Stream It: 3 Body Problem
I like a good science-heavy sci-fi show. There just aren’t enough of them out there. I get the appeal of a good ol’ fashioned space western — The Mandalorian and Cowboy Bebop were both great entries in that genre over the last few years. They’re fun, dusty romps, and I’m totally here for that too. (Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon, less so.)
But give me a solid run of people trying to science their way through a fantastical problem, and I’m all in. The Martian, Neal Stephenson’s SevenEves, or James P. Hogan’s Giants series — those just click with me. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching characters figure stuff out, something that’s often missing in all the laser cannon pew-pew stories.
Which brings me to Netflix’s 3 Body Problem.
3 Body Problem comes from David Benioff and D.B. Weiss — best known as the creators and showrunners of HBO’s Game of Thrones — along with Alexander Woo, who previously worked on True Blood as a writer and executive producer. Together, they’ve adapted Liu Cixin’s sci-fi novel of the same name.
The cast includes Benedict Wong, known for his role as Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and for standout performances in Annihilation and Marco Polo; Eiza González, who appeared in Baby Driver and Ambulance; and John Bradley, reuniting with Benioff and Weiss after playing Samwell Tarly in Game of Thrones. The series also features Jovan Adepo (Watchmen, Babylon) and Rosalind Chao (The Joy Luck Club, Mulan), blending genre veterans with fresh talent.
The creative team’s track record with epic storytelling, along with the cast’s mix of sci-fi and drama experience, helps ground the show’s ambitious narrative and global scope. Wong is a standout, bringing a weary, hard-boiled noir energy to this wildly expansive science-fiction world. He’s got shades of Bunk and McNulty from HBO’s The Wire — and that’s all to the show’s benefit. Jess Hong (Inked, Edamame) also gives a strong performance as Jin, balancing stress, loss, malaise, and determination.
I don’t want to dive too deep into the plot — the twists and turns are part of what made the show so gripping for me. I thought it was going to be one thing, and then it turned into something else entirely. It’s part X-Files, part Ender’s Game, all stewed together in one intense pot.
3 Body Problem is also fearless — no sacred cows here. Everything’s on the table. No one is safe from the existential threat, and that dread flows like a river, always rushing at you.
All in all, 3 Body Problem is a hit, and the news that it’s been picked up for a second season is fantastic. There’s just not enough premium sci-fi out there — and more is always welcome.
