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The new Netflix series brings to life a successful and extensive Chinese novel that describes a new type of alien invasion. Above, Zine Tseng in 3 Body problem.
Maria Heras/Netflix
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Maria Heras/Netflix
The new Netflix series brings to life a successful and extensive Chinese novel that describes a new type of alien invasion. Above, Zine Tseng in 3 Body problem.
Maria Heras/Netflix
My favorite type of science fiction includes stories based on real science; As much as I love a good lightsaber or laser fight, there’s something special about watching characters fight with concepts closer to our current understanding of how the universe works.
That’s why I enjoy what’s on Netflix so much. 3 Body problemthe television series that brings to life an extensive and successful Chinese science-based novel, which describes a new type of alien invasion.
3 Body problem It actually starts with two problems. First, we meet investigators tackling a series of unexplained suicides committed by scientists, including one whose eyes were gouged out with a strange countdown written on the walls of his house in blood. (Fortunately, viewers only see the horrible consequences.) Benedict Wong plays one of those investigators, continually lightening the show’s sinister vibe with his spot-on portrayal of a world-weary detective tracking down the world’s biggest mystery with a healthy dose of dark humor.
Benedict Wong plays Da Shi in 3 Body problem.
Ed Miller/Netflix
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Ed Miller/Netflix
Benedict Wong plays Da Shi in 3 Body problem.
Ed Miller/Netflix
“One of the betting houses had chosen him as a favorite for the next Nobel Prize in Physics,” Wong’s assistant tells him about the deceased scientist.
“You can bet on that?” Wong’s character responds, contemplating the gruesome scene.
Tracking why science doesn’t work
The other problem that immediately arises is that science seems to have stopped working. Researchers are reporting results from supercollider experiments that make no sense, debunking all of our accepted theories of physics. Saul Durand (played by Jovan Adepo, Durand is one of a group of bright young scientist friends at the center of the story) notes simply: “science is broken.”
Jovan Adepo and Jin Cheng in 3 Body problem.
Ed Miller/Netflix
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Ed Miller/Netflix
Jovan Adepo and Jin Cheng in 3 Body problem.
Ed Miller/Netflix
All of this adds up to a unique attack on humanity’s scientific progress. But who – or what – is behind these strange events, which involve events that do not seem possible in the modern world?
The Netflix show takes its time to reveal the full scope of the story and answer these questions, which leads to the third problem here. It takes a while for the series’ narrative to really gain momentum; my advice is to hold out for the first three episodes (yes, I also hate streaming shows that ask beleaguered viewers this; but in this case, it’s worth it).
The pacing may not be a surprise, given that two of the series’ three creators are David Benioff and DB Weiss, former HBO showrunners. game of Throneswhich sometimes had its own problems with narrative flow (the third creator is the former True Blood writer/executive producer Alexander Woo). Once the show finds its groove, the series becomes an epic sci-fi story with amazing special effects (the tragic destruction of a huge ship full of people is something that stuck with me long after watching it) and one line of time stretching from China. Cultural revolution from the 1960s to the present.
Bringing a Chinese sci-fi literary triumph to television
Netflix 3 Body problem is based on a 2008 novel by Chinese engineer and science fiction writer Liu Cixin; the original novel became a book series promoted by big names like Barack Obama. He pulled off the clever trick of popularizing Chinese science fiction internationally while offering compelling observations on the nature of humanity’s social and technological progress, some of which actually make it into the TV show.
It makes sense that Netflix would solve a story like this, which crosses between Western and Chinese culture to tell the story of a threatened planet. The streaming service has educated a generation of American customers to appreciate smart, entertaining television from South Korea, Latin America, Europe and other places around the world.
So starting 3 Body problem with a scene showing a young Chinese scientist watching as her father, who is also a scientist, is murdered by an angry mob during the purges of China’s Cultural Revolution, it feels bold and completely on point. Later, that younger scientist, driven by hate and loss, will make a decision that puts the entire planet at risk, showing how disappointment over humanity’s missteps can lead to desperate and misguided solutions.
Fans of the books will find some TV-enhancing tweaks here, amplifying the suspenseful elements of the story to ask a compelling question: How to fight an alien enemy that aims for the world’s scientific progress?
Like the characters of 3 Body problem By lurching toward the answers, we can all enjoy an ambitious narrative that fuels an ultimately impressive story. Just remember to be patient as the series sets the stage from the beginning.