PASSES THE BAR

But new series ‘3 Body Problem’ doesn’t quite measure up within the sci-fi universe

‘3

Body Problem”

on Netflix is better than it has any right to be.

That said, even for its narrative wonders and clever changes, the series, premiering March 21 — and based on Liu Cixin’s book series — still falls paces behind epic sci-fi contemporaries like “Foundation” (Apple TV+). The places where “3 Body Problem” falls short are a reflection of what a wonderful era we’re living in for science fiction television; the places where it soars are proof that creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss’ wild success with “Game of Thrones” wasn’t some fluke. They are pretty darn savvy showrunners.

“3 Body Problem” opens in 1966 Beijing. A young woman named Ye Wenjie (Zine Tsang) watches in horror as her professor father is put on public trial by a mob of fervent Communist revolutionaries. Leading the horrific spectacle is a maniacal teenaged girl, barely out of puberty. When Wenjie’s father refuses to renounce Western science, the girl beats him to death.

Before we learn what Ye Wenjie winds up doing, we are introduced to the first wave of her actions’ consequences. In 2024, Detective Da Shi (Benedict Wong) is investigating a string of baffling deaths. Brilliant scientists all over the world are suddenly dying by suicide. There’s the haunting implication that a “countdown” of sorts is involved. In the wake of yet another perplexing death, Da Shi and his mysterious boss Wade (Liam Cunningham) begin following the protegés of one of the victims. “The Oxpast ford Five,” as they are nicknamed, bonded as college students before pursuing their very different paths in life. And now, one of them, Auggie Salazar (Eiza González), has started seeing a mysterious countdown clock everywhere she looks.

Adding to this mystery is a hyper-advanced AI “game” that is passed on to another member of the Oxford Five, Jin Cheng (Jess Hong), by her deceased mentor’s own mother (Rosalind Chao). When you put on the headset, you are immediately transported to a hyperrealistic world where everything feels all too real. As Jin and college pal Jack Rooney (John Bradley) become obsessed with the game, it becomes clear that this game, the countdown, and whatever Ye Wenjie did in the

are all connected. The most impressive aspect of “3 Body Problem” has to be all the sage ways in which the showrunners have tweaked Cixin’s book saga for the small screen. All eight episodes are propulsive in energy. The series even eschews the trend of adapting one book per season, happily delving into parts of Book 2, “The Dark Forest” and clearly setting up Book 3, “Death’s End,” before the finale’s credits even roll. The show’s quieter scenes provide more context for the characters or work to lull the audience before a major shock.

Where “3 Body Problem” sadly lags is in terms of cosmic wonder. While the effects employed in the perplexing game are successful, the scenes set in the real world are shot in a way that seems flat and cheap. There are moments where the set dressing is so nondescript, the lighting so uninteresting, I wondered if the directors were intentionally trying to evoke a boring old network procedural. It cheapened an otherwise ambitious story.

While “3 Body Problem” doesn’t quite hit the high grace notes that transform a good show into prestige, it’s still pretty darn good show. Benedict Wong is perfect as Da Shi, a seemingly grizzled investigator harboring a soft heart of gold, and Zine Tseng is revelatory as the young, tortured Ye Wenjie.

The cast of “3 Body Problem” (clockwise from top): Yu Guming (Yang Weining, left) and Zine Tseng (Ye Wenjie); Benedict Wong (Det. Da Shi); and Jess Hong and John Bradley (Jin Cheng and Jack Rooney).