The Expanse

Smart, beautifully written, and intriguingly sketchy on details, this sci-fi drama rises above the usual with well-thought-out details and deft characterization. Soap operas in space are a dime a dozen, particularly after the success of Battlestar Galactica. Since that well-regarded drama ended, Syfy has continually tried to recapture its magic, usually to no avail. But this time, the network may have cracked the code. We've met many of the characters in The Expanse before -- the conflicted cop, the politico who does terrible things to keep even more terrible stuff from happening -- and we're familiar with dramas that basically boil down to someone having a doomsday device, which this does.

But the fine writing here makes the usual unusual. Characters are complex and act in unexpected (yet recognizably human) ways; the view gets a sense that these are not only actors mouthing move-the-plot-along lines but real people living lives we can scarcely conceive of. There's class warfare (Earth denizens are the "haves"; the Belters working out in the asteroids the "have-nots"), a pulpy detective plot line, space-exploring derring-do, political intrigue, and, tying it all together, overarching environmental issues (for example, how are we going to take care of all these humans?) that ring familiar to modern viewers. The Expanse is smart, intriguing drama for sci-fi fans and perfect for whole-family watching with teens and up.