Lighthouses in Spaaaaace!!!

It’s quite apparent that an MGM C-suite watched The Expanse and said, “We need one of those!”, but overall, Beacon 23 isn’t bad. I’ve said before that I enjoy movies that take place in one place and that fits the bill for a space-lighthouse.

Beacon 23 is definitely a space show in the vein of The Expanse but it’s definitely not The Expanse. B23 is much slower with a lot more scenes of just two people dialoguing. Sometimes it works very well and Bart the AI is a good example of that. (The voice actor for Bart does a fantastic job.) But other times the dialog is just missing something that I can’t quite put my finger on. B23 is trying to be a thinking man’s Expanse, but so far, there isn’t anything to think on. (I have one episode left in season one.)

I think the universe is interesting mostly because the writers haven’t explained everything yet. Who is this QTA organization and why are they the Big Bad? Why is the ISA so oppressive? Who are these marauders? I think this fits well with the setting of the show because we’re on a lighthouse isolated and alone in the middle of now where. I think the mystery helps the atmosphere. They also haven’t tried to explain how the FTL works or use a lot of technobabble which is good in these shows. Technobabble in Star Trek: good. Technobabble in this show: bad.

However, some of the other writing isn’t the greatest. The first two episodes were rough, but a few more episodes in, the writing has smoothed out. I’m having a hard time liking the main characters and I prefer the two AI characters or some of the side characters instead. Why do so many shows I watch wind up like this? Some episodes are entirely flashbacks but I think they work to expand some of the characters.

I’m most intrigued by the setting, the Beacon itself. I want to see this be an anthology show. Telling a different story each season but taking place on B23 at different times in its existence.

Good:

I like the set design, it makes me want to live in one of these beacons and be a Beacon Keeper.
The universe is very sparse, but that works for a show that only takes place on a lighthouse.
Some of the acting is very good.

Bad:

Some of the acting is not great. Not terrible, but not great. But maybe it’s because…
The writing isn’t tight. Sometimes it’s just not jiving with me.

Ugly:

This could be really good, but at this point it’s only fair.

The Verdict: If you want shooty, spaceship action like The Expanse, this show is not for you. If you can settle down and just go with it, you might like this. IMDB gives it a 5.5 and I think that is a point low. I’d give it a 6.5 (depending on how it ends…)

… it ended on a cliffhanger. How did I not see that coming. /facepalm At least IMDB says season two is upcoming.