Netflix’s 3 Body Problem Is a Grandiose, Compelling Sci-Fi Yarn You Don’t Want to Miss

When I think of science fiction, I imagine limitless possibilities. Sure, like any genre, it’s bound by conventions, tropes, and the confines of human experience. But the best works in the space make these limitations fade away, barraging us with far-out ideas that challenge norms. They can transport us to alien planets or introduce mind-expanding concepts that encourage us to see cosmic truths in our vicinity. That said, while speculative fiction can truly be about anything, it’s important to realize that this type of unfettered creativity becomes trickier (and more expensive) when bringing these stories to the screen.

3 Body Problem, which adapts Liu Cixin’s Hugo Award-winning novel of the same name, pushes past these barriers. Over its eight-episode run, it introduces a non-stop procession of reality-bending imagery and well-delivered twists that capture the wonder and horror of what may be waiting for us in the stars. It’s an absolute page-turner that confidently switches modes and genres, acting as a strong comeback for Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Although only time will tell if the conflicts set up in this season will pay off, I couldn’t be more eager to see where things go.

At first, we’re presented with a sequence of seemingly unrelated circumstances. In the past, astrophysicist Ye Wenjie (Rosalind Chao and Zine Tseng) ends up on the wrong side of the Chinese Communist Party’s Cultural Revolution. In the present, a growing list of acclaimed scientists meet grisly ends, leaving intelligence officer Da Shi (Benedict Wong) and the rest of the world stumped. However, these disparate events begin to converge as Jin Cheng (Jess Hong), a promising theoretical physicist, and her Oxford buddies stumble upon truths that indicate something dangerous may be lurking in the cosmos.

From the jump, this series takes massive high-concept swings, the vast majority of which cleanly connect. We watch as the laws of physics seemingly break down, glowing digits plague researchers, improbably realistic virtual reality games surface, and the universe blinks, situations that are only the tip of the iceberg in an intergalactic mystery that will leave you wide-eyed. Visually, these far-out concepts land thanks to an appropriately grand sense of scale and ample build, as composer Ramin Djawadi’s score and the team of directors ensure that each of these big moments come across as appropriately stunning. These strange sights left my mind racing with possibilities and eager to find out more, a wish that was punctually granted, as most of these phenomena don’t remain unexplainable for long.

Although the first few episodes leapfrog between constant discoveries and ensuing explanations, there’s just enough time between each bombshell to let things sink in before setting up the next enigma, making this one difficult to put down. In an era where it often feels like many serialized TV shows pad out their runtimes, it was refreshing to watch something with such a breakneck barrage of fascinating turns that doesn’t belabor answering many of its big questions. And perhaps the most impressive feat is that, even after many of these puzzles are solved in the initial episodes, the new mode the narrative shifts into proves just as compelling as what came before after a problem of near unsolvable scope comes into view. Once we arrive at this “true” premise, the disquieting realities of this brutal sci-fi tale fully sink in.

Specifically, the modern-day setting invites us to imagine what it would be like to live through these same interstellar revelations, and the central cast helps fully sell the anxiety of these circumstances. For starters, there’s the Oxford Five, former classmates who find themselves in the middle of these strange happenings. While the introductory episodes are largely focused on big twists and satisfying reveals, as the series goes on, much of its best drama extends from the bonds between this group, as tragedy tests their relationships or brings them closer together. Jin acts as our nominal protagonist, a theoretical physicist propelled by her curiosity. Jess Hong helps bring out the dimensions of the character, from her dorkiness and drive to understand the universe to her eventual grief and inner conflict regarding her role in these escalating events. However, the character who left the biggest impression was her bestie, Auggie, a nanotech genius played empathetically by Eiza González, who captures the pain of watching her discoveries be applied to malicious ends. She adds a much-needed injection of humanity to this grim story, which often risks coming across as cold due to its constant grave turns and tendency to list off physics theories.

Beyond this crew of science whizzes, Benedict Wong turns in a charismatic performance as the detective Da Shi, and it’s always a pleasure to see him wracking his brain while wreathed in cigarette smoke. The antagonists are similarly compelling for the most part, and even if some of them make outrageously misanthropic decisions, the narrative spends enough time with them to flesh out their point of view and explain their allegiances.

If there’s one area where the jury is still out for me, it’s this story’s big ideas and themes will pan out. This first season is largely focused on tantalizing twists, which are very effective but don’t always leave much room for exploring the ethical dimensions of what’s going on (for instance, there’s one genuinely disturbing scene that’s ramifications feel too swept under the rug). Moreover, at the moment, it’s a little tricky to tell if this story is fundamentally cynical and jingoistic, or if it’s just the majority of its characters behave this way, something that will only become clear as the plot progresses.

Thankfully, there’s still enough to chew on in the meantime, like how different groups react to these extreme circumstances or the ways scientific discoveries generally don’t benefit the people who need them most. Considering the massive scope of this story, I’m a little concerned that this series won’t survive to reach its climax, but I’ll choose to remain hopeful it’ll hit whatever enigmatic metrics needed to make that happen.

With 3 Body Problem, showrunners Benioff, Weiss, and Alexander Woo have crafted a piece of speculative fiction that moves through Earth-shattering revelations at a rapid clip, full of evocative and sometimes horrifying imagery that’s difficult to look away from. It’s a rare mystery that becomes more interesting as its secrets are revealed, and the type of tale that will have me over-explaining its details to any vaguely interested party I come across for the foreseeable future, which is always a good sign. While its casual cruelty and the titanic scale of the proceedings threaten to make things come across as too alienating, and I’m not sold on some of its underlying themes, we get just enough from its central group of characters to flesh out the human elements at play. Altogether, the series is the type of sci-fi yarn that will leave you looking at the night sky with a mixture of curiosity and consternation.

3 Body Problem premieres March 21st on Netflix. 

Elijah Gonzalez is an assistant Games and TV Editor for Paste Magazine. In addition to playing and watching the latest on the small screen, he also loves film, creating large lists of media he’ll probably never actually get to, and dreaming of the day he finally gets through all the Like a Dragon games. You can follow him on Twitter @eli_gonzalez11.

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