The Expanse

As someone who is a huge fan of all things science-fiction, I was super excited to start watching The Expanse. It was certainly worth it. The events of this series occurs hundreds of years in the future, wherein the entire Solar System has been colonised by humans. As a result, the three primary divisions are Earth, Mars and the Belt. The show is an adaption of the novels by authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. 

Let me begin by pointing out that it is one of the most visually appealing shows I have watched. From depictions of the planets and spaceships to the stars, it is easy to sense the impact. It plays with one's imagination as to how the world could turn out in the future, along with having themes that are quite reminiscent to the present. There is immediate evidence that the production value is high in terms of design and effect and I can say it has paid off. 

My weakness in any show is a well-written character, and luckily for me, The Expanse has a wide array of good characterisation. They possess a sense of realism that is not easy to find in every fictional character we may come across, and that is also what makes them more relatable. Characters from each of the divisions are adequately used to represent issues that even plague our reality, such as discrimination, corruption, politics and fear of things that the mind does not understand. 

It is quite disconcerting to imagine that even after centuries of evolving, some core problems may never get solved. 

I will admit that much like many other shows, it is difficult to follow in the beginning (maybe the first couple of episodes) due to the slow pace. Additionally, the colloquialism of the Belt division's native language makes certain scenes a little confusing. 

Happy binge-watching! 

13 Reasons Why

To say that I enjoy binge-watching painful shows would be an understatement. Just when I was in the mood for something new, Netflix did not fail to deliver with 13 Reasons Why. This emotional rollercoaster of a show focuses on high school student Hannah Baker who committed suicide and has left behind a series of tapes, talking about the individuals responsible for her choice. 

Sounds a little odd? But that is precisely why you might find it worth a watch. Not only does the show highlight the dangers and consequences of suicide, but it tackles other issues like  bullying, rape, slut-shaming and emotional angst that often plague the teenage mind. This adaptation of the novel additionally stresses on an often overlooked lesson: it is important to be kind to one and another and treat each other with respect. 

However, as much as I liked it, my primary concern is that it glorifies suicide to an extent. For people fighting the same battles as Hannah did, it may give them the impression that the only way to be heard is through a drastic measure such as suicide. There is also the possibility of her action being a trigger for those who are undergoing depression or other mental illnesses. 

Teenagers may be the intended target audience of 13 Reasons Why but it is an eye-opener for any individual who chooses to play the role of a viewer. The graphic scenes of rape and Hannah's suicide is something that might make you uncomfortable and want to flinch (I most certainly did) but as was pointed out by the show runners, that was their intention. They talked about how they wanted make viewers uneasy, as a way for people to see that suicide should never be a resort for any problem. 

With the ever-continuing rise of social media and the need to be accepted through 'likes' and 'comments', this show is most definitely relevant, even though the novel was written a decade ago. It portrays the need for loyal friends and decent human behaviour and how even the smallest of actions can have a long-lasting impact on someone's life. 

The entire 13 episode season is streaming on Netflix and as of yet, there is no news on a second season. 

Happy binge-watching!