Three-Body

Nanotechnology researcher Wang Miao is taken to the Joint Operations Center by police officer Shi Qiang, who's investigating the mysterious suicide wave among scientists worldwide. He is recruited to sneak into an organization called the Frontiers of Science to help the investigation. When Wang Miao is contacted by the leader of the organization, Shen Yufei, she introduces him to a sophisticated VR video game called Three-Body, but soon he discovers that it's more than just a game.

Three-Body (2023) is a Chinese science fiction mystery series created by Liu Cixin and broadcast on CCTV-8. Nanotechnology researcher Wang Miao (Zhang Luyi) is pulled off his lab work by police officer Shi Qiang (Yu Hewei), who is investigating a worldwide wave of suicides among scientists. Recruited to infiltrate a secretive group called the Frontiers of Science, Wang Miao is drawn in by its leader Shen Yufei (Li Xiaoran), who introduces him to a sophisticated virtual reality game called Three-Body. He soon realizes the game is far more than entertainment, and the series builds its engine from clandestine meetings, hidden motives, and the slow unraveling of who can be trusted. Its single season of thirty roughly forty-three-minute episodes moves as one continuing story rather than case-of-the-week. The series is set in the present day of its broadcast, with a gloomy, foreboding atmosphere and an unsettling blend of paranoia and cosmic speculation. Its philosophical scope and deliberate pacing place it in the vein of Dark and The X-Files, appealing to viewers who enjoy conspiracy thrillers with big ideas. Its story remains open at the close of its only season, leaving the central mystery to deepen as it unfolds.

Audiences rate it positively for its philosophically ambitious science fiction premise and conspiracy-driven mystery, though some find its pacing slow and its exposition heavy.

• Darkshared cerebral science fiction, first contact mystery, and scientific paranoia
• Battlestar Galactica (2004)shared alien contact premise and philosophical sci-fi scope
• The X-Filesshared mysterious organization investigation and conspiracy-driven science thriller tone

Created by

Liu Cixin

Release Date

2023-01-15

Episode runtime

43 min

Rating

7.6 / 10 (259)

What is Three-Body about?

A nanotechnology researcher is drawn into a secret science organization and a mysterious VR game after scientists around the world begin dying by suicide.

What is Three-Body like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Three-Body as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as dense.

Is Three-Body violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Three-Body as mild.

What did critics think of Three-Body?

Audiences rate it positively for its philosophically ambitious science fiction premise and conspiracy-driven mystery, though some find its pacing slow and its exposition heavy.

Which shows are like Three-Body?

Shows with a similar feel include Dark, Battlestar Galactica (2004), and The X-Files.

How long is Three-Body?

Three-Body: 1 season, 30 episodes.

Is Three-Body still running?

Yes, Three-Body is still running.

Where can I watch Three-Body?

In United States, Three-Body streams on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus, WeTV.