Lacking sincerity and respect: the problems with the Netflix 3 Body Problem
Spoiler alert: contains plots of the TV series and the book trilogy.
As a big fan of the Three-Body trilogy who has read both the Chinese original and the English translation of the books multiple times, I was excited about the Netflix 3 Body Problem series. However, I knew that the two leading creators of the show ruined the last few seasons of Game of Thrones, so I was cautious about my expectations. Even after my lowered expectations, it turned out disappointing.
I feel not only unsatisfied and disappointed but also confused and offended. Do the creators don't know how to tell a story, or are they unwilling to do so? I don't know if it is due to inability or laziness, but the show just comes off mediocre and insincere. It hits the important points of the books but misses so much subtlety, nuance, and complexity. It is just like an essay you procrastinate to write one day before the deadline; you know you are not getting a good grade, so you just hit the basic points to get a pass. So, that is my mark on this show: 6 out of 10, a mere pass.
From the very beginning of the first episode, I felt worried. The first episode is titled "Countdown". Uh, probably not a good move. Then, the first scene in modern days shows a wall of numbers, clearly a countdown. So very quickly, the audience already lost an important experience in the book, to discover the countdown together with the main protagonist (Wang Miao in the book, Auggie in the show).
Then, the countdown simply appears in front of Auggie's eyes. It is weird indeed, but it is way more horrifying in the book. In the book, Wang Miao first discovers the numbers in pictures. There is an exciting plot of Wang Miao trying to figure out what is happening by taking different pictures, changing cameras, and asking other people to take the photos. He is so horrified that he asks his wife not to take pictures of his child. After a lot of build-up, the countdown appears in front of his eyes. With the build-up, the readers get to experience Wang Miao's emotions and are gradually led to a horrified state. There is not enough build-up in the show, so you cannot just expect the audience to get there emotionally. Without the build-up, it is hard for the audience to feel the intensity of the emotions.
One may argue that it could be a creative choice to simplify this particular experience of countdown because there are more critical experiences to spend time on. I only partly agree with that. But even if it is sure, the problem is that the pattern of simplification dominates most parts of the show. They simplify almost every important plot. The show just takes the conclusions of the book's significant plots and links them with some transition plots. There are major events after major events, but not enough character and story development. So, the audience is bombarded with plot conclusions but does not get to develop the emotions required. On critical occasions, due to the lack of build-up, they are forcing emotions on the audience, as if they can just press a button, and then the audience will feel fear, love, amazement, etc.
Art makes people feel things; brilliant art leads people into an emotional and mental state without noticing how (I forgot where I heard this, possibly from Li Dan, a Chinese comedian and writer). The book trilogy is brilliant art. This show is not.
Another typical simplification is the blink plot. "The whole universe will blink for you" is a powerful message. Unfortunately, the creators only got the whole universe will blink part but ignored the "for you" part. In the show, everyone can see the blink. In the book, the blink has to be seen with special scientific sensors. You must be told to see it to find the sensors and wait for it. It seems to be an astonishing scene in the show when everyone witnesses the blink. But the crucial point here is, for the person receiving the message, it is way more horrifying if the person is the only few people who witnessed the blink. Because it is targeted, it is 'for you'. I think the choice here is shallow. The creators chose to grandstand the blink with the hope of achieving some impact through the mass effect, but they did not realise that the intensity and depth of individual experience are much more powerful here.
Even if the simplifications of the countdown and the blink are somewhat acceptable, the trivialisations of Ye Wenjie's two meaningful relationships are disastrous. The first is between Ye and Bai Mulin. The book shows traces of romantic affection between Ye and Bai but no apparent signs. That is the beauty. The subtlety is intense and beautiful. The show ruins it with a kiss. It is just so superficial. Once a kiss appears, the tension disappears. The creators seem unable to express love, intimacy, affection, and strong connections without a kiss. They don't seem to understand the subtlety of love or are too lazy to develop it. They just use the kiss as a cheap prop to put forward the plot. They really should watch more work by Wong Kar-wai.
Also, in the book, Ye is in trouble because she helped Bai write a letter, whereas in the show, Ye is in trouble simply because she has a book. That tones down the betrayal. So, the creators manage to trivialise both the affection and betrayal in the crucial relationship in Ye's life. It made Ye's lost faith in humanity make less sense.
Of course, then, deviated much from the book; the creators made Ye and Mike Evens kiss out of nowhere and eventually have a child together, BIG SURPRISE. These two people are purists and idealists. They are comrades. Their relationship can be romanticised, but in the idealistic sense, not the sexual sense. The show tarnished the craziness and purity of the relationship.
But then, what confuses me is that the show's depiction of the relationship between Jin Cheng and Will Downing is not that bad. So, they do have the ability to show the subtlety of love, but they just choose to use Ye Wenjie only as a prop. They deliberately reduce the richness of characters to move the plot faster. But why? An important reason to watch a TV show is to enjoy the process, not to get to the answer quickly. The aliens are cool. The Wallfacer project is magnificent. There are also many fancy technologies later in the book. But without the build-up, all those cool things become pale and thin. Again, it shows that the creators have a shallow understanding of the books. Or they are just lazy. They got this project and just want to finish it, take the cash, and move on to the next one. They show no sincerity and respect for the art and the audience.
Once you realise the creators do not respect the art and the audience, another major problem of the show makes sense. After watching the whole season, it becomes clear that this friend group is it. The three books' key protagonists and stories will be divided and assigned to Jin, Saul, Raj, Auggie, and Will. Why? In the trilogy, the main protagonist of the second book is only introduced at the end of the first book and the main protagonist of the third book is introduced much later. This is better because it is a vast and complex world, and we get to see people who do not know each other individually play their own part. Their lives cross at certain points, but they mainly go on their own journey. That illustrates the scale of the story. But in the show, it is all about this group of friends. What the hell? This is not Friends. It makes brilliant sense in Friends that things are all about a friend group, but it does not make sense here in Three-body. Why not introduce new characters? I don't think they lack the budget for more actors. The only answer is that they do not respect the art and the audience. They underrate the audience's ability to handle new roles and complex plots. They do not try to make the show the best it could be.
There are certainly some good things about the show, but I'm not motivated to list them. The best thing about the show is that after watching the show, the books feel even better.
P.S. I also translated this article into Chinese. Check here if you are interested.