Chaos breaks out all over the world as the San-Ti stake their claim in 3 Body Problem episode 6, "The Stars Our Destination."
Eye in the Sky
People are panicking and rioting after the "eye in the sky" event that has sent the world spiralling out of control. Now aware of the San-Ti, governments are struggling to reassure everyone the world will survive. Groups form to create resistance forces while others try to embrace the idea that aliens are coming. The NHS has declared a mental health emergency, and Clarence (Benedict Wong) discovers a whole path along the Thames with people hanging from the lampposts.
Clarence brings Jin (Jess Hong) to see Wenjie (Rosalind Chao), who hasn't said a word since her Lord said we're all bugs. Jin takes a seat and tells her she's lucky to be inside without any windows and screens. People are terrified and killing themselves. Jin wants to know why Vera had to die. She was the one who taught Jin everything she knew. Did Wenjie order Jack to die, too?
Wenjie tells her there was a poster on the stage where her father died. It had a picture of a man destroying Buddha, Jesus and a rock and roll record with a hammer saying "destroy the old world and forge a new world." It's the only thing she ever agreed with. She insists she communicated with the San-Ti to help save Earth, but now they know the truth about humans and their ability to lie. Jin asks who gave her the right to decide for the rest of us. Before she leaves, Jin tells Wenjie she'll be remembered as a traitor. Jin plans to be remembered as someone who put up a fight.
At Wychwood Manor, Wade (Liam Cunningham) explains this will be their base of operations, away from the cities and rioters. He says that the sophons can hear everything but he knows they can't lie. He wants to use Earth's fast-moving technology to send a probe out to learn about them. That means building the technology to do it.
Wade meets with Jin and says he's ordered all of the world's particle accelerators to start back up. He's hoping it distracts the sophons but she points out how fast a proton can move. He challenges her to find a way to send a probe at one percent of light speed, like the San-Ti, but using current technology. He tells her to go to Wychwood Manor to present her proposal.
The pitch for the stars
Saul (Jovan Adepo) and Will (Alex Sharp) sit on the beach. Will says every now and then his body feels good enough to allow him to focus on terrifying things. Auggie (Eiza González) arrives. Saul asks if she's ok, and it takes her a while before she says she is, but she’s still dealing with what happened to the ship.
Jin wanders through Wychwood, pausing to smile at Raj (Saamer Usmani) on her way to give her presentation to the panel. She pitches her idea, all based on past precedent and technology. The panel brings up treaties and the cost. She reminds everyone this plan will cost a lot of money but the panel says they need to do research. Wade points out that Jin's theory was the first proposal that can work so he plans on getting her an office.
Will, Saul and Auggie try to get food but all the shops have been scavenged. On the news they see a story about millionaires buying stars to raise money for the war effort. Will points out it's better thinking about a future war than to focus on their current problems. He tries to pre-order some whiskey, having come into some money, but the shop owner says it won't be there till after the New Year. Will says he won't be around by then.
Raj wants to work for Wade's team, specifically the space fleet team Wade is assembling. Wade reveals they're building their ships on the moon.
Jin (and a goldfish) show up at the beach cottage. Auggie is surprised Jin didn't know she was with Raj. The goldfish is a gift for Will. After dinner, Auggie can't believe Jin is working with Wade and tells her to ask Raj about what happened in Panama. Jin reminds her the San-Ti are coming but Auggie says they're 400 years away. Auggie asks what Jin's working on and when she says she's designing a nuclear sail, Auggie says she won't help because it might not be a weapon now but in the past the world's best scientists came together and gave the world Hiroshima.
Will is at the beach when Jin walks up. She wants him to know he could have told her about his condition. She would have been angry if he didn't tell her. Jin asks if he wants her to stay for a few more days, but he wants her to go save the world. She takes a piece of paper from him and folds it into a little boat. She makes another one, so they each have a boat representing them. Once they're in the water they set off together.
Later, Will is reading with his fish when Saul comes in and asks how things are with Jin. Saul knows how much Will loves Jin and wonders how he can let her go without telling her. Saul thinks Will should go to London to profess his love, Auggie agrees. Soon he's on a train battling nausea.
The Stars Our Destination
Raj tells Jin he couldn't tell her about his mission in Panama. She reminds him they have had the same security clearance. He reminds her what she’s doing is for a war that will be fought, and she needs to handle it. She points out Auggie is devastated by what she did.
Saul wakes up to find Auggie is getting sick from drinking so much. He helps her to the bathroom and holds her tight.
When they get home, Jin tells Raj maybe she shouldn't be working for Wade. He hugs her, and Will watches the embrace from across the street.
Clarence visits Wenjie in her jail cell. It resembles the one in China. He says he's been reading Evans' logs with the San-Ti and he wants to know why Vera took her own life. Wenjie says she was careless with the messages she was sending Evans. She reminds him she hasn't been charged with a crime. Clarence gets clearance to release her, but he wants her tracked.
At the cottage, Auggie tells Saul he looks better when he's got a few extra pounds on him. Will looks on in amusement. Saul tells her she looks beautiful, "in a boring way." Will says he realized on his way to London that what Jin really needs is Auggie's knowledge. Will knows what Jin's doing is for the greater good and she needs Auggie's help. But Auggie wants to stay with Will and Saul. Will thinks the holiday is almost over, though, so they need a new plan.
At Wychwood, Jin meets with Wade and says there's a problem with how the probe will slow down. But Wade isn't concerned with that, because he knows that the San-Ti will pick up their probe because a human will be inside.
Auggie arrives at Wychwood and Wade is glad to have her there.
Wenjie arrives home and starts a new altar for Vera. She talks to their Lord, telling them it was her beliefs that got them there, and perhaps in a few centuries there won't be a fight at all if they can find a way.
Will looks out at the water. He wades into it, fully dressed, and sees the paper ships coming in from the fog. He gets out of the water and hurries back to the cottage. Later, he visits The Stars Our Destination to buy his star.
The complete first season of 3 Body Problem is available to stream on Netflix now.
