I didn’t read up about 3 Body Problem (neither the Wikipedia page, nor reviews) before watching it – I caught it after being badgered about it constantly. Despite having differing tastes from the badgerer, I found that the badgerer was oddly right – I did like it, and I did enjoy it.
It’s the sort of show with twists and revelations at the end of every episode, alongside some really good sci-fi. It’s been a while since I’ve caught a good sci-fi show, and I’m glad that 3 Body Problem came up on my radar.
Synopsis
3 Body Problem is a science fiction drama series that is based on the Chinese novel of a similar name, The Three-Body Problem/三体. It sees a group of scientists coming upon a tremendous discovery that is precipitated by the titular three-body problem – that when three bodies orbit each other in space, there is no way to predict their movements with pinpoint accuracy. Unfortunately, this doesn’t bode well for the scientists, or the planet in general. I’m trying desperately to avoid spoilers here.
Creators: David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo
Directors: Minkie Spiro, Jeremy Podeswa, Derek Tsang, Andrew Stanton
Writers: David Benioff, Cixin Liu, D. B. Weiss, Alexander Woo, Rose Cartwright, Madhuri Shekar
Cast:
- Jovan Adepo (Dr. Saul Durand)
- John Bradley (Jack Rooney)
- Rosalind Chao (Dr. Ye Wenjie)
- Zine Tseng (young Ye Wenjie)
- Liam Cunningham (Thomas Wade)
- Eiza González (Dr. Augustina “Auggie” Salazar)
- Jess Hong (Dr. Jin Cheng)
- Marlo Kelly (Tatiana Haas)
- Alex Sharp (Dr. Will Downing)
- Sea Shimooka (Sophon)
- Saamer Usmani (Prithviraj Varma)
- Benedict Wong (Clarence “Da” Shi)
- Jonathan Pryce (Mike Evans)
The hard sci-fi is awesome
3 Body Problem is a hard sci-fi show (just like the novel), which means it prioritises concern for scientific accuracy and logic over human emotions. And given that it’s a show that’s almost entirely about smart people (I mean, look at the number of characters who have “Dr” titles in the show), that certainly fits. It’s not to say that there are no emotional drivers or human motivations. But if you’re a sci-fi geek and it’s been a while since you’ve had a show which discusses scientific conundrums alongside an intriguing narrative, then 3 Body Problem will scratch that itch with hard sci-fi.
A parable about people
While there is an overarching antagonist that almost all the characters oppose, there’s still a fair amount of politicking and scheming between the characters. The story portrays a situation which requires all of humanity to stand united, if mankind is to survive. Yet in such desperate times, we still see people fighting each other, we still see humanity turning against each other, we still see how fractious humans can be. It may not be an intended moral of the story, but it is a message nevertheless – that humanity’s penchant for fighting each other is one of our greatest flaws.
The glory of technology
Technology is basically magic in the show – used to achieve and explain the impossible. It’s been a while since I’ve watched a show which depicts technology like this, like the scientific marvel that it used to be. Although it means that certain elements, like the Sophons, feel like a twisted deus ex machina to create plot twists for the sake of the story, I’m absolutely fine with it. It’s been a while since we’ve seen science be the glorious, wondrous thing that it is, and 3 Body Problem‘s depiction of is so refreshing.
Despite it being hard sci-fi, the story sides with humanity
The first season ends on a hopeful note, albeit a vague one. Despite the immense threat to humanity, there’s a sense that we will persevere, that we will overcome this, that we will survive. Remember what I wrote earlier about humanity’s greatest flaw? The show also gives us a sense of humanity’s most valuable asset – our ability to survive and adapt. It’s not as dystopian as other hard sci-fi stories, and it reminds us where science comes from – humanity.
Some awkwardness in the adaptation
Having done some translation work (Chinese to English), I felt that certain elements needed contextualising to a more English audience. In Chinese, it would have worked and made sense. But culturally, when translated to English – it feels a better choice of words would have been needed, or certain ideas needed to have been explained and supported more, in order to feel feasible. Nevertheless, these are small road bumps in what is otherwise a fairly clear and straight road, plot-wise.
Mixed feelings about Jin (Jess Hong)
Jin is portrayed as the central character (for Season 1, at least), despite the show having an ensemble cast. For a character whom we’re supposed to root for, I don’t quite empathise with her. It’s nothing to do with Jess Hong’s portrayal of the character – I think she does well given how Jin is written. But Jin is a rather… annoying character, with character traits that conveniently pop up and a backstory that so coincidentally fits whatever the scene is lacking at the moment. She comes across as desperate, rather than earnest. I hope her character is tweaked for future seasons, so that she’s more watchable.
Should you watch this?
If you’ve been hankering after a sci-fi show, with an emphasis on the “sci” over the “fi”, then 3 Body Problem is for you. Smart problem, smart situations, and plot twists galore, 3 Body Problem is the sort of show you should watch without reading ahead on spoilers (if you’re that sort of person). It suffers from some adaptation issues, but it’s minor in the grand scheme of things.
Score: 7.1/10
3 Body Problem is available on Netflix.
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