With the premiere of Sharknado 5 upon us and Z Nation returning next month, people seem to have zombies, blood and gore on their mind more than anything else. However, as most critics will agree, the true crown jewels of the Syfy network are 12 Monkeys (which will be airing its final season next year) and The Expanse — two top-shelf dramas that should serve as a reminder of the era when pure, well-written science fiction was a staple of mainstream television. So, even though the press room for The Expanse was one of the last on a very long Saturday and after 3 tiring days at San Diego Comic-Con, I knew I had to be there regardless.

For those who need a refresher, season 2 ended with one humdinger of a cliffhanger. In an effort to insure they’re the ones to reach whatever is on the surface first, the exploratory ship on Venus begins racing a Martian vessel until it disappears off their instruments. Then, they disappear, too. Bursting into a trillion previously-intersecting parts, the crew is left floating in midair as the Proto-sprites buzz around them. Oh yes, just when you thought you knew what the Protomolecule was — until you didn’t. Then, in perhaps the biggest shocker of the finale, Naomi (Dominique Tipper)  admits to Holden (Steven Strait)  that she really didn’t destroy their last sample of the Protomolecule, and instead, gave it to Fred Johnson (Chad Coleman). And, in a little taste of the coming third season, “Caliban’s War” ended with Mei (Leah Madison Jung) being closed up in the same kind of chamber that created the menacing Proto-beast the Roci team wrestled with.

Given Naomi’s actions and her semi-betrayal to the crew of the Rocinante, as would be expected, there’s going to be some major trust issues going into season 3. Even though Naomi and Holden may be romantically involved, no one is closer to Naomi than Amos. However, Wes Chatham  admitted that even Amos will be stepping back. In fact, as Wes put it, “At this point, I think [Amos] is done. Done.” Yikes! As for Alex (Cas Anvar), he’s the one character that really has remained somewhat a mystery for the past 2 seasons. We know he left behind a family on Mars, but we really don’t know any of the history behind that. Well, the good news is as Cas explains, “Right off the bat, at the top of season 3, you’re going to get some pretty big information in regards to his family.” 

As for Holden and Naomi, whew, you can expect some serious fireworks there. “When we met the Roci crew, these people didn’t know each other very well when they started this adventure. Circumstances pushed them together. It’s a very fragile trust, and so, that bombshell at the end of the 2nd season, this family took a major hit. At the beginning of the 3rd season, we’re really trying to pick up the pieces,” Steven Strait explains. Yep, I do think Naomi may be looking for some allies as the crew may be potentially turning against her. But, don’t worry, Naomi, you can always turn to Fred Johnson, right?

So, while the cast could offer a few tidbits on what to expect going into season 3, they really didn’t have a lot of details since only 2 episodes had been filmed thus far. However, when the Executive Producers finally made it to our table, they were able to provide a few more teasers. Executive producer Mark Fergus summed up the seasons thus far by saying “Season 1 was ‘What are the sides?’ Season 2 was ‘Pick a side,’ and Season 3 will be ‘war.’” The characters will ask themselves “What is the cost” in decisions they make. According to the team, there’s technically no “bad guy” on The Expanse, since everyone thinks they’re doing the right thing.

Executive Producer Naren Shanker and Co-Author Daniel Abraham:

And, one big question that I just had to ask was “What about Detective Miller?” Truth be told, Miller (Thomas Jane)  was my favorite character, and so, when he joined the Protomolecule-fused Julie Mao and seemingly committed suicide by helping her crash the asteroid into Venus, I was beyond devastated. I haven’t read the books, but when I relayed this to my friend who has, his response was a smile and the very cryptic “Well, actually….” Well, actually? What in the hell does that mean! Well, my friend finally caved and told me, and so, I had to ask: Will we see Joe Miller in some form in season 3, as is depicted in the books? EP Naren Shankar couldn’t really say one way or the other, but with the big smile on his face and the fact that he said keeping the Joe Miller and Julie Mao storyline true to the books was very important, my money’s on the answer being “yes.”

Finally, as for any new characters, it was announced that Lost alum Elizabeth Mitchell  will be joining the cast in season 3 in a recurring role. And, actor David Straithairn of The Blacklist and Syfy’s Alphas will also be a new addition, although no details on either his nor Mitchell’s characters were provided as of now.

The Expanse  returns for season 3 in 2018.

“The Expanse” Season 3 Trailer:

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