"3 Body Problem" will be the most discussed series in the coming months

Today Netflix released 3 Body Problem, the new series curated by David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo. The first two names might sound familiar: they are the creators of Game of Thrones; Woo, on the other hand, is known primarily for his work on Sleeper Cell and True Blood. So, the hype is real, especially since the project was announced in 2020 and filming started about a year and a half ago. But what is 3 Body Problem about? It is the adaptation of the first book by Chinese author Liu Cixin, belonging to the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. The trilogy's plot paints an imaginary past, present, and future in which, just like in the first chapter narrated by Cixin, Earth intersects with an alien civilization in a nearby star system, composed of three sun-like stars orbiting each other in a complex and unstable three-body system. The title itself refers to the Three Body Problem in astrodynamics, making it a far-from-easy-to-understand product, especially to translate into a TV series: just for this reason alone, the work of Benioff, Weiss, and Woo deserves a mention of its own. Not only because the target audience is Western, but also because the trio has thought long and hard about which characters to eliminate from the original version, which ones to add, what genre and nationality to assign them, and much more. Finally, to psychologically prepare yourself for the immersive (and not at all relaxing) experience, it's important to know that it falls under the genre of Hard-Sci-Fi, thus requiring the viewer to have knowledge of physics, mathematics, biology, and engineering.

Plot and Protagonists

Set in the present day, a group of young scientists known as the Oxford Five discovers an interception revealing that an alien civilization, aware of the existence of Planet Earth and its inhabitants, has begun its journey. It is from here that the vicissitudes of the series' characters begin to branch out: Saul is a member of the Oxford Five, a research assistant in physics who hasn't yet mastered the skills. An Auggie is instead a pioneer in nanotechnologies dedicated to solving real problems of the present, one of the main targets for humanity's enemies. Among the characters, there are all kinds, like Sofone, an avatar that appears in a mysterious video game within the series, or The Follower, who interacts with Jin right in the video game.

What is "3 Body Problem" about?

To put it simply, 3 Body Problem has, at least in terms of plot complexity and philosophical reflections, more than a few analogies with Lost, one of the most discussed series in television history. Starting from the comparison between the role of science and religion in human life, through the limits and potentials of the human psyche, to the devastation of wars and the idea of a world without them. It also addresses the theme of death, alien life, and more abstract concepts like the philosophy of language, the abstraction ability of the human mind, and faith. The 3 Body Problem seems to offer a good structural basis for exploring these themes, requiring great concentration and a non-superficial approach: so, get ready to put your smartphones on silent mode. Although those who have already watched the series in advance have already found time to criticize it, 3 Body Problem has the potential to become Netflix's flagship, especially because artificial intelligence becomes a deus ex machina with the aim of conditioning life on Planet Earth. All that remains is to find out how many young and old alike will actually manage to stay focused in front of the scenes of a TV series as interesting as it is challenging.