Netflix's 3 Body Problem exceeded my expectations. It managed to stick fairly closely to the book's fascinating plot, while westernizing the story, crafting engaging characters and adding the kind of human drama TV viewers expect.
The novel makes for excellent science fiction, but like too many scifi novels, the characters are not its strength. The show fixed that weakness. Benedict Wong was a standout, and Liam Cunningham is always fantastic.
Book Two (The Dark Forest) features a significant time jump, and I'll be interested to see how well the show's creators handle the shift in setting and characters.
P.S.: I've heard that Netflix is throwing money at Seasons 2 and 3, which may be filmed together. Not sure that will entirely solve the challenges of adapting the books for TV, but it should make for some gorgeous space scifi visuals!
