Thomas Storai 
Zine Tseng as Young Ye Wenjie in 3 Body Problem. Cr. Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024
“3 Body Problem is the next big sci-fi series. It’s a captivating story that, at its heart, is about the human condition. This one is a must-watch with endearing characters played by a great ensemble cast.”
3 Body Problem is a series based on the Chinese novel The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, which is the first part of a trilogy of books. The series was created by David Benioff, D.B. Weiss (Game of Thrones), and Alexander Woo (The Terror: Infamy, True Blood). They’re both executive producers and writers. It stars Jovan Adepo, John Bradley, Rosalind Chao, Liam Cunningham, Eiza González, Alex Sharp, Jess Hong, Benedict Wong and Jonathan Pryce. The 8-episode season releases tomorrow on Netflix.
THE PREMISE
A young woman’s (Zine Tseng) fateful decision in 1960s China reverberates across space and time into the present day. When the laws of nature inexplicably unravel before their eyes, a close-knit group of brilliant scientists join forces with an unorthodox detective (Benedict Wong) to confront the greatest threat in humanity’s history.
THOUGHTS
Undoubtedly, 3 Body Problem is the next big science fiction series. It’s a series that will leave its mark on you, no matter what you think of it, like LOST and Westworld. It’s a drama about the human condition and what these characters are willing to do in the face of adversity. This is what makes the best sci-fi series – it uses elements of sci-fi to tell a compelling drama. It is a good thing all episodes release at the same time because it’s the type of series that, once you start, you don’t want to stop. It’s perfect for binge-watching.
The story moves between what is happening in the 1960s in China and the present time. Both are intricately linked. This is a global scale while the series follows a small group of characters which keeps it intimate. It allows to tell a big story with characters you can care about. I think this is the strength of this series. Despite being something huge with high stakes that you can feel all throughout, it’s also something really intimate. It is pretty much a character exploration. We see their struggles and how what is going on affects them personally in different ways. This is an endearing group of characters.
For me the standouts are definitely Jin Cheng (Jess Hong), Saul Durand (Jovan Adepo) and Will Downing (Alex Sharp). Will because he is a character who represents regrets. His story is a deeply moving one. Jin and Saul because of the choices they make and the reason they make their choices. When the final episode ends, things are far from over. After all, the series is based on the first book of a trilogy. So I am now eagerly waiting for a second season to be green light.
CAST
Furthermore, this is a great ensemble cast. I think everyone is suitable for their respective roles. In fact, it’s nice to see Benedict Wong in this role of detective; it changes from what you usually see in him. I like his character, and that’s thanks to his performance. Undoubtedly, Alex Sharp delivers a heart-wrenching performance. It’s raw which really makes you feel what the character is going through. On top of that, Liam Cunningham shines as the determined boss. Jess Hong and Jovan Adepo also deliver powerful performances.
VISUALS & SOUNDTRACK
Moreover, 3 Body Problem uses a lot of CG during the simulation sequences. It’s pretty obvious, but I think it’s an artistic choice here as it is a simulation/game. The rest of the VFX are pretty good. But, it is primarily a series anchored in our world, so we mainly see the beautiful landscape of the United Kingdom.
The series features an opening credits in the first episode, while the other episodes only feature a small title sequence. I do think it’s a shame the full opening credits are not featured in all the episodes. It is heavily inspired by Westworld’s opening credits, and even the main theme, that is also composed by Ramin Djawadi, is reminiscent of this series. In fact, Ramin Djawadi’s soundtrack is similar to what he did in Westworld and Person of Interest. You can feel his style with a sci-fi vibe. However, I don’t think it’s one of his best works. Indeed, it doesn’t feel like anything new and more like something we have already seen from him. Finally, the series makes good use of the song ‘Video Games’ by Lana Del Rey in an episode.
VERDICT
3 Body Problem is the next big sci-fi series. It’s a captivating story that at its heart is about the human condition. With endearing characters played by a great ensemble cast, this one is a must-watch.
3 Body Problem releases March 21st on Netflix.
Collectables and Anime Editor for Future Of The Force.
Star Wars expert and Japan connoisseur.
