Said the Gramophone - image by Kit Malo

Then there’s James Holden (Steven Strait), the idealistic XO of an ice hauler. When his ship gets nuked by a stealth frigate, he becomes the most wanted man in the system. His plotline is All the President’s Men in zero-G. Every message he broadcasts starts a new war. Every decision he makes kills someone.

Is The Expanse Season 1 perfect? No. The dialogue in the first two episodes is clunky. Some side characters feel like set dressing. But as a complete pack , it is a masterclass in planting seeds.

You watch Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo, stealing every scene in a sari and a foul mouth) torture a Belter on Earth while Holden freezes in the void. You see the conspiracy tighten like a garrote. And then, in the finale, you get the single best “genre shift” in television history. (No spoilers, but if you know, you know: “It reaches out.” )

9/10 (Subtract one point for making me learn the word "copper taste of fear.")

Why The Expanse Season 1 is the Smartest, Most Rewarding Sci-Fi Prequel You’ll Ever Watch