The 21st Century’s Best Sci-Fi Series Did What Most TV Shows Wouldn’t Dare

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As a huge sci-fi fan, I’ve learned not to get too invested in shows lasting forever. It’s a tricky thing to plan for the future in television, especially in our genre. We’ve seen so many amazing sci-fi series come and go in the 21st century – it’s rare for one to make it past a few seasons. I remember being sad when Battlestar Galactica wrapped up after four seasons, and Dark on Netflix only gave us three. Even big franchises aren’t a guarantee, as Star Trek: Discovery ended after five seasons. Doctor Who is truly special though – it’s incredible that it’s lasted over 60 years, and I think the regeneration concept is a big reason why!

It’s often difficult for even very popular shows to last for many seasons. As actors become more famous, they may move on to other projects, and the cost of making the show can also increase. Plus, actors age, which can be a problem for characters who aren’t supposed to. While shows like The Walking Dead and Supernatural managed to run for over ten seasons, most excellent series have to end much sooner.

Planning a science fiction show with the goal of making nine full seasons would be incredibly risky – a long shot that likely wouldn’t succeed. However, one of the most acclaimed sci-fi series of the 21st century boldly aimed for that ambitious goal.

The Expanse Adopted A “One Book Per Season” Rule From The Beginning

I was already a big fan of the Expanse books when the TV show came out on Syfy in December 2015. The author, James S.A. Corey, had already written five novels, and had plans for four more! So, the showrunners knew from the start exactly how long the whole story would eventually be, which was really exciting for us as fans.

From the start, the TV series The Expanse made a bold choice: dedicating a full season to each of the nine books it was based on. The show’s adaptation wasn’t always perfect at first. Season one mostly covered the first book, while season two finished that book and began the second. Season three completed the third book. However, starting with seasons four, five, and six, the show consistently adapted one book per season.

The TV series The Expanse did make some choices about which parts of the books to include. It left out certain storylines, reduced the roles of some characters, and combined a few smaller plots. However, the show never tried to shorten or simplify the main story to make it easier for television. It’s actually quite daring and ambitious for any series to avoid that approach, especially in the science fiction genre.

It wasn’t as though The Expanse started in 2015 with a guaranteed nine-season run. However, the show was intentionally designed with a specific structure and pace that required all nine seasons to reach a natural conclusion. The creators were willing to risk leaving the story unfinished rather than significantly changing the books it was based on.

In a 2020 interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Naren Shankar revealed they frequently discussed the show’s potential length. He explained they considered various scenarios, like ending after four or six seasons, and developed different story arcs to accommodate each possibility. The team believed they could create a satisfying conclusion regardless, even with a shorter run of six seasons.

Shankar’s statements show that a full nine seasons weren’t ever a given, and the team was always prepared to wrap up The Expanse at different points. Importantly, these discussions focused on providing a good conclusion, not on rushing the story to finish quickly.

The ending of The Expanse‘s sixth season, which also appears to be the show’s finale, closely follows the plot of the sixth book. This suggests the creators always intended to adapt roughly one book per season, even if the show had been cancelled before finishing the entire story.

How The Expanse’s Refusal To Compromise Defines It

Most TV and movie adaptations of book series take one of a few paths. Some follow the general outline of the books before diverging, like The Witcher. Others condense multiple books into a single season, as seen in The Wheel of Time. However, shows that stick closely to one book per season are usually either standalone stories with limited connections between installments (Bridgerton, Reacher) or are based on incredibly popular franchises, like the upcoming Harry Potter series on HBO. Prime Video’s The Rings of Power takes a different approach, compressing Tolkien’s expansive timeline to cover thousands of years at once.

It would have been easy for The Expanse, a sci-fi show with a dedicated but smaller fanbase, to simplify its story and rush through certain plotlines. Instead, the showrunners made a remarkably brave decision: they stayed true to their vision, even if it meant leaving some storylines unfinished in season six. Some might point to those unresolved plots as a consequence of this commitment, and that’s a fair point. However, The Expanse’s refusal to compromise is arguably the main reason it became one of the best sci-fi series of recent years.

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2025-11-15 16:11