From the creators of the legendary fantasy epic Game of Thrones comes… a character-based sci-fi thriller? While David Benioff and D.B. Weiss may not necessarily be the first names that spring to mind concerning aliens, they nevertheless make a bold entrance into the genre with gripping 3 Body Problem. Based on a massive trilogy of Chinese novels from Cixin Liu, alien hijinks are in store. For many, 3 Body Problem will take entirely too long to skirt through its lengthy setup. However, once the layers are peeled away, the propulsion of story and depth to the characters make for a breezy binge. Lovers of science fiction may discover their newest obsession.
Presenting as an epic spanning across multiple generations—as with Game of Thrones before it—the sprawling cast roster can initially be a little overwhelming. Two disparate timelines are presented without much connective tissue. In the first, 1960s China, young Ye Wenjie (Zine Tseng) witnesses her father beaten and shamed before a massive crowd. Considered a “counterrevolutionary,” the man’s views on the Big Bang Theory have sent people into quite the uproar. This was a period when certain books were viewed as “propaganda,” and the military reigned over the residents ready to pounce. Given an ultimatum between being prosecuted or using her expertise to aide the government in a top-secret project, Ye Wenjie obliges in the latter.
The second finds us in 2024 London, where a strange trend of brilliant scientists committing suicide has drawn the attention of investigator, Da Shi (Benedict Wong). Unexplainable countdowns have notably appeared at separate crime scenes. Cue the conspiracy board! Da Shi takes particular notice of former colleagues, dubbed “The Oxford Five,” who each offer uniqueness and a connection that runs deep. Benioff and Weiss take their sweet time to develop The Oxford Five, and the subsequent functionality of the characters in the grander scale of the series at large.
Nanotechnology researcher Auggie (Eliza Gonzalez) concerningly starts to see a series of numbers counting down to an unknown event. Jin (Jess Hong) and Jack (John Bradley) begin to obsessively play a hyper-realistic virtual reality game using headsets designed by unknown entities. Jack’s best friend, Will (Alex Sharp), has just been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, and given just four months to live. Physics researcher Saul (Jovan Adepo) tirelessly pursues answers to the interplanetary and religious questions that crop up early on. By the end of its debut episode, there are no aliens in sight. The sky, however, “blinks” for all to see.
Speaking of aliens, those expecting to see the ones typically depicted in media as little green men or anything of the like should adjust their expectations accordingly. While the central focus of 3 Body Problem lies in communication with extraterrestrial life, it takes quite awhile for the storyline to blossom. Once arriving, many unique questions about humanity itself are presented. How should we approach communication with the aliens? A faction of crazies have taken to worshipping the unseen beings, referring to their overseer as their “Lord.” Their ultimate goals are shrouded in mystery, but make no mistake—before the first season ends, many answers as to the intentions and potential for invasion are aptly and satisfyingly answered.
A number of supporting characters leave a mark when they appear onscreen, with several perhaps serving a larger purpose moving forward. CCH Pounder injects her role of Secretary General with fire, and Jonathan Pryce moves from a memorable role in Thrones to the dastardly Evans, who has the rare chance of directly interacting with the voice of “The Lord.” Past and present commingle, featuring less past portion as the series progresses into latter episodes. I cannot say the past timeline always worked for me, or that the pacing is not a mixed bag. When the largest annoyance involves the slow crawl to global chaos, how bad could it really be?
There are a lot of moving parts here, but Benioff and Weiss are no strangers to pulling off astounding juggling acts. Beginning as a trilogy of books, it remains unclear exactly what the gameplan is for adapting the material. One would assume the three eventually will be covered in their entirety from cover to cover—at least the source material exists as is in a complete form. The addition of third showrunner Alexander Woo means a little different flavor from Thrones. 3 Body Problem is still a huge-scale epic, but rarely does it overwhelm with its content once the wheels are in motion. Audience patience reaps the rewards of an intriguing setup teeming with possibilities for future seasons.
Dazzling special effects lean hard into that Netflix budget. 3 Body Problem looks stunning, and the performances are excellent. If Netflix ends up swiftly cancelling the series or cutting it short, we run the risk of missing out on a very promising setup. These are storylines and promised events that require follow up. Nothing has been resolved by the conclusion of the eight-episode run. No defeat or massive battles have been fought or won. We are left hanging in the best of ways, so the sole hope is that enough viewers take notice to award a second go-round. By spending its time weaving careful characterwork with swirling mystery-box elements and quiet danger, 3 Body Problem may be one of the most promising science-fiction series to debut in ages.
Let’s hope our solar system never faces a 3 Body Problem—until then, do not miss the sci-fi series, beaming down to Netflix globally on Thursday, March 21st. The first episode screened at 2024’s SXSW Film and TV Festival.
