‘3 Body Problem’ Episode 4 Recap: The Raid

Season 1, Episode 4: ‘Our Lord’

“3 Body Problem” knows how to end an episode, that’s for sure. The premiere closed with spectacular blinking stars, the second episode with an ominous alien transmission, the third with a brutal murder of a character played by John Bradley, one of the show’s best known actors. (The irony that he earned his reputation on “Game of Thrones,” itself a show famous for killing off one of its best known actors early on, has not escaped me, and likely did not escape the showrunners.)

By rights, Episode 4 ought to end with the feeling that humanity is firmly in control. Using Jin as an undercover informant, Clarence and Wade infiltrate a summit held for followers of the San-Ti, the alien race headed our way. Slowly, it should be noted: Ye Wenjie, the secret leader of the group, says they are 400 years away. The organization-slash-cult run by Wenjie and her partner in crime Mike Evans is playing a very long game.

As far as Clarence and Wade are concerned, it’s game over. They send in a strike team to round up the members, especially Wenjie. But the mystery woman who’s been dogging our heroes’ every step realizes Jin is a narc and opens fire, leading to a bloody shootout. Clarence rescues Jin, but the woman escapes.

Wenjie, however, does not. Even as a wounded Jin finally comes clean to her friend Will about what’s been happening, Wenjie is brought before a panel of what look like high-ranking military and intelligence officials to answer questions about the cult and the force it serves. Not only do they have her and the people who came to the summit, Wade says, they also have a lock on the ship Mike uses as a mobile headquarters. Wenjie is unfazed.

“You’ve got me because they let you,” she tells Wade and his colleagues. “They are coming, and there’s nothing you can do to stop them. And when they arrive” — here she smiles — “you’ll be so grateful.”

Once again, “3 Body Problem” leans hard on the inevitability of the invasion in the eyes of all who learn about it. Just as Episode 3 emphasized how relocating to Earth is the only possible solution for the titular problem faced by the San-Ti, this one drives home the fact that now that their mind has made up, it’s all over but the shooting. (No pun intended.)