Season is still going strong. The only weak thing for me is Naomi's arc. It's a good arc, but done poorly. I appreciate that we can learn more about Marco and Philip through her but all this touchy-feely stuff is just too much and her scenes with Philip drag on forever and are mostly unnecessary (it's not like I'll start caring about him out of the blue).

maybenexttime

Poland5820 Posts

January 16 2021 12:51 GMT

#242

I really facepalmed hard when I saw Bobbie toss that bullet out. Overall, I think they started to pay less attention to details when it comes to the space scenes. Why on earth would they keep cutlery in a cup on a spaceship? :<

ShoCkeyy

7815 Posts

January 18 2021 20:31 GMT

#243

On January 16 2021 20:17 Manit0u wrote:
Season is still going strong. The only weak thing for me is Naomi's arc. It's a good arc, but done poorly. I appreciate that we can learn more about Marco and Philip through her but all this touchy-feely stuff is just too much and her scenes with Philip drag on forever and are mostly unnecessary (it's not like I'll start caring about him out of the blue).

This so much... Naomi's arc literally used as filler... was basically on my phone during that time.

TheTenthDoc

United States9561 Posts

January 23 2021 04:18 GMT

#244

Man, episode 8 left me scratching my head about the writing team.

For one thing, I assume Naomi's scenes are all lifted straight from the books, because they were not designed for television. + Show Spoiler +

Basically it's watching her shuffle around for a while tinkering with objects I don't understand as a casual viewer from 2021, for a brief payoff when she accomplishes something she has to explicitly tell the audience. Do we really need "The Martian: Expanse edition" with tech we don't understand?

Not exactly great for an episodic TV show.

For another, + Show Spoiler +

the editing of the Naomi-related storylines just feels bizarre. It feels like the end of that Drummer sequence is supposed to have a revelation that she's still alive-but we know that. We even know exactly what she was doing on the ship, since we saw it through to its completion. It seems like at one point they were planning to not tell us Naomi made the jump to the second ship for another episode, and have the Roci and Razorback pursuing her while we as the audience could feasibly think she was dead, but then they chickened out.

Hope her storyline takes up <50% of the next two episodes but I'm not...holding my breath. Ba-dum-tshh.

farvacola

United States18862 Posts

January 25 2021 12:51 GMT

#245

Saw that folks were talking about this show and decided to give it a shot. Finished the first season yesterday and I gotta say, it's much better than I expected. The acting is very uneven, but the worldbuilding and plotlines punch above their weight.

Dav1oN

Ukraine3164 Posts

January 25 2021 14:17 GMT

#246

Naomi's arc is the weakest point of this season, I'd be glad to see more Amos action, or even Avasarala/Martian story. What is the background of current Roci pilot? Those dude who was Fred Johnson's left hand at the station - we know almost nothing about him.

Jockmcplop

United Kingdom9857 Posts

January 28 2021 18:11 GMT

#247

+ Show Spoiler +

Marco Inaros has become too evil. It doesn't fit with the overall morality of the show.
He's slowly lost his ambiguity because they wanted Naomi to seem more abused.

On January 25 2021 21:51 farvacola wrote:
Saw that folks were talking about this show and decided to give it a shot. Finished the first season yesterday and I gotta say, it's much better than I expected. The acting is very uneven, but the worldbuilding and plotlines punch above their weight.

I recently rewatched in anticipation of season 5, the acting either gets better as it goes along or is an acquired taste. I can't decide which.

TheTenthDoc

United States9561 Posts

January 29 2021 10:03 GMT

#248

Naomi's arc, including Marco, would be better if Filip had some screen presence or the character was at all interesting. But I just feel absolutely nothing for him. He's emotional instability incarnate, but somehow that ends up boring. Maybe if they'd found an actual teenager for the role his immaturity would be more tolerable? I dunno. But he's in his mid-twenties...

Part of it is the same issues I have with Drummer's plotline in s5 (and heck, even Holden's-who can care about him hanging out with journalist lady and random pilot guy?). The show has always split people up, but putting one character I like/am familiar with in the midst of tons of new ones just doesn't click as much for me as the close-knit cast of the earlier seasons-at least with Amos he's the real driver of his plot.

Oh well. Hopefully the season finale manages to bring things together again in a meaningful way.

Manit0u

Poland17756 Posts

January 29 2021 22:38 GMT

#249

Naomi's arc would be better if it were maybe 1 episode. Now we've been stuck with it for more or less 3 episodes and it's not interesting enough for me, feels just like some filler stuff. In general, some interesting stuff happening this season: rocks, free navy, mars in decline and their underhanded dealings with the Belt, Earth's retaliation for the rocks - all of this is interesting and I would be really glad if the show focused more on those aspects rather than Naomi being stuck on a ship and people slowly flying to save her. At this point I don't even care if she lives or dies, I just want this arc to end...

Dav1oN

Ukraine3164 Posts

February 03 2021 02:49 GMT

#250

So that's how they replaced the pilot, the new one seems more charismatic

Also, getting + Show Spoiler +

peaches

to the crew is a big buff, i thought that Bobby will do this job, but it seems like she'll stick to Avasarala?

Mohdoo

United States15743 Posts

February 04 2021 21:38 GMT

#251

On January 30 2021 07:38 Manit0u wrote:
Naomi's arc would be better if it were maybe 1 episode. Now we've been stuck with it for more or less 3 episodes and it's not interesting enough for me, feels just like some filler stuff. In general, some interesting stuff happening this season: rocks, free navy, mars in decline and their underhanded dealings with the Belt, Earth's retaliation for the rocks - all of this is interesting and I would be really glad if the show focused more on those aspects rather than Naomi being stuck on a ship and people slowly flying to save her. At this point I don't even care if she lives or dies, I just want this arc to end...

For me, I just don't like Naomi enough to justify this much time spent on her arc. I have a really hard time appreciating her. I'm always frustrated by decisions she makes lol

Hyperbola

United States2554 Posts

February 05 2021 00:23 GMT

#252

I liked the pilot. He was the most charismatic character. Shame he got metoo'd.

Mohdoo

United States15743 Posts

February 05 2021 00:31 GMT

#253

On February 05 2021 09:23 Hyperbola wrote:
I liked the pilot. He was the most charismatic character. Shame he got metoo'd.

Is that what happened? I’m super bummed. Still can’t believe it.

TheTenthDoc

United States9561 Posts

February 05 2021 05:26 GMT

#254

At least to the show producers, the evidence was pretty compelling (he even harassed some production PAs, and none of the cast seemed surprised). Honestly I hated his acting anyway, but the awkwardness of them cutting around him + Show Spoiler +

and his death

really showed. There's a couple places you can clearly tell he got edited out with production magic in the last episode.

Fleetfeet

Canada2738 Posts

February 05 2021 09:01 GMT

#255

Yeah that was super jarring. Literally hands in the air "...WHAT."

I suppose I'm glad it happened, because there are more important things in life than an entertaining show, but boy was that ever 'out of nowhere' in the context of the show alone.

Jockmcplop

United Kingdom9857 Posts

February 05 2021 10:15 GMT

#256

On February 05 2021 09:23 Hyperbola wrote:
I liked the pilot. He was the most charismatic character. Shame he got metoo'd.

I had no idea about this. I liked Alex, although he was the cheesiest, most stereotypical sci-fi pilot haha.
I watched a walkaround he expanse set that the actor did not too long ago and the actor actually seemed like a really similar character to Alex. This one took me by surprise, but i guess you never know with people.

Dav1oN

Ukraine3164 Posts

February 05 2021 15:00 GMT

#257

The way they ended Alex was cheesy indeed, and the way they edited last episode was strange, sure. I've read about the "problems" with the actor even before the season, so it was not a surprise for the hardcore audience, Cas Anvar wasn't featured in any of the aftershow episodes this season as well.

For some reason I like the new pilot since the very first ep of s5, intro, development and how smoothley they confirmed he'll become the new pilot (scene with the cup of tea was very clear).

Naomi's ark was at least decent when she was captured by Macro, but her solo arc with the ship was waaaaaaaay too long, I'd better see more Avasarala/Amos action, or something from Martian society downfall.

Space battles were great, but I still cannot get used to engine/gun/rocket sounds in space -.-

Mohdoo

United States15743 Posts

February 05 2021 16:24 GMT

#258

On February 06 2021 00:00 Dav1oN wrote:

Naomi's ark was at least decent when she was captured by Macro, but her solo arc with the ship was waaaaaaaay too long, I'd better see more Avasarala/Amos action, or something from Martian society downfall.

For me, she could be jumping through portals and connecting with protomolecule species, deriving new mathematics to fight against the weird red shit, and I'd still hate it. Her character always just annoys me.

Manit0u

Poland17756 Posts

February 05 2021 18:33 GMT

#259

Yeah, Naomi isn't the most likeable character around...

And I don't mind engine/ordnance sounds in space. I know it's unrealistic but it adds another dimension to the scenes and makes them better in my opinion. Otherwise they'd just be your mute CGI in speehs.