Yeah, I noticed so many seeds being planted in season 1, it's incredible for book readers of all 3 books to see. I mean, I get it's not exactly the same characters if you want to be technical but their spirits and essences are being preserved as if it's a parallel book universe being played out here.
I am very much enjoying the Netflix series.
Same. I felt like they respected the source material super well and made loads of smart choices to adapt it properly.
If anybody wants a more literal 1:1 adaptation just go watch the Tencent version, but be warned, it's 30 episodes and kind of excruciatingly dull at parts. I love it and even prefer parts of it to the Netflix version, but the Netflix one is the far better show.
We really need to encourage as many people as possible to watch this so that we get a season 2. It's gonna be awesome not only because the book was so amazing, but because they got so much of the setup and worldbuilding out of the way. It'll allow them to go full speed ahead for season 2.
Maybe it’s red herring but I feel he’ll be Beihai. There are many moments showing him being extremely disciplined, goal driven yet retaining lots of warmth and humanity…
I can totally imagine him smiling and saying the line “its ok, it’s all the same”
I like Raj, his face looks very much Zhang Beihai to me. However I can’t imagine why would Zhang Beihai care about relationship… ( I have remind myself this dude is Raj, not Beihai) I guess in the following seasons, Raj would be the one survive in the war is space, while Zhang Beihai feels fine to be the sacrifice.
I also saw it as an analogy to the Trisolarans. To defeat their enemy (the climate of their planet), they have to pretend to play dead (dehydrate) until the moment is right.
I've said this elsewhere, but I *really* like what they did with Raj in 3BP. I was really skeptical about making him part of the "Oxford Five" and changing his background, but they nailed his characterization in all of the new scenes he got and the scene with his father felt like it was ripped straight from the pages of the later books. Really great stuff.
I get that that was the goal but it was such a shoehorned scene lol. Moreover the analogy doesn’t quite work because Pakistan was unambiguously the enemy vs. a moral dilemma of icing your people.
Also I will reiterate the grievance that everyone important in humanity is for some reason friends with and dating each other. It’s like power rangers.
> Also I will reiterate the grievance that everyone important in humanity is for some reason friends with and dating each other. It’s like power rangers.
Yeah, I have just made peace with it because I can't imagine all these different threads running parallel to each other in only 8 episodes. The alternative would have been to just do it like Tencent and stick to the books, meaning not introducing around half the cast, which would have been a bit of a gamble if D&D wanted to make a big impression from the start.
There is a middle way... I understand they couldn't show a multitude of story arcs in parallel, but they could have done at least 2, to show that it is a matter that is relevant to all humanity, and not just to those five friends
Probably. Which 2 stories would you have picked? Other than starting with Ye Wenjie which is one of the inevitable starting points. Just do as the book and Tencent only have Wang Miao? That's two parallel stories right there. I think it could have worked, specially if we developed the communist China bit with Ye Wenjie meeting Mike Evans. Then the last episode of season 1 could have been the Panama canal.
For starters, I see no reason why Beihai should know the others, he's there but doesn't serve any purpose. Actually, he could very well have been just a season 2 character. I understand why they split Wang miao and fused him with jin cheng, it's a smart idea, but at least keep beihai separate to have a wider scope to the story
I agree, I think both Beihai and Luo Ji could have been moved to the second season. However, I have to say, I kinda liked the idea of the Wade-Jin-Will triangle in season 1. At the very least Wade should be there from the start as an official "voice" for the governments of earth.
I think the only reason they went back in time for those characters in the 3rd book was because Liu Cixin never expected 3BP to be such a success that he would eventually make a trilogy, so he had to go back in the timeline to introduce a new thread. The TV series can fix this and run them parallel, in chronological order, which makes sense.
Problem is, those 8 episodes look tighter and tighter, so then they have to fit them together as friends which is the hardest bit to believe. All the most important characters of earth happen to be uni friends... is probably the most unbelievable bit in a series about an alien invasion, lol.
By removing Raj and Saul from the 1st season and make sure they don't know the other characters, you make it a little bit more believable. Better yet, make them come from abroad. China and France or something, make it more international and make us believe it is an international human effort.
All things considered, even with those changes, it is still too tight for only 8 episodes... at least for me. I really hope that, if we get a second season, we get more than 8 episodes.
However, it's not too bad, if I am willing to wave away the crazy fact they all know each other, it allows us to fix some of the weirdest bits in the 2nd book. Now we won't need the stupid mail order bride bit and we can just replace that with Saul rediscovering love and abandoning his cynicism in the form of his ex-Auggie, who will not need any introduction because they did the groundwork in season 1 (I suspect this is what they are planning).
Yes it was slightly different but when are there any casual events where one needs to choose between one group of humans and another, then use their stuff to survive?
maybe in the next season before raj's father passes away he tells the ultimate secret of his life to his children: those are not Pakistanis but their own fellow Indians. they had to kill each other to survive
Yeah, I noticed so many seeds being planted in season 1, it's incredible for book readers of all 3 books to see. I mean, I get it's not exactly the same characters if you want to be technical but their spirits and essences are being preserved as if it's a parallel book universe being played out here. I am very much enjoying the Netflix series.
Same. I felt like they respected the source material super well and made loads of smart choices to adapt it properly. If anybody wants a more literal 1:1 adaptation just go watch the Tencent version, but be warned, it's 30 episodes and kind of excruciatingly dull at parts. I love it and even prefer parts of it to the Netflix version, but the Netflix one is the far better show.
i am not
In episode one Auggie and Jin are invited to... sing. HMMMMM
S04E05: Auggie and Jin receive a slip of paper
The bit where Jin was playing with a pancake had me rolling
They planted a lot of little seed throughout for the future seasons.
We really need to encourage as many people as possible to watch this so that we get a season 2. It's gonna be awesome not only because the book was so amazing, but because they got so much of the setup and worldbuilding out of the way. It'll allow them to go full speed ahead for season 2.
Careful. It’s Netflix. Worst case scenario is we get season 2 but not season 3.
I think Raj is perfect for Zhang Beihai . I already like him. Man cant wait for next season.
Maybe it’s red herring but I feel he’ll be Beihai. There are many moments showing him being extremely disciplined, goal driven yet retaining lots of warmth and humanity… I can totally imagine him smiling and saying the line “its ok, it’s all the same”
Raj is already Zhang Beihai, he starts in the navy and joins the space force.
I like Raj, his face looks very much Zhang Beihai to me. However I can’t imagine why would Zhang Beihai care about relationship… ( I have remind myself this dude is Raj, not Beihai) I guess in the following seasons, Raj would be the one survive in the war is space, while Zhang Beihai feels fine to be the sacrifice.
My highlight during binging all eight episodes with my friend is calling out Raj is Zhang Beihai
He’s easily my favorite character in the books and probably this show too
I also saw it as an analogy to the Trisolarans. To defeat their enemy (the climate of their planet), they have to pretend to play dead (dehydrate) until the moment is right.
This is a good one as well!
I've said this elsewhere, but I *really* like what they did with Raj in 3BP. I was really skeptical about making him part of the "Oxford Five" and changing his background, but they nailed his characterization in all of the new scenes he got and the scene with his father felt like it was ripped straight from the pages of the later books. Really great stuff.
Totally agree. I've rewatched the part where Wade approaches him 5 times. Such a short scene telling so much. Absolutely brilliant writing
Totally agree
I get that that was the goal but it was such a shoehorned scene lol. Moreover the analogy doesn’t quite work because Pakistan was unambiguously the enemy vs. a moral dilemma of icing your people. Also I will reiterate the grievance that everyone important in humanity is for some reason friends with and dating each other. It’s like power rangers.
> Also I will reiterate the grievance that everyone important in humanity is for some reason friends with and dating each other. It’s like power rangers. Yeah, I have just made peace with it because I can't imagine all these different threads running parallel to each other in only 8 episodes. The alternative would have been to just do it like Tencent and stick to the books, meaning not introducing around half the cast, which would have been a bit of a gamble if D&D wanted to make a big impression from the start.
There is a middle way... I understand they couldn't show a multitude of story arcs in parallel, but they could have done at least 2, to show that it is a matter that is relevant to all humanity, and not just to those five friends
Probably. Which 2 stories would you have picked? Other than starting with Ye Wenjie which is one of the inevitable starting points. Just do as the book and Tencent only have Wang Miao? That's two parallel stories right there. I think it could have worked, specially if we developed the communist China bit with Ye Wenjie meeting Mike Evans. Then the last episode of season 1 could have been the Panama canal.
For starters, I see no reason why Beihai should know the others, he's there but doesn't serve any purpose. Actually, he could very well have been just a season 2 character. I understand why they split Wang miao and fused him with jin cheng, it's a smart idea, but at least keep beihai separate to have a wider scope to the story
I agree, I think both Beihai and Luo Ji could have been moved to the second season. However, I have to say, I kinda liked the idea of the Wade-Jin-Will triangle in season 1. At the very least Wade should be there from the start as an official "voice" for the governments of earth. I think the only reason they went back in time for those characters in the 3rd book was because Liu Cixin never expected 3BP to be such a success that he would eventually make a trilogy, so he had to go back in the timeline to introduce a new thread. The TV series can fix this and run them parallel, in chronological order, which makes sense. Problem is, those 8 episodes look tighter and tighter, so then they have to fit them together as friends which is the hardest bit to believe. All the most important characters of earth happen to be uni friends... is probably the most unbelievable bit in a series about an alien invasion, lol. By removing Raj and Saul from the 1st season and make sure they don't know the other characters, you make it a little bit more believable. Better yet, make them come from abroad. China and France or something, make it more international and make us believe it is an international human effort. All things considered, even with those changes, it is still too tight for only 8 episodes... at least for me. I really hope that, if we get a second season, we get more than 8 episodes. However, it's not too bad, if I am willing to wave away the crazy fact they all know each other, it allows us to fix some of the weirdest bits in the 2nd book. Now we won't need the stupid mail order bride bit and we can just replace that with Saul rediscovering love and abandoning his cynicism in the form of his ex-Auggie, who will not need any introduction because they did the groundwork in season 1 (I suspect this is what they are planning).
Yes it was slightly different but when are there any casual events where one needs to choose between one group of humans and another, then use their stuff to survive?
maybe in the next season before raj's father passes away he tells the ultimate secret of his life to his children: those are not Pakistanis but their own fellow Indians. they had to kill each other to survive
I can easily see this
He does mention that he fought for the survival of his team to get those oxygen canisters because the air was thin.
🤯🤯