Netflix’s 3 Body Problem Season 1 Ending, Explained

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Netflix's 3 Body Problem Season 1 Ending, Explained

Key Takeaways

  • Netflix’s 3 Body Problem covers the first novel of Cixin Liu’s trilogy, receiving six Emmy nominations.
  • Season 1 ends with humanity preparing for an alien invasion with various plans put in motion.
  • The series deviates slightly from the source material, leaving audiences hungry for the next season.

As a sci-fi enthusiast with a soft spot for complex narratives and intriguing plot twists, I must say that Netflix’s 3 Body Problem has truly captivated me. Having read Cixin Liu’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy years ago, I can appreciate the series’ faithful adaptation of the first novel, The Three-Body Problem.

Netflix has skillfully adapted the initial book of Cixin Liu’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past series, titled 3 Body Problem. The opening eight episodes of this science fiction show span the time period detailed in Liu’s first novel, The Three-Body Problem, which narrates the consequences of humanity encountering a highly advanced alien race.

At the 2024 Emmy Awards ceremony, the series titled “3 Body Problem” was nominated for six awards, having been developed by the creators of HBO’s hit show “Game of Thrones”, namely David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Netflix has greenlit two more seasons of “3 Body Problem”, giving the creators the opportunity to adapt the rest of Liu’s trilogy of books and provide resolutions for the plot points left unanswered by the Season 1 finale.

How does 3 Body Problem season 1 end?

Netflix's 3 Body Problem Season 1 Ending, Explained

Over the course of the initial eight episodes, the enigma surrounding the “3 Body Problem” gradually unravels, revealing that an extraterrestrial race called the San-Ti are on their way to Earth. Their planned invasion is scheduled to take place 400 years from now, providing humanity with ample time to ready themselves for this encounter.

One plan, proposed by Oxford Five scientist Jin (Jess Hong), is to send a light-speed probe into space containing a cryogenically frozen human brain to meet the San-Ti before they arrive. Jin’s friend and fellow Oxford Five scientist, Will (Alex Sharp) volunteers for the mission, dubbed ‘The Staircase Project’, knowing that his pancreatic cancer has put a death mark on him anyway. When it comes time for the Staircase Project to launch, the probe makes it through a series of propulsion checkpoints, until the radiation sail malfunctions, causing the probe to veer off course and into the depths of space.

In the final installment of “The Three-Body Problem,” a strategy initiated by humanity is the United Nations’ “Wallfacer Project.” This secretive endeavor selects three brilliant minds from among mankind to independently devise strategies for defeating the formidable San-Ti. Given that the San-Ti possess extensive global surveillance capabilities through their Sophon supercomputers, the Wallfacers must mentally concoct their strategies in solitude to keep them hidden from the enemy’s knowledge. To everyone’s astonishment, Saul Durand (played by Jovan Adepo) is selected as one of the Wallfacers. Despite his attempts to decline this unexpected role, his peers assume that it forms part of a carefully orchestrated plan on his part.

In the end, Saul and Jin are left disheartened due to the collapse of the Staircase Project, which means their friend Will’s life was sacrificed in vain. To lift their spirits, Clarence (played by Benedict Wong) guides them to a tranquil lake, where they observe vast groups of cicadas. Clarence emphasizes the tenacity of these insects as a reminder of resilience.

It seems like many individuals have an aversion towards insects, as we’ve been attempting to eradicate them for quite some time. We’ve resorted to various methods such as spraying insecticides from aircraft, placing poison in the soil, and even trying to sterilize them. We swat them, shock them with electric devices, or simply crush them underfoot. Yet, no matter where we look, they continue to persist.

The finale of the first season of ‘3 Body Problem’ hints at the possibility that humanity, much like countless earthbound insects, could endure the impending extinction crisis. Although this may appear as an unfulfilling conclusion for the season, it echoes the ending of Liu’s initial novel, stirring anticipation among viewers about what lies ahead in ‘The Dark Forest’.

What happens in 3 Body Problem season 1?

The first season plays out in a similar way to the novel it is based upon, although 3 Body Problem isn’t afraid to make changes to Liu’s source material. The series’ opening mystery surrounds a number of Earth’s greatest scientists who have been committing suicide around the world. This includes Vera Ye, the mentor of the Oxford Five. As the episodes continue, it’s revealed that Vera’s mother Wenjie, another brilliant scientist, made contact with an alien civilization in China in the 1970s and invited them to come to Earth, despite having been warned they would decimate the population.

Over the past few years, Wenjie played a significant role in forming the Earth-Trisolaris Organization (ETO), an organization whose mission is to aid the arrival of the San-Ti on Earth. The team created a virtual reality game that challenged brilliant minds worldwide, presenting them with a sequence of puzzles designed to educate them about the San-Ti’s predicament and the Three-Body Problem that made their home solar system inhospitable. Upon discovering the San-Ti’s strategy and the highly advanced technology they use to track human activities on Earth, several scientists chose to join the ETO or succumbed to despair. Some scientists were even killed by the ETO, following orders from the San-Ti; for instance, Jack Rooney (John Bradley).

In the heart of the gaming season, it’s unveiled that the San-Ti are planning an invasion on us, labeling humans as mere bugs in messages broadcasted globally. My character, a gamer, finds himself under the command of Liam Cunningham’s stern MI6 Chief Thomas Wade, who’s now leading the defense force against the incoming threat. He brings on board some of the Oxford Five to aid us in this crisis. Characters like Auggie (Eiza González) are hesitant about Wade’s strategies, but my fellow gamers Jin, Will, and Saul choose to stand with him, fighting for our planet’s survival. Whether we make it through or not remains a mystery that the next episodes of 3 Body Problem on Netflix will unravel.

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2024-10-03 02:03