During a Struggling Session in Communist China, the young Ye Wenjie observes how her father is killed in front of the crowd. Ye is sent to a radio telescope station searching for alien civilizations, where she is able to increase the signals by bouncing them off the Sun. In 1 9 7 7, she receives a signal from an alien planet orbiting Alpha Centauri, a pacifist warning her not to reply, but she does. This triggers an alien invasion which will reach Earth in 400 years. In the present, several scientists die under mysterious circumstances in London. MI6 chief Wade and his assistant Benedict, as well as scientists Augustina Salazar, Jack Rooney, Jin Cheng, Will Downing and Saul Durand discover about this impending invasion, as well that Ye is leading an Earth cult which welcomes the alien takeover of Earth. The aliens, San-Ti, are technologically advanced, but their planet is constantly hit by solar disasters since they orbit the triple solar system of Alpha Centauri, and thus want Earth, which is stable. Humans thus start preparing plans for self-defence in the future.
The Netflix TV series adaptation of Liu Cixin's trilogy of novels about a circumtriple alien planet which plans to invade Earth, "3 Body Problem" is a grand contribution to the science-fiction genre, an incredibly audacious and imaginative achievement that blows your mind. It takes the often theme of alien invasion, found in such TV shows as "V", but upgrades it thanks to its ingenuity and 3-dimensional intelligence to such an extent that it reaches rarely before seen spheres of genius in that subgenre. The first five episodes are outstanding, bordering on a masterwork—but, unfortunately, the following final three episodes are a letdown, debasing its initial impression a bit. This is because the first five episodes are built on mystery and thriller components, while the last three episodes are a syrupy melodrama which is not that intense. Nontheless, the first five episodes need to be seen for its sheer brilliance which is one new momentum that just tops the previous one: indescribably fascinating, intellectualy stimulating and sharp. The 1 9 6 0s Struggle Session in the first episode, in which a young Ye sees her father humiliated and killed on stage in front of a crowd, shows a remarkably unflinching insight into Communist China of that era, but it also gives Ye a motive as to why she would later invoke an alien invasion. The fictional recounting of the 1 9 7 7 Wow! signal in episode 2 is incredibly suspenseful, in the form of the eerie moment where Ye, alone in the radio telescope station room, receives a signal on the screen translated as: "You are lucky that I am the first to receive your message. I am a pacifist in this world. I am warning you: if you respond, your world will be conquered. Do not respond". The moment where she types in "Come. We cannot save ourselves", and presses the button, followed by a cut to a black screen with end credits, is a masterful conclusion to the episode.
The most questionable ingredient in this segment are the bizarre 3D virtual reality headsets which Jack and Jin use, and which show the alien world allegorically depicted as humans presented in the era of Thomas More and Kublai Khan, having the task to calculate when the next solar catastrophe might occur, as to prepare and save their civilization from the next apocalypse, but even that works in the end, since it is designed as a game that teaches humans sympathy with these aliens, the San-Ti. The trap set up in the Panama Canal in episode 5 is worthy of an episode from "Neon Genesis Evangelion", and the finale with the San-Ti revealing their plans involving two proton-sized supercomputers is so amazing that it expands your mind. Liam Cunningham is especially brilliant in the role of the intelligent MI6 chief Wade who uses all in his limited power to counter the upcoming threat. The last three episodes disappoint a bit, though, especially in the weird and pointless idea that only Will's brain be hibernated and sent on a space capsule to scan the alien flotilla halfway between Earth and Alpha Centauri—what exactly do scientists try to acomplish with that, since he cannot do anything in a state like that? Despite this, the story poses some challenging questions and allegories: the advanced aliens heading towards Earth can be interpreted both as a form of colonialism and spaciocide through the dire need for one nation to exterminate another one in order to survive on a limited availability of space. The San-Ti can also be interpreted as climate change refugees. A third contemplation is if two vastly different civilizations can ever be compatible, and if it is better to be in a form of isolationism in the Universe to secure safety. These and other virtues help "3 Body Problem" rise to the occasion, and create a 3D vision of future and space philosophy.
Grade:+++
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