Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, Liu Cixin’s trilogy novel-series gained critical acclamation for being one of the most popular reads in the science-fiction genre. The first novel of the revered series has now been adapted by Netflix into an intense, thoughtful, and mind-bending series; one which has been able to construct an engaging narrative through its creatives. Thus, ‘3 Body Problem’ came to life into a leaner and more diverse version than the book, making it a very different kind of a story.
The creators of the ‘Game of Thrones’ fame, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have successfully delivered one the hardest sci-fi tomes, along with co-showrunner Alexander Woo, making ‘3 Body Problem’ a visual grandeur, with many thrills and wow moments. If there would be one thing that might hold you back from praising it, it could be that the characters be handed some alien technology to pass through various dimensions. But nevertheless, the series’ mind-bending turns will probably leave you too starry-eyed to even notice.
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The opening scene of the first episode of the series begins with a student of astrophysics witnessing her academician father being beaten to death mercilessly right in front of her eyes. The scene shifts to London in 2024 where a detective, Da Shi (Benedict Wong), tries to make sense of the violent death of a physicist, pipped to win the Nobel Prize.
The show then follows a group of former physics students called the “Oxford Five” as they struggle to interpret these mysterious events. These five are Jin Cheng (played by Jess Hong), a physicist with a yet-undisclosed connection to the suicides; Auggie Salazar (Eiza González), a nanomaterials engineer with strong social morals; college dropout and high school teacher Will Downing (Alex Sharp), who still harbors unrequited love for Cheng; former physicist and snack tycoon Jack Rooney (John Bradley), and unmotivated research assistant Saul Durand (Jovan Adepo).
3 Body Problem has very little resemblance to traditional sci-fi stories. It has got a lot to do with human life with string of suicides happening among elite scientists based out of London. The story also talks about mental health issues. It is without doubt that the sci-fi series places a special emphasis on China, and also works spectacularly well in parts, like the human abacus which was sheer jaw-dropping quality as were the dehydrate/rehydrate cycles. Scenes of of heart-wrenching terror— the scene where the repurposed oil tanker, the Judgment Day, comes up against the nanoweb is the stuff of nightmares. The scenes in China and Mongolia featuring a young Wenjie are moving to say the least. Ramin Djawadi’s music is spookily spectacular.
Even as the first season of the series introduces scientific concepts in great detail and with excellent visual execution, the series’ philosophical and moral questions are even more relevant. Woo, Weiss and Benioff smoothly steer viewers to challenge their own biases. The Trisolarans’ exemplified in a brief scene in which the undefined alien species is unable to understand the idea of Little Red Riding Hood’s fictional wolf, and that is when the viewer is forced to ask themselves about the existence of individuality, consciousness and morals.
It is clear that this adaptation is an ambitious, engaging opener in what is sure to be the foundation for the future of such brilliant sci-fi series. Netflix’s 3 Body Problem is not just thrilling but also an engaging opener that’s a blast to watch.
