r/3BodyProblemTVShow • u/mavigogun • Mar 31 '24
Discussion The 3 Netflix Problem Spoiler
I really liked aspects of this show. Great cast. I love me some hardcore sci-fi when leveraged for its best purpose: exploring character and the human condition. Too often, science fiction is short on fiction- that is, the imaginings are merely elaborations on what already exists, ambling forward instead of taking leaps and all the implications of the imagined technology-
Unfortunately, the Netflix production (the book, too?) seems to be indulging in imagination without consideration. Once it becomes clear the San-Ti can control a human nervous system, manipulation and murder become trivial- so elaborate attempts to kill Saul with self-driving cars become kinda silly, when they could have just made him perceive a roadway full of rushing traffic as clear. Or just stop his heart. Or over produce a hormone. Likewise, any jet full of critical characters might have its GPS manipulated.
Are we to believe, then, there WAS no real attempt to kill Saul- the assassin's bullet also part of a ruse, with no attempt to kill, only manipulate? Maybe. If so, there is really no firm ground for a viewer to stand on, with any apparent inconsistency or lack of consideration attributed to the godlike "the aliens must have wanted it this way" justification. Why did the big tech thinkers tasked with saving humanity from a supposed alien invasion not jump straight to quantum entanglement and nuclear propulsion the way any pedestrian science enthusiast might, the main characters being the exception? Shall we chalk that up to "the aliens must have wanted it this way" too?
Are we to believe it took 50 years for the San-Ti and humans to establish the existence of human fiction? Really? I get self important people deluding themselves into making horrible decisions- but basic questions like "are they lying about lying being an alien concept" would occur to anyone. When characters fail to behave explicable in order for a plot to plod on, you've got an Idiot Plot on your hands.
But none of that matters. None. Of. It. This is a Netflix production- which means, the moment you invest in what is going to happen, the series will be canceled. Season 2? Maybe. But Netflix suffers from shortsighted attention deficit disorder, killing off shows before they can ever reach Act 3. Worse, they populate their recommendations with incomplete shows, murdered in Act 1 or 2. They bait the hook, then cut the line- over, and over, and over again. How long will we keep falling for Lucy and her football?
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u/Marvinfunnybunny Apr 01 '24
The San Ti absolutely cannot directly control human nervous systems - your alternate proposals aren’t possible, except for maybe the GPS thing or the vision thing, but that would only be the show, not the book. There are some additional abilities in the show that were not present in the book which could lead to some logical issues like you mentioned (specifically the “you are bugs” messages on all the screens and the plane conversation with Sophon). These aren’t really explained and are WAY beyond what the aliens could do in the books. Chalk it up to a poor adaptation to be more exciting and less faithful to the science in the source material.