After the calamitous finale of Game of Thrones, creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss may have an opportunity to gain forgiveness from fans with their Netflix show, Three-Body Problem. Neither filmmaker has done much since the Game of Thrones finale (apart from executive producing The Chair), and with their $200million Netflix deal now more than two years in the works, it is exciting to finally see some movement on their upcoming projects. This in turn raises questions over whether this new series can redeem the pair for their notorious HBO series.
Much like Game of Thrones, Three-Body Problem is the name of the first book in the series upon which the show is based. The name refers to an orbital mechanics equation that was used to calculate the movement of the Moon in relation to the Earth and the Sun. Three-Body Problem is the first release in the Remembrance of Earth’s Past science-fiction series by Chinese author Lou Cixin in which the Earth is awaiting the arrival of a powerful alien species that many believe will either redeem humanity or destroy it. The story is set during China’s Cultural Revolution and is somewhat political, portraying the pitfalls of radical politics and the ramifications of a society that has lost faith in science.
The first several seasons of Game of Thrones are dense with politics and world-building, which the two showrunners navigated to much acclaim. Only when the series moved beyond its available source material did it begin to struggle, which will not be an issue in this newest endeavor. So, despite their mismanagement of Game of Thrones season eight, Weiss and Benioff seem rather well-suited to tackle Three-Body Problem. The Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy concluded in 2010 with its final installment, Death’s End, so Weiss and Benioff have the whole story laid out for them. Since they won’t be required to write anything themselves, the showrunners will be able to take their time and play to their strengths, which have proven to be substantial in such circumstances.
That said, it is difficult to say whether audiences will ever truly forgive Benioff and Weiss for their mishandling of the HBO series. The show’s meteoric rise and remarkable initial quality made even minor mistakes feel catastrophic, so the rushed and ill-considered nature of Game of Thrones’ ending felt all the more jarring. Benioff has also gotten a lot of flack in the past for having written X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is generally regarded as one of the worst films in the X-Men series. Three-Body Problem could certainly be the beginning of a new era for the two filmmakers, but Game of Thrones has become the new benchmark for bad endings in many people’s minds, and it will likely in some way affect the way their content is consumed henceforth.
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss certainly have skill and recognition enough to make them well-suited for a complex story such as Three-Body Problem. Given the backlash to Game of Thrones, the pair may also have learned sufficiently from their past mistakes to be able to do the story justice. But, while this new series may garner them forgiveness from Game of Thrones viewers, it seems unlikely that they will ever forget the previous show's legacy.