The Expanse Streaming Fiasco Proves Why We Need Physical Media
The Expanse is one of the greatest sci-fi shows of all time, and it’s only getting better with age, as nothing released in the last decade can touch its unique blend of drama, politics, action, worldbuilding, and the greatest ship physics depicted on screen. It’s also become the most recent flashpoint in the ongoing battle between streaming services and the public when Amazon casually revealed in different regions that the first three seasons would be pulled from Amazon Prime. The worst-case scenario isn’t happening yet, but it’s another reminder of how easy it is for the greatest of shows to vanish forever.
The Expanse Is One Of The Greatest Sci-Fi Shows
Adapting the best-selling novels by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, writing jointly as James S.A. Corey, The Expanse introduced viewers to a world of space colonization, tenuous peace, and the mystery of one missing girl that ends up changing humanity’s fate forever. By embracing hard sci-fi in a way few shows ever have, it became a cult favorite, but the ratings on SyFy remained abysmal, prompting Amazon to pick it up after Season 3. That led fans to think the series was safe since Amazon produced the back half of the series surely, it would always have a home on Amazon Prime, but that isn’t happening.
The Expanse is being pulled in specific regions and languages, including Germany and the UK, and it varies from the first three seasons produced by SyFy to the entire series. Though it’s still streaming in most regions and languages, the uproar over the mere thought of the show being pulled touched off a storm among the fanbase, and rightfully so, that even reached the authors, with Abraham himself reaching out to Amazon to ask what was happening. They may not have the numbers of the Star Wars, Star Trek, or even Stargate fanbases, but do not doubt the dedication of The Expanse fans, who crowdsourced answers to the fate of the show.
Any Series Could Vanish Forever
Today, it’s The Expanse, but tomorrow, it could be any other series, like the countless other SyFy shows, including Eureka, Warehouse 13, or Sanctuary, that wind up vanishing from all streaming services forever. Even Battlestar Galactica went through a period where it was hard to find digitally. Physical media has been abandoned by most studios, forcing fans to rely on the whims of streaming services, but at least with a DVD or a Blu-Ray, you don’t have to worry about it becoming unwatchable with no warning.
As studios consolidate and the rights to different franchises become ever more obtuse, the odds of any show or movie slipping through the legal cracks and vanishing forever increase. Look at the complicated rights behind James Bond, which was part of MGM when Amazon bought the studio but keeps vanishing from services, including Amazon Prime, sometimes as soon as one month after arriving. If one of the most iconic franchises in movie history is impossible to stream from beginning to end on one service, what hope does The Expanse have in the future?
Embrace Physical Media
The answer is, of course, none, but thankfully, The Expanse has at least been released on DVD. Embracing physical media is the only way forward for fans who want to guarantee access to their favorite shows and movies. It’s been this way for years, but with Blu-Rays vanishing from big box retailers like Best Buy or Walmart and Warner Bros Discovery pulling countless animated series from Max, the situation is going to get exponentially worse before it gets better.
That said, you should go stream The Expanse on Amazon Prime right now and experience a sci-fi series better than anything Star Trek or Star Wars has produced in a decade. Then, if you ever want to experience it again, hunt down the complete series box set, as it’s the only way to prevent corporate greed from destroying art.
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