Could Netflix's "3 Body Problem" be the successor to "Game of Thrones"?

You may have seen ads for the Netflix series "3 Body Problem," whether you're a sci-fi enthusiast or not. As someone who has read and enjoyed the original book, the novel of the same name by Chinese author Liu Cixin, I eagerly watched the whole series and felt satisfied as a reader. It translates most of the book's extraordinary plots onto screen and presents the story in a way that appeals to a broader, global audience, extending beyond the original's reach.

Well, it's all pretty decent, but don't get your hopes up too high. If you're dreaming it'll be the next "Game of Thrones", you might end up feeling disappointed.

Sure, both "Game of Thrones" and "3 Body Problem" are based on bestselling novels, and both have got David Benioff and D.B. Weiss in the driver's seat, but let's be real – "3 Body Problem" doesn't have the global fan base that "Game of Thrones" does. The former, which borrows from Chinese history, might be a bit out there for the English-speaking crowd with its unique values and sci-fi vibe. It's epic, no doubt about that, but at some points it can also be a bit confusing and provincial. Adapting it is no walk in the park – it's got to stay true to its Chinese history and culture, but also be relatable for audiences from different cultures. And that is a tough nut to crack.

Netflix's take on the 3 Body Problem is a bit hit or miss. They've done a decent job of incorporating key characters and giving them more spotlight. This not only keeps the story chugging along but also gives some of the characters who were basically just plot devices in the book a bit more depth.

Take Auggie for instance. She's based on Wang Miao in the book, a role existing mainly to see the countdown, experience the cosmic flicker, and play the three-body game. After he helps out with the Judgement thing, he kinda fades into the background. But Netflix switched things up by making Auggie a girl and one of the Oxford Five. This gives her more connections with the other characters and a bigger emotional response. It helps us feel more for her and it's pretty clear she'll be back in part two.

Then there's Yun Tianming who doesn't even show up until volume three. But in the show, he's already there as one of the Oxford Five, Will Downing. We get more time to know him and his crush on Cheng Xin (or Jin Cheng in the show) makes more sense. In the book, Yun Tianming and Cheng Xin don't really interact much, he just has this unrequited love for her and gives her the entire universe. Adapting into a school-day friendship in the show is way more believable.

So, personally, I've got to say Netflix's adaptation hits the mark for me, emotionally speaking. But when it comes to the politics and values of the characters, Netflix's "3 Body Problem" kinda missed the essence of the original book. The biggest letdown? Ye Wenjie and Luo Ji's adaptations.

In Netflix's version of "The Three Body Problem", Ye Wenjie, once she finds out the Trisolarans are calling Earth people "bugs", seems to immediately feel a bit bummed and unwilling, and then decides to give Saul Durand(the original work's Luo Ji) a personal tutorial. This adaptation sort of makes it feel like Ye Wenjie was tricked by the Santi Ren (3 Body people). It's like she called the Santi Ren out of some naive hope to find a savior for humanity, aiming to ease the personal grudge she holds against humanity. It's a more mainstream way to portray a character, but it also makes the character's conflict and complexity kinda one-dimensional.

But in the original when Ye Wenjie did all of this, she was totally aware that this could spell disaster for humanity, and that's exactly what she wanted. This deep disappointment in humanity can't just stem from personal grudges and disappointment in a single person or group. The hate that comes from experiencing the dark side of humanity can’t be balanced out by the warmth of humanity. Ye Wenjie got a taste of that warmth when she stayed at the shepherd's house, but it didn't make her regret calling the 3 Body. Because her decision is rooted in her disappointment in humanity's institutions and civilization as a whole. To be more direct, only living under violent collectivism, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism can lead to such bold, radical, and harsh ideas.

The same problem pops up when adapting the character Luo Ji (or Saul Durand in the TV show). His grasp on the Dark Forest Law isn't just thanks to Ye Wenjie, but also his own downbeat attitude and disappointment with human society. He's got a lot in common with Ye Wenjie. They don’t seem to care much for individual lives, probably because of their life experiences and what their society is like. This seemingly cold-hearted attitude is what drives them to make some pretty big decisions in the book. It's this indifference that lets Luo Ji bluff the 3 Body into thinking he'd destroy Earth to wipe them out, all to keep Earth safe.

But Saul in the TV show... Well, he's sort of a wastrel, and it's hard to believe he could come up with the Dark Forest Law on his own.

So yeah, Netflix's adaptation of the "Oxford Five" kinda makes up for some of the flatness of the characters in the original book. But lumping together a bunch of unrelated characters from the trilogy into one super-group... Well, it doesn't really gel with the book's view of human society. If the book "The Three Body Problem" uses the "doomsday" to paint us a picture of humanity, then Netflix's version kinda wrecks that, turning "us" into a few Hollywood-style lone heroes. It's a bummer, because while Netflix's "3 Body Problem" introduces a bunch of cool sci-fi concepts, it feels stale and unexciting after you watch it. Here's hoping they can fix this if there's a second season.

3 Body Problem" might not be as popular as "Game of Thrones", but at least the show's ending is already written in the novel, and D&D don't have to make stuff up. As long as they stick to the book's blueprint, it's pretty unlikely they'll botch the ending. Maybe that's why "3 Body Problem" is still something to look forward to.