When The Expanse TV show ended after six seasons, it seemed like a tragedy to deny its fanbase of the incredible stoylines set up for the following season. But with so many cliffhangers and dangling plot threads, the sad truth is that if The Expanse hadn’t been canceled, its next season was going to be a massive shift from what fans expected.
As viewers will recall, and newcomers may be surprised to learn, the ending of Season 6 sees much of the conflict and catastrophe of The Expanse ended, or at least brought to a tenuous peace. And with armed war temporarily brought to an end, the combined forces of Earth, Mars, and the Belt were finally given their chance to create a better future, together. But for the realists in the audience, survival is never that simple. Even if the original Expanse novels gave that impression.
Instead of following the path of the novels and leaping over the nasty reality of post-war humanity following Season 6, The Expanse‘s actual sequel revealed new threats, new political strife, and even new discoveries about the Ring Network that the novels, nor the show, ever came close to touching. If Expanse fans are looking for the sequel the show sets up in its final episodes, than the answer is Dragon Tooth.
The Expanse: Season 7 Was Never Going To Be What Fans Wanted
Ending At Season 6 Saved The Showrunners From Solving The Time Jump Problem
The Expanse‘s season 6 finale, like the sixth novel of the book series it adapts, ends with the future of its universe completely wide open. With the future of Earth still uncertain, the long-brewing wars between Earth, Mars, and the Belters has been brought to a brutal end. The trio agree to an uneasy alliance and plan to use the Ring network to expand and supply humanity across the universe. It truly is the dawn of a new age for humankind, thrilling fans to speculate on the next steps. So what happens next?
How do you give fans of The Expanse what they want, when the source material changes the characters, the universe, and the state of humanity… without showing any of it actually happening?
That’s a question that the TV show would not actually have answered, if it followed its adaptation of the original novels. With the conclusion of the novel “Bablyon’s Ashes” by James S. A. Corey, the story of The Expanse then jumps 28 years into the future for the next book in the series, “Persepolis Rising.” The wildest times and most critical decisions and battles have passed, with Earth stable, humans establishing a new frontier, and the crew of the Rocinante deeply changed, significantly aged, and adapted to a human civilization spread across light-years.
The EXPANSE Creator Knows Any Future Sequels or Spinoffs Will Face 1 Major Challenge
There’s no question that The Expanse deserves more film and TV adaptations, but the creator knows a major reason why devoted fans pose a challenge.
For the makers of the TV show, this was always going to be a problem. After all, how do you give fans of The Expanse what they want, when the source material changes the characters, the universe, and the state of humanity… without showing any of it actually happening? The beloved cast of the fan-favorite Roci, for instance, got to spend almost three decades together, leaving Naomi and James on the cusp of retirement. But audiences never got to enjoy or even witness it… fortunately, that’s right where The Expanse: Dragon Tooth comes in.
The Expanse Actually Gave Fans The Right Sequel With ‘Dragon Tooth’
The Show’s Comic Sequel Picks Up Right Where Season 6 Ends
The writers of The Expanse novel series made their drastic leap forward in the timeline for their own reasons, and there are sure to be many fans of the novels who would argue there is value and meaning in the audience ‘missing’ three decades of story. But for fans of the TV show desperate to see the show’s many characters facing this new world, reacting to threats both old and new, and establishing a new mission, a faithfully adapted season 7 of The Expanse TV show would likely have disappointed much of its audience.
But the BOOM! Studios series from Andy Diggle, Rubin, and Francesco Pisa fulfills that exact demand, beginning right where season 6 ends… and honestly, where audiences would have expected Season 7 of the TV show to pick back up. Building their reputation as pirate hunters, the crew of the Rocinante find themselves in pursuit of a Martian special forces remnant determined to earn their passage to Laconia. Not to mention a more managable time jump of one decade, and shocking new research into the Ring network, too.
When The Expanse Returns, It Will Have ‘Dragon Tooth’ To Thank
The Expanse Canon Will Likely Make The Sequel Comics Part of Future Adaptations
It’s possible audiences will never know how The Expanse TV show would have solved the time jump problem, forced to either introduce makeup or prosthetics to age the cast by three decades, or even recast completely new actors. But the supervision of James S. A. Corey over Dragon Tooth and the upcoming Amos-led The Expanse: A Little Death means these stories are honored by the creatives behind the series. So any Expanse sequel or movie now has more than the novels to look to for inspiration. Which is even more good news for fans.
Every viewer will have their own opinions on whether a Season 7 that took a three-decade time jump is ‘the season 7 they want’ or not. But there is no denying that The Expanse: Dragon Tooth is a simpler, easier, and more direct continuation of the story TV show fans fell in love with. With record-breaking numbers of fans helping to make these comic sequels a reality, it’s clear they’ve reached must-see status. But for The Expanse TV series, aree they also must-adapt stories for any continuation? Only time will tell.
The Expanse: Dragon Tooth is available from BOOM! Studios where comics are sold.
- Release Date
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2015 – 2022-00-00
- Showrunner
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Naren Shankar, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby
