Everything you need to know about Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’

From book differences to deeply ambitious physics explainers, we’ve got you covered.

Behold, your guide to the Netflix series.
Credit: Netflix

If you’re like us and consumed by the mind-bending series that is Netflix’s 3 Body Problem, you might have a few burning questions. Bringing author Liu Cixin’s novels to the streaming screen, showrunners David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo have crafted a sci-fi epic worthy of your video meeting/watercooler chats.

In the first season of the series, there’s a lot to take in, which is where we come in with our overtly obsessive nerdery and penchant for watching TV shows way too many times for tiny clues. Here’s everything you need to know about 3 Body Problem, from how it differs from the book to the mathematical quandary at the series’ core.

Read Mashable’s 3 Body Problem review

Watch the trailer

How the book and the Netflix show differ

What exactly is the three-body problem in 3 Body Problem?

What do the San-Ti aliens actually look like? — we asked the showrunners about this too.

What’s the deal with the stars?

Why John Bradley’s character is the best and worst part of the show

What does Dr Ye Wenjie’s ‘joke’ about God really mean?

Why Will’s £20 million star sucks

What’s the deal with everyone smoking?

Fairy tales might be a big clue

Let’s unpack that horrifying Judgment Day scene in episode 5

A guide to Jin and Jack’s VR gamer names

Why is the show set mostly in the UK? The showrunners told us.

8 burning questions we have for Season 2

How to watch: 3 Body Problem is now streaming on Netflix.

Shannon Connellan is Mashable’s UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable’s Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about everything (but not anything) across entertainment, tech, social good, science, and culture.

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