Things are getting complicated in The Expanse. On Earth, political intrigue is afoot. Mars is getting ready for war. Fred Johnson’s Outer Planets Alliance is trying to prevent one. And we finally know a bit more about the mysterious protomolecule and the evil scientists responsible. On this week’s Decrypted, we’re joined by Naren Shankar, The Expanse‘s showrunner. Naren talks to us about his journey to the show, which started with a PhD in engineering.

Shankar cut his teeth in television working on Star Trek with Ron Moore, whom many will recognize as the man behind the later seasons of Deep Space Nine and Battlestar Galactica. Topics we discuss include the contrast between the utopia of Starfleet and the gritty realism of The Expanse, what drew him to the show, and the ongoing need to balance effective storytelling versus obeying all the laws of physics.

I’ll be analyzing, debating, and dissecting The Expanse every week with a different guest, and we’ll post the podcast on Fridays throughout the season. New episodes air on Wednesdays in the US, so you have time to watch before we get into major spoilers. Yes, there are spoilers. The Expanse season 2 will air in the UK on Netflix, though an exact premiere date hasn’t yet been announced. Listen when you’re ready!