Maybe You've Heard Of Columbo, Sherlock Holmes Or Miss Marbles But What About Charlie Chan? Found This

Maybe you've heard of Columbo, Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marbles but what about Charlie Chan? Found this gem in a local store. Charlie Chan is the original of Sidney Wang from Murder by Death, played by Peter Sellers. Can't wait to watch this!

TV Shows - 3 Body Problem X

In the eighth episode, we’ve reached the finale, but nothing is going as it should.

Saul narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by self-driving cars, only to be interrogated and protected by Da Shi. It’s immediately clear that Da Shi knows more than the audience or Saul himself. Together, they travel to the United Nations, where Saul is appointed as a Wallfacer. This raises a lot of questions, even though they explain what a Wallfacer’s role is. However, both the audience and Saul barely have time to process this because, right outside the building, Saul is shot in an assassination attempt.

What I only understood after reading the books is the behavior of everyone around Saul after he becomes a Wallfacer. It was a big mystery to me, and honestly, a bit frustrating. People treat him differently because the status of a Wallfacer can never be taken away, so everyone assumes that Saul’s actions are just part of his Wallfacer role. On top of that, there was very little information given about the whole Wallfacer concept, leaving me feeling a bit lost. On one hand, this approach creates suspense, especially for those who haven’t read the books. But on the other hand, it’s risky. If there’s too much time between the first and second seasons, this confusion could become really annoying. It makes me wonder if people will even want to rewatch the first season before the next one arrives.

The second storyline focuses on launching the capsule and saying goodbye to Will, even though only his brain remains. In the book, this event happens much later, after a lot of time has passed, but in the show, it’s moved up significantly. I think that was a good choice, otherwise, it could have dragged on too much.

Everyone is devastated, and before Jin leaves Cape Canaveral, Wade whispers something in her ear. I would have loved to know what he said.

Jin and Saul sit in a motel, trying to drown their sorrows, until Da Shi shows up. He can’t stand seeing them so miserable, so he takes them to a lake or swamp full of insects. The San-Ti had referred to humanity as insects at the end of episode five, and Da Shi reminds them that humans have tried to get rid of insects too, yet the insects are still here. With these motivating words, the episode ends, showing the three of them getting back to work.

But that’s not quite the end—Sophon contacts Wade, telling him that she will always be there, and that she won’t leave his side until he dies. To make sure he doesn’t forget, she gives him a hallucination of his own death.

On one hand, after this episode, you want more—so much more—because it’s such a well-written and well-made sci-fi story. On the other hand, it’s a good ending, with enough loose ends to leave you really curious and excited for the next season.

And if you think I forgot about Auggie, I didn’t. There’s a brief scene where she uses her nanofibers as a filter to clean a water source. Even though she gets a call, she ignores it because what she’s doing now is what she’s always wanted, and at that moment, it’s more important.

If I’m not mistaken, this is also the end of Auggie’s (Wang Miao’s) character. He doesn’t play a bigger role in the book, though he’s mentioned a few times. Whether they’ll handle Auggie the same way remains to be seen, as all the characters have slightly different roles in the show compared to the book.

What am I looking forward to the most?

How will they depict the future in the next season? This will surely take a lot of effort, and if an episode already costs $20 million, it could get even more expensive here.

How far will the characters deviate from their roles in the book? How will the concept of the Dark Forest be portrayed?

If I remember correctly, there are fewer Wallfacers in the series than in the book. So how will they handle the Wallbreakers, and will they also meet in the game?

I’ll admit, even though her storyline is supposedly over, I’d love to see more of Auggie. Eiza González does a fantastic job, and I’m really happy she got a more demanding role here (I only knew her from Bloodshot). I know she was also in Alita: Battle Angel, but I couldn’t remember her (I looked it up, and she played Nyssiana. I would’ve never recognized her!).

Much of the story will shift from Earth to space, and I hope they stick to the book here and maybe take some inspiration from the CGI series. But that’s wishful thinking, and I suspect they’ll come up with something new and innovative.

TV Shows - 3 Body Problem VI

First, we learn that Ye Wenjie is brought to Michael Evans on the Judgment Day, and at the beginning of the series, during Vera's funeral, we found out that Vera is their daughter. This is another aspect that is portrayed differently in the book. I wonder if this connection was chosen in the series to create a sort of bridge between the different factions. However, I don’t mean the factions within the series itself, but rather between the Chinese and Western actors.

Because, if we take a closer look, there are indeed some differences in nationality and gender, as well as certain events that are spread across multiple characters (I’m still very curious about how this will develop later in the series).

However, the crucial point in this episode is that, due to his ignorance, Michael Evans loses contact with the San-Ti (as they are also called). He reads them a story, but it is misunderstood by the other side. It’s also clear that Evans isn’t particularly good at explaining it. At the same time, it reveals that the San-Ti, as it seems—though it's not explored further—have a completely different understanding of truth and untruth, as well as communication in general. This is another area where more could have been explored about the San-Ti, to make things clearer for the audience. After all, communication has already existed for some time, and without an eight-year gap in between.

Will, meanwhile, has rented a small house where he also learns that he is the sole heir to Jack’s fortune. Unfortunately, at that moment, he’s too stoned to really grasp it. Honestly, I can understand him—if I had the chance, I’d probably do something similar and sign up for what’s coming in the next episodes.

Toward the end, Jin is almost murdered by Tatiana, but Clarence manages to prevent it. Tatiana is shot but manages to escape, and she will only reappear later. Ye Wenjie, however, is captured by the task force and still believes that this is all part of the San-Ti’s plan, and that when they arrive in 400 years, they will populate the Earth together.

I know I ask this question often, but it keeps popping up in my mind—how will it continue? In theory, I know how it goes on, but the question is more about what we’ll actually see visually, or what the series will show us. Especially when I think about Will and everything that gets set in motion through him—just that alone could easily fill half a season.

But the arrival of the San-Ti is a relatively complex topic (here’s a spoiler warning)! The first season leaves us with the knowledge that in four hundred years, the San-Ti will land on Earth, and humanity can do nothing about it—or won’t develop enough to counter it. This misconception persists until the very end, about 200 years in the future from here, where incredible arrogance among humans is suddenly, literally, shattered.

This is where the Swordholders and Wallfacers come into play, with the latter only being briefly mentioned in the last episode (more on that later).

This episode, I think, marks a sort of halfway point, and you can feel how things start to tighten up from here. Everything suddenly develops at a rapid pace, even though it’s still told calmly and thoughtfully. This is something the series shares with the book when you compare the first season with the first book. Because from the second book onwards, nothing is as it once was, and events start to spiral.

I just read an article about the Chinese audience’s response to this series, and the changes to the characters have not been well received. I can understand that to some extent. Even though these changes were made to make the series more appealing to a broader audience, I found it very interesting in the book that the main characters were mostly Chinese. It was just more diverse in many ways because it was something unfamiliar.

Even though I often complain that the series should tell us more about the San-Ti, I think, at the end of the day, it might not be such a bad thing. It maintains an interesting level of suspense, and that with a lot of finesse.

I’m particularly curious about what will happen with Tatiana since, in the book, she’s just a bodyguard for Ye Wenjie and dies rather quickly and unexpectedly. Especially because she manages to escape, and we later learn that she also gets a headset.

One more fun fact to finish: If Netflix sticks to its current plan, this could become the most expensive series in Netflix history. Each episode costs around 20 million dollars, and if the subsequent seasons also have eight episodes each, the total costs will reach 480 million dollars. Whether this includes marketing, I don’t know, but when you think about it, you can see that the series is highly produced. Even though the CGI in The Rings of Power (Amazon) is much more extensive, I still think that both series visually benefit from these high costs. And yes, I know, there are significant differences in storytelling, no question. But purely in terms of look and feel, there are some parallels.

TV Show - The Fall of the House of Usher II

In this episode, it quickly becomes clear that Roderick Usher isn't as sharp as he might have once seemed. At the same time, a mysterious woman is introduced—she’s appeared before, but oddly always in different forms.

The focus, however, is on Perry, who has been rejected by his father and aunt when he pitched what he believed to be a brilliant idea for a club. At first, their harsh response seems unfair, because from a distance, Perry's idea, though elitist, flashy, and a bit perverse, somehow fits. You’re left wondering why they dismissed him so brutally.

As the Usher family's story unfolds, you start to understand the reasoning behind this rejection, even though Roderick has already told Perry straight to his face. Either you change the world or your idea goes straight to the trash—anything less is unworthy of an Usher. Is this the secret to the family's success?

We also learn in this episode that there’s a mole in the legal case against the Ushers, led by Auguste Dupin, who is leaking information to the prosecution. Naturally, the Ushers won't stand for this. Their lawyer, Pym, immediately drafts new confidentiality agreements, which all family members and their partners must sign. This plot line alone is powerful, showing both how the Ushers operate and the wealth they use to protect themselves.

As for the mole, I have a theory, but I'll wait until I have more evidence. Now, back to Perry!

Determined to prove his father wrong, Perry throws an extravagant, orgy-like party. But just as he aims high, he falls just as hard—poor Icarus, metaphorically speaking. It fits perfectly with what happens: while the acid may have physically killed him, it was his hubris and ego that were the real culprits. Too bad for him that his brother’s wife, the person he was trying to get back at, survives, and I’m sure her story isn’t over yet.

I like how this episode focuses on Perry, while still giving us glimpses of the others—there's some crazy stuff happening, but it’s not shoved in your face. That’ll sure come later, but for now, we’re just getting small bites. The scenes with Auguste, Roderick, and Madeline working in the basement add even more intrigue.

Another aspect I appreciate is the deeper exploration of Roderick and Madeline’s past—how they became such a powerful family and built their wealth. The way this is woven into the present-day storyline adds the right amount of context just when it’s needed.

The episode also touches on the painkiller Ligadone, its supposed side effects, and how addictive it can be. I wonder if this is another reference to the opioid crisis in the U.S., where drugs like Oxycodone and Fentanyl have caused widespread addiction.

Many doors have been opened, and I’m eager to see what paths, obstacles, and dark secrets lie behind them. I’m also hoping we’ll learn more about the mysterious woman, who keeps appearing in different forms.

I’d love to see the visuals continue to evolve—the series' style, especially how it portrays different time periods, is something I really enjoy. On the surface, it might seem lavish and exaggerated, but when you look closer, you find something distinctly Edgar Allan Poe-like. I wish more shows would dare to take these kinds of creative risks.