The Rocinante is getting ready to make its final voyage. Amazon Studios has renewed The Expanse for a sixth and final season — although one cast member will not be returning for the last journey into the stars.
“The dedication and artistry of everyone who helps bring The Expanse to the screen is incredible,” showrunner Naren Shankar said in a statement. “Our fans are awesome, and we cannot wait to get rolling on season six.”
Amazon Studios announced in a press release that the streaming platform has given The Expanse an early renewal for season six, which Deadline first reported would be the final season. This comes a few weeks before the show is set to return on December 16 with season five, which sees the Belters rising up against Earth and Mars. However, Cas Anvar, who’s played Alex since the first season, will not be joining them for the final season — following a string of sexual misconduct allegations earlier this year. As of now, it’s unclear how much Anvar will be present in season five or how the series will address his departure in the final chapter.
The Expanse has been on quite a wild ride over the years. The show debuted on Syfy in 2015 to critical acclaim, establishing its reputation as “Game of Thrones in space.” Unfortunately, after just three seasons, Syfy chose not to keep The Expanse going, leaving the series adrift. A massive fan campaign to get The Expanse picked up by another network or streaming service eventually worked, as Jeff Bezos announced during 2018’s National Space Society’s International Space Development Conference that Amazon Studios would be reviving the series.
Season five of The Expanse looks to be covering events from the fifth book in James S.A. Corey’s series, Nemesis Games, along with a bit of Babylon’s Ashes, the sixth instalment. That means the final season of The Expanse will have three novels in the nine-book series to draw from in an attempt to close out this space opera epic — including the final instalment, Leviathan Falls, which hasn’t even come out yet (it’s scheduled for sometime in 2021). Hopefully we won’t get too much of a George R.R. Martin A Song of Ice and Fire situation, but we have faith that the folks behind The Expanse can give us a conclusion worthy of the Rocinante and its amazing crew.
The Expanse returns on December 16 with the first three episodes of season five, with subsequent episodes arriving weekly through February 2021.