The Expanse Has Been Cancelled By Amazon, Leaving Behind A Parting Gift

The Expanse is finally coming to a close, but there's good news.

By Drew Dietsch | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

the expanse

The Expanse is finally going to come to a close. The cult success series survived cancellation from Syfy by getting picked up by Amazon. However, the show has run its course and is going to end. But, there is one piece of good news about this ending, and it should give fans of the show something to look forward to.

Yes, The Expanse is ending but on its own terms. The show has gotten a renewal order for its sixth season. The fifth season has yet to premiere on Prime Video, so making this announcement would seem to indicate that Amazon will stick by their promise of getting a sixth season up in the future. Although fans may be sad to see it end, at least there is some comfort knowing the writers will have the chance to go out on their own chosen note instead of being forced out with an unsatisfying cliffhanger.

the expanse

Six seasons is a good run for any show but especially one like The Expanse. The series premiered on Syfy and was hoping to be one of its premier pieces of prestige television. It received great critical acclaim and lasted for three seasons. After Syfy decided not to renew the show, Amazon Prime Video picked it up and saw its fanbase come along with it. The Expanse has continued to be praised for its characters, storylines, and production qualities. Unfortunately, it looks like the show is just too expensive for Amazon to keep around beyond six seasons.

Still, the fact that there will be a sixth season is cause for celebration. The Expanse always felt like a show that could get the axe at any moment, especially after it did over on Syfy. The series is a serious sci-fi take on the future of humanity and it always felt like its seriousness might alienate some casual viewers. Instead, it cultivated a strong fanbase that will ensure its cult status.

The Expanse

If the schedule for The Expanse is able to stay the same for both upcoming seasons, then we should be getting The Expanse Season 6 in the winter of 2021. The upcoming season will be dropping its first three episodes on December 16, then it will release weekly episodes all the way up to February 3, 2021. If the cast and crew are able to go into production in the spring of 2021, it stands to reason that we would get Season 6 at the end of that year.

While it is always a bummer when a beloved show meets its end, it’s great when it can do so like The Expanse is: getting to write its own ending far ahead in advance. It will be interesting to see if the show’s cancellation will drive even more viewers to the series. Now that it’s over, perhaps new audiences will become curious about the show. Regardless, there is no doubt that The Expanse has been one of the most resilient sci-fi shows in recent memory. And even though it’s ending, at least it’s ending how it wants to.