Netflix' version of the
3 Body Problemhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_Body_Problem_(TV_series)Rather than a summary (see post above) this is more like me expressing my random thoughts, nerdy comments, renting, nerding out and a few general critic on the original.
Episode 1
https://kinofthestars.catsboard.com/post?p=9276 Almael wrote:Netflix's version of the 3 Body Problem is up since yesterday.
I'm not sure what to think yet but from what I've seen in Ep1 and the trailers...
It's a mess. They took liberty in recreating the cast and basically shuffling the character roles around and some.
I'm not saying that's bad but it's certainly confusing... it's not even a different take or version but more like bizzaro world. And it seems that also applies to everything else except the main plot points.
Even though I have reservation to the original because of the author's clear bias and totalitarian views I can clearly here it was far more realistic and logical. The cast here is set up like "Friends" with a cult that's more like a rave party group then total scientists/engineers. That said I don't see anything bad with the actors or their performance.
Well, we'll see how it ends. There are reviews already! but I'm not sure they are trustworthy.
Episode 2
Apparently, the makers/writers agenda has been weaved into the show here.
Introducing world spanning power (SIA) that be chasing down unknown enemy killing off the world's scientists. The powers that be may have unspoken same thinking type of "agreement" but it's more like racial and religious world domination than for the good of the world. After all keeping people suffering, poor, uneducated, needy and angry is the way to rule. In the original, you are to follow the authorities.
Things degraded to the level of children as far as science goes. The simplest solution to the alien scam is obviously a screen or something covering the Earth but no our brilliant scientist can't even figure the first thing let alone anything.
Or can't figure out a magic game helmet for what it is either...astounding considering people of this era are so familiar with fantasies more than ever in history.
Science is being pitted against believes or religion (continuing from episode 1). But we are dealing with the higher level of question about existence vs essence not just the meaning of life for the individual...
Justice / injustice vs repentance or forgiveness this wasn't even a question in the original because as was is all about totalitarian obedience/conformation and simply power of the strong aka rulers.
In the face of true evil reasoning is pointless. In the face of gods nothing matters.
They did well in skipping the finer details (of the science) and just presenting the solutions, hence, avoiding undesired questions or critics.
It's all simple, maybe it could be called comprehensive if you will (not really).
It gets things across but imho it renders the value to irrelevance; because there's no reason to appreciate something that is obtained easy and cheaply. There's no accomplishment to be had.
Then the "wow" signal as being some unknown code... any language is unique and a mirror of truth. There is no way it could be hidden. Any AI that's not being "fixed" will reveal it almost instantly. The meaning may be elusive but not the encoding.
A simple proof is for example packing text files with the zip format. Just looking at the zip file you can immediatly identify the language of the text without having to know or ever seen the content. As long as the encryption or encoding is consistent (has to be otherwise it can't be turned back) so remains the signature of the original.
There is a world of difference between meaning and encoding. Meaning can literally be any shit just talk to a kid if you don't get one single slang you're done. lol Lingual corruption is normal. That's why authors emphasing the slang of their time are either contemporary historians or anti-historians. lol KISS "keep it simple stupid" is the way to go (for almost everything).
From a strategic point of view once an interstellar conflict arises and you have established or determined the rules of war (as discussed a decade ago) there's is no escape. You either stand your ground or perish. It's the simplest law of warfare.
Once you lose you'll never ever be able to come back because the enemy will keep progressing in the meantime; becoming far more powerful than you'll ever be at any given time.
Episode 3
Having cancer stage 4 teacher guy tries to get a girl to travel together the world. Someday she says. Someday is never. That's the truth of the world, regardless what it's about.
Yes, our Friends cast is mostly single and available. In the original most are/were married and unaquainted... more realistic but equally forced setting (which is true for all fiction ofc).
First time the real Trisolarian avatar/Sophon has substantial screen time. In the original they weren't so generous/dumb in revealing themselves.
For some reason earth scientist are able to figure out the helmets sensors and functions. Generally, they were less conspicuous and more secretive in the original.
Introduction into dimensions... amazingly we are able test it but the test failed.
Anyhow, an interesting trojan horse war story analogy. I got that expereince, too, as █ ███ ██ ████ █████ ██ ████ ███ █████.
I guess the point is on simplicity overturning complexity. see KISS
"Human" computer civilization #184... just stop thinking, don't even bother with this version.
Anyone, noticed? the Trisolarian symbol is similar to Star Trek's Bajorian... well it's asian design, a variant of the golden ratio.
The SIA determines the game to be a recruitment scheme. Our two gamers get selected and invited to the final group starting with level 4.
For this the show has a better summary of this stage than the chinese version. Yes, straight up to the end revealing the Trisolarian's civilization #9478
invasion immigration fleet.
The San-Ti ren (lit. chinese title + ren as in people like japanese -jin: 3-suns people) are coming... Jack Rooney is naturally scared into denial. Ofc he gets murdered by Tatiana to tie lose ends. Naturally, the Sophons covered it up perfectly.
Episode 4
Jack's death finally allows the SIA to make connections with the friends.
So ostracised, and racial oppressed experienced people aka outcasts will save the world. In contrast to the woman who doomed the world or "a child that is not embraced by the village will burn it down".
Apparently, disillusioned adventurers will save the World.
"The Lord"/Sophons hints it can see Mike Evans. Sophons learn to lie/deception from Evans. As a result the Sophons decide to abandon him and the cult (and all of mankind). The original didn't give such naive reasoning.
The founder is revealed to be Ye Wenjie and not as SIA expected to be Evans. Shock! She announces their Lord's arrival in 400 years. SIA raids the meeting... it goes badly.
Naturally, the cult assassin escapes and none of the cultists realized being abandoned by their Lord.
We are introduced to the "Judgment Day", the secret floating communications ship of the cult. Irl such a flagless/nationless ship would have been raided by the navy.
Episode 5
Ye Wenjie interrogation. She reveals "instant" communication while Evans tries to re-establish comms and protect the faith of his people. He's the only one realizing the problem.
Since the cat is already out the Sophons no longer care to threaten Augustina and her nano fiber research.
Will Downing inherits half of Jack's estate. Being the only normie about to die he's all about enjoying life.
Meanwhile, attack on Judgment Day. It's much bloodier.
The Sophons reveal themselves as the eye in the sky (aka god) while telling manking they are bugs (to be squashed).
Episode 6
Panic leads to riots around the world.
SIA (Jin) plans to launch a probe toward the fleet at 1% c to get intel. In order to achieve that the probe will fly-by 1000 pre-placed nukes that detonate in sequence to push it up to speed. Named Staircase project.
I don't even need to think to know tons of challenges here. Even the slightest of center explosion will make the flight uncontrollable. (I did this in game simulators many years ago before Kerbal even existed). There's no way for the bombs to adjust in time as they themselves would need to have the same or higher speed, too. And there's no way to pre-place them ahead of time either without years of work let alone the time window is horrible.
All cramped into 50kg. Also the thing about radiation sail is ablation for thrust, too, meaning it eats itself up. A nano fabric sail won't last long enough.
The other problem is the intel has to be gathered within a very short time as both probe and fleet fly pass each other at 2% c. Assuming a regular sized 400x telescope (300000 km range) with hyper focus speed & recording (millions FPS) you got 50 s at best if you somehow know where to look.
Even if filming works out sending the data back require immense power. Remember in-world they needed the power of the sun? Yeah, another author breaking his own world's laws and rules.
But lets waive it & say it has a photonic comms aka laser of some 72.533 MW power (Lunar Laser Ranging 2.3W/1 ls)....
Broken Augustina has serious concerns about war and killings and refuses to help. (Literally everything can be weaponized and kill people. What matters is who is in control.)
Welp, it took Jin weeks to realize the problems... And shock! SIA plans to send a human being; problem solved.
Will fails to confess to Jin and convinces Augustina to change her mind.
Ye Wenjie is released and tries to contact the Sophons.
When Will is on the verge of suicide he's turned back by Jin's left behind paper ships in the ocean... he decides to buy a star's name.
Episode 7
Will spent all his money on the star(s)... an anonymous person gifts Jin a star.
A cryo sleep chamber is demonstrated along with a month long sleeping chimpanzee re-awaken and fully functional.
Wade plans to go to sleep to oversee the war to the end.
Will on his death bed is visited by his estranged relatives.
Since, only 300 nukes are available the probe can only be 2kg, hence, Wade suggest sending a naked brain only.
When asked none of the smart candidates volunteers... Wade suggest Will.
Augustina has enough and leaves and gifts her work to the world for free.
Will decides to go but refused allegiance to humanity which Wade decides makes him the perfect man because he's not their man.
Ofc Will's fate is to be the last man.
Tatiana is re-activated by the Sophons. (the rise of the anti-hero assassin group)
Wenjie goes back to Red Coast where Tatiana awaits.
Episode 8
The assassination on Saul Durand fails and Nora gets killed in his stead. SIA immediately secures him.
For his safety they fly in an private aircraft with tons of escorts... There's a reason Hitler, Musolini, Putin and Kim Jong Un like to travel with a train.
To Saul's surprise he's chosen to be part of the Wallfacer project of the Plantery Defense Force (PDF). (They avoided the infamous Earth Defence Force (EDF))
Yep, the
weedgrass smoking colored supergenius (who can't figure out things) has been selected as humanities savior.
Ofc Saul rejects but can't escape his role.
Will's launch fails and he drifts into deep space seemingly forever.
Our Friends being depressed. So for encouragement they are presented with the ancient forever on going pest problem mankind has failed to get rid of: Being bugs doesn't mean annihilation.
That's only true because humans had never been able to control every piece of Earth's dirt. Imho this doesn't apply to the San-Ti ren. According to the in-world lore, they can just scorch the Earth to the core and restart millions of years later.
The author simply doesn't know how many times he broke his own rules. So who cares about a few more. lol It's the reason I've found like 3 dozen weaknesses and means to annihilate the aliens.
In summary it's a social show emphasizing individual relationships, emotions, sense of justice perhaps or hypocrisy or naivety, and some scifi.
I'm still mulling whether there is actually character growth.
The things that were good in the original still shine through but ultimately it's more of a side note. Like actions to liven up a pure story telling series like "Sousou no Frieren".
It's not a show that will end up being remembered well or being fond of. It will be left behind on the side of the road. That said as in the original and chinese version(s) the "game" scenes are still the most worth watching.
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