Several losses further complicate the eventual arrival of an invading alien force in the season finale of Netflix’s 3 Body Problem. Episode eight, “Wallfacer,” was written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss and directed by Jeremy Podeswa.
Content warning: please note that 3 Body Problem (and by extension this recap) includes discussion of suicide. You can reach the Suicide Prevention Lifeline by phone at: 800-273-TALK (8255).
RELATED: Read our recap of the previous episode of 3 Body Problem, “Only Advance.”
“Wallfacer”
Saul Durand (Jovan Adepo) packs a bowl as talking heads on TV discuss the eventual San-Ti arrival. A woman emerges from the shower wearing a towel. It soon becomes clear that Saul doesn’t remember her name. She asks him to call her an Uber.
Outside, Saul talks how far in the future the arrival of the San-Ti really is. He brings up where his ancestors were 400 years ago, and asks the woman what her ancestors were thinking about four centuries ago. A skateboarder knocks Saul off his feet. Then an SUV smashes into a car nearby. Next another car swerves onto the sidewalk to avoid the crash. This car runs over the woman, and she is immediately killed. Saul remembers her name: “Nora.”
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Later, Saul is questioned by Da Shi (Benedict Wong). He says he’s sorry about Nora. Saul asks if he’s a cop and Da Shi says not exactly. Da Shi says he’s an old friend of Auggie’s and knows Jin, and he’s sorry about the loss of Jack and Will. He asks what Ye Wenjie spoke to Saul about at the graveyard.
Da Shi explains that Ye Wenjie only met one person before leaving for China: Saul. There she was murdered, along with one of Da Shi’s men. Saul is surprised. Da Shi points out that now someone tried to kill Saul. All three cars involved in the accident were under autonomous control.
3 Body Problem’s Jet Set Saul
Da Shi tells Saul that they have reason to believe someone (or something) hacked into the cars and caused the accident. Da Shi says he only survived because he was knocked aside by the skateboarder. Saul says he doesn’t know what’s going on. Da Shi believes him. A guard enters and brings a bulletproof suit. Da Shi instructs Saul to put it on.
Soon Da Shi and Saul arrive via motorcade to a private plane. There are armed guards all over. During the flight, Da Shi laughs at videos on his phone. Saul asks for more information. But all Da Shi can tell him is that his job is to escort Saul to his destination. Da Shi informs Saul that Nora’s parents were informed that she died in a horrible accident. He suggests Saul get some sleep. Instead, Saul opens the window shade. Outside, the plane is accompanied by military jets.
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At Wychwood Manor, Jin Cheng (Jess Hong) puts a packet of produce seeds on the desk of Thomas Wade (Liam Cunningham). She says she wants them included in the Stairway Project probe, alongside Will’s brain. This is so that he will have something to eat if they choose to clone him. Wade refuses on the grounds of weight. Jin says that she’ll make the request to someone with more authority. When Wade says no such person exists, she threatens to quit. As Jin storms out, Wade tells her he’ll save a seat for her at the Cape Canaveral launch.
As the plane lands, Saul tells Da Shi that he didn’t get any sleep.
3 Body Problem; Three Wallfacers
Saul and Da Shi are greeted by Sebastian Kent (Josh Brener). Kent acknowledges it’s been a difficult day but hopes it’ll get better. Saul, Da Shi and Kent travel by motorcade through New York City. Their destination is the United Nations. Kent shows Saul to the building’s meditation room, built by Dag Hammarskjöld. While there is a suit waiting for Saul, Da Shi says he’s wearing what he’s wearing.
Saul, Da Shi and Kent arrive in the UN meeting room just as the Wallfacer Project is announced. The omnipresence of the Sophons is once again raised, and the San-Ti are discussed as an enemy. But the secretary-general continues that the Sophons are not omniscient: they don’t know what’s in the minds of humans.
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Enter the Wallfacer Project. Three individuals will be chosen to come up with their own plans to resist the San-Ti. These individuals will keep these plans inside their heads until the time is right to execute, the San-Ti will be unable to reach them. Wallfacers will be given access to huge amounts of resources, and no one will have the right to question any order they give (so long as they violate no international laws).
The secretary-general introduces the three Wallfacers: General Hou Bolin, Professor Leyla Ariç and Saul Durand. The other two Wallfacers have extensive military qualifications. Saul joins the other two onstage. Later, Saul tells the secretary-general they’ve made a mistake. She replies that they won’t know that for a while. The secretary-general reminds him the San-Ti are watching.
3 Body Problem’s Secretary-General
The secretary-general says the enemy knows why he was chosen. That’s why they tried to kill him. Saul asks what if he refuses? She says that’s his right. So he refuses. The secretary-general says she understands. He asks if he’s free to leave and she says he’s free to do anything. Saul leaves the auditorium.
In the lobby, Da Shi warns him it could be dangerous outside. Da Shi asks if he can get Saul a security team. Saul declines, and says he’s not a Wallfacer. Kent states that they can only do as Saul instructs. Da Shi asks to at least walk with him. He declines and leaves the building alone. Before he’s out of sight of the UN, he’s been shot.
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At Wychwood, Jin leaves instructions for her assistant Edgar to keep Will’s goldfish alive while she’s gone. Edgar wishes her good luck. Later, Jin boards a private plane on a tarmac. Inside are several other experts, Wade, and her boyfriend Raj Varma (Saamer Usmani). Varma moves his bag so she can sit behind him, but she passes the open seat and sits alone.
Wade answers a call from Da Shi. Wade tells Da Shi not to let that happen again. Da Shi is in Saul’s hospital room. On TV, a news report about cicadas affecting crops is on. Saul awakens and Da Shi tends to him. Da Shi informs him he has internal bleeding and a broken rib. He continues that if Saul is in the hospital, Da Shi isn’t doing his job.
Da Shi Protection
Saul says it isn’t Da Shi’s fault, as Saul wouldn’t let him protect him. Da Shi asks if Saul will let Da Shi protect him now. Saul agrees. Da Shi informs him that the NYPD apprehended the would-be assassin. Saul says he wants to see him. Da Shi asks why. “Know your enemy,” replies Saul.
Da Shi says that’s not his department. But he agrees to talk to someone. Saul thanks him, but Da Shi says he’s a Wallfacer, so his word is Da Shi’s command. Saul says he’s not a Wallfacer. Da Shi just smiles at him.
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On the plane, Varma approaches Jin in private. Varma asks if she’s dumped him. Jin says she can’t do this right now. Varma says he’s given her five hours and she’s stuck on a plane with him. Jin admits it’s about Will. She says she stole the last minutes of Will’s life from him, and it’s unlikely the project will ever work. Varma says Will is dead. But Jin says he’s not, he’s a living brain. And the San Ti have the tech to rebuild his body. Varma says Jin loved him. Jin says she loves him: “he’s still alive.” Varma says he hopes it works.
In his hospital room, Saul is watching a news report about himself. There’s a knock at the door. Da Shi enters with the would-be assassin. Saul asks if they can be left alone, but Da Shi says the gentleman knows what he’s doing. The assassin says he’s sorry he didn’t succeed.
3 Body Problem’s Resigned Wallfacer
Saul says he’s resigned his position as Wallfacer. The assassin doesn’t believe him. He continues that the San-Ti are both his and Saul’s superiors. Saul asks why he tried to kill a man he’s never met on the directive of aliens he’s never met. The assassin says he’s “gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord.” Then he smiles and turns to leave. Da Shi motions for him to be escorted out.
Saul asks Da Shi who he works for. Da Shi recites his resume, with the current employer being the PDC. Then he says his job now is protecting Saul. Saul says he wants to go home. Da Shi agrees, but says travel runs through Kent. Kent enters the room and Saul asks what his job is. He’s the day-to-day liaison with Saul for the Planetary Defense Council. Saul protests that he’s not a Wallfacer anymore. Kent says, “Of course not, sir.”
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Saul asks why Kent is still here. Kent repeats that he’s in charge of Saul’s day-to-day liaisons. Saul says it’s like they’re not communicating. When Saul says he’s not a Wallfacer, Kent again agrees. Da Shi watches. Saul says he wants to see the secretary-general.
In the UN meditation room, Saul tells the secretary-general he wants to go home. The secretary-general observes that Saul’s home may not comport with his new security requirements.
Home, Home Again
Saul asks why he needs security requirements if he’s not a Wallfacer. The secretary-general says she doesn’t know if it matters whether or not he’s truly a Wallfacer. What matters is what people (or non-people) believe. She continues that a Wallfacer’s work is carried out “in the solitude of the mind.” No one knows what’s inside Saul’s mind. The secretary-general doesn’t blame him for not wanting the job. Saul says he has no idea how to fight aliens. Furthermore, they’ll all be dead by the time the aliens arrive. The secretary-general admits she’s had the same thought. However, she says they owe it to their descendants to try.
Saul asks why he was chosen. The secretary-general tells him no one knows the direct reason. She says he’ll have to find his own answer. The secretary-general says they’re taking a huge gamble on Saul. In the UN lobby, Saul approaches Kent and Da Shi. Saul says he wants to go to Cape Canaveral to see his friend off.
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In the woods, Tatiana Haas (Marlo Kelly) returns to her trailer carrying a pair of grocery bags. But when she arrives, she finds the door ajar. She pulls out a pistol.
She finds a white box with her name on it, like the one that mysteriously appeared in Jack Rooney’s house. Inside is a card reading, “If one of us survives, all of us survive.” There’s also a VR helmet. Tatiana puts the helmet on. Ominous music plays.
3 Body Problem Asks: Rocket Science or Brain Surgery?
At Cape Canaveral, Will’s brain is loaded into the rocket. Wade tells Jin they included the seeds she wanted with Will’s brain. The countdown begins.
The rocket launches. Jin is overcome with emotion as she watches. Varma is watching Jin. Saul, Da Shi and Kent arrive in the control room. Jin embraces him and asks if it’s safe for him to be here. Saul says he’s wearing a bulletproof suit.
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Wade tells Da Shi that he was lucky. He continues that they really want Saul dead. Da Shi says that’s how they know he’s worth it: “my enemy’s enemy.” Wade says Da Shi will be handcuffed to that kid for the rest of his life and asks if he’s okay with that. Da Shi asks if he’s got a choice, and Wade says “no.” So Da Shi says he’s okay with it.
Varma approaches Saul and Jin and asks if everything’s all right. Jin gives an update on Will but swiftly walks away from Varma. Saul follows her, and Da Shi follows Saul.
Where’s Auggie in 3 Body Problem Episode 8?
On the beach, Jin asks Saul if Da Shi is always shadowing him. Saul says he wants to go back in time and punch his past self in the face for thinking he had problems back then. Jin lists the other two Wallfacers and wonders why he was chosen. Saul has no idea.
Jin asks if Saul’s talked to Auggie Salazar (Eiza González). He hasn’t, and asks why. Jin says Auggie hates what they did to Will, as does she. Saul says Will made his choice. He says Will would have done anything for her, as he loved her. Saul hopes someone loves him that much someday. Jin says maybe someone already does. Then she leaves him. Saul takes out his phone and looks at it.
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Auggie is in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. She’s explaining how nanofiber filters can clear water of everything from pesticides to parasites to bacteria and beyond. The locals say they have good filters already. But Auggie says if they had good filters, they wouldn’t be dealing with a dysentery epidemic. Then she rejects a call from Saul and continues helping the villagers.
In Florida, Jin looks around the NASA faculty. Soon, inside mission control, she joins Wade, Saul and the others in the control room to monitor the probe’s progress. The first stage boosters are ejected. The sail is deployed and expands. Auggie’s sail works as intended, leading to a smattering of applause. The probe approaches the first nuclear device. A countdown begins for the detonation.
Nukes in Space
The first nuclear device successfully detonates. The probe begins to accelerate. The second detonation is successful as well, accelerating the probe further. “He’s flying now,” says Saul. Next, the third detonation is successful.
One of the cords connecting the probe to the sail breaks. Alarms sound. The probe begins to deviate from the predicted trajectory. This means it won’t reach the fourth (and subsequent) nuclear devices. The commenter advises that there’s been an anomaly. Jin begins to cry. Everyone is somber. Wade says something inaudible to Jin. A final shot of the probe shows it vanishing into space.
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On his plane, Wade is on a call. He tells the man on the line to get Wallfacer Bolin whatever he wants. He reads a news article on world leaders’ response to the Wallfacer plan. But he’s interrupted by the voice of Sophon, who soon appears on a screen. Sophon says they would have liked to have met Will. She continues that they’d like to meet Wade, if his fragile humanity survives cryogenic freezing.
The electricity in the plane is cut. Wade is plunged into darkness, and the engines whine. The lights flicker back on. Wade says if they’re watching him, he must be doing something right. Sophon agrees; he’s a strong leader. She continues that Wade should know there will be a place for him when they arrive: he is part of their plan. She vanishes from the screen. But then the lights flicker and she seemingly appears with him inside the plane.
Never Alone
Sophon says they will always be with Wade. She says they’ll see whatever they want him to see. “Until the day you die,” she concludes. As she speaks, Wade sees a retinal countdown that quickly reaches zero. His own corpse appears in the seat beside him, eyes missing, sockets dripping blood. Sophon has vanished. Outside the plane, a military escort jet is still flying.
At the Magic Beach Motel, Saul and Jin sit by the pool. Saul asks how long she thinks Will will float out there. Jin says it’ll be 6,000 years before he passes a star. However, she doubts he’ll fall into the gravity well. In another 5,000,000 years, he’ll leave the Milky Way. Da Shi approaches and says they are “the two saddest-looking bastards” he’s ever seen. Saul tells him not to give him a speech: “I can’t take any Henry V bullshit.”
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Da Shi says he played Henry V in a school play. Saul says sometimes being depressed is a reasonable response to the world. Da Shi asks if he’s giving up the war after losing a few battles. He continues that they got the probe moving faster than any man-made object ever has gone before. Jin repeats that the mission was a failure.
Da Shi asks if they’ve ever watched the WWII films of the Allies launching planes off of aircraft carriers. He asks if they know how many pilots they lost before they got it right. Jin says they’re still a few million times slower than the San-Ti. Saul says humans are slow, dumb and die easy. “We’re bugs,” he concludes. Da Shi says they’re going for a drive.
We Are Bugs
Da Shi drives to a secluded area of the Everglades. They get out of the car. Insects buzz and chirp. The air is filled with them.
Da Shi gives his climactic speech. “People hate bugs. Been trying to get rid of them forever. Spray pesticides from planes. We put poison in the ground, we try to sterilize them. We swat ‘em, zap ‘em, step on ‘em. Look around. They’re not going anywhere.”
RELATED: Read all of our 3 Body Problem recaps by clicking here.
Da Shi drinks to the bugs, then pours the rest of the liquor out, “For the bugs.” He tells them they need to get back, as they’ve got work to do. The camera pulls back through the swarming cicadas as the music swells.
All 8 episodes of 3 Body Problem are currently available for streaming on Netflix.
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