If you’re a fan of The Expanse and looking forward to Season 5 (which is now streaming on Amazon) I’ve got some great news for you: Season 5 is incredible and my favorite season so far. I got to watch the first nine episodes to prepare for interviews with some of the cast and was blown away by the size and scope of the new season. Trust me, if you liked the first four seasons, you’re going to love Season 5.

Shortly after finishing the episodes, I got to speak with Steven Strait about The Expanse Season 5. He talked about how all the characters are on individual paths this season, his favorite storyline in the fifth season that wasn’t his own, the creative risks the series continues to take, why making The Expanse has been the most creatively rewarding experience he’s ever had, and more. In addition, Strait talked about why The Expanse Season 6 will be a satisfying place to stop and when they start filming.

As I’ve said many times, if you’re not watching The Expanse on Amazon you’re missing out on one of the best series on any channel. Over the first four seasons, the incredible sci-fi series (developed by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby and based on the novels by James S. A. Corey) has used the genre of science-fiction to consistently delivered complex and dynamic storylines that are unlike anything else on TV.

While I won’t spoil anything because I’d like you to watch the series, I’ll just say The Expanse takes place in a future where mankind is able to explore the solar system. But unlike Star Trek, where the people of Earth seem to live in harmony, The Expanse hasn’t solved anything. There are still the haves and have nots. Some humans ended up moving to Mars and then decided to form their own society and break away from Earth. And a group known as the OPA (the Outer Planets Alliance), which is a loose confederation of people that are tired of both the people of Earth and Mars, are desperate to form their own society free from outside interference.

Oh, did I mention something called the protomolecule? Because that’s something of extra-terrestrial origin that has the ability to radically alter infected life forms and utilize their biomass in various ways. Perhaps this protomolecule is something all sides are desperate to control…

Check out what Steven Strait had to say in the player below and further down the page is exactly what we talked about.

Finally, if you missed my interview with Wes Chatham about Season 5, click here to watch.

Steven Strait:

• The huge scope and scale of Season 5.
• How all the characters are on individual paths this season.
• Talks about the creative risk in Season 5.
• What was his favorite storyline in the fifth season that wasn’t his own?
• What does it mean knowing Season 6 will be the last?
• Why Season 6 is a satisfying place to stop.
• Why making The Expanse has been the most creatively rewarding experience he’s ever had.
• When do they start filming Season 6?
• How long does it take to make a season and did it change when they moved from Syfy to Amazon?