Hoping to see more of ‘3 Body Problem’
As of this writing, “3 Body Problem” is No. 2 on Netflix’s US top 10. I’m glad to see it, because I’m hoping the show will get a second-season renewal. there’s a lot to like about the sci-fi series, adapted from liu Cixin’s book series “Remembrance of earth’s Past” by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss from “Game of thrones” and Alexander Woo from “true Blood.” It turns the familiar alien-invasion story line into something thought-provoking with themes including religion and AI, and the “lost”-like mysteries at the start are solved satisfyingly.
I did have some quibbles with a few of the many performances, which I found uneven, but I was fully onboard with Alex Sharp’s turn as Will Downing, one of the Oxford five. Will is the guy who’s in love with Jin but refuses to tell her. He’s also the guy who (spoiler alert) has pancreatic cancer and allows his brain to head off into the skies.
Ultimately, Will is the character who moved me the most, and whose story has stuck with me in the weeks since I watched the show. He is a relatively quiet guy, unlike the others in his group of friends, but Sharp makes him vivid. He is simultaneously modest and brave, and there’s a lot of poignance in the way he faces his mortality with honesty and intense respect for those of his friends who’ll outlive him. He decides not to burden Jin with the weight of his longhidden feelings for her, instead doing nice things for her anonymously.
Not only do I not know if the show will be back, but I also don’t know if Will will return in some fashion. On both counts, I’m hoping the answer is yes.