The Expanse Season 6 is officially happening. The bad news is Amazon has decided it is the last sason of the space series.

The Expanse isn’t coming to an end just yet, but the end is nigh. Amazon has renewed The Expanse for Season 6, but it is going to be the final season.

Deadline reported the mixed news. As much as we love the fact that the series will get the ending it deserves (unlike being unceremoniously canceled by SYFY a few years ago), it is going to be sad to say goodbye to one of the best sci-fi shows on TV right now.

That being said, the writers have warning. It’s possible to craft an ending that wraps up the characters’ storylines.

There will be one character’s storyline that will be wrapped at some point in The Expanse Season 5. Cas Anver is not returning for the sixth and final season. While Deadline hasn’t said exactly why, it did remind readers that Anver faced sexual misconduct investigations earlier this year, which may have affected his role on the series.

When will The Expanse Season 6 being filming?

The current plan is to start filming the final season in January 2021. Of course, this is just a tentative date.

If the world was normal, we’d say that the date would be almost set in stone. However, the pandemic is causing many productions to change rapidly. Some have had to shut down temporarily due to positive COVID-19 tests, while others have had to delay the start of filming.

With case numbers still on the rise, it is possible that filming won’t be able to happen right away.

This, of course, will affect the premiere. We could have possibly expected the sixth season sometime at the start of 2022 with an early 2021 filming date. We’ll have to wait and see when filming starts to get an idea as to when the season will drop.

The Expanse Season 5 still coming in December 2020

The announcement of the renewal follows the pattern set last year when Season 5 was announced ahead of the fourth season premiere. It’s always a relief to go into a season and not worry what the ending will be like.

Season 5 will premiere on Dec. 16 on Amazon Prime Video. Unlike last season, the release is going to happen weekly, with the finale airing in February 2021. At least the wait for Season 6 will feel slightly shorter.

MORE: Everything coming to Amazon Prime Video in December 2020

What do you hope to see on The Expanse Season 6? What do you think is going to happen on Season 5? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Expanse Season 5 will premiere on Dec. 16 on Amazon Prime Video. ($)