Prime Video’s Best Sci-Fi Show Will Never Be Replaced

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Amazon Prime Video offers a lot of excellent science fiction series. They’ve spent a significant amount of money on ambitious shows like Fallout, The Boys, and even lesser-known titles such as The Peripheral. However, despite all the impressive visuals and stories, nothing on Prime Video quite compares to The Expanse.

Honestly, calling The Expanse just ‘good’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. As a fan, I think it’s one of the best sci-fi shows we’ve had in decades. What really sets it apart is how it combines realistic science with complex political intrigue and really compelling characters – it all adds up to something truly epic. Everyone from critics to fans like me loved it, and it constantly felt like the show was breaking new ground for what television could do.

Even though Prime Video has released several big-budget, imaginative sci-fi series since The Expanse ended in 2022, none have quite reached its level of quality. The Expanse remains the gold standard for sci-fi on Prime Video, and it’s likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future.

The Expanse Is The Best Sci-Fi Show On Prime Video

Hard Science Fiction Merges With Prestige Drama For An Unmatched Experience

Even years after ending, The Expanse is still the top sci-fi show on Prime Video for many good reasons. One of the biggest is its dedication to realism. The show takes science seriously – space travel follows actual physics, gravity is a constant force, and even battles feel genuinely dangerous because of how realistically weapons impact ships. This grounded approach gives The Expanse a depth and weight that most other sci-fi shows lack.

Beyond its realistic portrayal of space, The Expanse also excels as a gripping political thriller and a deeply human character study. James Holden, played by Steven Strait, starts as someone with strong beliefs who’s pulled in different directions, and characters like Naomi Nagata, Amos Burton, and Alex Kamal feel like ordinary people just trying to survive, rather than traditional heroes.

Shohreh Aghdashloo as Chrisjen Avasarala is captivating, bringing both cleverness and a no-nonsense attitude to the complex world of interplanetary politics. Thomas Jane’s portrayal of Josephus Miller adds a strong emotional core to the show’s earlier seasons, grounding the story in relatable human drama. These characters aren’t just background elements; they are central to The Expanse‘s narrative, as important as the exciting space setting and action.

It’s rare for a Prime Video sci-fi show to blend grand, sweeping storylines with deeply personal character moments as well as The Expanse does. The series portrays both large-scale conflicts and the individual struggles of those affected, maintaining a focus on the human cost even as the story expands into galactic war.

Beyond the story, The Expanse is stunning to watch. Its visuals are on par with big-budget sci-fi films, with impressive action sequences in zero gravity, detailed space stations, and a uniquely unsettling look for the protomolecule. Everything feels carefully crafted and high-quality, contributing to the show’s overall sophisticated feel. Many viewers have compared it to Game of Thrones, but set in space.

While other sci-fi shows on Prime Video might be fun or surprising, The Expanse truly pulls you in. It doesn’t just entertain – it makes you believe this future is possible. That realistic feel is why many still consider it the best sci-fi series on Amazon Prime, even though it finished airing a while ago.

Why The Expanse Never Became As Big As It Should’ve Been

Weak Early Marketing And A Slow-Burn Start Limited Its Mainstream Breakout

Despite being consistently high-quality, The Expanse didn’t become as widely popular as it should have. This was largely due to when and where it aired. The first three seasons were on Syfy, which had trouble promoting complex, high-end dramas to viewers outside of its regular audience.

Even though critics loved The Expanse, it didn’t get the same attention as bigger, more popular shows. Many people hadn’t even heard of it. Instead of becoming an instant hit, it gradually gained a dedicated following because it lacked strong marketing and didn’t generate a lot of online excitement.

Syfy’s decision to cancel The Expanse after three seasons highlighted the show’s difficulties. It took a strong fan campaign to get Amazon to revive it. While Amazon’s involvement actually improved the show’s quality and reach, the initial cancellation hurt its potential – it could have attracted a much larger audience from the start.

The show’s structure also presented a challenge. The first few seasons of The Expanse require viewers to be patient. It slowly introduces the political landscape, different groups, and specific jargon, and the main storyline develops at a measured pace. This complex approach feels more like a serious drama than a typical, fast-paced sci-fi show made for streaming. Although it’s ultimately satisfying, that slower speed can be a bit daunting for those just starting to watch.

The problem wasn’t the show’s quality—it was a lack of visibility. If The Expanse had been better promoted when it first appeared on Prime Video, it could have become the most important sci-fi show of the last ten years instead of a critically acclaimed but overlooked gem.

Prime Video Should Bring The Expanse Back

Unfinished Stories And A Growing Fanbase Make A Comeback Feel Necessary

Even though The Expanse has finished its run, there are good reasons for Amazon Prime to revive the show. The series didn’t adapt all of the original books, leaving plenty of story left to tell even after six seasons.

The TV series The Expanse is based on a set of novels, and when the sixth season ended, not all of the books had been turned into episodes. Important storylines – including new dangers, political conflicts, and long-term effects on characters – remain untold.

It’s unusual for a revived sci-fi show to have so much new story potential. Most revivals depend on viewers’ fond memories, and struggle to find a good reason to keep the story going. But The Expanse is different – it has plenty of fresh ideas. The show has already built a rich universe with many possibilities, allowing for both continuations of the main story and completely new spin-offs.

Plus, The Expanse’s fanbase has continued to grow even after the show ended. Ongoing online conversations and positive reviews from both fans and critics have brought in new viewers every year. What used to be a show with a smaller, dedicated following now feels like a must-watch for science fiction enthusiasts. Bringing the show back now would likely generate much more excitement than it did during its initial release.

From a business standpoint, bringing back The Expanse is a smart move. The show has already demonstrated its ability to create high-quality, visually stunning stories that keep viewers engaged. For Amazon Prime, it’s a safer investment than launching a brand-new, costly science fiction series.

Fans would love to see The Expanse return because the show created such a rich and expansive universe – it feels unfinished. Considering Star Trek has thrived for decades with numerous series and updates, The Expanse has the same potential. Reviving the show would not only please its dedicated fanbase, but also give Prime Video’s best science fiction series the wider recognition it deserves.

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2026-02-02 18:30