Posted by 3 Body Problem landed on Netflix and leaves the plot open for a possible season 2: how is the book ending, and how will the story continue?
The highly anticipated sci-fi series 3 Body Problem finally arrived on Netflix in March 2024, satisfying viewers’ thirst for a robust story set in a dystopian future. Smartly, the series’ plot follows the story of the book that inspires it, written by the Chinese author Liu Cixin, leaving the events open for a possible continuation. Therefore, the big question is: how does the book ending match the series? Will there be a season 2, and what would happen according to the book series? This article will give you a general overview of the story and what to expect if the TV show is renewed.
3 Body Problem: the book behind Season 1, the ending, and the differences
The TV show 3 Body Problem is based on the book The Three-Body Problem written by Chinese author Liu Cixin in 2006. The book represents the first novel of the so-called Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, which includes two more books, The Dark Forest (published in 2008) and Death’s End (2010).
The plot of the Netflix series follows the story told in the first book. Although the events reflect pretty faithfully the story in the novel, there are some differences in the characters; some of the protagonists have different sexes and specializations. The series also introduces new elements, like the Project Staircase, which doesn’t appear in the books. Nevertheless, the story’s outlook stays unchanged, as does the perspective for a possible plot continuation.
Season 1 of the Netflix series covers the first book’s ending and also introduces some elements from the second volume of the 3 Body Problem trilogy. The first book ends with humanity acknowledging the arrival of the alien fleet in a not-so-far future, trying to gather motivation for the battle. The aliens consider them bugs, and humans reflect on how bugs have survived through decades of war against men.
In the Netflix series, the plot introduces the figure of Wallfacers, three special people who are supposed to develop a fine strategy against the aliens without communicating it to anyone, so the alien sophons cannot discover what’s in their minds. This is taken from the second book, The Dark Forest: this way, the Netflix series is ready to continue with a possible Season 2, covering the events of the trilogy’s second volume.
How would the plot of Season 2 look like?
As usual, Netflix will carefully evaluate if 3 Body Problem can be renewed for Season 2: there is no official confirmation yet, but we can already predict how the plot will continue, following the story in the book series.
If 3 Body Problem Season 2 comes, it will focus on how the Wallfacers define their strategy for the war against the alien invasion. After all, this is the main focus of the second book of the series, The Dark Forest: in its plot, the four wallfacers (one more than in the TV series) develop their plans independently. The aliens are actually unable to understand what’s in their minds, but they appoint three humans as “wallbreakers,” people who analyze the information recorded by the sophons and try to understand the wallfacers’ secret plans.
The intelligence battle between wallfacers and wallbreakers will ultimately go in favor of the aliens: the strategies of three of the four wallfacers are neutralized, and the only one who can still define a successful plan is the character that inspires Saul Durand (in the book, he matches the astronomer Luo Ji). We won’t give you too many spoilers about the future plot, only a general overview: after an initial refusal phase, the last wallfacer will provide precise instructions to humans and then enter hibernation, asking to be revived if something specific happens. The plot will eventually continue centuries later, with the aliens fleet closer to Earth.
The plot covered in the 3 Body Problem books includes the alien’s arrival, the battle for survival, and several exciting aspects of war strategy and science paradoxes. Netflix has successfully transposed the story, creating a TV series that caught the spectators. We are all ready for Season 2: if Netflix renews the TV show, we will give you all the updates here.
