This year has already been filled with some major book-to-screen adaptations, and another one is just on the horizon. Netflix subscribers will soon be able to feast their eyes on 3 Body Problem – the new show based on Chinese author Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem and some of the other books in the series. Aside from the complex subject matter, what’s incredibly intriguing about this production is that it hails from Game of Thrones co-creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, who produced alongside True Blood alum Alexander Woo. While general viewers will have to wait just a little longer to check out the show, critics have already had an opportunity to see it. And, thus far, it seems they have somewhat mixed opinions on it.
What’s been shown of the series so far has been impressive, though many have still had questions regarding whether the material could be effectively adapted. Sean O’Connell summed up 3 Body Problem on behalf of CinemaBlend, and he had mostly positive thoughts to share. He noted that the two creators manage to balance the various storylines relatively well. However, O’Connell also stressed that viewers may want to exercise a bit of patience as the story unfolds:
Here, then, is my biggest suggestion for 3 Body Problem. Having had the ability to watch beyond the two episodes shown at SXSW, I can tell you that the story really picks up steam after episode 3. And that the information doled out up front is necessary for some massive payoffs. 3 Body Problem will reward your curiosity, and also your patience. It’s my sincere hope that Benioff, Weiss, and Woo are able to continue with more seasons, because the territories they explore in this material is compelling and provocative, in the most stimulating ways.
The story spans decades, kicking off in 1960s China with a young woman who makes a massive decision that sends ripples throughout the decades to come. In the present day, a group of scientists must team up with a detective to save humanity from a massive threat. (That’s probably the best way to describe it without spoiling anything). Another person who was able to screen it was THR’s Daniel Feinberg, who found the adaptation to be “admirable” at times. Though he ultimately believes it doesn’t exude the necessary scale and scope from a storytelling perspective:
It’s a generally handsome show and the aspects like the period scenes in China are impeccable in costume and production design (if extremely superficial in ideological terms). But this was meant to be a HUGE show for Netflix and it only sometimes looks huge. The ocular countdown, which needs to be a captivating and terrifying conceit, simply isn’t. The first episode ends with an unnatural natural phenomenon that leaves everybody in the show agog, but I guarantee no viewers will be agog (or probably understand). The series’ biggest set piece, which takes place near the Panama Canal, is amusing more for its gore than its large-scale execution (plus it’s in the service of a piece of strategy that makes no sense at all) and it comes in the fifth episode, leaving the rest of the season as a bit of an anti-climax.
Even more critical of this Netflix 2024 TV release was Dominic Patten of Deadline. The pundit chastised the show for being “philosophically pretentious.” He also mentioned the backlash against GoT’s final season (which involved a fan petition to remake it) while arguing his point:
Here in the death throngs of Peak TV, this oddly small-scale saga of an alien invasion set to arrive centuries in the future is so philosophically pretentious it makes Matrix Resurrections look like Voltaire’s Candide. For those ardent critics of Game of Thrones‘ final season, of which I was not one, 3 Body Problem will engender more than a little bit of toldja – and should remind us all how rarely lightning strikes twice, if you know what I mean?
Still not everyone has such a dour view of the material, including Collider critic Therese Lacson. She not only praised the creators for fleshing out certain characters in strong ways but also believes this could eventually become the service’s next flagship show – should certain variables fall into place:
With Stranger Things' ending looming near, could this be the show to replace it? Could it do what House of Cards did for the Netflix brand and ‘prestige TV’ at large? The landscape of television is so different from when those shows first premiered, but it's clear audiences are still hungry for creative and intelligent stories. One benefit of this series being on Netflix is that 3 Body Problem actually benefits from being binge-watched. There is so much going on that a week-to-week release is likely to leave viewers scratching their heads if they aren't fully giving the show their complete attention. The multiple storylines that intersect with each other at different points in time also make the series incredibly rewatchable.
Indiewire’s Ben Travers may disagree with that assertion, though. He gave the show a D+, citing a lackluster handling of the story as well as true lack of impactful thrills among other critiques:
Where ‘Game of Thrones’ paired diabolical plots for power with astonishing action, ‘3 Body Problem’ offers little personal intrigue to balance its increasingly unimpressive attempts at spectacle. It may not be fair to compare the two — they’re different genres with different origins and different goals — but whether it’s the shared creators and cast, or similar worldviews and barriers to entry, there’s a common thread linking the two series — and not one Netflix is hoping fans notice. Both are easy enough to track, but ‘3 Body’s’ problem is it’s far too difficult to enjoy.
So needless to say, pundits have a lot of thoughts on David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ latest small-screen effort. Of course, just because the critics are mixed doesn’t mean that audiences will feel the same. While there’s a chance that this adaptation doesn’t land with audiences, there’s certainly a possibility that it’ll become a hit as well. We’ll just have to wait and see.
You can tune in to 3 Body Problem when all eight episodes hit Netflix on March 21 as part of the 2024 TV schedule.
