The feedback for Netflix’s Three-Body Problem is in. The planned science fiction series was co-created by Alexander Woo, D. B. Weiss, and David Benioff of Game of Thrones. It is based on Liu Cixin’s 2008 Chinese novel of the same name, the first in the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy.
It is now possible for critics to post their complete critiques of the program around two weeks before the official release date of 3 Body Problems. They have overwhelmingly expressed their admiration for the project, hailing it as an admirable adaptation of the original novel in particular. As Variety’s Alison Herman points out, the new season of Game of Thrones “proves the early seasons of Thrones were neither a fluke nor a testimony to [author George R. R.] Martin alone,” despite the highly criticized last season.
The program has received accolades for both its adaptation of the 3 Body Problem novels and its deft handling of a wide range of concepts and narratives. The show’s expansive story, according to Jeremy Mathai of Slash Film, “combines to offer something even better than the sum of its technical elements” in all three portions. The writers’ achievement of “turning Liu’s material into a compelling sci-fi thriller… without either dumbing it down or boring viewers with hours’ worth of whiteboard lectures” is also praised by Judy Berman of Time.
Though there have been a few standouts, the 3 Body Problem cast has received less recognition overall. Although Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter notes that “very few performances are remarkable,” he also claims that “I could watch hours” of footage of “Wong and Cunningham being gruff together.” Wong receives more acclaim from Empire’s John Nugent, who claims that both he and Sharp are the MVPs because they give “warm, wonderfully tuned performances, full of humor and humility.”
Some critics, like this one, who claim that there’s “only so much they can do to find a way to make this specific tale fascinating in their medium of choice,” have not been kind to 3 Body Problem. Even while Kayleigh Donaldson of TheWrap praises several features of the program, she cautions that “the spark isn’t there yet.” All things considered, reviewers appear to be enjoying the play a lot overall; it remains to be seen whether wider audiences will feel the same way.