Abaddon's Gate (2018) User Reviews (19)

To Boldly Go...

[Doliko · 10/10 · 28 June 2018]

I don't watch a lot of shows and I'm really picky when it comes down to it. So you need to believe me when I say that when I started watching The Expanse I couldn't have imagined, not by a longshot, that it would develop into the bold greatness that it is. This last episode of the 3rd season was not just a good episode, it was also a promise. A promise so ambitious that I can't help but fear of the chance that we'll be disappointed. But if the show does indeed deliver and if the writers and the whole crew keep up their impeccable work then The Expanse might be the first show to truly go where none have gone before, a lifelong dream in the world of science fiction.

I won't spoil story details regarding the ending of the season but I will say that it has reached new, higher levels of storytelling and feels bigger than ever without sacrificing details or leaving things behind. The characters have a certain level of depth and authenticity to them rarely seen, especially if we consider the last few years in which mainstream commercial success takes priority above all else. The rest, cinematography, music, CGI are all in peak condition without really distracting us from what really matters: The Expanse's version of humanity and its tale across the stars.

Needless to say I am grateful to Amazon who decided to pick it up and averted what might have been the 2nd biggest TV catastrophe after the cancellation of Firefly. I only hope, and pray, that more people will give this wonderful show a chance so that it may go on and reach its rightful place at the top of the sci-fi pantheon.

Thank you for reading. Now go binge watch it.

Had to be one of the most exciting season finale...

[nolimit2it · 10/10 · 29 June 2018]

O-M-G... my heart pounding, eyes almost tearing up, brain reeling! That had to be one of the most memorable sci-fi season ending finales I've experienced in a long tome. I loved the twists, turns of the episode and the drama, fear, pain & gratitude that it made me feel. Damn that was an exciting show! I can hardly wait for Miller and Holden team up again!

What an epic season finale

[ahmedhamdy90 · 10/10 · 29 June 2018]

That was epic, absolutely brilliant. The characters' developments and interactions are amazing. Not to mention the extremely well-written story and dialogs, the cinematics, the music, the acting, the suspense, and the director. The best Sci-Fic show ever... Almost the best TV series out there.

A fitting finale to the season of best sci-fi show on TV right now!!

[nitish-shete · 10/10 · 29 June 2018]

I'll start off mentioning that I am a hardcore sci-fi geek, and this is the best science-fiction show on TV right now. (It marks end of the second book from James S. A. Corey book series). Unlike Westworld which has a very compelling premise and thought provoking philosophical undertones, but which got so carried away in second season that it forgot it is about science, and tilted more towards fantasy genre; The Expanse stays true to its science quotient. For an ordinary viewer just wanting to get his mind blown away, Westworld serves its pupose. However, if you are searching for a true science fiction flavours, The Expanse serves you a damn fine dish. I waited 3 seasons before I could say that.

Coming to the episode, although it seemed a bit crammed in few places and had a rushed or hasty feeling in couple of scenes, it was one of the best season finales.

The episode starts off with a shift in Behemoth leadership as a result of previous events, Ashford takes central stage. His character has been carefully developed so far. Having seen humanity's drawbacks his whole life, this old timer knows the ring is a time-bomb waiting to be exploded, unless he takes this chance and destroys it once and for all. This explains his decisions and creates a major conflict that takes centre stage. (The only problem was when he shot his guy dead, a bit contradicted to his otherwise reasonable actions sk far). One plan can give a chance of escape for everyone at the cost of starting an all-out inter-species war, while the other plan has all chances of never coming to fruition as it hinges on the apparent hallucinations of the most controversial man in the solar system.

The visuals were breathtaking considering the limited amount of budget the show gets. The aerial shots of Behemoth and the 'Spherical Elevetor' with shift-gravity mechanism were well crafted and used to the fullest effect for storytelling. The ideology contrast paradox between Amos and Pastor was well presented. When Pastor says 'Everyone on both sides of any battle always think they are fighting for the right cause'; it resonates well with the dynamics of each sub-plot going on Behemoth; and also summarizes a takeaway of this episode.

All the plotlines converged on the Behemoth in a very plausible manner. The end result was a perfectly paced and highly entertaining episode filled with enough twists, tension building and a very well concluded climax.

Instead of leaving the season on deliberate cliffhanger, The Expanse leaves the door open for numerous possibilties for the future. I, a common earther, am taking a respose; but shall be waiting for those new possibilities to unfold (with a bigger budget) on Amazon next year!!

For those few who thought the ending was predictable and stupid

[davea-09358 · 10/10 · 16 July 2018]

I understand. Some people think that a good movie is one ending that they couldn't predict. For them movie watching is like a trite game ... "surprise me and I'll rate the movie good". That's an extremely naive, shallow, and limited approach to movie critiquing (and seems to be quite common among SciFi enthusiasts, presumably because so many of them don't get the human element).

For the rest of us movie watching is a journey (not a trite game) because yes life is predictable and so are people so who cares whether they surprise you or not; Instead, are they authentic? Can they suck you into their paradigm? Did they move you? Did they leave you screaming for the next episode because you can't bear to wait for it? Sure you want to know what will happen next (even though you can be pretty sure what will happen), but even more important: you've found the characters worth emotional investment and so you look forward to taking the rest of that journey with them.

This season did that with each episode, and *this* episode was stellar in achieving that. And that, Expanse critics, is why this episode, and most episodes in this season have been so high.

Network executives: Please give these writers and producers a raise (or at least a basket of fruit), and don't mess with who's ever making the decisions on this series. The ratings speak for themselves. If it's not getting the viewership then that's your fault, because these ratings don't lie.

THIS is Epic Science Fiction

[ianhyhu-176-173937 · 10/10 · 27 July 2018]

I knew that the season 3 finale for The Expanse was going to be good, so I prepared a large bowl of popcorn and a can of my favorite soda for a Friday night treat. But I didn't know it was going to be AMAZING; I left my popcorn and soda untouched because I was glued to the action, and now I am writing this review immediately after viewing.

The scope of this episode promises a 4th season which will certainly take hardcore science fiction series to a whole new level, with the pacing, acting, soundtrack and CGI to make us feel like we are taking the journey with the protagonists in a futuristic universe.

And what a journey it is; the episode is ambitious in scope and pulls off nearly every question it tries to answer: How much can a person adapt under duress (applied to thousands of people stuck in the Ring)? We see alliances change rapidly, and characters experience life-altering epiphanies in the midst of an unfamiliar, alien space.

For those who want to get into the series, now is a good time. For me, this episode was one that tied off everything that happened so far; all the characters and plotlines that have been introduced have been leading up to this critical moment. You won't be disappointed!

Terrific ending of the amazing season

[851222 · 10/10 · 12 August 2018]

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Abaddon's Gate" 13th and the final episode of season 3 terrifically closed the season. This whole season was the best this has produced, yet. It would be such a shame if the series did not continue further - this is my favorite sci-fi show at the moment, because its story is amazing to say the least - its not predictable and kinda reminded me "Game Of Thrones" - its that good.

Overall, "Abaddon's Gate" was amazing episode - highly intense till the last moment. Can't wait to see this in the future.

Loved it!

[sanchezghp · 10/10 · 4 July 2018]

Glad it was finally picked up by Amazon. This season was uneven - with a couple of filler episodes - but globally I enjoyed it very much. Not only is it good SF, but I especially like the fact the characters are diverse (ethnicity, age, gender, orientation). That is a nice improvement compared to most of today's production. Well done, and please, make a fourth season even more enjoyable ! :)

I cant wait for season 4!! Thank you Amazon!

[mastiff-man · 10/10 · 15 June 2019]

I loved the ending of season 3! I have complained about characters in other reviews and I think their purpose was revealed to me in this episode. Love the possibilities of where this story can now go (obviously the books already tell much of that but I've yet to read them)

Damn... 10/10

[tomasajdari · 10/10 · 19 July 2018]

Yep, there is only a single thing to critique in the final 90 minutes - the sound of laser firing.... the rest is just awesome. Note: the powering down thing may be connected to Miller's inability to override all safety protocols, so he needed the power-down for the final override. This is about the best you can expect from a medium-budget TV.

Love it, keeps getting better!!!!

[dhampton2750 · 10/10 · 10 March 2021]

Strathairn, outstanding. All main characters fantastic. Cara Gee.. great job.. This show just gets better and better........ Yup and Dominique Tipper is excellent and.......is smoking hot🔥!!!! Great thing about this series is it's plausibility. No wierd aliens. It's not star trek or star wars or Galactica. Keep it real..... exploratory.

Turn off all power, and they will give you the road

[pkpera · 7/10 · 29 June 2018]

SPOILER: I can understand that people are delighted with this final episode of season 3, but was it really that great ? Average rating 9.8 ?

First, it was damn predictable. I was so sure that they will switch sides in right moment, and that's happened - of course. Not because I'm so smart, surely many others predicted it well too. Will not go here in details, just about way how they convinced opposite side - calling it enemy would not be appropriate. Just turn off all power, and we will be not considered as threat - ?? I don't know was it so in book, or it was only in show - and i would bet on later. They should really come with something more logical, reasonable. Sorry, but this made my solid 9 to 7 at the end.

Hey. let me pass, I will show you that I'm good guy, and I turn off engine. Gate opened - what now ? Walk, or turn on the engine and drive ? Really makes no sense.

The description of this series should be "Humanity faces a crisis after alien substance enters the solar system"

[sanelnovalic · 10/10 · 7 July 2018]

Season 3 ending did not dissapoint.

I love these enigmatic alien storylines and the beauty of S2E6 best captures that.

The whole series is very intense (and contrary to some people's opinions) fast paced , Season 1's opening episodes give it a bit of bad credit since it's definitely not as good as Season 3, but just change the description to suit its intensive storyline.

I love Amos, I love Anna, and I love their relationship.

Amos is by far my favorite character. He is straight forward, merciless and he actually has empathy even tho he doesn't show it.

The line that sealed the deal with Amos was when Holden talked with him about Naomi and their relationship and he said "I'd do her if she let me".

For these last two episodes, I think we had too little Miller and too much Ashford to explain to us just exactly what is going on, but I guess that'll be explained in season 4.

The actress that played Clarissa Mao was a perfect choice because her face tells everything about her character. I feel like she would literally kill me if I showed up 5 minutes late to a date.

In season 4, I expect more Chrisjen beause I really like her.

Its basically Amos > Chrisjen > Alien Miller > Ashford > Anna > Alex >>>> Naomi >>>>>>>>> Holden >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> regular Miller In my opinion, these two episodes are not as good as S2E6 because they are a cliffhanger, and they answer very little, but they are beautifully made and overall all of Season 3 gets a 10/10 from me, just keep what you're doing Expanse producers because I seriously didn't expect a show from Syfy to be this good since SG1 and Battlestar Galactica.

P.S. I don't like Belters at all so I would love if you actually explain why should I even care about them in season 4 ?

Avoiding the Simplistic

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 20 January 2020]

Of course, we know that when this ends, we are going to have things in a kind of stability. If you've watched all three seasons, you also know that there is trouble ahead. What this does is puts a fragile humanity on the brink and then tests them. Many will die and hopefully some with a semblance of decency and foresight will prevail. There are still some surrealistic elements here but we must remember that good science fiction allows for speculation and possibility. I won't go into details for this episode. Suffice it to say, all factors are weighed and presented.

Awesome

[lefevrev · 10/10 · 13 December 2019]

This épisode finish one of the best season i have ever seen! Incredible !

THE FATEFUL END

[douglasjordane · 9/10 · 28 December 2019]

DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS SHOW GOT CANCELLED AFTER ITS THIRD SEASON, THE ENDING PROVED THAT THIS SHOW HAD POWERFUL THEMES AND HUMANITY. THE CREATORS OF THIS SEASON TOOK US THROUGH SOME SENSELESS TWISTS AND TURNS THAT WERE INCREDIBLY DUMB, BUT IT WAS INTRIGUING TO SEE HOW HUMANITY WOULD SOMEHOW WIN. I WAS ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT AND A LITTLE TEARY EYED AT THE FINALE: SO BRAVO!!! YOU GUYS EARNED A 4 TH SEASON-ALBEIT, I DONT KNOW WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE DONE TO TOP THAT BUILDUP AND EPIC ENDING!

Dyspraxic

[greenwhich · 29 June 2018]

Is coherence to much too ask for? I know millennials don't think, kept artificially dumb for even more consumption, until they're all jumping off a cliff or who knows what today. But what did I gain from watching the last 2 episodes forwards then backwards then you tell me? For any ending that contradicted itself. Whole galaxies cauterized. Here's the best bit, we just listen James Shephard powering down, and presto folks. Nothing happened. Like nobody even died except for those nameless extra's. But maybe next season they'll find the Reavers through the stargate? Yawn

A grand opening

[anselmdaniel · 9/10 · 15 February 2024]

This review contains spoilers.

Abaddon's Gate is the thirteenth episode of the third season and acts as the season finale. The episode resolves the plotline about the protomolecule structure and serves as a grand opening to the next seasons.

Abaddon's Gate has an epic feel to the episode. Much like the previous seasons, the episode does not completely resolve plot threads. It leaves much to be opened for the next season to follow up. The episode ends with the protomolecule gate being revealed to be a portal to other worlds. This episode has a grand feeling where Holden realizes there is much more to the protomolecule than was first seen.

Grade: A

The Expanse Season Three

The third season of The Expanse picks up where the second season leaves off. The crew of the Rocinante are cleaning up the ship after the protomolecule hybrid had boarded it. The conflict between the inner planets of Earth and Mars comes to a head as Errinwright pushes Earth to war. Avasarala, Bobbie, and Cotyar are on Jules Pierre Mao's ship as they are declared traitors.

The third season continues to expand on The Expanse's universe as well as resolve the long-standing story arcs. The season features the conflict between Earth and Mars heavily with recurring characters having more of an appearance and the introduction of new characters such as Doctor Annushka Volovodov played by Elizabeth Mitchell.

The third season has a much higher budget and this is shown with more space battles. The Rocinante is shown in more combat roles, and the characters are more exposed to the vastness of space. The third season uses its budget to also show the viewer its unique worlds. This is a great adjustment from the more restrictive first season.

The main draw of The Expanse's third season is the continuation and resolution of its story arcs. The Jules Pierre Mao story arc is continued to its resolution here. The resolution is incredibly satisfying to see as the two seasons of build-up are rewarded as Holden finally confronts Jules Pierre Mao. The crew of the Rocinante finally have the resolution they needed since the start of their journey on the Canterbury.

The war between Earth and Mars is in play in the third season. This war was hinted at since the first season. The second season setup the characters and faces of the people that would be involved with the war. Finally the third season would execute on the promise. I enjoyed the execution of the war between Earth and Mars as Errinwright finally pushes the solar system to the brink. The war is not as clean as it should be and the human cost is born by Anna's character.

After the resolutions of the story-lines, the season does slow down. It begins to focus on The Ring and world building with its existing characters. This is excusable as the second season had done the same thing with resolving Miller's story arc.

I would recommend the third season of The Expanse to any fans of the series. The third season has the resolution to story arcs viewers were expecting since the first season.

Grade: B.

What the Frell is going with a Supergate?

[solonche-637-153706 · 7/10 · 11 November 2019]

The authors of the novels must have done their homework, that if it consists of watching SG1, Farscape and probable Fringe. I liked The Expanse quite a bit until I got to the ending of series 3. The visuals are great, especially the zero g stuff. Quite impressive. I also like some of the characters, Amos, Alex, Drummer and of course, Jared Harris (or David Robert Jones). Here is what turned me off. The ring is a borrowing (I'm being nice) from SG1. No explanation is necessary; it is obvious. What about the OPA dialec? I believe I heard it disguising a naughty word or two. Oops, a borrowing from Farscape. Of yeah, and the genetic manipulation, even though it was alien in origin, it can be seen in Fringe. So....the alien civilization which presented the solar system with a door to 1300 planets is the Ancients! Wow, think of something new. While I'm ranting, allow me to opine that Strathairn is totally miscast. He gave me the creeps. And will someone give Strait acting lessons? I am giving The Expanse a 7 because it is well made and I do intend to watch season four. Let's see what adventures new worlds hold for SG1 redux, I mean the crew of The Rocinante.