Transforming a literary masterpiece into a TV series is always a risky undertaking. Even more so when it comes to a complex and layered work like "The Three Body Problem" by Cixin Liu, considered one of the greatest examples of contemporary Chinese science fiction. Netflix tried, entrusting the project into the hands of heavyweights like David Benioff e DB Weiss, former showrunner of Game of Thrones, and Alexander Woo. The result? A fascinating but imperfect series, which manages to capture the spirit of the novel but (for me at least) not its brilliance.
The charm of the unfilmable
Let's say it right away: bringing “The Three-Body Problem” to the screen seemed like an impossible mission. Liu's novel is a lysergic trip of quantum physics, Matrix themes and Chinese history, with a labyrinthine plot that unfolds across multiple timelines. Stuff that would make even the most experienced Hollywood screenwriters pale. The Wachowski sisters, who also made “Cloud Atlas”, would hang themselves on it.
But you know, Netflix likes challenges. And so, armed with a pharaonic budget and a stellar cast (it's even there Benedict Wong, the Wong of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!), Benioff, Weiss and Woo threw themselves into the venture. And they chose to simplify the complexity of the source material to make it more accessible to the general public. You know what, though? Perhaps some of the magic is lost in this process.
By the way: do you know what the three-body problem is in physics?
Imagine having three spheres in space: one red, one blue and one green. These spheres represent three celestial bodies, such as stars or planets. Now, imagine that these spheres attract each other thanks to the force of gravity. The red sphere attracts the blue and the green, the blue attracts the red and the green, and so on.
The three-body problem involves understanding how these spheres will move over time, considering their initial positions, their masses (how “heavy” they are), and their speeds (how fast they move). Sounds simple, right? But it's actually very complicated! This is because the way each sphere moves depends on how the other two move. Every change in the position of one sphere affects the others, making their movement unpredictable and chaotic.
For over 300 years, scientists and mathematicians have tried to find an exact solution to this problem, but it is so complex that they have not been able to find one that works in all cases. So, simply put, the three-body problem is about the difficulty of predicting how three objects will move in space when they attract each other, due to the chaotic nature of their gravitational interactions.
Goodbye China, welcome world
One of the boldest (and most questionable) moves of “The Three-Body Problem” was to “globalize” the story, transforming the book's Chinese characters into a diverse group of scientists from all over the world. Thus, the nanomateriologist Wang Miao becomes a team of five researchers (renamed “the Oxford Five”) that includes a Mexican visionary, an African-American research assistant and a British snack magnate.
On the one hand, this choice allows the show to explore interpersonal dynamics absent in the novel, with romantic subplots (and soap opera drama) to season the sci-fi mystery. On the other hand, however, the importance of the Chinese historical context is lost, with Mao's Cultural Revolution reduced to little more than an exotic backdrop for the (mis)adventures of the protagonists.
The problem of the three bodies… and who is reviewing
Let's be clear: the Netflix series is not a disaster. Actually. I really want to see how it will continue if they don't cancel it. When it comes to staging breathtaking action sequences or recreating the alien settings of the “Three Bodies” video game, the show is at its best. Thanks, as mentioned, to a boundless budget and cutting-edge special effects, which do justice to the visionary nature of the original material. It's a shame that by focusing so much on visual spectacle, the series ends up sacrificing some of the novel's philosophical depth. Reflections on the relationship between science and power, on the role of the individual in society and on the impact of personal choices on history are reduced to little more than subtexts, suffocated by the fast pace of the narrative and the needs of a simplified plot.
In any case, watching “The Three Body Problem” on Netflix is not a waste of time. The series works as a well-packaged sci-fi thriller, with a charismatic cast and top-notch visual packaging. And for those who have never read the novel, it can be a great introduction to the key themes and ideas of Liu's trilogy.
And for fans of the literary saga? I reserve the right to ask the diligent Toni, the one in the agency who leafed through the pages of the work with more care than anyone else. I have the personal impression that for fans the series risks being a disappointment. Not so much for the liberties it takes with respect to the original material (after all, every adaptation is a reinvention), but for its inability to restore the complexity and depth of the source work.
Ultimately, the Netflix series seems more interested in selling “The Three-Body Problem” as the new Game of Thrones than in truly exploring its philosophical and scientific implications. And if on the one hand it is understandable (after all, we are still talking about a mainstream platform), on the other I can't help but feel a little bitter about the missed opportunity.
The future is an unknown. The three-body problem? Mashed potato.
What can I say: was I good? Did I spoil you? Certainly not. Even though this is getting frustrating, I wanted to tell you my opinion on some incredible scenes. Like the one where NO, I'M KIDDING! I won't tell you anything. In any case, it remains to be seen whether, in any subsequent seasons, "The Three-Body Problem" will be able to evolve and embrace the visionary madness of Cixin Liu's subsequent novels. After all, the first season seems more like a prelude, a long introduction to a much larger and more complex narrative universe.
It is to be hoped that, strengthened by the success (hopefully) of these first episodes, Benioff, Weiss and Woo will find the courage to dare more, to push themselves beyond the boundaries of conventional television sci-fi to truly give us back the greatness of original work. And without getting wrapped up like the ones in Westworld that disappointed me so, so much. I know well, the risk of failure is always around the corner. But ultimately, as "The Three Body Problem" teaches us, it is precisely from the encounter between chaos and order that the most interesting things arise.
So, Netflix, surprise us. Because the future of this series, just like that of humanity, is still to be written.
