Three Body Problem Netflix (Season 1) Review + Book Comparison
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- čas přidán 22. 03. 2024
- Three Body Problem just released on Netflix. It’s of course based on the book series Remembrance of Earth’s Past and yes I mean based on the series because the first season doesn’t just cover the first book in the series, The Three-Body Problem, it moves into the Dark Forest, and even has scenes from the third book in the series, Death’s End. It shows that they are thinking about this as a series and they have every plan to continue the show. In fact, Season 2 is already in the works. They had the task of establishing the essence of the entire series, not just the first book. Now you guys know that I’m a huge fan of this book series, I’ve done several videos covering it on this channel. I definitely was apprehensive about this show, I’m a big fan of George RR Martin's ASOIAF books, and I really didn’t enjoy what the creators of its adaptation, Game of Thrones, did with the last several seasons of it. When I heard they were doing Three-Body Problem, I was nervous, to say the least. But I was more than willing to give them a chance, this series unlike ASOIAF is finished.
So what did I think of the show? Is it a good show? Is it worth the watch? I would have to say unequivocally yes, it is absolutely worth the watch. It is good science fiction! But how does it work as an adaptation of the book well let’s get into this.
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If I may, I live in China and I work in the film industry. I talked with many Chinese professionals, they pretty much all share your views on the Netflix tv series.
I just subscribed. You have amazing and most informative videos. The soundtrack and video background with the narration is just great and calming. Even your voice relaxes me. Actually, this is better than meditation plus you learn something.
Even though I agreed Netflix offered us a good show, I have mixed feeling about this version’s Ye Wenjie….Ye Wenjie being such an important and complex character in thw 1st book… she became an angry Chinese old lady from China Town rather than a famous physicist/ scientist as stated on the book… the acting of both younger and older version of YWJ are so paper-thin… lack of substance … I actually appreciate the Tencent version of both YWJ actors. The incense burning part… the monks in the funeral are so stereotypical… and the Oxford 5… made the world so tiny all of a sudden… all key characters all of a sudden became classmates… quite unsure of this arrangement to be honest…
I live in Hong Kong a British expat. Loved the books and bought the TENCENT subscriiption. Largest project ever under taken. Like I state below loved it but carried a lot of the same character flaws as the book. The Cop the only real standout character. TENCENT would not greenlight S2 and then S3 with the same comittment. Only a spin off maybe. This pointed to Hardcore fans like myself getting through all the episode and the average chinese viewer falling off after a few episodes.
NETFLIX I was worried on multiple fronts. Not chinese focus, woke politics of ticking boxes, dumming down the concepts in favour of CGI effects and United States centric. What we got was so much better for visual media. Using the UK instead of the US worked. The Cop Chinese but born in Manchester, awesome. Combing characters into a small group with inter personal relationships worked and came across well. I understand the critisim of the Oxford 5 shrinking the world build, but it really helped move the story along. Otherwise exposition would slow it down and take 12 episodes.
This series allows my wife to watch along. The team need with the next 8episodes to do the same thing. CGI etc but also subtlely build the fear. That's the scary part of Book2, its not obvious but dawns on you why DARK FOREST and feels the fucking best explantion to the Fermi Paradox ones ever heard of.
Pulling of Book3 is gonna be a stretch but I hope they do it.
Who knows this may open the way to other impossible titles that I'd never thought get made and I liked...
I strongly recommend you to watch the Three Body Problem series by Tencent, which amazed me a lot. It is more loyal to the original novel, and in my view and many Chinese people, it is way much better than Netflix version. The plot of the first episodes might be moving slowly, but trust me, you will fall in love with it in the end. Netflix version adapted the story too much, and it’s more like a fan-made derivative work. It has been adapted into a story more suitable for American people, similar to many other US TV shows that about a small group of elite people saving the world. This kind of adaptation loses some key character’s ideas and experiences, simplifying their motivations and flattening each character into a mono-dimensional figure. It feels like a show designed to provide a quick entertainment and short-time thrills, sacrificing much of the original work’s spiritual core, the humanistic concerns and so on.
The only review that matters.
Agreed 100%
@@traveler263 Oh my God! people actually caring about people, and don't give a f..k who f..ks who (as long as they are consenting adults) etc. etc.
The Audacity 😱
@@traveler263 do you people sign a cult like document that states you must type this in at least one comment section a day or something? lol
Agreed!
Shut up weirdo
5 hours ago I told friends that what the Netflix series lacks is Quinn's discussion of the ideas.
Wouldn't be the first time that Quinn is more entertaining than the source material 😄
Istg he works fast, literally was checking in just out of curiosity and found this published already
Massive props to him
Facts for real lol@@harriehausenman8623
Started checking for Quinn’s video immediately after finishing the series
I am currently reading the Frank Herbert - Dune books and am almost finished Heretics of Dune, with Chapterhouse : Dune left. And I was wondering what sci-fi saga to pick up next...and viola...here it is. Going to have to be these books and Im really looking forward to them after watching the Netflix series over the weekend 😁👍😁
I genuinely didn’t bother nor did I care about anyone else’s review of this show but yours. As far as I’m concerned you’re easily one of the best (if not the best) creators when it comes to the analysis and breakdown of sci-fi topics and stories. Thank you for all your hard work, it’s great to see your channel’s growth well-deserved success. Excellent review!
Your nose has a little brown on it. *sniff* ooohhh you had your nose up this dudes butt while you were kissing it lolzzzz
Amen to this
I read the books because of your channel several months ago, now i watched the first episode, and i just needed to come here to see your reaction, thanks! You did not disappoint.
Same, I got into the books because of this channel.
Me too
cixin liu is like arthur c clarke , he dont give a shit about individual characters. its about big ideas.
Most hard scifi is like that. Turns out nerds aren't great with people
Huh, I never thought of it this way before 😅
that sadly doesn't work as a tv serial. my wife likes this very much and that's a sign they did a good job making it more personal
true, most of his characters are poorly realized and lack any sort of physical description.
You want hard SciFi that doesn't skimp on the characters read Blindsight.
Sooo happy to see Sir Davos in this series bc he's a fantastic actor
I am so impressed by the acting. Will Downing. Tatiana being so cold and creepy, but vulnerable in her scenes. But I can’t get enough of the red guard, I felt so angry and sad for her “But who will repent for me?”. I wish she gets major roles in future shows.
Its a GoT reunion plus every other British tv actor. Steven Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith as Newton & Turing and Adrian Edmondson as Auggies boss. It's just a shame they got rid of John Bradley so quickly.
thats ser to you
I thought the character was cringe at time and not well written.
@@itsnothimorisit cool, i like his acting even tho script wasn't perfect
The second I finished binging the show - Binged your channel all over again. The only opinion that I wanted. and I'm glad we share it.
I’m so glad I found your channel. I hope the algorithm picks up on your greatness, because you deserve it!
Netflix should hire you as a consultant for the future seasons!
Seconded!
Totally! Let's push for this to happen!
Thirded 😃👍
Agree
Agree 💯%
Before listening to your review, I had a hard time making sense out of comments I've read and heard from people who haven't read all three books. I've read all three books twice, but I very mistakenly thought (going into this series) that if one read the first book, it would be enough. I now realize it's better to have read all three books, or to have read none of them, rather than to have read just one book, in order to keep an open mind about the series. Thank you for the review.
so the show spoils all three books? im halfway through the second one.
@@Dootje351You should be fine if you are already halfway through the second book.
@@Dootje351 No, some scenes from the beginning of the second and third books are shown but nothing that is major/surprising enough to be a spoiler
@@Dootje351 basically they show things that are in the same timeline. they introduced characters and story that were written physically later in the books but they are chronically in the same timeline.
Thanks for letting me know guys! Ill go enjoy the show
i love your reviews so much, theyre so insightful and mindful of different factors and medias when it comes to adaptations vs books. I started following you after seeing your area X vids and am now thoroughly enjoying your dune series and I cant wait to hear more of your analyses on three body problem and its sequels!
I was surprised how how good of a job Netflix did with this. I was expecting another dumpster fire, tbh. It captures the beats of the books, character motivations, scale, and stakes pretty well. I'm looking forward to season two!
I’m gonna go so far as to say that I actually kinda like the Netflix adaption more than the book 😬. It definitely toned down some of the science exposition but sometimes those parts in the book dragged a little for me. I also love the changes they made with the characters and it feels more like a narrative whereas the book sometimes came off a little too stiff and technical.
@@emperormouse5487Tianming's character,or Will in the show was the best part for me. Every episode you got to see a little glimpse of him and when everyone is panicking, going crazy, trying to come up with ideas. He has learnt about his terminal illness and he's watched his close ones die, his story felt so grounded,he has accepted his end and is disconnected from everything else happening.
This was my reaction to the Chinese series. Actually good production and CGI at the end, even the VR scenes weren't that bad all things considered. I ended up binging 30 episodes in 2 days. Now, someone give me a reason to watch the Netflix one.
@@user-us3xi7se5b the Netflix one doesn’t completely butcher Ye Wenjie’s backstory which is a huge reason for her doing what she did. Also generally just seems higher quality. Better acting, directing, production design. The changes made from the book actually make sense and I think make it better in ways. It’s also a more holistic take on the 3 body series introducing important elements from all 3 books in a way that makes more sense when you’re watching a show. The tencent production just seemed
unnecessarily longer than it needed to be and less faithful to the actual theme of the story and novel- despite being more faithful of an adaptation in that it didn’t really change or split the (admittedly poorly written) characters from the book in any meaningful way. The Netflix version in terms of “faithfulness” may not be the one for you if that’s what your looking for, but I actually thought it did the impossible and made one of my favorite sci fi story’s of all time even better- namely by splitting the book protagonist into several different people and making them all genuinely likeable and relatable people.
@@emperormouse5487 You've convinced me good sir. I guess I don't have to worry about the split.
I just looked it up. Did they really take my favorite character and name him Clarence Shi? Please tell me they didn't ruin his character.
The only review I was eagerly expecting. Before watching, I gotta say I read the books and actually enjoyed the Netflix show.
Ugh I’m still holding on watching it lol what makes you like the show?
@verynick liked it because they streamlined a lot of plot and characters by having the protagonists know and care about each other while also setting up payoffs that the books didn't have as a result.
I know not everyone will like it, but my wife now wants to read the series after two episodes. That's a win in my book. 🎉
@@verynickhe liked that it got dumbed down to interpersonal drama.
Same. I thought they adapted it very well for west audiences
@@verynickI also loved the books and loved the TV adaptation. They had to make changes to make it flow better for TV, but the overall theme and struggles and crises are there so in my opinion it didn’t miss the point. Haters will hate and supporters will support, but don’t listen to people hating on others’ opinion. Everyone is entitled to it.
The show blew my mind (almost) every episode. I instantly ordered the books. Im reading book one while slowly re-watching season 1. I'm hooked. I have lots of theories about what is coming. All I can say is PLEASE HURRY UP and bring us season 2 !!
Could you write some of your theories please. Im curious about what you’re thinking
@@caelblanch2737 I can write a few. Everyone please know I have only seen the show and read the first few chapters of book one. These are guesses. I think the brain in space will be picked up by something and that character will return. The failure might have even been faked for some reason. I think the Wallfacers and a few other main characters will all jump through time using cryo freezing, so we will have them through the 400 years. The San-Ti are showing their hand by targeting very specific things. Nanotech fibers, particle accelerators, and even going after Saul are all clues that they have good reason to fear them. (Those are a few of my ideas.)
@@Grevlain You’re in for such an AMAZING ride with the books! Personally book 2 is my favorite but it’s really personal choice whether 2 or 3 is going to be your favorite. The world expands in ways you can’t even imagine! Have fun when you see the Droplet! 🫡
@@adamsmeltzer9959 Thanks Adam! And thank you for not spoiling anything. Im so happy to have found this story and show. I feel like a kid again with good thick Arthur C Clarke/Ben Bova-ish sci fi.
Please read the books, there is so much more depth
Quinn, it's funny but I haven't follow 3BP at all, but the moment I saw it being showcased on Netflix, I immediately thought of you.
It's because of how much you sold the books, I figured I would give it a shot. Before I knew it, I binged watched the entire season in a day. I am looking forward to Season 2!
Just watched Season 1, thanks to you--it was really good and now I have got to read the book! Your channel is the best sci-fi channel on CZcams! Love everything you make
This show had more plot holes than I could even count. D&D really bungled up the entire thing
I really appreciate creators like this that don't get super toxic when talking about things they love and can keep an open mind on adaptation changes
Here’s hoping they Fock up something you care about to promote their propaganda
Naw he was paid for this review
@@randyx007 how you know?
@@lunatynaty because the show is a 6/10 at best. Or he just can't say negative things. Which is just as bad.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 jeez man you are so grumpy. People have the right to have their own opinions. If your opinion the show is bad, well that's your opinion. Not everyone should or have to think the same. For me is worse people who think they are always right
I began reading (listening... audio books) the Three Body Problem because of your videos covering it, and was immediately hyped when I saw the Netflix trailers. I immediately began proselytizing the show to my friends, and got all my roommates to sit down and watch it with me, all because I saw some random CZcams video talk about one of the most existentially terrifying sci-fi stories ever. So to hear your relatively glowing review of the show is affirming, to say the least. I finished The Dark Forest the day before, so I was a little lost with the Staircase project and Wade, but I'm excited to get that started, and have plenty of time before season 2. Thanks again for sharing your love for this series to the world. You made at least one fan out of me. :D
As a fellow “listener” of books, I dream of a day when we can just say “reading” without feeling the need to specify, as if listening is any less of a legitimate way to consume books. (I say that lightheartedly, mainly as a joke.. just incase that wasn’t clear)
I’m super jealous of your proselytizing skills because I’ve been unable to convince any of my friends to read or watch the series. Which is why I’m now in this comment section replying to comments because omg I’ve gotta talk to someone about this show!! Lol
Quinn is a GOAT for this lol. I got into his videos for Dune lore which led to me seeing his Three Body Problem videos, I bought the books and got my husband into them. I probably would've skipped this show completely if it weren't for Quinn!
I read the Chinese version 2013
I loved the first audiobook version that was slightly westernized with Luke Daniels reading it, but then from the second book onward they switched to a different narrator and a more literal translation and I just couldn't get into it.
they leave in peace, if you are wondering that's the endgame of the story. humans create separate dimension initially to develop weapon, the dimension that aliens can't snoop but eventually, they'll co-exist. Not sure how many seasons they're going to drag this to come to that end line story.
This was (imo) the best possible way to adapt this series. Cheng jin is the main character of Rememberence of Earth's Past. Having her relatively unchanged and surronding her with characters based on characters from the book works. None of these characters interact in the books, which is fine in boom form, but on the screen where things like facual expressions and reactions are important you need characters to actually interact with eachother.
I would argue this adaptation is a strict improvement over the book. It captures every major beat without skipping anything. Tianming is so much better, introducing him at the start and having him actually talk to Cheng Xin makes way more sense. Luo Ji's character is instantly recognizable. Wang Miao was barely a character, so writing an entirely new one to take his place makes sense, even if she can be annoying at times (I understand how she feels even if I dont agree with her actions). Jack Rooney replaces a character that has one conversation with Tianming and is never seen again, but here he adds comic relief as well as a vector for the audience to understand the game being a video game nerd himself. The scenes that deal.woth Ye Wenje's past are beautifully done and have some of the best acting in the show. I like that Ye Wenje and her story is almost completely unchanged from the books, and her actors captured the character perfectly.
People forget just how good Game of Thrones was when D&D had material to adapt. Can't wait for the "red wedding" moment in season 2, book readers probably know what Im talking about. 💧
Loved your analysis to the video above. As a non-book-reader, I LOVED the show but wanted to know what the book readers thought.
The story could've done without them all being best friends, they could've intervened at later points even if the connection was Ye Wenjie. I think it's fine introducing all the characters at once but they reduced the scale significantly when the main characters are just one core group vs something that should been a global scale. They definitely changed Ye Wenjie a bit; some good like there's being actual relationship built there between her and her daughter who's barely mentioned in the later half and some okay like her killing her superiors, but overall, they did well especially the casting. As interesting as the second book is, I really doubt it'll be made. The first season cost them around 160mm from different sources, easily one of their most expensive project and it didn't really hit better numbers than other shows that got canned like 1899 which had half the budget.
@@sws212 Yeah I totally agree: making the main roles primarily characters from a single friend group severely reduces the scale of the story. In the books the main roles were all much more disconnected from one another, especially from book to book. With this cast of characters who will probably remain through the whole show, it'll feel more like "a (awfully convenient) gang of friends vs aliens" rather than "humanity vs aliens."
You mean that the book also treats science as a superpower that some people possess above and beyond anyone else and they alone can develop nanofibers and nuclear powered propulsion planning without any team or peer review? And that it also is as convoluted as to make them all friends as If reality only turned around 6 friends? And ironically takes the concept of the complexity of the three body interaction problem as the essence of thr show and then proposes a strategy using 3 people with unlimited power that do not know what each other is doing and they just hope they won't interfere with each other, creating literally a 3 body problem?
This series seemed to me like another teenager narcissistic self insert story that pretends to be deep and intellectuall. It is based in very interesting concepts and the main idea is genius, but the performance... o really hoped that was all D&Ds fault and that the book was better.
@@WadeAllen001Yes! It feels as if it was the avengers of science vs aliens, as if science was a mutation or a super power that only some teenage friends had and everyone else was dumb.
Also I’d like to point out something about the Tencent show.
The Chinese book version DOES NOT START with the execution of her father. This comes much later in the book. It’s a change that was made in the english version I believe. And in the Tencent show the backstory comes later in the tv series as it does in the book (but yes for sure its much less graphic than Netflix.. its more talked than showed).
Clearly though that adaption is way too long… but Da Shi transposition on screen is absolute GOAT level so I still like it haha.
He meant to start the book with the execution tho. He delayed showing that as a form of self censorship for the chinese audience/goverment.
Later when translating it for western audiences it was not necessary and it was put as he originally intended.
Also Western audiences may not know about the cultural revolution so it helps to have the context presented at the start
I did like that they more smoothly interwoove Ye Wenjies story into the over all story instead of dumping most of it right in the beggining.
I want the Chinese perspective. On Netflix, not these boring characters
@@richlisola1 You have the 30 chapter Tencent series for that.
@cleebe6905 So, what is the Tencent series? I've been reading about it in comments, and have no idea about it. I've not read the books and have only started watching the series
oh yes i agree, it was such a pain getting invested into a story and then boom, here you go B plot for 50 pages, you get invested into that and then boom, C plot.
@gerdsfargen6687 the Tencent series is available on Viki and Peacock (both need subs) and as far as i know the first three episodes are free on youtube and viki. It is a very faithful retelling of the first book though it is not flawless. I highly recommend it.
My main issue with the show isn’t that it’s not “faithful”… it needed to change things and the books are far from perfect narratively… it’s that the show gets rid of all the mystery and horror of the first book. It reveals that aliens are behind the events at the start of the second episode rather than making us wonder about what the countdown is or what the blinking universe means or why scientists are committing suicide. It’s just in such a rush to get to Dark Forest. I get that Books 2 and 3 are where so much of the action happens, but that first book is such a great mystery thriller and I felt the show had very little respect for what makes that first book work so well.
Are you for real ?? I'm watching the Chinese Tencent version and I love how there is the sense of dread. That something is coming, something is happening and the mystery
Apparently, it should not take 20 episodes to build the mystery. 3 Body Problem is the weakest and can be told succintly.
I liked the tencent adaptation but holy shit was it slow and hard to get through. Im glad they sped up things and it will help a lot for the normies to get on board too
I agree. They should have just had the 1st season end with the 1st book. Maybe slightly afterwards. Even one or two more episodes of mystery would have benifited the show. That being said I did enjoy the show as a whole.
@@reservedartist1141 when you build it that much like tencent did you get an insanely boring show, like 8 episodes for the countdown, hilarious
Quinn, you opened my eyes for these books like a couple of years ago. Having read them and now watched the show i completely agree that Netflix actually did a good job in season 1 here. The chinese series were definitely way too long and slow paced.
I love how you make videos about 3BP or Dune and in couple of years some studio decides to make a movie or a show about it. Thank you GOAT ❤
I binged watched the entire season today and OMFG. WOW. I'm telling everyone about it. So good. Smart decisions. It really sticks to the spirit if not the letter. Absolutely love it, and can't wait for season 2. It's trending #2 worldwide and i'm hoping people strap in!
It's #1 in France since release. I really hope there will be seasons 2 & 3. Hope it wont be cancelled like 1899 with similar audiences...
Same here. I watched it over 2 days. I really hope they do a second season (and have a good enough budget to make it just as good).
Idk, I am at episode 4 and I kinda started not liking It. Some characters are very stupid but mainly my problem is that the show doesnt remember what it said 1 episode ago, theres no consistency.
The first message from the aliens is from a PACIFIST who says, DO NOT ANWSER, because his/her race will conquer Earth.
After that, the show portrays the aliens as, if they didnt want to totally conquer humanity, until Mike tells the story of the wolf and red hood.
Which is a metaphor for aliens and humans. The Aliens lie and want to conquer and the humans wait the aliens with hugs and love... And the alien says, they dont understand lying bla bla bla...
The aliens also have something like a hive mind? They communicate with thoughts and feel together or something like this was stated. But they somehow have an invidual pacifist??? HOW?
This show really enraged me now and I dont know how so many people cant see such big glaring issues.
@@MMOplayeerr I totally agree about the inconsistencies. Another is that the aliens are super deceptive (making their particle accelerator experiments yield wrong results and scrubbing video recordings) yet they don't understand lying? (EDIT: Reading your comment, turns out you already mentioned this.)
Why doesn't that frustrate me? It's not that I didn't see the problems. It's that I like other aspects enough to forgive it (style, characters, science concepts, production quality, performances). We all have different thresholds for what we're willing to overlook, and I guess I'm pretty lenient. I'm not a hardcore "hard" sci-fi fan, but I imagine that most of the book's readers are, and I would imagine such inconsistencies would be just too much. (After all, science is all about ruthless consistency; if you're into that in real science, you probably won't accept anything less in a story about science.) I totally understand and respect that.
Are the book's aliens consistent in these ways that the show's aren't?
@@MMOplayeerr I replied but the comment seems to be gone. In short, I noticed those inconsistencies too (first they're coming to conquer, then they're refugees hoping to be accepted, then they're coming to conquer, now they're letting tech solutions proceed anyway). So why did I still like the show? Because the characters, style, performances, intrigue/mystery, production quality were all so good (in my opinion) that I was willing to forgive them. But I can totally understand and respect someone else (especially a fan of "hard" sci-fi) not being ok with them.
I just finished watching the entire first season in an entire day.
I had never heard of this book until I stumbled on your channel not that long ago where you made a video about it.
Thank you for introducing me to this fantastic series and maybe I'll delve deeper and read the books one day.
As someone who's never read the books I can only speak for the show itself but I'm in awe of this entire story and looking forward to next season.
Final thoughts, before I end my long winded thank you comment I want to say that there are several key moments that stood out to me the most. Number one when we see a very young Ye Wenjie re-encounters the woman who slaughtered her father and asks if she would repent, I feel that is the moment where her mind was made about humanity because the young woman, even with a missing hand felt no remorse for killing Ye Wenzie's father. In fact it seems like because of Ye Wenzie's intellect she despised her even more. The second instance was the very brutal and graphic boat scene, the cold calculation of being shred apart by an invisible attacker that has zero compassion for children, it's only purpose is to eliminate anything and anyone. That very moment made me question humanity as well from the Alien's perspective.
Last but not least, Ji Wenzie's conversation with Saul. I know that her "joke" has a far deeper meaning and I'm very excited to see the implications of that very important conversation.
What an absolute banger of a show and I knew the instant I finished watching the very last scene I needed to come and hear your perspective and to share my thoughts as well.
God's speed and be well.
The books are all out so if you want no spoilers you better avoid his videos because he covered the whole book series
The books are amazing, specially the second book.
The ideas of the book itself are way too anthropocentric and illogical to take seriously but still a nice thought experiment and something to ponder.
@@mabakerlol how? It’s literally opposite of that
I'm reading sci-fi books to entertain myself, not to create a physics paper, if you are taking a bunch of sci-fin novels as something "serious" then you should be looking elsewhere pal@@mabaker
Quinn's Ideas' videos are the only ones I watch in normal speed lol otherwise I do 2x speed. These videos are actually worthwhile to listen to and pay attention to. Three Body Problem is my favorite book series for sure. Thanks for being comprehensive about the information in your vids.
I am so happy I learned about the series from you years ago so I read the books. Now seeing it on screen and you reviewing it is great.
Love you work! Man has your channel grown since i started watching you, your almost at a million subs now and you deserve it!
I've been waiting for this video the second I saw the trailer. I absolutely love your videos covering the books!
I read all three books in Chinese and watched both the Tecent and Netflix adaptations. I agree with your review in many aspects but I feel quite the opposite about the portrayal of Ye Wenjie. The death of Ye’s father was without a doubt a significant triggering event in her life but I see the stream of events in her later life as the main driving force of her character development. What caused her to loose all hope in humanity was not a single event as if a switch being flipped but the chronic erosion of innocence due to the glacial but seemingly unstoppable and all-encompassing advancement of ridiculousness and repression in that era, culminating to a series of betrayals Ye faced over the years. Attributing Ye’s motivation to a single event is, imho, a trivialisation of her character arc. Despite the censorship in the Tecent version, it actually did a better job in portraying Ye Wenjie. That being said, overall I still enjoyed the Netflix version more and I don’t mind cutting corners here and there to keep up with the pacing of the story.
I agree that the real kicker for Ye is all of the misery that she witnessed humanity doing around her in the forestry program, with that inciting incident only being the first thing that threw her off any hope of a normal life and onto the path she followed. Plenty of people have seen their family suffer and would still not be so misanthropic. And many people (like Mike Evans) have lived lives of privilege and yet pontificate from their ivory tower (in this case literally, and on a massive private ship no less) that humanity is the only problem and are just as willing to throw in to the same misanthropic subservience.
But that do show more than her father dying. They include: her mother betraying her, being sent to a miserable prison camp in Mongolia, witnessing the misery of the people there, watching the mass deforestation, reading Silent Spring, meeting and then being betrayed by her lover, more harsh treatment in jail that nearly kills her, witnessing more destruction of the natural world through the red coast project, betrayal again by her superior, and eventually meeting Evans who agrees with her about the horrors of humanity. The show includes all of that.
I agree. I think Ye’s deep disappointment for humankind was way better built up in the Tencent version. The reason she’s one of the Redemptionists is that there’s not only betrayal but also love and kindness from other people. Her “betrayal” to humankind is her deep love to this world.
I agree with you that I have stronger feeling for Ye Wenjie in Tencent’s version. Partly because of how the character was portrayed by the actor. I can feel the anger from Netflix’s Dr Ye, but the feeling I get from Tencent’s Dr Ye is the disappointment that has surpassed anger. But then, Netflix has only 8 episodes to cover everything plus a bit from book 2. Having said that, I still enjoy watching Netflix’s Three Body Problem. Hope this series can get people interested in checking out the books and dive deeper into the original storyline.
Couldn't agree more. They really did cover a lot in here and did a great job adapting it. @@nrschlosstein
thank you for this insightful and level-headed review. watched a handful of review videos and i feel like most others completely missed the point of the show, characters, and/or plot points that was presented within. i have no book knowledge to compare or have any biases and loved the show. i was weary at first because it took a few episodes to really make me understand what this show was trying to do but it all comes together really nicely by the end of season 1 and im really looking forward to 2. i really appreciate your explanation regarding the changes that were found and i love when an adaptation can take what was essential or great about an original and make it distinctly different in personality, tone and/or details (speaking generally). knowing they combined or reworked some of the characters to tell deeper, more meaningful stories is a huge plus for me.
This man introduced me to the books years ago, his complimentary videos have been inspirational. Hearing that he's a SoIaF fan only makes me appreciate this man more. Super happy for your vids!
I became interested in these books directly from your videos. This was before I knew the show was being made. I watched the show because of your videos. Thank you, you were correct that these books are one of the great works of modern science fiction. I enjoyed the adaption very much. To me the show felt like high concept Sci-Fi in the tone of The DaVinci Code. I'm looking forward to the future. I love your work, keep it up!
Hi Quinn, good review, but as a non-Western and non-Chinese viewer, I personally prefer the Tencent adaptation. Maybe Western audiences react better to abridged versions, but like most audiences around the world, we prefer a more long-form story. Sci-fi is a genre-bending tool, meaning you can have a sci-fi drama, sci-fi comedy, sci-fi adventure, sci-fi romance, sci-fi horror, etc. Sure, you get the idea. You can have a sci-fi combined with any genre, and it works well, but never a drama-sci-fi or comedy-sci-fi. My point is that the world-building must seem real. The Netflix show is a drama-sci-fi. The science seems like magic, but in the books and Tencent show, they go out of their way to explain the science especially the physics and its relevance in the story, so you understand why the nanofibers can cut a tanker like butter, why it's a big deal for the universe to blink, or how hard it was for Ye Wenjie to send the actual signals. With all this, I will still watch season 2 of both adaptations because sci-fi is a rare commodity in mainstream media, and we are not spoiled for choices. All in all, as a sci-fi fan, I was very disappointed with the Netflix show because of the world-building, poor actual science, and finally, changing the first book from a sci-fi mystery to a drama-sci-fi TV show. But I do agree when you said they got the VR game Right which was the major complaint from the Tencent adaptation .(Looked Gooffy)
I disagree the tencent show tried to drag out the first book which is in my opinion already pretty dry, the entire point of the first book is to set up the rest of the series, a sort of prologue, IMO if the series would of started with the second book but the first chapter was a summary of the first book more people would be able to digest the first part and get to meat of the series. I have lots of friends that couldn't get past the first book because to them it was to boring/dry. The tencent show makes it worst by stretching it. I preferred the Netflix because they do a good job at giving you the main points of the book in a short and interesting way. My only problem is they did not keep the names of the original characters. I wish at least the main character would of been Chinese.
I couldn't have said it better myself. I think the Western audience can no longer watch long form content, which is why Netflix shows are just 4 - 10 episodes, regardless of how much they're adapting. People's attention spans have just decreased and is why we are now getting these 4 - 10 episode adaptations that lack detail.
@@pops91 as I said maybe it's a Western thing, the 1st book is my favorite as I personally love a good detective, a mystery story that makes you think. The Netflix show doesn't do a good job in explaining the World both worlds. Id rather have the Extra additions from Tencent which are easier to edit out or ignore the fluff rather than the Netflix version which changes and omits so much content the show is closer to Fantasy than a scifi.
@@2nacheki I am not western myself I am from Spain, I also like long shows but making a long show out of a already dragged out book seems too much. The creator him self didn't cared much about the characters in his book, he always went for the "world" is the main character.
and why is that a bad thing to do for the show to focus on and Build the World? One of my favorite things was the setup of the ETO .Its so complex and realistic in the books and Tencent show, the idea of all bad guys think and work together in perfect harmony is so childish. In Netflix all that was Just One Woman with superpowers doing all the work for the Aliens. So unrealistic, for sci-fi to be good it must be believable. @@pops91
bro you're my favourite CZcamsr, you're awesome, thank you so much for introducing me to new stories! The vibe of your videos is just the best, I hope u never stop !
I am quite surprised by this.
I finished the Netflix adaptation yesterday and I thought it was another Foundation, Rings of Power debacle.
Happy to see you and others still enjoyed it though. I guess it just wasn't for me.
Same here. The Netflix show doesn't do it for me
I wanted so much more for Foundation, but it is an unreal undertaking.
I read the first book before starting with the series and i stopped at the moment when ye wenjie kissed evans...
I think they butchered wang miao completely by splitting him into 2 and auggie becoming a weird ass. Rooney was pretty decent until he died. The whole cultural shift is crazy. Freaking clarence running around. Whole nukes were cut out. The science is cut down to complete basics instead of a good explanation or exposition. Many important scenes were cut out or didn't happen yet (i stopped cause the kiss was too much for me) e.g. her relationships at the base which in turn are the whole reason for her actions. Also why the hell do you have to ship her with evans...
The dialogues between evans and "the lord" were shit aswell. The most important dialogue is not about lying initially nor do the aliens think of a fictive story as a lie. The dialogue in the books was about communication. The way of communication is the reason why they don't understand and why they culturally didn't develop lying.
@@MK-il5vc I really hated that they removed the nukes and the explanation for the siphons was really poorly done as they made them super powerful just to show it off on the screen and ignored all the consequences it brought.
@@henkfinkers3931 yeah. I've calmed down a little bit now and i gotta agree that in itself it's definitely not a bad show and i can see why you would make it more simplistic and shift the culture. In the end it has to entertain the main stream. But i'm still pissed off by the hyperfocus on interpersonal emotions. Like i could've watched the kardashians or star wars instead but i chose this because of the SCIENCE fiction aspect
Quinn! Just wanted to give you and your channel credit for turning me onto this series!
thanks, Quinn. based on others' comments i was going to skip this to preserve the books (i haven't read them yet) but your review has made me reconsider. deep analysis, bruh.
Always appreciate your insights Quinn. Thanks for another great breakdown and review. Completely agree with your take. I really enjoyed Netflix’s adaption and a, looking forward to seeing how it pans out.
Thanks for the review. I have not read the books but have watched a couple of your videos about it and realized it as a highly creative material. So when i heard about the netflix series i had my reservations. But now after watching this, i am convinced to watch it.
Thank you, Quinn. When I saw that Netflix made a Three Body Problem show I immediately thought of you. My thoughts about the quality of the show also came into question. I couldn't wait to come here to see your views. Awsome!
Never heard of the 3 body problem until I started watching your channel. I listened to all the videos and thought what a cool concept it was. So I was excited to see a live action adoption of it. I did watch the Chinese version, but I couldn't get into it. So I waited for the English version. I loved the series. I'm glad you did too.
I've been aware of the dark forest and the fermi paradox for years but never realised the dark forest was a term adopted from this series.
This was great, but I also liked the Tencent version as well. Nice to have two takes on the series!
Most anticipated review!!!
I’ve read the first book and really enjoyed the first season on Netflix. I was a little disappointed in the less than positive reviews that were posted to CZcams on the day of release. I also wanted Quinn’s take more than all the others that were out there. This review is so much more aligned with my thoughts after watching the first 8 episodes
Thank you so much for the excellent review.
From the start I preferred the Ten Cent version but managed to reprogram myself to be immersed in Netflix's Three Body. I think character development is not what the book’s genre is about but there is plenty of description in the books of how each feels about the various events. From listening to the audio books, I had a pretty good image in my head of what the characters are like and in some ways the Netflix version is faithful to that.
But the Ten Cent version is probably more faithful to the Chinese perspective, often remarked upon, of the books. I think this perspective is a source of fascination that has been lost in translation!
I can understand why the Netflix script writers would have thought that western audiences would have given the Netflix show a thumbs down if it had been structured in the manner of the book's slow burn.
don't reprogramme your self .....ever , gain wisdom and strength
@@sumo9209 That was a metaphor
I am so glad you at least had a level head about this adaption. It is so sad seeing it get torn apart by people online, most book readers seem divided but I for one agree with everything you said. The only part of the show I felt iffy on was the conversation between Luo (Saul) and Ye at the cemetery I felt that replacing the conversation about cosmic sociology with Ye dropping some cryptic joke felt cheap.
The adaptations seem to make her backstabbing not convincing enough... at least Ye turned dubious to the true intension of her "lord" after a series of incidents, and she never expected human beings to be extinguished, unlike the sliced leader
I agree. I didn’t care for the joke story either, but perhaps they thought that Ye spelling out the cosmic sociology theory might reveal too much of the dark forest theory. If I remember correctly, the conversation happens very early in the books at the funeral, so we don’t think much of it, but in the show it might make the dark forest theory too obvious to viewers, which is why they decided to go more of the cryptic route.
Shows the screenwriters didn’t do their homework and don’t get the story well. They probably don’t even like sci-fi 🤷♂️
it felt like a punch in the guts, ngl. :(
@@CollectorsFix That's the cool thing about it. Its a science riddle, that you can figure out if you really pay attention. They hinted at the Dark Forest theory anyways with the game theory and fermi paradox book.
In truth they just thought the words cosmic sociology and axioms are too nerdy. @TRYCLOPS1 is not wrong i don't think they like science. Or at least they think the average viewer will run if he hears "science" words.
I love your video! Please keep it up! I had seen your videos and never read the books but I kinda knew the essence of the story, still the show blew me away.
Stumbled across this video and quickly gained a new subscriber. Im only just learning about this show and book and it sounds absolutely fascinating and spooky. Really appreciate your analysis so far and look forward to watching your deep dive!
I really disliked how the characters, especially Wade and Clarence (Da Shi) were able to solve questions brought up by the plot...instantly by coming up with the best conclusion. It didn't seem they have to work to solve things..they just knew.
I felt the dialogue was pretty lame between the characters and some one-liners really brought me out of the immersion.
I liked Saul and Jin a lot, but really disliked the acting and character of Augustina by Eiza González.
This!
She kinda looks like Rachel Zegler to me :D
Yeah, the show feels rushed and doesn't have that atmospheric vibe like I am getting with constellation.
This is the thing the Tencent adaptation does a lot better, the characters fail a ton before even figuring out some basic stuff, really makes every little bit of info or success feel more earned.
Yes! The Augustina character is horrible and there isn’t an ounce of suspense or build up.
Took me a while to realize that Yun Tianming is already on episode 1 with his best bud whom he made a millionaire by accident in the books. I think that was an interesting change 😂
Oh God you're right. Jack Rooney is a reference to Tianming's friend who got rich from his idea.
@@14112ido Amazing isn't it. I'm just glad that their relationship in the books evolved into more brotherly kind in the Netflix series.. Tianming in the books was way too dark and depressing. Every chapter could trigger anyone who's going through the same thing.
My wife and I just watched the show yesterday and it was really good. We loved it and cannot wait for season two and hopefully season three to come out. I never read the books but based on the Netflix series and the comments I read, it must be pretty damn good. Thank you for your reviews and book comparisons, it was very informative.
My opinions:
1. Calling them the San Ti is a solid choice. Sounds a bit less silly.
2. Man some scenes with these characters was so forced. Mostly in the first few episodes. Just some weird moments of forced tention that struck me as immature and unnatural. And also forced sentimentality where that sentimentality didnt feel earned.
3. Overall i think they made a great choice to split the main character up into a handful of new characters.
4. The high concept game and universe and ideas, they really nailed. This cant be an easy book to translate to film. But much of what they show is exactly how i envisioned it. I was left with very similar feelings of awe that the book left me with.
I didn’t even know what 3 Body Problem was 3 weeks ago and now because of you I’ve binged the whole season and can’t stop watching your analysis videos 🔥🤣 thanks for showing me some new cosmic horror
Binged it? Took me 2 sittings to slog through the first episode 💀
@@chriscunningham8703 I feel sorry for your attention span.
@@akhilnair1137 I can only take so much bad acting & poor dialogue 💀
@@chriscunningham8703 now I feel sorry for your taste in acting and dialogue.
@@akhilnair1137 you must be easy pleased 💀
This show was amazing actually I finished all of it and definitely tapped into this because of you Quinn ❤️ never read the books but I’m glad to see I picked up a lot based on hearing your breakdowns of the books
I'm definitely going to read the books after randomly finding this show on Netflix and finding your channel. great material!
I’ve been waiting for your review! The boat scene is absolutely gut-churning.
I'm glad you liked it as a series, I thought it was a really impressive offering from Netflix as far as their adaptations go. I suppose everyone has their opinions, but there was so much negativity surrounding it, I assume from the GoT showrunners.
With Raised by Wolves being cancelled, and Foundation not being for me personally, I'm glad this exists.
it was so difficult for me to sit through the series...I had to force myself to watch it and each time I couldn’t last past 2 episodes.. I am happy about some things, but extremely disappointed how it presented the story over all.
My main issue with the Netflix series is that it feels like a complete scale DOWN from the books. Changing some characters is fine..but putting all 3 books main characters in a class of “oxford 5” and apparently “Chengxin/Wangmiao”’s boyfriend is just ridiculous to me. The whole earth’s fate rely on a group of friends now? How childish. The series is missing that overwhelming, urging, pressing dread on the human kind I felt from the books.. why? Ok so the aliens revealed themselves now, mystery is unfolded, but still, at this point the only people who are trying to investigate and solve issues are Wade and DAshi the cop?! Project GuZheng is decided by a cop DaShi and WADE?! Our Earth has no other competent people left?! None of the rest of the world cares?! All of this makes me wonder, did Oxford sponsor the show?!
Also YeWenJie’s character is portrayed very superficially in this series.. I felt like it’s missing a lot of depth she had in the books. Her romance scenes are completely a miss for me. ETO are not mindless religious followers, though some of them may be, but they are not that one dimensional as it’s portrayed...
Anyways.. 8 episodes for sure will leave a lot of the plot out, I understand that. But what I don’t like is how a very grand idea is presented as a child’s imagination...group of friends/lovers try to save the world, completely miss the opportunity to make it an epic story about our entire human species.
I think the first book is more grounded and ironically more epic at the same time
First of all you can really feel Ye Wenjie's complicated feelings towards humanity. Secondly, at the beginning the ETO is just seen as some other "Aliens will come soon" cult; so while the "cultist" kill themselves sometimes because of infighting (a thing they completely cut from the show) everyone who is not committed to their cause is just ignored. That's why I dont understand why they killed Jack in the show.
@@ThePostmarkeyeah what threat does Jack put.. He is the least scientist guy among the 5 that could defeat SanTi. Why making the efforts to kill Jack? Also, they only got 2 people in the uk to complete the game and just decided to kill half of them?? Is this how you recruit people?
@@yls8845 Agreed. In addition, you will piss off the other person who finished the game and turn them against you 'cause you killed their friend...
Thank you for taking the time to review and explain. I really enjoyed series on Netflix, so want a Season 2. I yet to read the books, but partner who has read them, said they are very close and he really enjoyed the series. Another friend said to me, that Cixin Liu reminds him of Arthur C. Clarke. After reading Rama, I think I will enjoy this series.
I bought these books over a year ago and haven’t gotten around to reading them. I just finished the first season of the show, and it has definitely inspired me to finally start reading them. Great show!
Thank you so much for all the Dune and Thee Body Problem content! It is wonderful. I don't have the money to buy the books right now and I love hearing your clifs notes until I get the book. I don't mind the spoilers you are a wonderful story teller. Thanks again!
Do you live in a remote area where there are no libraries nearby? I read the trilogy and spinoff book all from the library...
@@yordankrushkov8488i listen to audiobooks on yt for free in my sleep lol
Quinn, I have to thank you. You're the only reason I even heard of this series. And this show blew me away. I loved it so damn much!!! If it continues to be this good in future seasons, it'll end up being my favorite show of all time.
Love ya Quinn! You’re the reason I read the books, and i am SO GLAD.
Loved the books, and the show is totally delivering.
Your channel is the reason I even know of Three Body. Great review.
This is such a welcome surprise. Im actually relieved. The Three Body Problem now ranks as 1 in my favorite sci fi book series of all time. Im glad its not a disaster and will now watch it.
Was expecing a giant flop as well, It's good to see that for once, it's actually good. Will give it a chance.
Avoid it with all cost because if you like the books you won't like the Netflix take starting with there incredible take on stars flickering.
It is trash especially when you have read the books and seen the Tenent adaptation of the first book.
I didn't like the Tencent adaptation much either, it was too jolly and watered down. The tone was not right. Haven't watched the Netflix adaptation, we will see. It may get the tone right but of course the character swap is a huge nerf.
The Netflix adaptation was trash. But hope you like it. Not for me and I am passionate about the books. Such a disappointment from the start 🤷♂️
While I didn't hate it as much as I expected, the Netflix adaptation failed. Where the Tencent version was indeed way too long, the Netflix version glossed things over in a way such that audiences understood what happened, but not why it was important.
While censorship is a problem in China, censorship in America is worse. In American shows, science is portrayed as something to be exalted, not understood. Conversations about billiard balls and scientist turkeys were omitted. These are important conversations because they make the audience understand that science can end. Science can end on it's own without alien intervention. Consider the relationship between the scientist and the cop in the first book. They have a relationship where the scientist thinks deductively and the cop uses gut instincts. This was lost. Instead of acting like scientists, the characters are H&M models that spend most of their time hanging out in the club or by the pool. Where in the Tencent version, the numbers aren't seen until the third or fourth episode, in Netflix, the numbers appear in the same scene we are introduced to the character. The only reason we know she is a scientist at that point is that she sneakily said so to a man that wanted to talk with her as a means to put him down. While having characters from later books in the beginning streamlines the story, some of the characters have no purpose during the first half. It leaves audiences to wonder why they are important. Finally, the first book ends at a point of desperation and hopelessness for humanity, giving the story a cosmic horror theme. This, like the other themes of the book are lost. The adaptation ends in the middle of the sequels, leaving audiences feeling like there was no story. The events in the adaptation are the same as the book, but the mood and themes and understanding are lost. America will continue it's path towards stupidity as long as we keep dumbing down media that would challenge them.
Thanks for the nothing burger
@@goblin3810 don't thank me. I didn't make the show.
I haven’t read the books yet but I did watch Tencent’s version after learning it’s true to the books. I was hooked and you are so right they explained science so well in the series.
The actors in that show did a phenomenal job. The guy who plays Wang Mao looks like a scientist. The actors that played Ye Wenje were simply fantastic. They portrayed a complex character with layers and layers of complexity perfectly. The elder Ye Wenje in that show has grace charm intellect that you would find in a professor and at the same time a coldness a bitterness that hides behind that intellect.
Every event in the show gives you chills and thrills, makes you wonder, makes you to think, what could be behind it? The universe flickering was such a powerful scene, and ‘do not answer’ scene was another level, one could feel goosebumps.
The VR game actually looks like a game .
Oh I can go on and on. Bottomline is that Netflix show is a mediocre adaptation that had the potential to be amazing but unfortunately it’s not.
Totally agree with you, especially about the characters. I think the "shallow characters" criticism of the books itself is a shallow criticism. The story works so well because it focuses on the mystery instead of having 5 characters having interpersonal drama, or even one really developed character that we spend a lot of time exploring. In fact, I think it would work better in a show. Seeing Wang Miao's reactions on the actor's face will develop his character a lot in the minds of viewers, compared to in the books where we mostly have his thoughts. Plus, having a single character to follow strengthens the story and attachment so much.
I also agree with the bit about the Oxford Five being H&M models. I know so many of the changes are made because it's for the general audience, but how much dumbing down is too much? I think the show went too far.
The decision to split the protagonist from the first book into TWO characters is LITERALLY the dumbest decision the showrunners could have possibly made. Instead of one solid protagonist, you end up with 2 terrible ones! They even split the cop into two different characters (Wong/GoT dude). The CG was Tubi quality, the writing was amateurish and the acting was high school theater level.
I've never read the books. But way before the series came out I watched all your videos. It made enjoying the show that much more interesting because I had so much backstory from you ahead of time. Thanks for your content.
Years ago i randomly stumbled upon your vids and ended up listening to the audiobooks and loved them, now the show is out and its great too :D
100% agree. Better than I expected. Even better than I hoped. Very few complaints here. It was a brilliant move to open the series with the one scene that was so conspicuously missing from the tencent show.
It maybe felt a bit rushed compared to the tencent version, but with 8 episodes vs. 30, it’s much closer to just right than it is to not enough.
The perfect amount of episodes would have probably been 10, stretching the first 4 into 6. The max that would be good is 13, which would have been welcome but I think a lot of people would have started getting bored.
@@scottwatrous I don’t disagree. Somewhere between 2 and 4 more episodes would have been perfect.
22 more episodes would be absolutely bonkers for this, though. I liked the 30 episodes of the tencent version, but I’m probably in the minority here, and even then, it could have done fine with 20-25
But this is a different show, even if the source material is the same. I love them both
I recall that there have been some solid fan cuts of the Tencent taking it down to under 10 hours as well.
Did really enjoy the Tencent (despite tuning out every so often during filler parts). The vibe and feeling of that show was really well done, you could feel the dread and realizations creeping up on the characters.
Science isn't "a filler"
For context the runtime of the ten cent show was 4x as long if your only including first book material
I felt like some of the scenes where very heavy handed and overly dramatic. It lingered too long on non essential points and rushed some pretty substantial ones. I also don't like how they made all the characters be these 5, connected characters. this makes the story small, where it was a truely global one in the books.
Producers are not authors and can never capture the magic.
I felt the same way in part, but appreciate from a show perspective why they wanted to highlight interpersonal relationships between the characters as an emotional anchor. A deviation from he book sure, but can appreciate the creative choice to give viewers more of an emotional aspect to connect to.
@@skaetur1Peter Jackson did it… it can most definitely be gone. A prerequisite is loving the material and wanting solely to recreate it. It’s when they think they can add to it is when it gets dicey.
I have to agree. So many big moments seem to just come and go and left me with a bit of a "that's it?" feeling.
@@FayeDolan-fu4lv That would be understandable, but the characters aren't that likeable, they feel like entitled brats most of the time.
Thanks for this, Quinn! I was hesitant to watch considering D&D's involvement, but you introduced me to this series and your opinion is the first one I trust. You know the books inside and out.
I'm glad you think this way. I've seen other reviews and my take is that other reviewers do not know the books as well as you do nor they understand what's does it take to make a TV adaptation
for the most part i dont have a problem for the charactor changes , but i just hated the Ye Wenjie and Mike evans relationship , they should kept it platnoic as in the book , they should've instead keep the part where she was in love with her husband and in the end had to kill him along with the higher ranking officer to keep the secret
After watching this first season, I realize that D&D aren’t fully terrible, they just need to stick to what they’re good at: adaptations. They’re really good at adapting complex source material. Their track record shows that. It’s when they become responsible for the writing that problems arise.
And I don’t think that’s anything to be ashamed of. There’s absolutely a market for adaptations. People want to see their favorite books come to the big screen. So as long as they’re adapting and not writing everything, I’m perfectly happy to give them credit where it’s due.
GoT still hurts though.
After this show released, I don't blame D&D at all anymore. Game of thrones was the best show that was on when they had source material to adapt, they hoped Martin would finish the books by the time show gets to later seasons,Martin dropped the ball and we got what we got. That series is never getting finished unfortunately
Adaptation is also a legit skill. Like you think it would be easy to translate an existing work, but it is tricky. Different writing mediums don't speak to audiences in the same way. And you can fail even if you carbon copy lift from the books if you don't understand the changes between mediums A and Medium B. I think they have shown, yes, that possibly with a fully finished book series they can turn out a decent product. But let's see how 3 body problem does in the long stretch.
D&D still hold a big portion of the blame for the later seasons of GoT. But yes, it was really because there was not more source material to go off. That was clearly the main thing that went wrong. That said, they did start to play really fast and loose with all sorts of things - lore, character development, plot lines, everything - in the later seasons. And they reeeaaallllyyy rushed the ending because they were promised Star Wars or whatever.
And there are things they lack in their show production. For instance, the dialogue in 3 Body Problem is preeeeetty clunky in a lot of places. I thought the dynamics between the friend group was very wooden and unnatural, especially early on when they were more of a regular group of pals. It definitely got better when the action ramped up and the characters were running around saving the world. But that clunkyness matches when D&D had to produce dialogue themselves in late Season GoT, which makes sense to me now that I’ve seen Quinn’s explanation that these 3 Body characters and their interactions are not from the book, but were written specifically for this series. They aught to find some highly rated dialogue writers to bring on board their future productions.
The first 6 seasons of GoT were amazing. When they stick to the source material they really know how to craft a compelling story on screen and their visuals are always stunning. The only real issues with 7 and 8 were story related
The GoT problem is mostly GRRM'S fault. He wrote the story into a corner that not even he has been able to solve.
I was so excited to see your review after I finished the show. I totally agree with you! I really enjoyed the it and nearly lost my mind when I realized we were getting the Wallfacers so soon. Did not expect that! I was embarrassingly slow in realizing who Will and Saul were supposed to be, and I when I did I was like 🤯🤯🤯. Thanks for introducing me to this amazing series!
Bruuuuh you made my day validating my prediction about the insanely pivotal role Raj will play as that book character. He was one of my favorites in setting up the plot of Starship Earth.
LOVED THE SHOW AND LOVE THIS CHANNEL. went in with a brief idea of what was to happen and couldnt stop watching. Cant wait to see where this goes next.
Love the video mate! You hit all the fun series threads that I was thinking, but I’ve got one idea I wanted to bring up: I think Raj could be turned into both Zhang Beihai and the captain of Blue Space (Chu Yan, who kills Zhang Beihai in the battle of darkness), because of a sweet Easter egg at the dinner with Jin and Raj’s family: Raj’s father tells the story about killing the entire Pakistani camp and taking their oxygen, which I thought was a wild way to foreshadow Blue Space’s victory in the Battle of Darkness.
I remember seeing the three body problem on Netflix while browsing at a friends house on his account. And I remembered your video of the three body problem book that I watched a long time ago. I was browsing shorts saw a clip of the show and how it wasn’t in Chinese surprised me. So I came here, and 2:03 was all I needed to hear to add it to the list. Thanks! I’ll come back here after I watch the show
I watched this series before watching your review, so glad you think it was well made. I loved it. Can’t wait for season two
I am more excited for season 2 of Tencent’s show than the 2nd season of Netflix, but I do love that we got the first scene.
Oh my gods, great review. Several times I thought about what you were going to say and you nailed it. And I'm so glad you caught the connection between Augustina and AA because as soon as she called Cheng Jin boss I must have made a noise because my wife, who hasn't read the books (and her face when they revealed Ye Wenjie as the founder of ETO was PRICELESS) just looked at me weird lol
Quinn , I am a college student and while i do homework I have youtube on in the bacround for some noise. About a week ago you sent me down an absolute rabbit hole of Science Fiction. First it was Dune now it is the 3 body problem. I have tried to stay away from spoliers but the way you break everything down for me is a godsend. I love it. I started watching the netflex adaptation and I think I will stop until I get to read the series. I just wanted to thank you for opening me up to this newfound addiction that I have that is science fiction. I genuinely enjoy your podcast while doing homework now. Thank you.
Omgg same here dude but I’ve been in the science fiction CZcams since January
You were the person that finally got me to read the books. I was very interested to hear your thoughts
I binged the Netflix series in two sittings, enjoyed it but was nervously waiting for your review! I'm so glad you liked it. Now I'm nervous about Netflix's intentions about next seasons approval...
Getting nervous about what someone else thought instead of standing by your own opinion 😂
@@Misfit6mm literally said I enjoyed it, can't you read? ffs
China irl censoring the key part of the story give the books and the show more realism, meaning and relevance.
Thank you for reviewing. I found your channel after watching the show and wanting to learn more!
I’ve’ read and listened to all the books several times. Loved the Chinese series, so I was quite worried about what Netflix would do to the series. Looking forward to watching it now after watching your review.
That conversation around little red riding hood was fantastic. The lord , who Evans presumes is basically all knowing, turns out to not understand a story, or make believe. Its a bit funny and even a little frustrating when the lord repeatedly fails to grasp this simple concept and then things take a hard turn when the lord assesses Evans as a liar.
It goes from kinda frivolous and fun to a titanic gaff in inter species dialogue. We are sucked into the same lax attitude that Evans is, while talking to the emmisaries of a godlike race who's whim could destroy our planet. Why *should little red riding hood be a sensative line of conversation? But this illustrates the provincial attitudes we fall into, and the dangers of sloppy language and assumption.
The netflix series feels like some really good supermarket sushi. Quick. Fast. Fulfilling. Of course can't compare to the ones served by geniune japansese restuarant. To some people, they love it because it does not need that much efforts to enjoy. For us book readers this adaptation lacks so much depth and details, but if you are willing to let go the expectation that it has to 100% match the books, it's great entertaiment.
BTW Quinn, not sure if you had finished watching the tencent adaptation, but IMO they did much better jobs in preserving lots of book details. I very much enjoyed how they bring those scenes in the red coast base, the VR game and operation guzheng onto tv.
Totally agree, the Ten cent version was quite enjoyable but undestandably not many westerners will watch 30 40+min episodes just on book 1
Totally agree, I loved the show but it definitely feel too fast, I mean 1.5 of the entire trilogy in just 8 episodes fast
@@yordankrushkov8488 For me Tencent was a real treat. I enjoyed every minute of it.
@@yordankrushkov8488Like wtf, does being a westerner mean you have the attention span of a toodler? I didn't get the memo
Trying to make all important characters party in the same room is a disaster... The narrative focus was terribly changed, and I really hate too much love story in a dark-tone serious plot.
Having given up on Netflix’s airbender series, I had planned to skip 3BP which garnered much criticism upon release. Your review changed my mind. Thank you for dissecting the show and giving it a fair hearing.
Bare in mind that this review is sugarcoating Netflix adaptation. Its REALLY rushed the first book in 5 episodes, so the characters feel very flat, their motivation is one dimensional and the great mysteries of the first book spoiled in the first and second episodes.
Boy I totally agree with everything you said. Loved the books so much and loved most changes as augmenting the story not detracting.
As a Chinese I’ve read the books and watched the Tencent show (which is available on Amazon Prime btw for ppl who wanna take a look), I agree with most of what you said. However, as of Ye Wenjie’s back story, I don’t like Netflix’s butchering much more than the omissions of Tencent. There’s clearly (self) censorship involved, but most Chinese audience can fill in the details by themselves. The Netflix show makes Ye Wenjie more of a pure devil. Her strength and wisdom that makes her the “commander” is gone. The two sexual scenes with Ye Wenjie and her affair with Evans really felt uncomfortable for book fans.
the tencent show is also available for free on youtube
I agree with you about Ye and Evans' affair. It was an awkward and unnecessary addition. However, I felt that Ye was portrayed as a woman whose faith in humanity was destroyed at a very young age and whose brilliance and bitterness overcame any sense of prudence. From my watching, she seemed less of a monster and more of a cynic who viewed the nature of humanity as destructive, cruel, and evil and had hoped that a superior species might guide us out of this brutal adolescence in our development. She did not fully understand the motives of the Trisolarans. If she had and still stood by her decision to reveal Earth's position, then she would have been a monster.
Ye wen jie is such a well fleshed out character in book, then Netflix totally destroyed it，awful adaption
Quinn said "Netflix adaptation is more faithful than the Tencent version", which I can NOT agree with.
I remember listening to about an hour of the first book a few years back after watching your videos, life got busy and I never returned, but I’ve kept up with it through your videos. I definitely enjoyed the show having never read the full series and I’m glad you confirmed I wasn’t just wowed by novelty
I went in hopeful, but with doubts.
All in all, I really liked the character changes you mentioned. That was one of the things I was worried about, but it added depth and built out the characters. It was really well acted, and i agree with you in regards to the the speed up pacing over the Chinese version. 30 episodes was easily 10 to 15 more than needed.
I loved the inclusion of stuff from TDF and DE. TDF is probably my current favorite sci-fi book because of the ideas.
I can't wait for season 2.
Completely agreed, I really enjoyed the show. The only thing I want to add: yes the tencent adaptation is poorly paced and ends up feeling long, but I honestly think the Netflix version has the opposite problem: they fill in the gaps with SO many exciting ideas and future plot threads that the season ends up feeling like it's 2-3 episodes too short. I wanted things to have a bit more time to breathe.
Great review! I went into the series without reading the books - intentionally. I binged it in 24 hours... just couldn't stop watching. Some great scenes - and quite haunting themes... I've just started the first book but am unsure whether or not to carry on or wait for Season 2. Glad to hear it's in the works. It says a lot if it has the Quinn stamp approval! Will be back to take a look at some of your Three Body Problem book videos once I've finished the first one.
I would suggest you read the series! I’ve read all 3 books and the show made me appreciate the book series more as well as love the show for what it accomplished.
One suggestion would be to exercise caution if you decide to watch Quinn’s videos after your book 1 read- I’ve seen all of his vids covering the series and they usually cover the series as a whole and not just 1 book after the next. He does probably the best job of discussing this series though.
@@redfieldcooper Thanks for the advice!!
Yes, read the entire book series, then go back and watch the Netflix show again. You'll be blown away by all the little things you missed already
@@LynneHobday1I think you should be good to finish at least the first book without really spoiling anything for season 2. Again, the first book is just the set up. But it's great because it helps you understand more of what happened in the TV show.
@@BoognishQC I'll do that!!
After finishing the book I don’t know what to think about the Netflix show tbh. It has its moments but overall I felt like I was watching some second rate drama instead of a hard science thriller.
Same thoughts after just a couple of episodes. Confused now, I don't know if I want to continue watching or not. Quinn actually pushed me towards NO.
I read the series a few months ago, and only found out after I started book 2 that it was getting adapted. I had the same reservations as you when I found out D&D were making it, but it turns out that even if they are atrocious at creative writing projects, if you give those guys a book report to turn in and they'll ace it every time. Wild. I agree that you need to have read all three novels for the story to be recognizable, but having read all three, I am in awe of what they did with it. Particularly the characters. The adaptation actually helped me understand some things I missed in the books.
Just finished it! Been a bit since I read the books and did so in quick succession, so I did not necessarily pick up that they covered a bunch of non-book-1 material. In general it all felt very organic, the characters seemed all pretty close to their inspiration and I see how they want a more stable cast for the series going forward. The big ideas and concepts are there and they condensed the essence of the whole story into 8 episodes without it feeling rushed for the most part. I hope that the series will continue so they can cover the TRULY heavy sci-fi stuff of the other 2 books and also curious whether they will include Redemption of Time to some degree. Looking forward!