Discussion
DonkeyApple said:
Clockwork Cupcake said:
biggbn said:
Gonna go back and give this a go. I switched off because of the use of the word belter which caused my mrs and I to dissolve into fits of immature laughter every time it was uttered.
The use of the word "Belter" to describe people who live in the asteroid belts is an absolute staple of Sci-Fi, most generally associated with Larry Niven's "Known Space" universe but tacitly understood throughout Sci-Fi. It's one of those fundamental tropes. I don't really understand why you and your missus find it so funny, but I guess I'm as ignorant of your use of the word as you are of the Sci-Fi use the of the word. The difference is, though, that this is a Sci-Fi show.
What I do find interesting is the assumption that language defines class and standing within sci-fi. That in this case the Belters are given a more simplistic and pigeon dialect to carry the heavy inference of being an under class. It's interesting how sci-fi is often so reliant on quite sturgid cultural stereotypes.
Besides, the further away from Dagenham a human is the better the quality of their English so as far out as the 'belt' you'd expect then all to be speaking better English than the ginger Windsor bloke.
Yeah, belter has at least four meanings I've picked up over the years.
"she's a belter" - not necessarily looks, and not always people! I've heard of cars before being referred to in the same context.
"he landed a belter that knocked the other guy out"
"what an utter f
king belter"
Plus the scifi geographic based one.
"she's a belter" - not necessarily looks, and not always people! I've heard of cars before being referred to in the same context.
"he landed a belter that knocked the other guy out"
"what an utter f
king belter"Plus the scifi geographic based one.
I'm trying to avoid this thread as I'm only up to season 4 and don't want spoilers, but felt the need to pop in and enthuse about just how happy I am that this show was made. Best SciFi on TV since Babylon 5. Maybe even Star Trek.
in Particular The way the story evolves from a crew of randoms getting sucked into a much bigger mystery to a save-the-planet climax to a "no that was all just the warmup act" continuation. It keeps you onboard with a small bunch of characters you can grow and relate to, but allows the wider universe to be explored piecemeal until you have a much bigger picture as they react to the changes.
The struggles of the Belters as they try to unify into a cohesive force when they are actually anything but. Historically this is usually done when one faction simply becomes so powerful it becomes the defacto representative of the whole nation, but just as often it splinters into nothing but infighting. Like Mars, they are facing ideological struggles as a highly individualistic pioneer people with a history of oppression must balance what they've always known and done with an ideal that holds only potential benefits.
I love what's happened to Mars in season 4. A resource-poor planet with the cream of the human race and a fanatical militaristic nationalism driving them to punch well above their weight has just had their very soul ripped out by a discovery that renders their great work pointless and destroys the unity that made them so formidable.
The actual alien bit is really just a cool backdrop. Although changing the direction of the asteroid was one of my favourite WTF moments in SciFi.
When the series is over I think I'll have to read the books.
in Particular The way the story evolves from a crew of randoms getting sucked into a much bigger mystery to a save-the-planet climax to a "no that was all just the warmup act" continuation. It keeps you onboard with a small bunch of characters you can grow and relate to, but allows the wider universe to be explored piecemeal until you have a much bigger picture as they react to the changes.
The struggles of the Belters as they try to unify into a cohesive force when they are actually anything but. Historically this is usually done when one faction simply becomes so powerful it becomes the defacto representative of the whole nation, but just as often it splinters into nothing but infighting. Like Mars, they are facing ideological struggles as a highly individualistic pioneer people with a history of oppression must balance what they've always known and done with an ideal that holds only potential benefits.
I love what's happened to Mars in season 4. A resource-poor planet with the cream of the human race and a fanatical militaristic nationalism driving them to punch well above their weight has just had their very soul ripped out by a discovery that renders their great work pointless and destroys the unity that made them so formidable.
The actual alien bit is really just a cool backdrop. Although changing the direction of the asteroid was one of my favourite WTF moments in SciFi.
When the series is over I think I'll have to read the books.
DonkeyApple said:
Clockwork Cupcake said:
biggbn said:
Gonna go back and give this a go. I switched off because of the use of the word belter which caused my mrs and I to dissolve into fits of immature laughter every time it was uttered.
The use of the word "Belter" to describe people who live in the asteroid belts is an absolute staple of Sci-Fi, most generally associated with Larry Niven's "Known Space" universe but tacitly understood throughout Sci-Fi. It's one of those fundamental tropes. I don't really understand why you and your missus find it so funny, but I guess I'm as ignorant of your use of the word as you are of the Sci-Fi use the of the word. The difference is, though, that this is a Sci-Fi show.
What I do find interesting is the assumption that language defines class and standing within sci-fi. That in this case the Belters are given a more simplistic and pigeon dialect to carry the heavy inference of being an under class. It's interesting how sci-fi is often so reliant on quite sturgid cultural stereotypes.
Besides, the further away from Dagenham a human is the better the quality of their English so as far out as the 'belt' you'd expect then all to be speaking better English than the ginger Windsor bloke.
Am now up to date. Brilliant TV series. Spoilers for S4 & S5
S4: Felt S4 was perhaps the weakest with the alien stuff. Holden not just killing the bad guy made me roll my eyes a bit and Amos making his choice was unexpected, but main villian felt a bit pantomime. Series made up for it with the degeneration of Mars, though. Gunny is a great character to see this through as she's already had her ideology dented by the realpolotik of mars and now gets to see everyone elses faith in mars evaporate.
S5: Like a whole new series of WTF! Chrisjen Avasarala has been given some great scenes throught the show, but these are some of her best. Love the whole mood of gloom pervading everywhere. The Belters have had their boats burned, but their fledgling navy is surely no match for a combined Earth & Mars, and even with parliament gone I can't see a Martian revolution siding with the belt corruption or not. Splitting the protagonists is a great way of both letting them develop and keeping tabs on the various elements at play, too. Early on I felt that the focus on a single crew and a few other significants made the universe seem a little empty, but it really reaps rewards now.
Also regarding Amos- I remember him looking thoughtful when the captured scientist was talking about the procedure where they basically erased his etchics, etc. I noticed that young Amos had a bash on his head when talking to his stepmother. Is Amos brain damaged, paid for/suffered mental augmentation or is he just seriously fked up from his childhood?
If I were Bezos, I'd be personally bankrolling this like I was my DVD collection.
S4: Felt S4 was perhaps the weakest with the alien stuff. Holden not just killing the bad guy made me roll my eyes a bit and Amos making his choice was unexpected, but main villian felt a bit pantomime. Series made up for it with the degeneration of Mars, though. Gunny is a great character to see this through as she's already had her ideology dented by the realpolotik of mars and now gets to see everyone elses faith in mars evaporate.
S5: Like a whole new series of WTF! Chrisjen Avasarala has been given some great scenes throught the show, but these are some of her best. Love the whole mood of gloom pervading everywhere. The Belters have had their boats burned, but their fledgling navy is surely no match for a combined Earth & Mars, and even with parliament gone I can't see a Martian revolution siding with the belt corruption or not. Splitting the protagonists is a great way of both letting them develop and keeping tabs on the various elements at play, too. Early on I felt that the focus on a single crew and a few other significants made the universe seem a little empty, but it really reaps rewards now.
Also regarding Amos- I remember him looking thoughtful when the captured scientist was talking about the procedure where they basically erased his etchics, etc. I noticed that young Amos had a bash on his head when talking to his stepmother. Is Amos brain damaged, paid for/suffered mental augmentation or is he just seriously f
ked up from his childhood?If I were Bezos, I'd be personally bankrolling this like I was my DVD collection.
Edited by glazbagun on Tuesday 12th January 13:41
chris watton said:
I agree 100% with that review, but as someone who originally went in blind without knowing anything about what was happening, I'd say it's pretty spoilery for anyone who hasn't watched the first season.glazbagun said:
Just watched latest episode. I've felt (along with Holden) Naomi has been one of the tougher characters to get right and often seems a little over dramatic, but she was spot-on this episode and brilliantly written. (and an ice cold badass) .
I agree, often failed to warm to Naomi but last few episodes have been excellent both in her story and acting... My favourite didn't get any screen time this week.They can probably find someone else to pilot the ship, Bull sure wasn't bad that last episode! Unless there's a pivotal plot twist coming up this series that needs Alex.
I haven't read the books but so far his only b-plot seems to be knowing a few Martians and being a st Dad, though he's good to have around Gunny.
I haven't read the books but so far his only b-plot seems to be knowing a few Martians and being a s
t Dad, though he's good to have around Gunny. Rumblestripe said:
From memory the Naomi - Phillip interaction is not the same as in the books but I think actually better. Some superb acting from Dominique Tipper.
The effects budget has obviously had an injection of cash, worth every penny IMO.
The ships look so much more detailed and better lit since amazon started paying. The effects budget has obviously had an injection of cash, worth every penny IMO.
The recent "death blossum" sequence was packed full of details - the torpedoes burning flipped over to intercept the rocinante and the PDCs have a thrusters to compensate for the recoil.
Only one more episode left.
Catatafish said:
The ships look so much more detailed and better lit since amazon started paying.
The recent "death blossum" sequence was packed full of details - the torpedoes burning flipped over to intercept the rocinante and the PDCs have a thrusters to compensate for the recoil.
Only one more episode left.
Death blossom. Last stafighter reference? The recent "death blossum" sequence was packed full of details - the torpedoes burning flipped over to intercept the rocinante and the PDCs have a thrusters to compensate for the recoil.
Only one more episode left.
Edited by Daniel1 on Thursday 28th January 20:15
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