“The Expanse” is finally back. Season Four was worth the wait. The suspenseful sci-fi series started out on the Syfy channel, and now it lives on Amazon Prime, where the fourth season was just released Dec. 12.

The first three seasons take place across our own now-colonized solar system: Earth, Luna (our moon), and Mars; and on various spaceraft and asteroids (asteroid belt natives are referred to as Belters).

Season Four takes us to a new planet – called Ilus by the Belters, and New Terra by Earthers. There are four main storylines going on, and they’re all equally fraught with tension:  On Earth, Avasarala is campaigning to keep her seat as UN Secretary General; the Belters are dealing with a pirate who stole a UNN colony ship; on Mars, Bobbie Draper reluctantly becomes involved in some shady gangster dealings; and the crew of the Rocinante is sent to the new planet to see if there’s any alien Protomolecule there, or any other potential dangers.

Of course, these storylines all eventually tie together, and in unexpected ways. There are also some new characters who add a new dynamic to the series. Every season of “The Expanse” is better than the last, and if this trend continues, Season 5 should be even better. Can’t wait!

Mr. Robot

This last season of the mind-bending hacker drama “Mr. Robot” was also its fourth, but unlike “The Expanse,” this was the series’ last. I have mixed feelings about the last season. Some of the episodes were every bit as brilliant as those in previous seasons, but some were uncomfortable to watch, and some were confusing.

One of the best episodes of the season had Elliot and Darlene infiltrating a company that keeps the servers for the bank they’re trying to hack. The episode contains almost no dialogue, and I was biting my nails the whole time.

Honestly, this whole season had me on the edge of my seat, even when I was squirming or scratching my head. My main complaint is that it makes me nervous when someone is trapped or held against their will, but that’s my personal issue. I guess it’s a testament to the realism of the show that some of the episodes gave me anxiety. It is a thriller after all.

The finale had an unexpected twist, but I didn’t love it. It felt somewhat anticlimactic to me. I wanted more from the Whiterose story after it had been built up for so long.

Overall, though, it was as binge-able as “The Expanse.” The plot was unpredictable and exciting, the diversity of the cast was refreshing, and I love the characters. I hope to see these actors in more projects soon.  I also am interested in seeing what Sam Esmail, the show’s creator, does next.

Credits: “Mr. Robot,” NBC Universal Television Distribution; “The Expanse,” Legendary Television Distribution.

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