The Three-Body Problem Episode 4: Time for Some Science

The Three-Body Problem is a popular Chinese science fiction television series that has become a daily ritual for viewers to watch. The series is based on an international bestselling book and is the first epic Science Fiction television series on Chinese television. Liu Cixin, the author of the book, is at the head of China’s Science Fiction boom and his books point to what China aspires to: huge ambition, a forward vision, a reckoning with the past, and an arrow to the future. The show has a hundred million viewers in China, which is a significant number compared to the ten million viewers of The Last of Us on HBO. The show has not yet received coverage from any Western site. The show has a slow burn pace, taking its time to cover the book and it is a thirty episodes series. Wang Miao, one of the main characters, is experiencing hallucinations of a countdown time code and is afraid of being marked for death. The show uses purple neon lighting that raises questions as to its meaning, but it is believed to have been chosen for its cool and eerie effect. The actors in the show are able to convey their characters well through their look and body language.