3 Body Problem’s Multiple Timelines Explained: The Past, Present & Future

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for 3 Body Problem season 1.3 Body Problem moves around a lot in terms of the story’s timeline, so it can be easy to get confused. While certain periods are shown in detail, others don’t receive nearly as much screen time. In fact, certain parts of the 3 Body Problem timeline are merely implied rather than directly revealed. However, the story isn’t complete without the events of the Netflix show’s past, present, and future. While certain members of the 3 Body Problem cast needed younger and older counterparts to account for this dynamic, it works very well.

3 Body Problem isn’t an action-packed sci-fi show, but the psychological elements of the story are more than enough to make the narrative especially compelling. The slow-burning plot takes place over a matter of decades, and even centuries, into the future. The world of 3 Body Problem is fleshed out an impressive amount, and yet the show tactfully withholds key pieces of information. As a result, the clarity of each period varies, creating a sense of artful ignorance regarding the fate of humanity at the hands of the San-Ti.

3 Body Problem’s 1960s Timeline

The Chinese Cultural Revolution Explained

The ending of 3 Body Problem season 1 ends with the human race in a precarious position, and the path to that inevitable danger begins with Ye Wenjie in 1960s China. The Chinese Cultural Revolution in 3 Body Problem is based on a real period of political unrest within the country that lasted from 1966 to 1976. The movement was set in motion by Chairman Mao to solidify China’s status as a Communist nation. The goal was to eradicate all remnants of capitalism within Chinese borders.

Although the death of Mao meant the Revolution’s end, the decade in which it was ongoing caused the death of a great many Chinese citizens. Some of the country’s turmoil is represented in the very first scene of 3 Body Problem episode 1, “Countdown,” where the father of a young Dr. Ye is being executed before a crowd simply for being a physicist. It was Ye Wenjie’s awful experiences during the Revolution that led her to believe that humanity was beyond redemption. As such, she welcomed the San-Ti, and beckoned them to Earth in 1977 to be humanity’s supposed savior.

3 Body Problem’s 1970s and 1980s Timeline

Key events happen In 1977, 1982, and 1984

Although only portions of the 1970s and 1980s are shown in 3 Body Problem, this is arguably Ye Wenjie’s active period in her role of inviting the San-Ti to Earth. In 1977, she meets Mike Evans, a man who would be equally pivotal when communicating with the San-Ti further down the line. Although their collaboration is not immediate, the pair share an obvious connection that slowly blooms over time. That same year, Dr. Ye first contacts the San-Ti, ignoring the initial reply from the alien pacifist warning her against reaching out to the stars.

3 Body Problem season 1, episode 4, “Our Lord,” shows Ye Wenjie and Mike Evans reuniting in London in 1982 once Dr. Ye’s indentured service on the hilltop had ended. Evans, now in a position of power due to inheriting his father’s oil company, proves a worthy ally to Dr. Ye, once she confesses to what she did in 1977. Later in the same episode, Evans is shown revealing Ye to his ship, Judgment Day, in 1984. The craft is filled with all the necessary equipment to communicate with the San-Ti in real time.

3 Body Problem’s Modern-Day Timeline

Much of the TV show takes place in the present day

Most of the events shown in 3 Body Problem take place in 2024, primarily in London, England. Although Dr. Ye had contacted the San-Ti 47 years earlier, the vast majority of humanity is unaware of alien life headed for Earth. Mike Evans turns out to be Ye Wenjie’s first follower, going on to form a cult-like group that lives aboard his Judgment Day ship. Evans speaks regularly with the San-Ti, teaching them about human culture, and even concepts unfamiliar to the San-Ti such as fictional stories and lies.

The first sign of the San-Ti’s interference with humanity comes when the aliens begin to meddle with Earth’s scientific minds. The San-Ti’s microscopic supercomputers, known as Sophons, influence the readings from every particle accelerator on Earth, resulting in the suicides of many leading minds in the field. In addition, the countdowns in 3 Body Problem start to appear in the eyes of certain characters, such as Auggie.

The level of technology in the events set in 2024 surpasses reality in certain areas, giving the impression of a future setting. For example, Auggie’s nanofibers and their abilities are a fictionalized and exaggerated version of what exists in the real world. In addition, the VR headsets in 3 Body Problem are built from San-Ti technology. As a result, the simulation within the game becomes indistinguishable from the world in which the characters live – although they are keenly aware of the fact they’re in a virtual reality when playing the game.

The San-Ti eventually make direct contact with all of humanity during this period, labeling the race as “Bugs.” The declaration of war leads to a military response, with bodies all over the world starting to come up with a plan to gather reconnaissance on their approaching enemy before they arrive in four centuries. Dr. Ye never voices it out loud but seems to be second-guessing her decision to contact the San-Ti in 1977, and she is killed by another of the San-Ti’s followers before she has the chance to end her own life.

3 Body Problem’s Future Timeline

The San-Ti Will Arrive in 400 Years

The far future of 3 Body Problem is speculative. The arrival of the San-Ti is essentially a foregone conclusion, as humanity has no way of preventing the aliens from making the voyage. However, the fact that the San-Ti’s journey will take 400 years to make, Earth’s inhabitants are generally free from any immediate danger. Instead, the threat is generational, with no living member of the human race having children, grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren who will witness the arrival of the San-Ti.

The intents of the alien race do not appear to be heroic, which Dr. Ye had hoped they would be when she originally reached out to them. Instead, the San-Ti seem more interested in finding a new homeworld, so they can escape the “Chaotic Eras” of their current planet. As such, the aliens have selected Earth as their new home, and they intend to clear the planet of the human race and supplant them whenever arrive, long into the future of the 3 Body Problem timeline.