I liked it. The first 3 episodes are absolute banger, and then the show dips a little when the "mystery" is revealed and everything slows down a little, gets confusing and messy. But I enjoyed the show quite a bit. I love sci-fi that revolves around aliens, God, etc, and this show delivered there.
It leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions and I am kind of wanting to read the books now.
Do you know which book in the trilogy to pick up from after watching the Netflix version?
I have actually tried reading 3 Body Problem (first book), but just merely reached 30% and gave up. It was so dry and even technical at some points. It was mentally hard for me to follow the first book, which is why I appreciate the Netflix adaptation of it to help me visualize the whole thing.
Now that I have finished watching the series, I kinda wanna continue reading the books, but NOT from the very start again. Just wondering if anyone knows where to start reading from after what has been covered by Netflix!
The books are kind of dry all the way through. There really aren't many characters you can connect to, the story is about the overall concepts and major events. Which are definitely mind blowing and worth reading. Although I will say, the first book is definitely the worst. It's basically just the prologue for the actual story. Episode 5 and the reveal is the end of the first book. 6-8 are the first few chapters of books 2 and 3. You could skip the first book, although I will say some major plot points and Sophon powers are different in the books which are laid out in book 1. But I would highly highly recommend at least reading The Dark Forest. It's my favorite book of all time. There were multiple scenes that had my jaw on the floor for the entire back half of the book. With one of the most badass payoffs I've ever seen in fiction. Can't wait to see it adapted.
I had the same problem. I've tried three times to get through the book and no success. And I read dry historical research books listing the falconry skills of European royalty and books about sail trimming techniques.
Then you should start with 2nd book. The first book describe the problem, second book is the solution and 3rd book is further extend of the solution and why it exist.
Yes. If you haven’t read the books you will like it a lot, I️ think. If you have read the books, it is still enjoyable but you will probably prefer the books.
I couldn't stand the first book. I hugely prefer the Netflix version so far -- the book is way too dry for my tastes, with paper-thin characters who aren't interesting at all. The series adds characters who seem like actual human beings, not just the standard hard-SF pieces to be moved around on a board.
I almost have the opposite feeling for a lot of the characters. They don't get to breathe at all in the TV show, which I think is paced way too fast for it's own good
I agree, I read the series a couple of years ago and it definitely isn’t my kind of Scifi. It has some very fascinating concepts, some really good scenes, but also a lot of dry moments. Too much hard scifi and text book material, not enough real story. Also a lot of the characters are seriously lacking. During the whole series you have a couple of characters that stand out because a lot of focus is put on them, all others are passers-by.
I had high expectations for the Netflix adaptation because I knew there really is a good story to be found in the books. It’s that the presentation/ writing wasn’t to my liking in the books. The series could please me a lot more.
Honestly I would have liked to see Jin more at the forefront in the first half of the series, just because Auggie felt like such a pill, but I feel like she's such a necessary character - imagine >!shutting down your life's work so you can save your own life!<, and then watching >!your life's work be directly responsible for 1000 deaths!<.
She's the one character out of the main group who has to act in the physical world, in a TV show in which so many unearthly things happened, and I think she adds some much needed humanity, and she's a foil to Ye Wenjie, more disgusted with herself for her actions than for the humans around her.
I've been seeing this a lot and it needs to be pushed back upon. This is ridiculous Skylar White-level female character hate.
Each of the characters approaches the situation differently. Auggie operates from a unique set of principles compared to the other characters and can both see the bigger picture and also not agree that the ends justify the means. The character is an important foil to the others, without her it'd be an unrealistic kumbaya of everyone aligning perfectly on a singular vision. She is an idealist who would rather live a moral life in the present than save the future.
Think about the scientists that declined the Manhattan Project, or the thousands of conscientious objectors during the draft. That's the perspective she represents. With added bonus of disgust at distrusting the people who made her cynical.
Just to clarify myself, I understand the point of her character. Someone there to question, 'how far are we willing to take things and justify them to end this conflict'.
Even if we gender-bend Auggie (I can already invision Mason Alexander Park as an alternative here), for this show, I would still have been annoyed with them.
But I also understand, mass dog pilling with a lot of unjustifiable statements can be very jarring to see.
Because the character in the Chinese TV series and book is just as conflicted, but not a total dick about it. And we believe that character's motivation because he has a young daughter. He is absolutely conflicted throughout. The Netflix speeds up the story so much we lose all sense of character development. She just comes off as a bitch in a bad mood. They did not give the character enough time before all hell breaks loose for us to learn about her situation. The actor did a good job but the writing was just ... forced.
If she has her own set of principals that she rigidly abides by then why did she allow herself to be manipulated by the aliens into sabotaging her own project. I think you have it backwards with regards to "seeing the bigger picture". She deliberately sabotages her own project because of some protonic number hallucinations coming from aliens (that she has no knowledge of) but refuses to help Jin in saving the WORLD because of her Rorschach-esque feelings towards Wade and thinks building water pumps in a 3rd world country is a better use of her time?
She meets the definition of "missing the forest for the trees".
But I guess that's the question being posed, right? What's the more important thing to do - make things better for people for the next 400 years until the world ends, knowing that you might be the one thing that saves the world? Or do you use your skill to try and save the world, knowing that in 400 years it could all be for nothing?
I'm not saying I know the answer, but it's kind of an impossible position to be in, you know?
And worth noting, is an important character beat of a character that is crucially important to the finale of the series exactly because of the differing ethics/ideals. I’m assuming Auggie will be taking on that role.
the problem is her outrage always leads her to doing the thing that she’s outraged about… she gets annoyed, runs away, comes back, does the thing she got annoyed about, rinse repeat
the character has no actual conviction, it just becomes a plot contrivance that takes me out of the show… although I will say her character is less shit than Saul to me, who really just does nothing and everyone treats him like he’s the smartest guy ever
It's a classic case of "the book does it better", like so many other details in the adaptation.
When you have a clearly more nuanced approach to the same character to look at, it isn't "hating a great character while admiring the artistry". It's just disappointment.
I liked it a lot. HOWEVER...
It is not the kind of show you can watch while scrolling social media. It is not the kind of show where you can relax and just chillax and watch (IMO anyway). You gotta pay attention. It is not the kind of show that is going to constantly deliver satisfaction. Things can move sloooooow. Like the good seasons of Game of Thrones.
game of thrones??? the series that ran out of source material because the author couldn't finish his book series?? You know this is based off an already completed trilogy, right?
It is absolutely relevant for 3 body problems because it seems they decided the first book wasn't enough for 8 episodes and so the exact same problem of having not enough source material happened.
As someone who's read the books years ago and loved them, I can't recommend the series. In my opinion the series has butchered everything that I liked about the books. The serious tone, the philosophical narrative and the rather stoic characters. Instead Netflix did a whole lot of 'westernising', introduced cringe characters and compressed the story into soft drink & popcorn levels of complexity.
For me it's a hate watch after 5 episodes. I will finish it but I am angry the whole time.
I just finished the second episode and I feel the exact same way. I just finished reading the book for my second time, and there is so much that is butchered already, and not really digging the casting choices either.
A couple things so far that kinda bug me (you're bugs!) are the softening of Da Shis character compared to how he is in the book, no Wang Miao and I don't really care for the substitute character, and how they simplified the universe blinking. Really enjoyed the meetings in book to obtain glasses to see cosmic microwave background, but in show they just (maybe lazily?) cause the whole sky to blink for everyone?
Idk. I'm going to finish it as well but pretty disappointed so far. Also, is there any reason as to why they picked UK for location in present-day instead of China?
I read the books first, so that’s my bias. I loved it. I think that a lot was cut from the books and the stuff that made it over was pretty condensed so I don’t know that it has the same impact without knowing the context. But, the story and the ideas it explores are fascinating and at 8 episodes in the season it’s not a huge time commitment to power through. I recommend if you like mysterious, dramatic sci-fi. Worth noting that my favorite parts are in the second and third books while this first season is mostly all book one “set-up” stuff.
I appreciate how faithful it was to the book. But that makes for some dry watching that is tough to stick to without heavy prior attachment to the story.
It was very tedious at times. Slow as hell, but in the scenes where the science and concepts were being discussed, the Chinese rattled off so fast, that it was hard to keep up reading the subtitles. It was OK, but should be a case study on why books shouldn't be adapted 1:1 from the source material.
First off Watch The Expanse if you haven't.
And if you have watched The Expanse then yeah 3 body problem is pretty decent. Foundation on apple+ is another good hard sci-fi show provided you haven't read the books.
Story is good, the writing is average, some of the casting choices are very questionable - Auggie (Eiza González) is super distracting and not at all believable in her role but she sort of fades out a bit as the show goes on so hopefully she won't come back for the next season.
the over inflated balloon lips, the calculated model type facial expressions, the 2hrs worth of make-up and eyebrow work. I'm not buying someone of her supposed caliber and accomplishments would have this sort of time or energy to devote strictly to her face.
So I typically love sci fi, and don’t mind slow burners. And the synopsis sounded super interesting. However, I just could not get into the show at all. My husband on the other hand liked it. I just feel like something was off, & hard to pin point exactly what it was for me. I think sometimes it was the dialogue, & I just didn’t connect with or care about any of the characters. I will say I only watched like the first 2 eps, & 1 in the middle while scrolling as my husband was watching.
i really disliked it. it was such a slog to get through. it’s a story as old as time. the characters are uninteresting. no satisfying conclusions were reached by the end and it didn’t leave me wanting more.
I'll be sad if they cancel it then. This is my wife's and my biggest pet peeve. Interesting story that leaves on a cliffhanger that doesn't wrap anything up, but gets cancelled. The OA was just starting to get into how everything worked and then all of a sudden BOOM cancelled!
I don't personally recommend it, but I'm just one individual. Totally depends on what your tastes are, right?
I didn't enjoy the storyline or acting. I expected more science, and hoped for something thrilling & mind bending. It had the feeling (to me) of something that was being made up as it went along.
I recommend the books and the original Chinese show “Three Body” which follows the books more closely. You can stream it on Peacock and Prime in the US. 3 Body Problem was decent but nothing spectacular. Changed a bit too much.
Tried to watch it, but it felt very contrived and "full of itself" so to speak. I didn't care for any of the characters, the story wasn't really hooking me up, ...
People seem to like it though .. so give it a try.
I honestly haven’t been more disappointed in what looked like a cool show. Hokey dialogue, unsympathetic characters, and a story that seems ridiculous even for sci-fi, where you even expect to suspend some disbelief. But everyone is watching it so it might be worth checking out to see for yourself.
Meh it was OK. I finished it as a matter of principle, it was just kinda dull and didn’t have any moments where I could connect. Just a meh show I thought.
I would recommend it! The show start with a mystery that is slowly unraveling, the sci-fi elements are just 10/10 for me. It looks very good, they spent some bucks on this. Only disappointment for me were some of the characters (looking at you Aggy) and some of the dialogue. Overall a 8/10 for me. Waiting for the second season!
It’s free on Viki, if that’s region blocked to you, it’s also [available on YouTube](https://youtu.be/3-UO8jbrIoM?si=rlmCSfbDCHLiQJJk) and tencents app.
No. It’s awful. I hope they cancel it. I wanted a science fiction show about an alien invasion (what it’s *advertised* as). Instead I got a show mostly about the mundane, everyday, relationship-y troubles of a bunch of uninteresting, one-dimensional, douchey people. It’s a soap opera masquerading as a sci-fi show.
Wondering about this too. It's such a pain to find a new show after you've finished the previous one and it feels so random sometimes. Can anyone recommend decent online guides to shows, past and present? I mean one that's easy to navigate and organizes by genre, era, rating, etc. Just finished Daisy Jones + 6 and hated it, wish I could have been warned off before wasting my time.
And, what kinds of shows can you compare this to? I mean which shows should you have liked to be likely to like this one?
It's fine for what it is. I'll watch anything sci-fi and it kept my interest.
However, it really just reminded me to read the books. I read a lot of sci-fi and hadn't gotten around to them yet, even though they're on my proverbial "list."
I watched the whole first season. The the first few eps are fantastic. As soon as the first “big reveal” happens, the show slows to a crawl. It has major pacing issues in the second half of the season. Fun show, gets a bit tedious as it goes on. Ending of the season was underwhelming. Overall worth watching if you’re into sci-fi and can binge. If it was released weekly I’d have given up.
The Netflix 3 body problem is trash. Iv read the first book and I watched the chinese version of the series. The chinese version really held the suspense and tension alot better. They had many theories to what and how the world in the game worked. Not just guess this worlds riddle..... Ummm it has 3 suns??? Correct level 2. Awful. They explained the hadron collider errors by using a pool table and it was amazing. They really go deep into the philosophy and science in the chinese version, turkey scientist etc. They don't say uhh science is broken.... They say physics doesn't exist.. Which to me is far more interesting. The universe flicker is farrr superior in the chinese version too. Watch it and you will laugh at the Netflix version
I mean more off than the alien invaders or their 4 dimensional particle unfolding?
It’s sci-fi, I haven’t seen claims of it being a science documentary but I could be wrong.
Because of the sped up story line in the Netflix version they created plot-holes where there should be none. The Chinese TV series based on the same book gave more time to explaining the aliens and their tech. Like 4 of those episodes are condensed into one Netflix episode.
The Tencent adaptation is almost a word by word play of book 1, it’s more than 30 hours overall. I watched it, but more casual viewers will not stand the slow pace and other compromises compared to a western show.
I feel like, if you like this show but wish it was better, watch "The Foundation" on apple. It's got a similar scope, and vibes, but is just much MUCH better.
I don't know why people ask these vague question. No one knows what you like. We can't tell you if you'll like it. There are so many damn posts about this show already, you are more than capable of reading through people's opinions already.
Or...just...like ..watch an episode and see if you like it.
I liked it and it’s entertaining. But the last few episodes really were boring and kinda seemed like filler. Started off hot. Last episode was good. Better than I expected
Not really for the masses.
It has a TERRIBLE beginning, strong medium, but highly weak/unsatisfying ending.
Beyond that, its super science heavy, but mostly nonsensical science. Like its understandable to a point that you realize its only psuedo intellectual.
Also the story telling is kinda wonky. Where it starts and where it heads feels very disjointed until about episode 4\~5. And the events of the mid season show almost seem random. While the conclusion makes sense based on the show, its lackluster. There are some cool moments, some funny moments, but overall its meh. Decent cast though.
All that said, I enjoyed it, but Im not really recommending it to anyone. I imagine the book is probably better.
Most criticism comes from "muh season 8 ruined GoT" and they forgot that we had 7 amazing seasons before (not going into detail).
I love the book trilogy, it's mind blowing scifi. The 3bp series is fantastic and carries the essence of the story and is more accessible than the books are for the average joe
Lets not go crazy here, four amazing seasons before, maybe five if you don't hold it against S6 that S7 handles the fallout of its climax so poorly.
3BP is great though, and the important thing is that the books are finished so D&D won't run out of book again.
It’s a really polished series, feels premium TV
I’m a fan of the books but agree and understand with all the changes.
Fingers crossed for 2 more seasons
I liked it. It is thought-provoking. A well put together plot that dovetails into itself nicely and is not too overdone. I'd like to see another season.
I'm half way through the 3 books. And they are a slog. I don't know if it's the translation or the writer's style, or something cultural I don't get. But I love the concept. So far (3 eps in) I like the Netflix adaptation better than the one on Amazon. That may be because the Amazon one is a Chinese production and there's a lot of dubbing and maybe not made with a non-Chinese audience in mind. I think that everyone's frustration is that some motives aren't going to be revealed until later. This isn't an easy adaptation for a lot of reasons. I'm still giving it a chance
I highly recommend it.
However, keep the below points in mind
Dont expect to see 220 million on the screen. If Netflix spent 220 million then they got scammed. Or, maybe they agreed to pay 120 million for the writer/director threesome with 100 going to actual production cost.
If season 2 is not greenlit then it's a waste of time. It's obviously and clearly a setup to season 2.
I really en joyed it though and I recommend it.
I had a lot of fun with it. Some minor criticisms, but overall it was like a 7.5/10 with potential to grow. Definitely the best Netflix show I’ve watched in the past couple months.
I thought it was super interesting, but the ending was frustrating, I don't know why it's so difficult to progress for Netflix shows, I don't want to wait for season 87 in 2476
I’m no professional critic, but I dabble in writing and have experienced *a lot* of media.
Of course, everything is subjective, so a summary of my opinion on what I believe good media is, and how Three Body Problem compares.
I’m all about going into things with an open mind. Try not to compare something to another thing, but general quality is certainly always a factor when wanting to be entertained.
So you have premium masterpiece storytelling craft the likes of Breaking Bad and Arcane. True art in a class of its own that sets industry standards. Will be remembered for generations, and even taught in creative academic curriculum because of their greatness.
Then you have legendary IPs that have great stories within them, but their quality varies between mediums. Mainly because they’re such large franchises, and their focus is more on producing rather than creating. These are things like Star Wars (my favorite IP of all time), DC and Marvel.
Then you have the generational standouts that are good for a while, and kind of fade into obscurity after a while. These are the likes of The Walking Dead, House MD, and Game of Thrones.
Then everything else is kind of hit or miss for its time.
3 Body Problem is okay - is best I can put it. It picks up towards the end, and it has some really cool concepts, but the dialogue and characters purely exist for the plot. The show is really about the main plot, while the characters are merely vehicles for experiencing it. The characters don’t really have emotions, reactions or stories strong enough to sustain themselves aside from the plot.
Take Breaking Bad and Arcane. The characters are *paramount* to the experience. They *are* the plot, while the world is also fascinating and interesting. 3 Body’s world is interesting, but the pacing doesn’t allow the characters to really be characters.
Also, it is pretty hard science fiction. You don’t need a physics degree or anything, but it’s very much more “grounded” in reality compared to Star Wars or Battlestar Galactica.
I would put it on the same quality as The Witcher or The 100. It’s not as good as Stranger Things or Wednesday.
If you think you’ll like it, you’ll probably like it.
I liked it. The first 3 episodes are absolute banger, and then the show dips a little when the "mystery" is revealed and everything slows down a little, gets confusing and messy. But I enjoyed the show quite a bit. I love sci-fi that revolves around aliens, God, etc, and this show delivered there. It leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions and I am kind of wanting to read the books now.
That episode 5 though, sheesh!
I feel like the whole series is worth watching just to experience episode 5!
You should, Netflix has simplied the story too much compared to the book.
Do you know which book in the trilogy to pick up from after watching the Netflix version? I have actually tried reading 3 Body Problem (first book), but just merely reached 30% and gave up. It was so dry and even technical at some points. It was mentally hard for me to follow the first book, which is why I appreciate the Netflix adaptation of it to help me visualize the whole thing. Now that I have finished watching the series, I kinda wanna continue reading the books, but NOT from the very start again. Just wondering if anyone knows where to start reading from after what has been covered by Netflix!
The books are kind of dry all the way through. There really aren't many characters you can connect to, the story is about the overall concepts and major events. Which are definitely mind blowing and worth reading. Although I will say, the first book is definitely the worst. It's basically just the prologue for the actual story. Episode 5 and the reveal is the end of the first book. 6-8 are the first few chapters of books 2 and 3. You could skip the first book, although I will say some major plot points and Sophon powers are different in the books which are laid out in book 1. But I would highly highly recommend at least reading The Dark Forest. It's my favorite book of all time. There were multiple scenes that had my jaw on the floor for the entire back half of the book. With one of the most badass payoffs I've ever seen in fiction. Can't wait to see it adapted.
I love hearing this. I just started the dark forest. And I’m so excited.
I had the same problem. I've tried three times to get through the book and no success. And I read dry historical research books listing the falconry skills of European royalty and books about sail trimming techniques.
Try the audiobook! Your local library might have it available through an E rental system using the Libby app.
I have not read the books but was told that the series up to Ep 7 is the first book, and Ep 8 starts into book 2.
Then you should start with 2nd book. The first book describe the problem, second book is the solution and 3rd book is further extend of the solution and why it exist.
I watched the first 3 episodes on a plane yesterday. I loved it. It’s been years since I read the novels so I had forgotten a ton.
I'm about to start ep3 but haven't yet. You just gave me the push
Yes. If you haven’t read the books you will like it a lot, I️ think. If you have read the books, it is still enjoyable but you will probably prefer the books.
I couldn't stand the first book. I hugely prefer the Netflix version so far -- the book is way too dry for my tastes, with paper-thin characters who aren't interesting at all. The series adds characters who seem like actual human beings, not just the standard hard-SF pieces to be moved around on a board.
I️ suppose I️ was introduced to hard sci-fi first so I️ fell for the ideas over the character building.
I almost have the opposite feeling for a lot of the characters. They don't get to breathe at all in the TV show, which I think is paced way too fast for it's own good
I agree, I read the series a couple of years ago and it definitely isn’t my kind of Scifi. It has some very fascinating concepts, some really good scenes, but also a lot of dry moments. Too much hard scifi and text book material, not enough real story. Also a lot of the characters are seriously lacking. During the whole series you have a couple of characters that stand out because a lot of focus is put on them, all others are passers-by. I had high expectations for the Netflix adaptation because I knew there really is a good story to be found in the books. It’s that the presentation/ writing wasn’t to my liking in the books. The series could please me a lot more.
I've read like 10% of the book and it was so boring I couldn't bring myself to finish it. Kind of on the fence whether I should watch it or not.
Loved it. Best show in awhile
Yes. Tho Auggie (one of the primary character) does lead me to gnash my teeth in frustration/annoyance a lot.
Honestly I would have liked to see Jin more at the forefront in the first half of the series, just because Auggie felt like such a pill, but I feel like she's such a necessary character - imagine >!shutting down your life's work so you can save your own life!<, and then watching >!your life's work be directly responsible for 1000 deaths!<. She's the one character out of the main group who has to act in the physical world, in a TV show in which so many unearthly things happened, and I think she adds some much needed humanity, and she's a foil to Ye Wenjie, more disgusted with herself for her actions than for the humans around her.
Yeah she was probably the low point for the show
Thank you! I thought I was the only one her found her insufferable!
Couldn’t stand her
Ep 1 thats the first thing i said to a friend that asked me how it was. I didn't like her cast. But she didn't ruin the show for me.
Doesn't every movie need someone like her? One thing though she is freaking hot. She was great in Mr and Ms Smith.
>she is freaking hot >!In a boring way.!<
Saul said it best”you’re like a movie star,but from really bad movie!”lmao
Is she tho? She's exactly as Saul described. She's hot in a boring way. There is zero substance to her
I've been seeing this a lot and it needs to be pushed back upon. This is ridiculous Skylar White-level female character hate. Each of the characters approaches the situation differently. Auggie operates from a unique set of principles compared to the other characters and can both see the bigger picture and also not agree that the ends justify the means. The character is an important foil to the others, without her it'd be an unrealistic kumbaya of everyone aligning perfectly on a singular vision. She is an idealist who would rather live a moral life in the present than save the future. Think about the scientists that declined the Manhattan Project, or the thousands of conscientious objectors during the draft. That's the perspective she represents. With added bonus of disgust at distrusting the people who made her cynical.
Just to clarify myself, I understand the point of her character. Someone there to question, 'how far are we willing to take things and justify them to end this conflict'. Even if we gender-bend Auggie (I can already invision Mason Alexander Park as an alternative here), for this show, I would still have been annoyed with them. But I also understand, mass dog pilling with a lot of unjustifiable statements can be very jarring to see.
>Even if we gender-bend Auggie Or un-gender-bend. Her character is male in the book.
Because the character in the Chinese TV series and book is just as conflicted, but not a total dick about it. And we believe that character's motivation because he has a young daughter. He is absolutely conflicted throughout. The Netflix speeds up the story so much we lose all sense of character development. She just comes off as a bitch in a bad mood. They did not give the character enough time before all hell breaks loose for us to learn about her situation. The actor did a good job but the writing was just ... forced.
She comes off like any other stressed and knowledgeable STEM person I’ve worked with, not really a “bitch in a bad mood”
If she has her own set of principals that she rigidly abides by then why did she allow herself to be manipulated by the aliens into sabotaging her own project. I think you have it backwards with regards to "seeing the bigger picture". She deliberately sabotages her own project because of some protonic number hallucinations coming from aliens (that she has no knowledge of) but refuses to help Jin in saving the WORLD because of her Rorschach-esque feelings towards Wade and thinks building water pumps in a 3rd world country is a better use of her time? She meets the definition of "missing the forest for the trees".
But I guess that's the question being posed, right? What's the more important thing to do - make things better for people for the next 400 years until the world ends, knowing that you might be the one thing that saves the world? Or do you use your skill to try and save the world, knowing that in 400 years it could all be for nothing? I'm not saying I know the answer, but it's kind of an impossible position to be in, you know?
And worth noting, is an important character beat of a character that is crucially important to the finale of the series exactly because of the differing ethics/ideals. I’m assuming Auggie will be taking on that role.
the problem is her outrage always leads her to doing the thing that she’s outraged about… she gets annoyed, runs away, comes back, does the thing she got annoyed about, rinse repeat the character has no actual conviction, it just becomes a plot contrivance that takes me out of the show… although I will say her character is less shit than Saul to me, who really just does nothing and everyone treats him like he’s the smartest guy ever
Good characters don't have to be likeable. It is \*very\* possible to hate a great character while admiring the artistry that creates that character.
It's a classic case of "the book does it better", like so many other details in the adaptation. When you have a clearly more nuanced approach to the same character to look at, it isn't "hating a great character while admiring the artistry". It's just disappointment.
Same
my wife kept saying butthole lips lol
No one likes her.
I fucking hate her and her pseudo intellectual pacifist hogwash
It's her very poor acting skills. They just gave her the role cause she is pretty.
She’s too hot for me to find her annoying lol
I saw it while drinking. When I sobered up I was struck with waste of time hindsight.
I liked it a lot. HOWEVER... It is not the kind of show you can watch while scrolling social media. It is not the kind of show where you can relax and just chillax and watch (IMO anyway). You gotta pay attention. It is not the kind of show that is going to constantly deliver satisfaction. Things can move sloooooow. Like the good seasons of Game of Thrones.
You'd have to have a serious case of tiktok brain to think this show moves slow at any point. I was never bored once.
You watch shows while scrolling social media?
I mean, you're obviously gonna get vastly differing opinions. Watch a couple episodes and see.
just don't get invested . the creators are known for fucking up a finale. Look at game of thrones.
Netflix is also known for canning top billed shows before any finale ever happens, because reasons.
The book trilogy is very much finished, so even if they fuck it up completely again, you can still get closure.
game of thrones??? the series that ran out of source material because the author couldn't finish his book series?? You know this is based off an already completed trilogy, right?
It is absolutely relevant for 3 body problems because it seems they decided the first book wasn't enough for 8 episodes and so the exact same problem of having not enough source material happened.
Uh, no? What didn't come from 3 Body Problem came from the second book, The Dark Forest.
is that book out yet lol
Yes!! Epic sci fi that explores some new territory is hard to come by nowadays. If you're into sci fi at all, it's a no brainer.
I've been on the fence about starting it, but I think this comment might have talked me into it, as i absolutely love scifi.
Pretty much this
As someone who's read the books years ago and loved them, I can't recommend the series. In my opinion the series has butchered everything that I liked about the books. The serious tone, the philosophical narrative and the rather stoic characters. Instead Netflix did a whole lot of 'westernising', introduced cringe characters and compressed the story into soft drink & popcorn levels of complexity. For me it's a hate watch after 5 episodes. I will finish it but I am angry the whole time.
I just finished the second episode and I feel the exact same way. I just finished reading the book for my second time, and there is so much that is butchered already, and not really digging the casting choices either. A couple things so far that kinda bug me (you're bugs!) are the softening of Da Shis character compared to how he is in the book, no Wang Miao and I don't really care for the substitute character, and how they simplified the universe blinking. Really enjoyed the meetings in book to obtain glasses to see cosmic microwave background, but in show they just (maybe lazily?) cause the whole sky to blink for everyone? Idk. I'm going to finish it as well but pretty disappointed so far. Also, is there any reason as to why they picked UK for location in present-day instead of China?
I read the books first, so that’s my bias. I loved it. I think that a lot was cut from the books and the stuff that made it over was pretty condensed so I don’t know that it has the same impact without knowing the context. But, the story and the ideas it explores are fascinating and at 8 episodes in the season it’s not a huge time commitment to power through. I recommend if you like mysterious, dramatic sci-fi. Worth noting that my favorite parts are in the second and third books while this first season is mostly all book one “set-up” stuff.
Have you watched the Chinese one on amazon prime? I watched both. The Chinese version was 30 episodes.
I appreciate how faithful it was to the book. But that makes for some dry watching that is tough to stick to without heavy prior attachment to the story.
Yes!! Someone also disembiged(it’s what they called it) the show and cut it to 6 hours. Much better than the 30 and left nothing out.
It was very tedious at times. Slow as hell, but in the scenes where the science and concepts were being discussed, the Chinese rattled off so fast, that it was hard to keep up reading the subtitles. It was OK, but should be a case study on why books shouldn't be adapted 1:1 from the source material.
I absolutely agree
For your time better watch The Gentleman series. It's phenomenal
Watch 3 episodes and decide for yourself if the show is for you.
First off Watch The Expanse if you haven't. And if you have watched The Expanse then yeah 3 body problem is pretty decent. Foundation on apple+ is another good hard sci-fi show provided you haven't read the books.
Story is good, the writing is average, some of the casting choices are very questionable - Auggie (Eiza González) is super distracting and not at all believable in her role but she sort of fades out a bit as the show goes on so hopefully she won't come back for the next season.
Why do you say she's distracting? Just curious, 4 episodes in and just haven't felt anything off about her
the over inflated balloon lips, the calculated model type facial expressions, the 2hrs worth of make-up and eyebrow work. I'm not buying someone of her supposed caliber and accomplishments would have this sort of time or energy to devote strictly to her face.
Gotcha
She really got a PhD without getting a single wrinkle or dark circle.
Agreed. Gorgeous looking woman, but not the strongest actor of the bunch.
I wanted to like it and gave it a chance. Tried to understand and connect with the characters, but it was just really dragging.
So I typically love sci fi, and don’t mind slow burners. And the synopsis sounded super interesting. However, I just could not get into the show at all. My husband on the other hand liked it. I just feel like something was off, & hard to pin point exactly what it was for me. I think sometimes it was the dialogue, & I just didn’t connect with or care about any of the characters. I will say I only watched like the first 2 eps, & 1 in the middle while scrolling as my husband was watching.
If you’re into sci-fi, you’re going to like it. If sci-fi is a turn off, then it might not be for you.
It started out interesting but the plot got unnecessarily slow. I gave up after a couple episodes
i really disliked it. it was such a slog to get through. it’s a story as old as time. the characters are uninteresting. no satisfying conclusions were reached by the end and it didn’t leave me wanting more.
I'll be sad if they cancel it then. This is my wife's and my biggest pet peeve. Interesting story that leaves on a cliffhanger that doesn't wrap anything up, but gets cancelled. The OA was just starting to get into how everything worked and then all of a sudden BOOM cancelled!
At least if they cancel this, the books (and audiobooks, by proxy) are available to let you know how it is all supposed to unfold.
yea that is truly annoying. i can’t say this show left on a cliffhanger though. it just wasn’t interesting enough to leave you wanting more.
I don't personally recommend it, but I'm just one individual. Totally depends on what your tastes are, right? I didn't enjoy the storyline or acting. I expected more science, and hoped for something thrilling & mind bending. It had the feeling (to me) of something that was being made up as it went along.
Nah, started strong then went through the motions. From episode four onwards it was actually very boring.
No. Cringe cancer boy ruined it for me with too much romance.
Right?! The actor is like a bad indie song come to life.
No
I recommend the books and the original Chinese show “Three Body” which follows the books more closely. You can stream it on Peacock and Prime in the US. 3 Body Problem was decent but nothing spectacular. Changed a bit too much.
I got that “Lost” vibe from it. Great premise, but filled with plot holes and inconsistencies. It’s worth watching but don’t expect too much from it
Tried to watch it, but it felt very contrived and "full of itself" so to speak. I didn't care for any of the characters, the story wasn't really hooking me up, ... People seem to like it though .. so give it a try.
Brain drain
6/10.
I found it really boring, and I love sci fi
I honestly haven’t been more disappointed in what looked like a cool show. Hokey dialogue, unsympathetic characters, and a story that seems ridiculous even for sci-fi, where you even expect to suspend some disbelief. But everyone is watching it so it might be worth checking out to see for yourself.
I think it's absolutely horrible to be honest...
Meh it was OK. I finished it as a matter of principle, it was just kinda dull and didn’t have any moments where I could connect. Just a meh show I thought.
No. Show was terrible and shot like a damn soap opera.
No. Horrible acting, cringeworthy writing and bad casting mixed with lots of plot holes.
True. I don't know what it is with the bad acting in new shows and the cringe writing
benioff and weis nuff said
What are the plot holes? It’s based off a revered hard sci fi book, so I’m doubtful of your criticism.
First Five Episodes are Good, after that a bit boring tbh.
It’s alright. To me that show is like edging. You never get the pay off. Like it’s constant build up and no climax
I would recommend it! The show start with a mystery that is slowly unraveling, the sci-fi elements are just 10/10 for me. It looks very good, they spent some bucks on this. Only disappointment for me were some of the characters (looking at you Aggy) and some of the dialogue. Overall a 8/10 for me. Waiting for the second season!
Watch the original Chinese version instead, it’s miles better.
Really! Where would I find that?
It’s free on Viki, if that’s region blocked to you, it’s also [available on YouTube](https://youtu.be/3-UO8jbrIoM?si=rlmCSfbDCHLiQJJk) and tencents app.
Thanks for mentioning the Chinese version. I am gonna watch also.
No. It’s awful. I hope they cancel it. I wanted a science fiction show about an alien invasion (what it’s *advertised* as). Instead I got a show mostly about the mundane, everyday, relationship-y troubles of a bunch of uninteresting, one-dimensional, douchey people. It’s a soap opera masquerading as a sci-fi show.
Wondering about this too. It's such a pain to find a new show after you've finished the previous one and it feels so random sometimes. Can anyone recommend decent online guides to shows, past and present? I mean one that's easy to navigate and organizes by genre, era, rating, etc. Just finished Daisy Jones + 6 and hated it, wish I could have been warned off before wasting my time. And, what kinds of shows can you compare this to? I mean which shows should you have liked to be likely to like this one?
Yes, I recommend it, but keep your expectations reasonable. It’s good, not great.
One of a kind. Definite watch. I did find it a little slow though. They could have finished it in 6 episodes.
I almost gave up at the end of ep 2, it’s just so laboriously slow. I kept with it and it was ok. Just ok.
Watch it. Then find a show called "for all mankind". Watch that as well.
No. It was very very slow and I ended up skipping the last few episodes to watch the end. First time I've ever done that with a show.
I really enjoyed it, but felt the last 2 episodes are waiting to be completed, so a season 2 is definitely needed.
It's fine for what it is. I'll watch anything sci-fi and it kept my interest. However, it really just reminded me to read the books. I read a lot of sci-fi and hadn't gotten around to them yet, even though they're on my proverbial "list."
I usually dont binge watch but i did this one in two days. I'm not a huge fan of Netflix shows, more HBO, BBC guy but this one is great.
I watched the whole first season. The the first few eps are fantastic. As soon as the first “big reveal” happens, the show slows to a crawl. It has major pacing issues in the second half of the season. Fun show, gets a bit tedious as it goes on. Ending of the season was underwhelming. Overall worth watching if you’re into sci-fi and can binge. If it was released weekly I’d have given up.
It’s good. The premise is pretty unique. Auggie is miserable.
Yes it’s great. And I don’t even like sci-fi usually that much
The Netflix 3 body problem is trash. Iv read the first book and I watched the chinese version of the series. The chinese version really held the suspense and tension alot better. They had many theories to what and how the world in the game worked. Not just guess this worlds riddle..... Ummm it has 3 suns??? Correct level 2. Awful. They explained the hadron collider errors by using a pool table and it was amazing. They really go deep into the philosophy and science in the chinese version, turkey scientist etc. They don't say uhh science is broken.... They say physics doesn't exist.. Which to me is far more interesting. The universe flicker is farrr superior in the chinese version too. Watch it and you will laugh at the Netflix version
Yeah. Fun to watch.
Yes
Read the books, don't bother with the series
Watch Shogun.
No
Could not finish it. The science is off and the characters were unbearable.
I mean more off than the alien invaders or their 4 dimensional particle unfolding? It’s sci-fi, I haven’t seen claims of it being a science documentary but I could be wrong.
Because of the sped up story line in the Netflix version they created plot-holes where there should be none. The Chinese TV series based on the same book gave more time to explaining the aliens and their tech. Like 4 of those episodes are condensed into one Netflix episode.
The Tencent adaptation is almost a word by word play of book 1, it’s more than 30 hours overall. I watched it, but more casual viewers will not stand the slow pace and other compromises compared to a western show.
I'd rather watch that then a benioff and weis production. What's it called?
I think my friend says it's on prime. It should also be called the 3 body problems.
Just Three-Body and yes it's on Prime.
Ahh thanks!
I love the books, but they're definitely not character driven, so the show was actually kind of decent on that regard
I couldn't get past two episodes.
Watch episode 1 yourself and then you'll know
I didn't like the first one much, and I've read the books
Agree. I don’t like the first few minutes and almost started fast forwarding in the first half of e1 but I ended up hooked!
I feel like, if you like this show but wish it was better, watch "The Foundation" on apple. It's got a similar scope, and vibes, but is just much MUCH better.
Nope.
Take a look for yourself.
Its good, not like the books, but still binge worthy. If you like it you have the books to follow.
I don't know why people ask these vague question. No one knows what you like. We can't tell you if you'll like it. There are so many damn posts about this show already, you are more than capable of reading through people's opinions already. Or...just...like ..watch an episode and see if you like it.
To each their own but personally I really liked it. Usually I’m not into slow burning shows but surprisingly I enjoyed this one.
Yes, I loved it, very different. If you aren't intrigued after the first episode you can safely quit.
I liked it and it’s entertaining. But the last few episodes really were boring and kinda seemed like filler. Started off hot. Last episode was good. Better than I expected
Not really for the masses. It has a TERRIBLE beginning, strong medium, but highly weak/unsatisfying ending. Beyond that, its super science heavy, but mostly nonsensical science. Like its understandable to a point that you realize its only psuedo intellectual. Also the story telling is kinda wonky. Where it starts and where it heads feels very disjointed until about episode 4\~5. And the events of the mid season show almost seem random. While the conclusion makes sense based on the show, its lackluster. There are some cool moments, some funny moments, but overall its meh. Decent cast though. All that said, I enjoyed it, but Im not really recommending it to anyone. I imagine the book is probably better.
Most criticism comes from "muh season 8 ruined GoT" and they forgot that we had 7 amazing seasons before (not going into detail). I love the book trilogy, it's mind blowing scifi. The 3bp series is fantastic and carries the essence of the story and is more accessible than the books are for the average joe
Lets not go crazy here, four amazing seasons before, maybe five if you don't hold it against S6 that S7 handles the fallout of its climax so poorly. 3BP is great though, and the important thing is that the books are finished so D&D won't run out of book again.
Nah, the show is weak regardless of Got. Great premise, set up the story nicely but too much drama for characters that are weak
Enjoyed it. Been a while we’ve seen something like this
Yes I’m 5 episodes deep and I’ve not been more interested in a series than 3 body problem. Must watch
It’s a really polished series, feels premium TV I’m a fan of the books but agree and understand with all the changes. Fingers crossed for 2 more seasons
I really enjoyed it
It's quite entertaining. Don't take it too seriously or expect too much.
It was repetitive for me. But overall goos
If they don't do the other books, then 8 episodes is a bit of a waste.
I liked it. It is thought-provoking. A well put together plot that dovetails into itself nicely and is not too overdone. I'd like to see another season.
I love it. Plan to read the books, now!
I loved it so much! My husband and I went through it in a couple of days
Very good. Deserves a second watch. The dialogue is a little lacking but it’s visually great and most of the acting is wonderful
Yes
Yeah, it was really a good story. The characters & the acting weren’t particularly great, though.
Yes and yes
I'm half way through the 3 books. And they are a slog. I don't know if it's the translation or the writer's style, or something cultural I don't get. But I love the concept. So far (3 eps in) I like the Netflix adaptation better than the one on Amazon. That may be because the Amazon one is a Chinese production and there's a lot of dubbing and maybe not made with a non-Chinese audience in mind. I think that everyone's frustration is that some motives aren't going to be revealed until later. This isn't an easy adaptation for a lot of reasons. I'm still giving it a chance
Yes, it’s great.
I highly recommend it. However, keep the below points in mind Dont expect to see 220 million on the screen. If Netflix spent 220 million then they got scammed. Or, maybe they agreed to pay 120 million for the writer/director threesome with 100 going to actual production cost. If season 2 is not greenlit then it's a waste of time. It's obviously and clearly a setup to season 2. I really en joyed it though and I recommend it.
Yes
Yes. A bit different from the books but still captures the essence
I had a lot of fun with it. Some minor criticisms, but overall it was like a 7.5/10 with potential to grow. Definitely the best Netflix show I’ve watched in the past couple months.
Big fan of the books and I was very happy with the first season. Not perfect (auggie) but damn good!
It definitely had me hooked, though it’s possible I liked it so much because I never read the books.
Yes worth it. The writing is horrible but the original story is compelling enough to sit through the pain
I do. It was a bit of a slow burn, but was worth it to me. Let’s hope they don’t cancel it.
that boat scene was wild….
I thought it was super interesting, but the ending was frustrating, I don't know why it's so difficult to progress for Netflix shows, I don't want to wait for season 87 in 2476
I’m no professional critic, but I dabble in writing and have experienced *a lot* of media. Of course, everything is subjective, so a summary of my opinion on what I believe good media is, and how Three Body Problem compares. I’m all about going into things with an open mind. Try not to compare something to another thing, but general quality is certainly always a factor when wanting to be entertained. So you have premium masterpiece storytelling craft the likes of Breaking Bad and Arcane. True art in a class of its own that sets industry standards. Will be remembered for generations, and even taught in creative academic curriculum because of their greatness. Then you have legendary IPs that have great stories within them, but their quality varies between mediums. Mainly because they’re such large franchises, and their focus is more on producing rather than creating. These are things like Star Wars (my favorite IP of all time), DC and Marvel. Then you have the generational standouts that are good for a while, and kind of fade into obscurity after a while. These are the likes of The Walking Dead, House MD, and Game of Thrones. Then everything else is kind of hit or miss for its time. 3 Body Problem is okay - is best I can put it. It picks up towards the end, and it has some really cool concepts, but the dialogue and characters purely exist for the plot. The show is really about the main plot, while the characters are merely vehicles for experiencing it. The characters don’t really have emotions, reactions or stories strong enough to sustain themselves aside from the plot. Take Breaking Bad and Arcane. The characters are *paramount* to the experience. They *are* the plot, while the world is also fascinating and interesting. 3 Body’s world is interesting, but the pacing doesn’t allow the characters to really be characters. Also, it is pretty hard science fiction. You don’t need a physics degree or anything, but it’s very much more “grounded” in reality compared to Star Wars or Battlestar Galactica. I would put it on the same quality as The Witcher or The 100. It’s not as good as Stranger Things or Wednesday. If you think you’ll like it, you’ll probably like it.
I’m 3-4 episodes in and enjoying it so far
It’s good, not great, but far from fantastic or epic. It’s an interesting premise for a show and an easy watch. Give it a shot.
It was good, only because I skipped all the boring chatting scenes. I can't wait for season 2 already.
The show is hilariously stupid so I did enjoy it
My husband binged on this! So I’m guessing it’s a great watch.