It's been a fun 13 weeks, but the second season of The Expanse has finally drawn to a close. Did it feel like a satisfying conclusion to you? Readers of the books will note we're still not quite at the end of Caliban's War, so there's plenty more to come from the protomolecule and the crew of the Rocinante.

We got neither the cliffhanger nor the reveal of what the protomolecule has been doing, both of which will presumably show up in season three. While I got over my canon shock about the differences between the books and the TV version some time ago, I think the different pacing of the stories between mediums continues to trip me up. At times it feels like we're rushing through the chain of events at a gallop, and yet we're still not at the end of book two yet.

The show remains compelling, so I'm not complaining on those grounds, but I do hope the powers that be at Syfy will stick with it long enough for us to get us as far as Babylon's Ashes or Persepolis Rising. That was a topic of conversation when Tech Culture Editor Annalee Newitz joined me on the podcast this week. And apologies that it's a little late.

As for the season finale, we spotted some wonderful visual homages, particularly the Raiders of the Lost Ark-like ending. But elsewhere too—was it just me or did Bobbie's scene in the elevator owe a little something to Dark Star? One could say the same about Doc Manhattan (from Watchmen) and the dismantling of the Arboghast.

Things ended badly for the Mythbusters' Adam Savage and the rest of the crew of the UN science ship that was sent to find out what the protomolecule is doing on Venus. I must confess, that wasn't a scene I remember from Caliban's War, but a quick look at Reddit told me that A: I'm not alone and B: I was mistaken. That rapid and precise dismantling of the ship shows us that the laws of physics as we understand them mean nothing—and the shocked expressions of her crew as it happens make that all too clear.

So, that's it for season two of The Expanse, and of this run of Decrypted. The Expanse season 2 will air in the UK on Netflix, although we still have no clear idea when that will be.

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Decrypted is Ars Technica's weekly podcast about the TV that obsesses us. Currently we're dissecting The Expanse. Listen or subscribe however you please above and let us know what you think—ideas, questions, and so on—through the comments section, on iTunes, or via e-mail.