Introduction
Much like George R. R. Martin and J. R. R. Tolkien, prolific Chinese science fiction author Liu Cixin has a devoted and loyal following of readers. This is due to his successful ‘Remembrance of Earth’s Past‘ trilogy. Winning numerous awards as far back as 2006, his books are considered some of the most critically and commercially successful Chinese literature in decades. Going back a decade, attempts have been made to bring this multi-dimensional sprawling epic to the screen. This includes a 30-episode series released in China in 2023. Now, Netflix has stepped up to the plate with 3 Body Problem.
David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the co-creators and showrunners of HBO‘s mega-hit Game of Thrones, announced in 2020 that they were developing the entire trilogy for Netflix. It would require three or four seasons—another ambitious project for the duo. While there may have been some trepidations due to the lackluster final season of GoT, that was primarily due to the pair running out of source material. Author Martin was over eight years behind in delivering his promised next novel. If the first season of 3 Body Problem is any indication, the franchise is in capable hands.
Premise
3 Body Problem travels back and forth between two connected timelines. One focuses on present-day London and a group of young up-and-coming tech gurus and science wizards that are dubbed ‘The Oxford Five.” Jin (Jess Hong). Will (Alex Sharp). Auggie (Eiza Gonzalez). Jack (John Bradley), and Saul (Jovan Adepo) are bonded. Not by science, but by their endearing friendship and love for each other. The chemistry between these Fab Five is the main reason that we are so quickly vested in these characters.
The genesis of the series begins in 1966. Young astrophysicist Ye Wenjie (Zine Tseng), watches in agony as her physicist father is brutally beaten to death by Red Guards during the time of the Chinese Communist Revolution. While Wenjie is at first a prisoner of the Party, she soon realizes that her superior skills are being wasted rotting away in a damp and cold cell. She is subsequently whisked away to work on a secret government project that will have vast and dire consequences hundreds of years into the future.
Cut back to present-day London and scientists across the globe are committing suicide. This creates a mystery that needs solving, and quick. That’s where MI5 officer Clarence Shi (Benedict Wong) and the Oxford Five come in. They get caught up in a race to save the planet from destruction by an alien race known as the San-Ti. Their home planet, unfortunately, has three unstable suns (hence the ‘3 Body’ problem) and needs to relocate. Throw in particle accelerators and incredible VR helmets and you have a series that is immensely enjoyable and gripping.
Discussion
One of the more difficult things for a series to pull off is to competently and coherently depict multiple timelines, storylines, and protagonists. 3 Body Problem does this with relative ease. Much like Frank Herbert’s Dune and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, 3 Body Problem is so dense that it almost seems unfilmable. Yet, Benioff, Weiss, and Netflix pull it off. This is in large part due to tight and coherent scripts (by Benioff, Weiss, Alexander Woo, Rose Cartwright, and Madhuri Shekar). It’s also due to jettisoning large sections of the source material that would have bogged down the series as a whole.
While other series might get caught up in the ‘science of it all,’ 3 Body Problem never quite has that problem. Benioff and Weiss have miraculously pulled off streamlining the many subplots and over-the-top science jargon in a way that is accessible to the casual viewer who never got much farther than high school physics. It also helps that Netflix spent a lot of money on this series. The visual effects are as good as they come and fully immersive. The world-building is also extremely satisfying and will have viewers hooked by the end of the first episode.
Conclusion
It should be noted that while 3 Body Problem delivers the goods, this is not something that can be half-watched. A common theme in today’s TikTok generation. This fantastic series demands your unequivocal attention or else you’ll be completely lost. It’s an epic, sprawling show and David Benioff and D.B. Weiss certainly have the pedigree to do epic. It also seems that the critics and viewers have spoken as Netflix confirmed that the series will be back for a second and third season. While this is far from ‘casual’ viewing, 3 Body Problem is one of the best new streaming series of 2024.
Season one of 3 Body Problem is currently streaming on Netflix.
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