TLDR: Because of its definitive mix of scientific plausibility and speculative fiction, along with high production values, massive scope, dramatic story, likeable protagonists, humane villains, and brilliant performances from a cast that combines feted veterans and talented newcomers, I would rate it at the very top of science fiction TV shows, with very few rivals near it.
What makes great science fiction?
Great science fiction in my book needs to be good at both science and fiction. Be both plausible and imaginative. It should showcase plausible non-ridiculous use of futuristic science and technology, and should be creative enough to imagine how those technologies should greatly alter the people (humans or otherwise) who are using them.
There are some like the 2001: A Space Odyssey, Westworld and Black Mirror that depict grounded and plausible use of technology, but (and sometimes for the very same purpose) do not make much of an effort to imagine a world different from ours. They nonetheless make great entertainment by being informational and cerebral, and by exploring other fascinating themes like effect of technological innovation on our current lives.
There are some franchises like Dune, Rick & Morty, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, and of course Star Wars that are great at the "fiction" half and are successful based on the merit of that alone, without giving much focus to science or plausibility. Viewers are enthralled by the cultures and worlds depicted that are vastly different than our own. We love them for the same reason we love fantasy. Star Trek got pretty close to the balance.... but it was pulled short by space-whales, energy beings, and its pretty but nonsensical spaceships.
Some, such as X-files, Firefly, Trigun, Futurama, are great at mixing science fiction with other genres like horror, westerns or comedy to make great entertainment despite not being particularly compelling as science fiction.
Then there are the rest that are terrible at both science and fiction, such as Battlestar Galactica which ignores the hows and ifs of sentient AI and interstellar colonisation to showcase a civilisation that is practically modern US in space. They can still be immensely successful and popular by providing a very familiar and easy viewing experience for the average TV audience. They are cheap and hollow replicas of what Science Fiction should be. Good TV show, but terrible science fiction.
There are very few franchises that are able to find the balance. There are lot of good book series (Rama, Dread Empire's Fall, The Expanse, The Foundation, Culture), anime (Ghost in the Shell, Planetes, Cowboy Bebop), and movies (Blade Runner, Solaris, Alien, Interstellar) that have got there, but The Expanse is the first one on live-action television. Altered Carbon followed but it can not compete with The Expanse on scope. That pretty much automatically makes it the very best science fiction TV show as far as I am concerned. Adaptations of The Foundation and Mars Trilogy are in production, which will give it more competition in the future.
What makes The Expanse great?
Technologically The Expanse goes to great lengths and details to maintain plausibility, or at least the illusion of it... and speculate how it will shape human civilization centuries ahead in a manner that is simultaneously believable, informative and fascinating. It features highly plausible / realistic portrayal of interplanetary travel, generation (or lack) of gravity in space and its challenges on human physique, design of spaceships, coriolis effect, O'Neill cylinders etc, while also dealing with fictional / theoretical elements like alien technologies, worm holes, alien planets etc.
What makes it truly special is how it logically and believably speculates on how those things will affect the future of humanity - how planetary colonisation, overpopulation and global warming will affect humanity - physically, morally, politically, socially, linguistically, how humans will adapt and evolve while living in Mars or asteroids across multiple generations to be different from what we are now, how different biomes will interact in an alien planet, how life on a spaceship at zero gravity for a small group of people would be like, how humans will react to discovery of alien intelligence. It shows a future that is plausible enough to feel real, and different enough to be wondrous and fascinating. That is the very highest watermark of science fiction.
On top of that, it has all the other elements that makes a good TV show. It has a large cast of diverse (in all its meanings) multi-layered characters, massive scope to qualify for an epic. It has brilliant performances from familiar veterans, and more importantly by a large group of new relatively unknown actors. It has human drama, humour, political manoeuvres, military life, character growth. It has lovably flawed protagonists worth rooting for. It has an engaging story that is forever evolving, avoiding the annoyingly common sci-fi trope of going in circles as seen in Alien(s), Lost in Space, The 100 etc.
All things combined not only is it the best science fiction has offer on TV, but also a great TV show in general.
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