some reason i couldn't find the tv-remote so i had gotten up and turned the tv on manually and flipped to the SyFy Channel, and before i knew it the episode was over. It wasn't until then that i realized that i never went back and sat down on the couch after turning the channel and instead I had watched the entire episode standing about 3 feet from my tv screen, so yeah - I too was pretty damn spun up too! lol
I'm so excited that you're reading the book! I have read all of the books probably three times. I have watched the show probably three times as well. They are linked in my mind but they are separate in my mind. Does that make sense. Anyway, the books just enhance your watching of the show. That's how it happened for me. I watched the show then I read the books. On the whole, I am happy with most of the changes that they made for the show. Have fun!
For the Throw rocks statement, have you read Heinlein’s Moon is a Harsh Mistress? That is the situation I always take with the comment. It doesn’t have to be a huge asteroid. Earth (or any planet) is at the bottom of well and anyone can drop things down that well with a lot less energy than getting out.
Wow, what a reaction, that was so raw and awesome. Your insights are great, but I don't recommend that you begin reading the books right now, there are minor spoilers, and they are different animals anyway, I would recommend you to finish watching the last season, and then begin with the books.
And so ends the second greatest episode of TV ever presented to the viewing public. I'd tell you what the greatest one is, but that would be a spoiler.
The crew of the Roci were all bumbling along in ordinary lives before the killing of the Cant, which sent them off in another direction entirely. So of course they were willing to use their lives to paint a target on Eros, as the bridge to the past was blown up and the present required constant moral decisions to be able to secure any part of a future. Kissing Julie was a Thomas Jane decision!!
It was actually Florence Faivre's idea, she and Thomas Jane improvised it on set, and Ty Frank was and is still against it, though he's accepted it as an adaptation change
I am so excited I found your channel. Doing a rewatch with you will be cool 😆 But this episode just killed me. Miller (and Ashford later) are my two favs and the acting here combined with the score…perfect.
If you enjoy a show that is based on a TTRPG you should consider watching The Legend of Vox Machina. It's a fantasy show not Sci Fi, so I'm not sure if you would be interested. But it is a great show base on a D&D Campain that was livestreamed by a Group of Voice Actors called Critical Role. And like with the Expanse, the Group that played the Game was very heavily involved with the production of the show. It's worth a watch!
Oh for sure, the books and show are equally good in different ways. I was a book reader for almost 5 years before the show came out, so at first i was extremely biased towards the books, but the show won me over.
41:45 "It gets better" - The rest of season 2, and then season 3, has some top quality music. The soundtrack is very impressive for a TV show that had relatively few viewers on first run. But I will push back against some funs who claim these first 15 episodes are slow. Instead, I find the next 21 episodes to be too rushed. There is a pacing that younger viewers may like in season 3 but I find it kind of hectic.
The show is great. The novels are great in the epic tragic scale would be the distinction. Nothing prepares you for the last three novels, especially. #WarpReactor
I haven't seen the show beyond the third episode, but I just finished reading the first book, so I decided to watch your reactions. As with Robotech, highly enjoyable. Now I need to decide if I want to keep going, or pause a bit to read the next book first. I hadn't realized this started from a TTRPG. Now it's got an official TTRPG adaptation (which I've got a copy of and should play at some point), so its amusing that it's gone full-circle. I would say I usually play rangers, but I'm the forever DM/GM. If you're ever in the area, you're welcome to sit in at my gaming table.
I would advice you to first finish the first 3 seasons before starting with the books. The first 3 seasons are basically the story of the first 3 books together, but not everything is in the same order. Events have been shifted, characters condensed, and some are introduced earlier or later. If you start reading after season 3 you're pretty safe. After that, it's mostly 1 book = 1 season but there is still some overlapping, so I would make sure that you are at least half, or better one full season ahead.
Yeah it's still WILD to me that The Expanse still feels very much like a 'hidden gem' rather than being a huge mainstream thing that EVERYONE talked about when it was actively running. Wild that it was almost canned because no one was watching it. Feels like something that will be considered a cult classic in, like, 20 years or so.
A mid-size asteroid would wipe out all life on Earth. Eros isn't mid size. It's one of the largest rocks in the solar system, at 33x13z13km. On the plus side, it's silicon, not metallic. But it's still enormous.
38:00 _The Expanse_ *is* commended highly, at least in all the online (including RUclips) outlets, by those who have seen it. That it did not dominate the TV-watching population has more to do with where TV has gone the past couple of decades. There are just too many shows, too many options. Plus, science fiction had fallen out of favor with the industry. Networks had to turn to more and more live productions - sports mostly - to try and keep viewers.
WR, you are preaching to the choir about how pissed you are that this show isn't being lauded from the highest mountains! It should have been, and if it had been, we would have had #1 Not had to wait two years in between seasons, and #2 wouldn't have been canceled after season 6. That part might not be genuine because I think they wanted to finish it in season 6. I might need to be corrected. I'm sure there will be someone else who has better info than me. And of course, some of the time we had to wait for a season was due to the pandemic. If I remember right, some of season 5 was filmed during COVID-19, and they worked with a skeleton crew of both crew and cast. But again, better historians of the Expanse might be able to fill in any blanks or adjust any "misspokes" I've made. You really voice exactly how I felt/feel about this show. Everything about it seems so perfect. I love every character equally, even with any flaws they might have. No one is perfect and the fact that these characters can be SO perfect without being absolutely perfect makes them almost more human to me than myself. You just have such a great way to notice everything, all the little nuances of the production. Well, I'm exhausted and I feel like I'm just rambling without accomplishing much. But I just wanted you to know that I really admire how completely engaged in this show. How you read the characters and appreciate the actors and all the tech people behind the scenes, as well as the writers and directors. And can we mention that musical score??? Did you notice that piece playing while Miller was with Julie and convincing her to not try to go home, but head for Venus? Oh man...... Ok, done rambling. It's 4am and I need to crash before I burn. I look forward to seeing the next enstallment. And I'll watch the bonus show tomorrow. 😃
HATE the kiss...apparently it wasnt in the script and the actors just improvised it....a heartfelt hug would have been WAY more impactful...IMO there was never anything sexual about Millers relationship to Julie so the kiss really rubbed me the wrong way
Well, both the scriptwriters and the authors of the original books could've just told them "nah, do it again without the kiss". But they didn't. So I guess at least they either did imply something sexual, or didn't see it as a big deal. You're entitled to your opinion of course. It does feel kinda biased by your culture from a point of view of someone that grew up in a culture where 1. Kiss isn't necessarily a sexual thing. 2. Sexual themes aren't seen like some gross/impure taboo.
@@LoisoPondohvaThe writers DID tell them not to do it, but Thomas Jane convinced the director. And a kiss on the mouth does give an unnecessary physical aspect to their relationship. P.S. The problem for me is not that sexual themes are a taboo, but that they do not belong in this scene imo.
She knew Miller inside and out bc of the protomolecule before he even took his helmet off. The bird, kidnap job, you belong with me…she never met him but knew those details. The kiss was so pure and almost as romantic as the Chrisjen and Arjun conversation
Thomas Jane did a magnificent job bringing the Miller character to life. I really miss him.
Same 🥲
He really, really did.
Thank you so much for watching, my friend!
But...spoiler.
I love that this show recognizes the rules of physics and obeys them and obeys them and then laughs as it very consciously tosses them in the bin.
"For the last time wearing this hat" - seems like you knew it in your heart
Thomas Jane absolutely crushed his role as Miller. Such a compelling and complex character brought to life by amazing acting. I always get emotional watching his final scene. RIP Miller
The scene with Avasarala talking to her husband gets me every time😢
Next level acting
Their talking over each other because of the signal delay was a brilliant touch, too!
And the score! Every emotion-filled scene has that score, driving my feels around! Masterful!
Most people miss this the first time watching (as I did), but back on the Roci (after leaving Eros), Miller tells Naomi: "I wake up at night and see her standing there...She takes my hand and says YouBelongWithMe". I'm paraphrasing, can't remember the exact words, but it's significant because it ends up being the last thing you hear Julie say to Miller before launching to Venus.
I remember it now that you mention it but I did completely forget!
Boy...that stings. Its like it was written in the stars that Miller and Julie's fates would be intertwined
Yes. There is a "woo-woo" factor surrounding Julie and Miller that never gets explained.
@@WarpReactor Well, Dresden did say the Protomolecule would break all the rules, right? Remember when Julie was dying, she saw a vision of Miller (with his hat) and the bird from Ceres? And Miller kept seeing Julie randomly. What if, because they were now together and both infected with it at THIS time, it allowed them to "see" each other at different points in this past...
@@kirkdarling4120 if my headcanon is correct (and I'm pretty sure that it is) then there is a really neat physics based explanation for it...just like with the bird thing..
Can't talk about it without spoiling until the end of season 3 though...
@@user-df8hd6dp8b Yep. You have to know a little bit of physics, but if you do then it makes perfect sense.
Good job exercising the needed self-discipline. 😀
Never apologize for being emotional. It's absolutely warranted and we share it with you.
"What are you gonna do with all the missiles, Fred?"
Fred: 😏
The showrunner for this series was Naren Shankar who got his PhD in engineering physics and electrical engineering and almost immediately proceeded to get an internship on The Next Generation where he quickly grew to be one of the main staff writers. He was science consultant for TNG's sixth season, and story editor for its seventh. He wrote 9 episodes of TNG (two as co-writer), several of them considered the best episodes, two episodes of DS9 and one of Voyager. He was show runner of CSI for seven or eight seasons, executive producer (and possibly showrunner) for Farscape. He was an executive producer on Almost Human (a sadly cancelled-before-its-time show about a police detective played by Karl Urban who hates androids and is given an android partner played by Michael Ealy, it's very Asimovvy). In other words, he's had a major role in televised sci-fi for over three decades. If Rodenberry was the once and future king of televised sci-fi, Shankar is one of the knights of the sci-fi round table.
Fred’s gonna use them to get a cup of coffee.
Funny you should mention Greek tragedy, Juliet Andromeda Mao- Andromeda was tied to a rock to be sacrificed to a leviathan, and Eros god of love !
Eros hitting Earth wouldn't just be an extinction event, the protomolecule would eat everything that survived 😯
One of the most emotionally charged episodes of a show ever, not just scifi. I cried during your reaction, the same as I cry every time I watch this one. Fantastic setting, writing, action, execution. Can't do it much better. Damn fine reaction as always.
I love how you call it "getting spun up." In this universe, they spun up the asteroids--gives'em gravity.
Hey fellow Screaming Firehawk! I loved Miller, but didn't realize just how much until he was gone. He's one of those characters that, over time, got underneath the skin and made his way to the heart. Ty & Daniel wrote a beautifully complex character, but Thomas Jane personified him in a way only he could do.
Thank you for all the wonderful things you say about this series! Makes me proud to be a Screaming Firehawk.
Perfectly said, my friend.
Thank you so much for your constant positivity and supportive words. Means the world to me :)
Its gotten to the point that I look forward to Thursday mornings as I watch your reactions instead of throwing myself into my work. Watching these is like watching the show all over again with a friend who is just as enthusiastic about it as I am.
Lol I know exactly how you feel. My work suffers just a tad Thursday morning too lol
"If this is only the beginning, here comes the juice, my friends!" well said!
This does indeed deserve all the accolades it can get!
You’re right: The Expanse is as TV show that’s ever been made.
It should be so much bigger in terms of its fan base. I wonder if the that’s because it expects new viewers to concentrate. It never panders to the casual viewer who watches while playing with their phone.
The most significant part of the problem is that Syfy and then Amazon should have spent more time and money advertising the show. Many people just never heard about it, and I've seen many complaints about this in the past.
I always felt that Miller's utter lack of humanity throughout his arc, ironically let him find all the humanity needed to save Earth in his conversation with proto-Julie.
Thank you for the insightful and honest reaction.
Did you notice when Holden had to make the decision to chase Eros or not... he looked at Amos and Naomi first, getting a feel for his people before he made the call. They gave hints, but left the decision to him. I see this as an example of growth for all of them.
How did this show not win every video storytelling award? I think Yoda said it best: "Criminally underrated, is The Expanse!"
The toast to Miller with his bottle of Ganymede Gin still gets to me no matter how many times I rewatch that ep.
I've wondered when Miller had Proto-Julie touch the touchscreen and it goes dark, was that like feeding her the radiation to give her an energy boost to change the PM's destination? She said that she didn't think she could change destinations earlier. Did Miller do that intentionally?
Mao calls himself a "man of the system." Dresden would have said the same thing, because that would support a willingness to do evil things for the "good of all humanity."
Cortazar had said that the Protomolecule was building something. When Miller suggest that she stop Eros, there was an unearthly voice asserting, "You can't stop the Work!" that Proto-Julie echoed. Yet, it accepted the suggestion to go to Venus. I think you're onto something.
You noticed that the bomb lost power when Julie touched it. That kiss was ad libbed by the actors. Personally, I thought it was over the top...that's not the relationship they had. Miller was more in awe of Julie than in love with her. Miller had already asserted his total commitment when he took off his faceplate and took a deep breath.
Remember Dawes had told Miller, "When you have lost everything, you will find your way home...and it will welcome you." Miller had told Semi, "Julie is all I have." Then he lost Julie. So, he found his way home (hence, the title of the episode), and it welcomed him.
The term you were looking for is "deuteragonist." This refers to lesser characters in a story after the protagonist, often serving as key figures alongside the protagonist but not necessarily in direct opposition like an antagonist. They may have their own goals, motivations, and character arcs that contribute to the narrative.
I think a streaming movie, that long format does work so well for stories that adapted from novels or written like novels ("Andor" is a story that was written as though it were a novel). "Solo" would have done well in long format as a story similar to "Andor." But most writers, producers, and even actors haven't really understood what this "novel" format can do for them, and most streaming networks don't recognize it, even when they've had tremendous successes like "The Expanse" and "Andor."
And this show got zero television industry recognition.
I don't mind the ad-libbed kiss. I think us in the present-day Anglosphere are all too quick to sexualise such an action. In some other cultures, this is not the case. Two lost and forgotten souls with an, essentially, supernatural connection uniting to face their likely doom / demise.
I also didn’t like the kiss, I thought the simple laying his head on her chest was just as intimate and the kiss was overkill. But as annoyances in a show go, it was a fairly minor one.
One of my top 5 exchanges between characters is the one between Avaserala and Holden in this episode. Just the awe on the Earth council's faces that Holden is the one to respond and is the one in the ship nearest to Eros. So awesome!
I have rewatched the entire show 3 times.
Slacker.... past ten times and running
@@jamesholland5761came here expecting that.
It's mixed for me. Because I rewatched 1-2 while waiting for season 3. Then I re-watched 1-3 while waiting for season 4, 5, then 6. Then I re-watched from the beginning 1-6 at least once. Then I watched it again while viewing reactions. So all told I've seen Seasons 1-3 like 6-8 times and the rest of them between 4-5 times or something
@@jamesholland5761 I'm at 12.
The end of Miller’s story was stunningly beautiful. I still cry re-watching it. He finished his quest & found his own personal grail.
There's a beautiful line within this series, and I feel it applies here: "If life transcends death, then I will seek for you there. If not, then there too."
I stumbled over this show by accident one night, trying to find something to watch with my Dad. We both love SciFi so thought ‘hey that looks neat’. We were hooked & it is in my Top 5 of all time. Start to Finish, in every category. It is criminally underrated. Love your passion for this show. ❤
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this to you yet, but Ty Frank and the actor who plays Amos (Wes Chatham) have a podcast where they did a deep dive on the show's episodes. They still do the podcast now, but do deep dives on other movies and TV shows. Highly recommend checking it out when you've finished the show.
It's so gratifying to see your love and enthusiasm for the Expanse that we here all share! The community is strong with this one.
Expanse Day is the best Day only better thing than that is the 2nd Expanse Day ;)
36:17 hell yes! This is such a great episode, one of my favorites of the whole series.
Regarding Julie and Miller, this episode actually "explains" some of their connection. Because the protomolecule defies the laws of physics, their moment of meeting and sort of fusing together at the heart of protomolecule-infected Eros in this episode has ripples both forward and backwards in time. That's why Miller feels so attached to her before they ever meet and why they both see visions of the other. I don't think this is ever directly stated in the show but the author has talked about it. So are they both dead now, or what? That's a complicated question! Don't expect to have it answered for a while, and don't expect the answer to be a simple one.
People say Julie didn't know Miller, but that isn't true. There's a flashback where we see Julie seeing a vision of Miller standing at the doorway, with a bird, and her rosemary beads. He's also wearing his hat, which he only wore on Ceres (when he leaves Ceres for Eros he hangs up his hat). So Julie must have sensed he was looking for her. Also, why would she say "You belong with me", not only in his visions, but in person, if they'd never met? They were aware of each other the entire time.
You're my favorite current Expanse reactor... might end up my favorite Expanse reactor full stop. Love the investment, the character love and just the right amount of exposition without too many wrong tangents (sometimes people get so caught up in their wince-worthy theories that they lose sight of the actual story). If I were more of a sci-fi watcher to include other shows or if you were further along with The Expanse I'd find the money for Patreon, but sadly I struggle to get my devices to do simultaneous watching so extended reactions, alone, aren't enough of a draw. I will probably get to that point sooner than later, anyway. I love these weeks with two uploads, though, it's so hard to wait for Thursdays.
I'd give you more comments, but others know more than me ans RUclips does not like to let me type. It was worth fighting the app to let you know how much I'm enjoying you, though.
"Eventually once of little blood vessels in your brain goes pop." - Alex Kamal
'Here comes the juice!"
Love your emotional response dude!
This show, truly is something else.
I love when I see your reactions pop up in my feed !
I listened English audio book versions of the entire series a few times already -- they are great. The thing is: some things are still better in the show, since the authors were actively involved in the productions process, after the books were complete, so they had a chance to fix some mistakes they didn't like. Some other stuff however was cut out due to limited budget and other production issues. So both the books and the show has their own strong parts, worth checking out. You may think of it as two parallel universes, where everything is similar but a bit different.
Anyway, like your reactions, can't wait to see you watching season 3 -- I heard it's cliffhangers could drive a person mad, so good luck 🖖🤘
I’m off work “sick” so before kids get home I’m watching this on the big tv!!!
This is one of my top 5 over the 60 odd episodes
Oh preach brother. Yes your ending was on point. It’s practically on a loop and my wife really doesn’t get it. Heck I now go on holidays to meet other Firehawks. It transcends the screen and the books.
And I can’t wait for you to reach my other top 4 episodes
Great reaction! And can we get some love and appreciation for Clinton Shorter's musical score? Can you imagine the Miller and Julie without it? Trivia: he wrote it and had it recorded then watched the resulting audio-visual combination and thought it wasn't quite right, emotionally. There was no show budget for re-doing music, so he paid himself to have it re-recorded (basically transposed an octave) in one of the top London studios. One strings player overdubbed all the individual parts I believe.
It didn't become may favorite show of all time until the end of Season 3. Strap in, here comes the juice!
Ashford 👏🏻
Miller is my favourite book character, looking forward to hearing your thoughts on LW.
you're absolutely right! They made an AMAZING show there. My favourite SciFi show in existence actually! And I KNOW you will continue to love it!
Hell of an episode, and to think you are just getting started!
Expanse is #4 all time on my list btw. Season 5 and 6 put it up there.
Very apt observation regarding the protomolecule now “owning” Venus. While it was good to steer Eros away from Earth, all they did was drop the seed into a much larger garden.
Earth is saved… for now. But the inevitable has only been postponed.
For what it's worth, I was genuinely surprised the kiss is such a big deal for some people. It definitely says more about them than the characters though.
I am with Ty Franck on this one - I don't like that they kiss. It was apparently Thomas Jane's idea, and he convinced the director to do it like that. Makes no sense to me, as it adds a superfluous physical relationship to their connection, on top of the fact that Julie is not herself, and does not know Miller at all.😢
@@huro1845 Ty Franck is a genius! And also a bit of a cold soul ;-) I think we can be too quick these days, in the Anglosphere and its surroundings, to sexualise any kind of physical contact. This is totally not the case in some other cultures, and in different times. Julie was ignored/dismissed by her father, used and abandoned by Anderson Dawes. She lay there utterly alone, dying, and the last thing she saw was a vision of Miller coming to try to save her. Then, as she is pretty much about to die all over again, he's there to comfort her and accompany her into oblivion, stating his belief in her. He's not someone that proto-Julie does not know at all.
@@huro1845 yeah, like the commenter above me mentioned and is also what I meant. It's a very culturally subjective thing. And not even kissing being sexual, which is far from universal, but even the idea of sexual interest being somehow "impure" or "spoiling".
How you feel watching this series is how I feel watching YOU see this series.
Beltaloda!
Hey, don’t get rid of the Hat, completely. ;)
‘Cause it looks good on you. ;)
Since you've reached this part of the amazing, outstanding story I have to add one comment.
The Expanse replaced a number of sf shows I considered the best in their particular fields - the Expanse managed to be better than Firefly, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek DS9 where those series are at their best.
Season two is great, but season 3 outshines it and in my opinion seasons 5-6 (I consider them one story) reaches levels I never even imagined the show could reach.
Take care!
Great reaction and analysis!
As Kirk said in the comments, when Miller last saw Dawes, Dawes told him he hadn't lost everything. When does he would see what matters most and see it clearly for the first time! Then he would find his way " Home!"
Also its already been mentioned but Miller told Naomi that he sees Julie and knows she's not there but she takes his hand and says " You belong with me!"
God I hated losing Miller 😢 Not so long ago I was driving to work after watching this episode for who knows how many times and it hit me.... it hit really really hard! Most people I know haven't experienced this amazing show and may never know just how much it hurts to lose such an amazing character as Miller! It still hits hard.....
Looking forward to episode six.... hold on!!
Great job in all respects. The Expanse is by far the best TV I’ve even seen and going on the journey with you is the next best thing to watching for the first time. Keep up the great work.
You are right about Holden being a Paladin. But Miller is another character he plays the tragic night bad guy turned good by love how dies a hero.
And so we get closer to season 3 which is even more bombastic!!
Honestly its just impossible for me to conceive of this show getting better :)
@@WarpReactor Season 3 contains two book finales, and these writers know how to write astoundingly satisfying book finales.
@WarpReactor Season 3 is the best of the best. Just the absolute best season of a TV show probably EVER.
@@WarpReactor Oh you have no idea, beratna.
It's just beginning, this is still the prologue. ;)
Season 3 has my favorite display of physics in the show, one that honestly could be put into training videos for astronauts on a reminder of why the simple things matter.
It also a humorous exchange about an appearance by everyone but the tooth fairy and a simple man’s response to that very improbable situation.
I would explain, but spoilers, and I’m guessing a lot of fans know exactly which scenes I’m talking about.
If you get rid of the hat, I say a Belter Tattoo is the needed replacement lol.
Yes, it does just get better from here. Both cast and crew become more comfortable in the process which just elevated everything.
As far as adaptation goes, in my opinion, it's also the best book to screen adaptation I've seen, and I'm an old fooker lol.
Also, don't forget Babylon 5 in your list of Mt. Rushmore carvings; just saying ;)
Crap, now I have to wait a week - bleh lol
I agree. One of my favorite parts of this show is how many people step up and do courageous selfless things for other people. It gives me hope for humanity. And, yes, it's a travesty how few people know about this show. I've been working on getting my brother interested but he saw the first episode and wasn't really into it so it hasn't happened yet. I'll keep working on him!
So, the books are incredible. I'm coming close to finishing my second read-through of them, and they've just gotten better for me having experienced them again.
After you have finished the entire TV series, you should listen to the "Ty and That Guy" podcast. It's Ty Franck(one of the co-authors of the Expanse novels) and Wes Chatham(the actor who plays Amos)talking about the making of this show, The Expanse in general, as well as a lot of other fun side topics. There are a TON of interesting insights into the characters and story of the Expanse, straight from the horse's mouth as it were! Very well worth your time if you love this show and these characters! Let me stress, wait until you have finished the entire series before you watch/listen to this podcast, because they let the spoilers flow freely! But it's a fucking fantastic show!
Absolutely love your reactions so far! I can't wait to see more as you get deeper into this world! It only gets crazier and more epic from here!!!
This was the episode that 100% confirmed it for me - that this is the greatest tv series of all time. Sci-fi is by far y fav genre, so i'm obviously predisposed to love a sci-fi series, but im pretty cognoscente of the difference between a good genre tv show, (or film for that matter), and a great show or movie - regardless of genre. The fact is that there are plenty of phenomenal sci-fi shows, that while great in their own right - they still simply aren't on the same level as other "prestige" tv series of the past 2 and a half decades or so. That is, except for Battlestar-Galactica, which was the previous number 1 best show that i had seen all the way up to this show. I was pretty sure it was one of if not the best sci-fi show, (not counting BSG), by the end of the first season. But between "Doors and Corners," and then "Home," after that yeah - it's definitely my number one show now, regardless of genre. Love your reactions man! When i watched this episode live, for some reason i couldn't find the tv-remote so i had gotten up and turned the tv on manually and flipped to the SyFy Channel, and before i knew it the episode was over. It wasn't until then that i realized that i never went back and sat down on the couch after turning the channel and instead I had watched the entire episode standing about 3 feet from my tv screen, so yeah - I too was pretty damn spun up too! lol
I'm so excited that you're reading the book! I have read all of the books probably three times. I have watched the show probably three times as well. They are linked in my mind but they are separate in my mind. Does that make sense. Anyway, the books just enhance your watching of the show. That's how it happened for me. I watched the show then I read the books. On the whole, I am happy with most of the changes that they made for the show. Have fun!
For the Throw rocks statement, have you read Heinlein’s Moon is a Harsh Mistress? That is the situation I always take with the comment. It doesn’t have to be a huge asteroid. Earth (or any planet) is at the bottom of well and anyone can drop things down that well with a lot less energy than getting out.
Wow, what a reaction, that was so raw and awesome. Your insights are great, but I don't recommend that you begin reading the books right now, there are minor spoilers, and they are different animals anyway, I would recommend you to finish watching the last season, and then begin with the books.
And so ends the second greatest episode of TV ever presented to the viewing public. I'd tell you what the greatest one is, but that would be a spoiler.
The crew of the Roci were all bumbling along in ordinary lives before the killing of the Cant, which sent them off in another direction entirely. So of course they were willing to use their lives to paint a target on Eros, as the bridge to the past was blown up and the present required constant moral decisions to be able to secure any part of a future. Kissing Julie was a Thomas Jane decision!!
It was actually Florence Faivre's idea, she and Thomas Jane improvised it on set, and Ty Frank was and is still against it, though he's accepted it as an adaptation change
I am so excited I found your channel. Doing a rewatch with you will be cool 😆 But this episode just killed me. Miller (and Ashford later) are my two favs and the acting here combined with the score…perfect.
Indeed, Julie is an hybrid when we see it.
If you enjoy a show that is based on a TTRPG you should consider watching The Legend of Vox Machina. It's a fantasy show not Sci Fi, so I'm not sure if you would be interested. But it is a great show base on a D&D Campain that was livestreamed by a Group of Voice Actors called Critical Role. And like with the Expanse, the Group that played the Game was very heavily involved with the production of the show. It's worth a watch!
Oh for sure, the books and show are equally good in different ways. I was a book reader for almost 5 years before the show came out, so at first i was extremely biased towards the books, but the show won me over.
41:45 "It gets better" - The rest of season 2, and then season 3, has some top quality music. The soundtrack is very impressive for a TV show that had relatively few viewers on first run. But I will push back against some funs who claim these first 15 episodes are slow. Instead, I find the next 21 episodes to be too rushed. There is a pacing that younger viewers may like in season 3 but I find it kind of hectic.
The show is great. The novels are great in the epic tragic scale would be the distinction. Nothing prepares you for the last three novels, especially. #WarpReactor
Was waiting for this and now i can't wait for 2x6 :)
You can't take the Razorback
I haven't seen the show beyond the third episode, but I just finished reading the first book, so I decided to watch your reactions. As with Robotech, highly enjoyable. Now I need to decide if I want to keep going, or pause a bit to read the next book first.
I hadn't realized this started from a TTRPG. Now it's got an official TTRPG adaptation (which I've got a copy of and should play at some point), so its amusing that it's gone full-circle. I would say I usually play rangers, but I'm the forever DM/GM. If you're ever in the area, you're welcome to sit in at my gaming table.
The next episode is also amazing
I would advice you to first finish the first 3 seasons before starting with the books.
The first 3 seasons are basically the story of the first 3 books together, but not everything is in the same order. Events have been shifted, characters condensed, and some are introduced earlier or later. If you start reading after season 3 you're pretty safe.
After that, it's mostly 1 book = 1 season but there is still some overlapping, so I would make sure that you are at least half, or better one full season ahead.
Just wait until this show really gets better later on. 😂
I avoided watching this reaction because it tore me apart when I saw it the first time. It was much easier watching it with a friend. 🖤
Thank you for the kind words, my friend!
Glad you are here :)
Yeah it's still WILD to me that The Expanse still feels very much like a 'hidden gem' rather than being a huge mainstream thing that EVERYONE talked about when it was actively running. Wild that it was almost canned because no one was watching it. Feels like something that will be considered a cult classic in, like, 20 years or so.
A mid-size asteroid would wipe out all life on Earth. Eros isn't mid size. It's one of the largest rocks in the solar system, at 33x13z13km. On the plus side, it's silicon, not metallic. But it's still enormous.
Don't count out characters with the Protomolecule coming back ]:P
Why do Mondays and Thursdays have the best youtube videos?
Again, this show motivated jms to want to reboot B5.
38:00 _The Expanse_ *is* commended highly, at least in all the online (including RUclips) outlets, by those who have seen it. That it did not dominate the TV-watching population has more to do with where TV has gone the past couple of decades. There are just too many shows, too many options. Plus, science fiction had fallen out of favor with the industry. Networks had to turn to more and more live productions - sports mostly - to try and keep viewers.
We live in a world that only loves mediocrity.
Bubble-gum and burgers, baby. Bubble-gum and burgers.
You think this story-arc was good?
Just wait until Seasons 3 and 5. 😈
Final #OctaviaWatch2024 ....and now our watch has ended
Ok, well now that you're done with the _slow_ part of the show.... 😀
strap in your seatbelt next episodes till the end of the series just keep getting more intense.
You will be surprised by thee book. IMO its about same plot... but different. Like without spoils after TV.
another thing this show is great at giving you I knew it moments only to show you later on you knew nothing ]:P
WR, you are preaching to the choir about how pissed you are that this show isn't being lauded from the highest mountains! It should have been, and if it had been, we would have had #1 Not had to wait two years in between seasons, and #2 wouldn't have been canceled after season 6. That part might not be genuine because I think they wanted to finish it in season 6. I might need to be corrected. I'm sure there will be someone else who has better info than me. And of course, some of the time we had to wait for a season was due to the pandemic. If I remember right, some of season 5 was filmed during COVID-19, and they worked with a skeleton crew of both crew and cast. But again, better historians of the Expanse might be able to fill in any blanks or adjust any "misspokes" I've made.
You really voice exactly how I felt/feel about this show. Everything about it seems so perfect. I love every character equally, even with any flaws they might have. No one is perfect and the fact that these characters can be SO perfect without being absolutely perfect makes them almost more human to me than myself. You just have such a great way to notice everything, all the little nuances of the production. Well, I'm exhausted and I feel like I'm just rambling without accomplishing much. But I just wanted you to know that I really admire how completely engaged in this show. How you read the characters and appreciate the actors and all the tech people behind the scenes, as well as the writers and directors. And can we mention that musical score??? Did you notice that piece playing while Miller was with Julie and convincing her to not try to go home, but head for Venus? Oh man......
Ok, done rambling. It's 4am and I need to crash before I burn. I look forward to seeing the next enstallment. And I'll watch the bonus show tomorrow. 😃
Can't wait until you start watching Farscape
HATE the kiss...apparently it wasnt in the script and the actors just improvised it....a heartfelt hug would have been WAY more impactful...IMO there was never anything sexual about Millers relationship to Julie so the kiss really rubbed me the wrong way
Well, both the scriptwriters and the authors of the original books could've just told them "nah, do it again without the kiss". But they didn't. So I guess at least they either did imply something sexual, or didn't see it as a big deal.
You're entitled to your opinion of course. It does feel kinda biased by your culture from a point of view of someone that grew up in a culture where 1. Kiss isn't necessarily a sexual thing. 2. Sexual themes aren't seen like some gross/impure taboo.
She didn't even know Miller. At all.
Ty Franck, one of the authors, is also on record as not liking it.
I don't HATE it, but I do think it was a mistake.
@@LoisoPondohvaThe writers DID tell them not to do it, but Thomas Jane convinced the director.
And a kiss on the mouth does give an unnecessary physical aspect to their relationship.
P.S. The problem for me is not that sexual themes are a taboo, but that they do not belong in this scene imo.
She knew Miller inside and out bc of the protomolecule before he even took his helmet off. The bird, kidnap job, you belong with me…she never met him but knew those details. The kiss was so pure and almost as romantic as the Chrisjen and Arjun conversation