3 Body Problem: Wallfacer

“Humanity still has secrets. The Sophons have vast power, but they are not all-powerful. They cannot read our minds. This is the basis of what we call the Wallfacer Project.”

Apparently the Sophons cannot read our minds, and this is the basis for the strategy in Wade’s plan, which is to task three humans with coming up with ways to save humanity from the San-Ti. Or is it a deepfake? Anyway, Saul Durand – who has been a bit lazy and laissez-faire throughout the series – finally comes to the fore.

Saul, after a one-night stand in which he does not even recall the young lady’s name (Nora), is ducking reality and responsibility. Then, as he accompanies Nora to the ride he called for her, a skateboarder knocks him down. Right after that, three cars are involved in a crash, missing him, but killing Nora.

The accident – caused by the Sophons – raises Saul’s profile with Wade and Clarence. Saul is whisked away for his own protection and because they need him. He is sent to New York City – not so bad for him, as he is the one American in the Oxford Five – and learns that he has been selected as a Wallfacer.

Saul wants to turn down the assignment but as others keep trying to kill him, he cannot. He maintains he does not know anything – and he may be right! Remember, he was right in the beginning when he said that the science breaking in all the experiments around the world was impossible. He was right, too, when he said that the stars never actually blinked at us, that it was all a deepfake, as the winking was not seen by Webb or Hubble.

Why would the Wallfacer project be fake? It could be a ruse to keep the Sophons busy. It’s much cheaper than building a base on the moon!

But there are real reasons to choose Saul. He has not played that VR game, so the Sophons don’t know him as well as they know Jin. He is skeptical when he needs to be. Maybe he is “the smartest one,” as Vera and Wenjie said. Anyway, Wenjie marked him with that conversation at the cemetery and the attempts to kill him imply that the Sophons think he’s a danger.

We are not sure if Saul cares enough. He was willing to chill and have a joint, enjoy one night stands and let the species die out. He does not want to be a Wallfacer. He really tries to quit, but that's not possible.

Jin tries to do all she can for Will, or at least what remains of him. The idea of sending along seeds of his favorite foods is charming. She tells Raj, not that she loved Will, but that she loves him. To her, Will is still alive. I have sympathy for Raj. If Jin is dumping him, she really ought to have mentioned it. And it’s not just that she loves Will, but she seems angry with Raj, which he has not merited, at least not on relationship grounds.

We get to watch the implementation and failure of the Staircase Project. Was it due to the seeds? As Clarence points out, this project, although it failed, managed to get a human-made item to reach a higher velocity than ever before. Lives are often sacrificed in war, and Will only had a few weeks remaining anyway. We're all worried about his current situation, where he will reach the end of the Milky Way in five million years. I think the hibernation unit would fail long before that, though.

I liked how Clarence, at the end, takes Saul and Jin to visit swarms of bugs, probably cicadas. It’s great to show how others might perceive us, and I bet more than one viewer empathized with bugs at that point.

Title musings. “Wallfacer” is the title of the episode. The episode tells us where it comes from, a Buddhist expression for those engaged in deep meditation. It's the name given to the project by the Planetary Defense Council. But the title also applies to the idea of those running into walls, in the sense of being stuck and not knowing what to do next. Some of our characters are certainly facing walls. Jin tries to quit, but Wade tells her she won’t, and he’s right. The Secretary General tells Saul he is free to quit, and she gives him permission, but she knows he can’t. Wade is told by the Sophon that he will be watched for the rest of his life. The only one who has escaped, at least for the moment, is Auggie, who is out doing good for villages by using her nanofiber technology. The title works.

Bits and pieces

I detect some problems with the logic. If the Sophons really wanted to kill Saul, they could just mess with the airplane as they did with Wade. So maybe they don’t want to kill him? The Sophons must have known Saul was wearing a bullet-proof outfit; why didn’t they tell the sniper to aim at his head? I have the feeling that Tatiana would not have missed. Perhaps they are just trying to scare him into taking on this position? So many interpretations! Anyway, the attempted assassinations are a great way to raise the tension, and maybe it’s dangerous to ascribe complete omnipotence to enemies.

There is another problem with the Wallfacer project. Even if they can create plans and strategies in their minds, implementation requires interaction and communication. At that point the Sophons will learn what is intended.

In nearly every show featuring autonomous automobiles, their systems get hacked and they crash (although this at least was without using human drivers). Of course this happens on shows because it’s such a convenient plot device, but it does make you question the safety of autonomous vehicles.

When Saul lands back in the US, one of the first things said to him is “Welcome home.” This is what immigration officers say to Americans when we return to the US.

I liked how the sound goes all echoey when Saul is chosen as a Wallfacer.

Saul’s conversation with Sebastian Kent as he tries to get out of being a Wallfacer is like Kafka or some Monty Python skit.

Tatiana gets a mask for the VR game, or maybe just communication. I’d like to know how the Sophons are creating those masks. And why isn’t Wade tracking them down? The tech is sophisticated; why not see how they’re being made?

I’m still trying to figure out what message Wenjie gave to Saul, if any. It’s hard to see how her story about Einstein, god and angels conveys anything. I was more interested in the game theory book that Wenjie took with her to the cemetery when she met Saul, but the Fermi’s paradox book talks about many possible alien civilizations. There have to be more than just the San-Ti out there. And why doesn’t the San-Ti look for a planet with less developed life?

After the Staircase Project fails, Wade whispers to Jin, but we don’t know what he says.

This series has let us know what it is like to be bugs. I like that. I also liked how Will, in an earlier episode, sympathized with the cancer that was trying to kill him, because those cells were just trying to survive.

Although the swarms of bugs that Clarence shows at the close is supposed to reassure us, bugs were actually not doing that well for a while. From the anecdotal data of my windshield this summer, they may be making a comeback.

Quotes

UN Secretary General: Saul Durand. An Oxford-trained physicist who has studied with some of the greatest minds alive.

Saul: Is everyone gonna smile at me like that from now on?
Clarence: Like what?
Saul: Like they think they know something about me but can’t say. Or they think I know something but can’t say.

UN Secretary General: You always have to remember, Mr. Durand, that we are being watched. Especially now, the enemy will always be watching you. So, why were you chosen? Let’s just say the enemy knows why.
Saul: I’m not special.
UN Secretary General: They think you are.

Raj: What the hell is going on?
Jin: I know it’s fuckin’ insane to triple-check the numbers at this point...
Raj: Did you dump me and forget to tell me, or...
Jin: ...by a nanosecond, we’re fucked. It’s over. It’ll have been for nothing.
Raj: I don’t understand.
Jin: The timing of each detonation.
Raj: No, Jin. I don’t understand what happened to us.

Raj: What are the odds of that?
Jin: Non-zero.

Saul: You tried to murder a man that you’ve never met on the directive of aliens that you’ve never met. Why? What the fuck is wrong with you?
(Note: something similar could be said about most wars.)
Assassin wannabe: I’ve gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord.

Wade: You’re gonna be handcuffed to that kid for the rest of your life. You okay with that?
Clarence: Do I have a choice?
Wade: No.
Clarence: Then I’m okay with it.

Saul: God, he loved you. Sorry. I’m not trying to be a dick, but...
Jin: No.
Saul: He did. I hope someone loves me that much someday.
Jin: Maybe someone already does.

Sophon: We hope you’re enjoying your flight, Mr. Wade. We’re sorry the Staircase Project failed. We would have liked to meet Mr. Downing. And we hope to meet you, if your hibernation technology works. Human beings are so fragile.
Wade: If you’re watching me, I must be doing something right.
Sophon: Yes, you’re a strong leader. We want you to know there will be a place for you when we arrive. You are part of our plan.

Clarence: People hate bugs. Been trying to get rid of them forever. Spray pesticides from planes. We put poison in the ground. We try and sterilize ’em. We swat ’em, zap ’em, step on ’em. Look around. They’re not going anywhere.

Overall rating

Given how much I have written – and I could go on, but I have other things to do! – it was a great series and finale! I look forward to watching the next season. Four out of four returning cicadas.

Victoria Grossack loves math, birds, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.

• 3 Body Problem season 1
• 3 Body Problem home