3% - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Your Media Topic!

[Meredith Quill]

Your Season 1 Topic!

[jumper sage]

I love this show.  Anyone else?

[Joimiaroxeu]

I loved it too and am glad there's a forum for it here now. Can't wait until the second season. Wonder if there will be a new group of candidates or if they'll continue with the ones left from the first season?

[javaluvr]

I suspect both. I'd like to see them follow up on those who went back to the inland.

[jumper sage]

I can't wait for season 2 either.  I agree with @javaluvr that we have to follow up with those who went back.

So does season 1 mean that the one kid, with the maid, who believed all the generations of his family made to the insland?  Season one was insane and I loved every minute of it.

[Fex]

I loved this, too! I recommended it to so many people, and not one of them watched it. Ugh!

The guy who played Ezequial was great! What a creep, and yet sympathetic in some ways. What was with the water thing? Damn!

I think my favourite candidate was the guy who cheated (Rafael?). And they were all beautiful to look at, which is always nice ;) I'm so happy there's going to be a second season.

[truecrystal]

So glad there's a forum for this! I stumbled on it and ended up watching all of the episodes in 1 day. Really surprised by the ending and intrigued by the idea that paradise is child free.

Anyone know when S2 will be available?

[theOAfc]

I can say,now that i finished the season,that Joanna and Rafael are my favorite two of the bunch. Michele leaves me indifferent apart from the initial twist with her. Its probably the actress that doesnt appeal to me. Fernando is also a good character i guess but the two with the most potential are the ones i mentioned above. I think this show has more story to tell so im excited about the renewal.  Ezequiel is also a strong character,very interesting background. 

[marinw]

There is going to b a second season? Excellent! I thought I had my fill of Dystiopian Narritives, yet here I am.

I have to hand it to Netflix, they are not afraid to experiement.

[jumper sage]

Damn it!  Now I have to rewatch season 1 to get up to speed.  I see from this link that season 2 will probably come out in November/December 2017.  Phew, I have some time to rewatch.

[sportsgirl]

Just found this show and it is so good. I'm halfway through, and episode 4 floored me. It's the one where they all go Stanford Prison Experiment, the one where Marcos transitions from logical group leader to an entitled, villainous thug in 20 minutes flat. I don't think I've ever flipped from like to hate on a character so quickly. Good, good stuff.

[sportsgirl]

Now that I've seen the whole thing...this show is phenomenally good. I'd read that the last two eps go off the rails, but in my opinion, the entire season built to what happens at the end of the process. I also was truly surprised by the ending, of who went inland and who went offshore, so kudos to the writers.

The fact that there's no communication between the offshore and inland is really the point of control, isn't it? How that played out in various storylines -- Marcos, Michelle, Julia -- was well done.  I loved the last episode, when we saw Marcos' picture go on the wall. His son will grow up thinking his father is on the offshore.

The sterilization was a a total mindfuck, but it made perfect sense. I started to figure out that childbirth was probably not allowed during the Julia episode...they kept stressing how everyone on the offshore earned their place, which seemed to say without saying that no one was ever born there, as birthright is the opposite of merit. 

I never would have guessed that Fernando & Joana would be back inland while Michelle & Rafael were headed to the offshore.

[Adira]

Just discovered this show and finished season one!  Soooo good!  I felt so bad for Fernado and Joana though.  Fernado was betrayed by his own test that he came up with, but he was never dedicated to the Process, so I don't really blame the testers for testing him again.  He should've known better though.  And Joana, I didn't totally understand WHY she was eliminated.  Why did she have to murder that guy to earn her spot on the Offshore??  Why did Ezequial get so mad at her when she wouldn't do it?  Does the Offshore really want people who can so easily murder someone?  Wasn't that the whole reason Aline was observing Ezequial?  Because there had been a murder on the Offshore and they wanted to know how someone like that could've made it through the Process?  Count me confused!  But I can't wait for season two!

[MochaJay]

On 6/20/2017 at 7:22 PM, Adira said:

Just discovered this show and finished season one!  Soooo good!  I felt so bad for Fernado and Joana though.  Fernado was betrayed by his own test that he came up with, but he was never dedicated to the Process, so I don't really blame the testers for testing him again.  He should've known better though.  And Joana, I didn't totally understand WHY she was eliminated.  Why did she have to murder that guy to earn her spot on the Offshore??  Why did Ezequial get so mad at her when she wouldn't do it?  Does the Offshore really want people who can so easily murder someone?  Wasn't that the whole reason Aline was observing Ezequial?  Because there had been a murder on the Offshore and they wanted to know how someone like that could've made it through the Process?  Count me confused!  But I can't wait for season two!

I figure killing the guy wasn't about being eliminated, it was about being selected as a protege of Ezequial and part of the security team. If Joana had just declined to kill the guy she might not have been eliminated, but instead she got mad at Ezequial and quit.

[topanga]

On 2/19/2017 at 7:57 PM, Joimiaroxeu said:

I loved it too and am glad there's a forum for it here now. Can't wait until the second season. Wonder if there will be a new group of candidates or if they'll continue with the ones left from the first season?

I'd like to see some loose ends tied up from this season: what happens with Michelle and Rafael, and does Ezequial continue to go bat-shit crazy?

And will we ever hear more about Joana's and Fernando's lives in the inlands after being part of the process?

 

On 5/3/2017 at 11:25 PM, sportsgirl said:

Now that I've seen the whole thing...this show is phenomenally good. I'd read that the last two eps go off the rails, but in my opinion, the entire season built to what happens at the end of the process. I also was truly surprised by the ending, of who went inland and who went offshore, so kudos to the writers.

I'd have to say that the last two episodes made me sad, probably because it was the first time that people I cared about were eliminated. 

But the series was well-done overall. The candidate tests during the Process were a trip.

 

On 2/26/2017 at 1:16 PM, theOAfc said:

Michele leaves me indifferent apart from the initial twist with her. Its probably the actress that doesnt appeal to me.

Same here. I was interested in her story at first, when she emerged as the show's lead. But I ultimately didn't find her character--or the actress--very compelling, and I was much more interested in Joana, Rafael, Fernando, and even Marco.

Did the English-language voice-overs distract anyone? Some of the voice actors sounded wooden and unnatural--they were just bad. Especially the actors playing Ezequiel and Alin? (the woman who was observing the process and got framed for murder). When I listened to the two of them talk, I felt like I was watching a Saturday morning superhero cartoon. 

[Adira]

On 8/9/2017 at 1:06 AM, topanga said:

Did the English-language voice-overs distract anyone? Some of the voice actors sounded wooden and unnatural--they were just bad. Especially the actors playing Ezequiel and Alin? (the woman who was observing the process and got framed for murder). When I listened to the two of them talk, I felt like I was watching a Saturday morning superhero cartoon. 

I actually ended up switching back to the native Portuguese (right?) with English subtitles.  It became MUCH more watchable after that!  The voice-overs for many of the characters just didn't line up to me with tone, especially Michelle and Rafael.  I felt I could follow the show much better with the subtitles instead because I wasn't so distracted by the English dubbing.

[marinw]

I didn’t know the dubbing option was even available on Netflix!  Just as well. I am currently watching the Spanish-language El Barco with subtitles, not that bad dubbing could possibly make that show any more ridiculous.

[Cigale]

3% season 2 is coming to Netflix Canada on Friday, April 27.

Yesss!

[Paloma]

Season 2 will be on Netflix April 27--just enough time to rewatch Season 1 first, because I've forgotten a lot about the characters. 

[topanga]

22 minutes ago, Paloma said:

Season 2 will be on Netflix April 27--just enough time to rewatch Season 1 first, because I've forgotten a lot about the characters. 

Me too. Sometimes I confuse events from this show with Black Mirror episodes. It’s certainly worth a rewatch. 

[Paloma]

My husband and I just rewatched the first two episodes and it was almost like watching it for the first time. We remembered the basic plot and a couple of the main characters, but we had forgotten really important things like Michele being the mole and tricking her friend Bruna into acting like the mole (by giving Bruna the signal to attack the questioner). Besides needing the refresher, we really like the visuals of the show and may not have fully appreciated them on the first watch since we were focusing on learning the characters and following the plot.

On 8/14/2017 at 6:45 AM, Adira said:

On 8/9/2017 at 1:06 AM, topanga said:

Did the English-language voice-overs distract anyone? Some of the voice actors sounded wooden and unnatural--they were just bad. Especially the actors playing Ezequiel and Alin? (the woman who was observing the process and got framed for murder). When I listened to the two of them talk, I felt like I was watching a Saturday morning superhero cartoon. 

I actually ended up switching back to the native Portuguese (right?) with English subtitles.  It became MUCH more watchable after that!  The voice-overs for many of the characters just didn't line up to me with tone, especially Michelle and Rafael.  I felt I could follow the show much better with the subtitles instead because I wasn't so distracted by the English dubbing.

Same for us, the first time we watched it it was in Portuguese with English subtitles, but when we put it on for the rewatch it was dubbed in English and very unnatural and distracting. So we switched it back to Portuguese with English subtitles and it was much better. An added benefit was that it made me feel good that I could understand quite a bit of the Portuguese because I majored in Spanish in college and also studied Portuguese on my own for a couple of months before a trip to Portugal--that may not sound impressive, but it is to me because those studies were several decades ago so it is amazing that I still remember anything!

[wanderingstar]

Just finished bingeing this show over the weekend. Loved it. Joana and Fernando were my favorites. Looks like they'll be expanding the world a lot in season 2, and I'm glad for that. I want to better understand The Cause and The Offshore. 

I think the cast for this show is amazing, but especially Joao Miguel (Ezequiel) and Vaneza Oliveira (Joana).

Edited April 22, 2018 by Gillian Rosh

[marinw]

Here's a trailer. Spoilers! Looks like this season has a bigger budget.

[Paloma]

Season 2 is available today so I hope we can get a new topic--either episode by episode or for all of Season 2.

[Paloma]

Here's a review of Season 2, but you probably shouldn't read it until you have watched at least the first few episodes. Beware, I think the headline of the review is a minor spoiler (I have only watched the first two episodes so am not sure how much it gives away). 

http://www.indiewire.com/2018/04/3-percent-season-2-review-netflix-brazil-1201958342/

[marinw]

I'm four episodes in @Paloma, and I am agreeing with this review.

Edited April 28, 2018 by marinw

[lampwick]

Seriously.  I already cranked this out.  Where is the discussion for Season 2?

[marinw]

Discuss Season 2 here!

[marinw]

18 minutes ago, lampwick said:

Where is the discussion for Season 2?

I just started the thread. 

[marinw]

Six episodes in. Some random thoughts:

The thing I compare 3% to is the Hunger Games. It’s interesting that The Cause devoted all it’s energy to sabotaging The Process. There must be some instead people over 21 who devote their energy into improving life Inland, so that moving to the Offshore is not the only way to a more comfortable life.

I am appreciating the glimpse of life Offshore. As I suspected in Season One, the Offshore is not a Utopia, but it is better than the Inland in terms of technology, food, resources, medical care, food, and general creature comforts. Given those options, most would rather live offshore if the only thing you have to give up is the ability to have children.

For some reason Netflix Canada is dubbing this season. So far I can’t be bothered to fiddle with the language preferences. It makes the show easier to follow, but some of the dubbing is horrible. The actress voicing the head of the Offshore Guard is particularly bad.

[lampwick]

Spoiler

Did anyone else think that the flying seed, fertilizer, etc were bombs?  Still could be right?  I guess that wouldbe war.

No need for spoiler alerts right?

by the way, dubbing is the worst.  I watch everything except live news with closed captioning, so I love the subtitles, but dubbing takes you totally out of the moment- especially if you know the actor’s voice aleady.  I feel for you

Edited April 28, 2018 by lampwick

[marinw]

I just polished off season 2!

I really liked how it ended. Realistic yet hopefull. Although @lampwick's theory has merit. But if everyome insland was bombed, that would comprise the all-important Process.

Edited April 29, 2018 by marinw

[Paloma]

Season 2 was interesting but hard to follow, with all the quick cuts between what the various characters were doing and when the action was taking place. My husband and I binged the second season when it came out because we were fascinated with Season 1 and how things were set up for Season 2, but ultimately I was disappointed in how Season 2 played out. Part of the disappointment was that it seemed unrealistic that, with all the security in the Process building, Fernando and Joana were able to get where they needed to go without being seen. I was also confused about what location Rafael was trying to enter when Michele hit him, and how that location was related to the place Michele's brother took her to--where was the data located that need to be destroyed? Which brings up another question: since a witness came in just after Michele's brother murdered his mentor (or boss?) and presumably reported this to security and/or the council leaders, why didn't they destroy the video and other evidence of what really happened with the Founding Trio? Since their whole society was based on the Founding Couple myth and philosophy, it would have been dangerous to leave that available for anyone else who might stumble on the entrance (or notice an anomaly on a map, as I think Andre did) and figure out how to access it.  

Aside from these issues about realism, I had hoped to learn more about the Offshore, how it got started, and how it works in this season. It was good to see something of a backstory to the early days, and apparently investors paid for the development of this luxury island, including all the buildings and technologies. But how was the island and necessary services for the population maintained over time? Who kept the grounds, cleaned the homes and group facilities (I noticed the sparking white toilets in the security guards' bathroom), made and cleaned the clothes, picked and prepared the food, etc.? The only part of the 3% population that was shown working was the process staff and security; everyone else seemed to spend all their time in leisure pursuits. There was no indication that they brought over inland people to do the menial labor, and it wouldn't make sense for them to do that anyway if they wanted to keep the Offshore as a mystery.

I was also disappointed in the ending. I never liked Michele much, and it seemed like she screwed the Cause members so she could become a hero (new founder) of a new world. Even assuming she gets Fernando and others to work with her, it would take many years to build anything where inland people could live, and meanwhile the inland people will continue to believe in the Process and the Offshore as the ultimate goals--and lives will be destroyed as a result. 

If they have a Season 3, I hope they address some of these issues.  

[Adira]

6 hours ago, Paloma said:

Season 2 was interesting but hard to follow, with all the quick cuts between what the various characters were doing and when the action was taking place. My husband and I binged the second season when it came out because we were fascinated with Season 1 and how things were set up for Season 2, but ultimately I was disappointed in how Season 2 played out. Part of the disappointment was that it seemed unrealistic that, with all the security in the Process building, Fernando and Joana were able to get where they needed to go without being seen. I was also confused about what location Rafael was trying to enter when Michele hit him, and how that location was related to the place Michele's brother took her to--where was the data located that need to be destroyed? Which brings up another question: since a witness came in just after Michele's brother murdered his mentor (or boss?) and presumably reported this to security and/or the council leaders, why didn't they destroy the video and other evidence of what really happened with the Founding Trio? Since their whole society was based on the Founding Couple myth and philosophy, it would have been dangerous to leave that available for anyone else who might stumble on the entrance (or notice an anomaly on a map, as I think Andre did) and figure out how to access it.  

Fernando basically got lucky - he was on the security screens rolling down a hallway, but Marcela was distracted at the time, so he got away with it!  They must not have a camera at the power station that he disabled (poor fore-sight on that one).  And Joana was hiding in the air ducts for a good portion of that until the power was cut!

Rafael was trying to get into the database room on the Offshore where all the registration information was kept.  Michele was involved with the Process this year, which is why she had access and he didn't.  It wasn't anywhere near that communications bunker that Andre had brought her too.  She had overheard Joana and Rafael communicating about the plan, which is why she left to go intercept Rafael.

[Hope]

 3 episodes in - is it just me or does anyone else sense a romantic spark between Ezequiel and Michele? 

 

Also interesting to see the role religion plays, acting as a source of "truth"/propaganda, influencing people  to compete in the Process

Edited May 2, 2018 by Hope

[marinw]

6 minutes ago, Hope said:

 3 episodes in - is it just me or does anyone else sense a romantic spark between Ezequiel and Michele? 

I find their interactions creepy myself.

Edited May 3, 2018 by marinw

[Paloma]

12 hours ago, Hope said:

3 episodes in - is it just me or does anyone else sense a romantic spark between Ezequiel and Michele? 

I think Ezequiel sees Michele as someone with the potential for him to mold (into what is not clear yet) and as almost a daughter figure, and Michele sees him as the only way to see her brother. But I didn't get any sense of romantic feeling on either side. 

[wanderingstar]

Just finished season 2. LOVED it! 

The Fernando-Joana team-up was so fun. I like the chemistry between Vaneza Olivera and Michel Gomes. I also really enjoyed Rafael this season. If we get a season 3, I'd love to know how he was recruited into The Cause. He seemed super dedicated to it and said he'd sacrificed his family members to be part of it. I think there's an interesting backstory there.

Michele still annoys me. She is so damn whiny. A lot of characters on this show act selfishly, but her selfishness annoys me the most. 

Can't believe I'm saying this, but RIP, Ezequiel. I adored Joao Miguel's performance, even though Ezequiel could be awful and cruel. I didn't see the twist of him secretly helping The Cause coming.

Also can't believe they resurrected Marco. I thought he was dead for sure. Rafael Lozano is way too good at the crazy-eyed stare.

Surprisingly, I was able to keep track of all the intertwining flashbacks. Loved the background we got on the Founding Trio. 

I hope this show gets a third season.

Edited May 4, 2018 by Gillian Rosh

[Enero]

On 5/2/2018 at 8:36 AM, Paloma said:

Aside from these issues about realism, I had hoped to learn more about the Offshore, how it got started, and how it works in this season. It was good to see something of a backstory to the early days, and apparently investors paid for the development of this luxury island, including all the buildings and technologies. But how was the island and necessary services for the population maintained over time? Who kept the grounds, cleaned the homes and group facilities (I noticed the sparking white toilets in the security guards' bathroom), made and cleaned the clothes, picked and prepared the food, etc.? The only part of the 3% population that was shown working was the process staff and security; everyone else seemed to spend all their time in leisure pursuits. There was no indication that they brought over inland people to do the menial labor, and it wouldn't make sense for them to do that anyway if they wanted to keep the Offshore as a mystery.

I was also disappointed in the ending. I never liked Michele much, and it seemed like she screwed the Cause members so she could become a hero (new founder) of a new world. Even assuming she gets Fernando and others to work with her, it would take many years to build anything where inland people could live, and meanwhile the inland people will continue to believe in the Process and the Offshore as the ultimate goals--and lives will be destroyed as a result. 

If they have a Season 3, I hope they address some of these issues.  

This was my question as well. If the 3% chosen for the Offshore were doing the menial work,  how did they determine who would do those jobs? Would it be the people who weren't at the top of their class during the Process?

I agree about Michele. She is not much different from the original founders. Instead of building a new place that will likely end up being another Offshore, why not try to invest in rebuilding the Inland and helping the people that live there now? Since they did have power etc., before I'm assuming the infrastructure is already there. And yes, she was annoying. I could not have cared less about her only motivation being taking care of her brother. I was way more invested in the Fernando/Joana and eventually Rafael relationship/partnership than Michele and her brother.

I really couldn't get into this season and had to force my way through it. I think I prefer the "Hunger Games" type scenario of last season when everyone was going through the Process. 

[Meushell]

Good show. I marathoned season 1.

I wonder if any of Marco’s family really made it. I liked the character (as a character), and I hope we see more on this. It seemed that “we all make it” belief was what lead him to get violent.

I liked Fernando. I wonder and hope if his father was bluffing. His father won’t know he quit unless he tells him. I felt bad for him putting so much faith in Michelle. 

Funny how Rafael became likable, yet his actions of cheating were understandable. I would imagine he didn’t expect it to work. That’s pretty messed up that it did. Screwing over his brother (the real Rafael) is another issue.

I like Joana. I thought the killing test would be screwing herself if she did kill the guy. That was a messed up test either way. It looks like she and Fernando will be in the cause next season.

Michelle seems done with the cause. Recruiting her by saying her brother was tortured to death is horrible. I wonder what she and Rafael are supposed to do after passing. 

[Joimiaroxeu]

Renewed for Season 3:

[Meushell]

I had a harder time getting into season 2. 

Marco coming back was interesting, but they dangled potential in front of him, then he screwed himself trying to grab it. Why bring him back to repeat the same plot? I would have loved to see more interaction with him, his baby, his “girlfriend,” and his caretaker. Fernando’s comment about the radio picking up from the afterlife was the best part of Marco’s return. 

Michelle’s right in that sabotaging the data won’t stop anything. It would be a hassle to register everyone again, and they’d lose popularity, but so what? They still have the power. Enough people would still jump at the chance to prove themselves. Many would slip by on a second chance, but they could design a test to look for that.

They’d also make a point of beefing up their security to prevent problems in the future. Their security is fairly lacking.

The issue is that she wants to build a third place instead of fixing the inland, and she wants to name it after herself. At least it sounds that way in the English version.

I liked the founding trio. It wasn’t right for the founding couple to screw over so many, but it was interesting that they reacted to being screwed themselves. The third one basically got herself shot. Why were her bones just left there though? The other two clearly cared for her and reacted to her death. Why not give her a proper funeral, and why conceal her existence? The matter in how she died, and what lead to it, were the only things worth hiding. 

Edited June 6, 2018 by Meushell

[Adira]

Woohoo!  Not only renewed, but committed to coming out next year!!

[wanderingstar]

So glad we're getting season 3. I want to know what kind of world Michele and Fernando build. I wouldn't be surprised if there is some kind of war between the Inland and the Offshore.

[Rap541]

I've watched both seasons and I am having some world building problems with it.

In season one, everyone seemed shocked, SHOCKED that not only did Rafael cheat on a test but that he was passed for cheating. In season two, Fernando is sagely telling all the kids in the "how to pass the Process" class that cheating is rewarded...

But... Alina was shocked by the cheating when she witnessed it with Ezequiel, and was REALLY shocked that Rafael was passed, shocked enough that she expressly mentioned it to the council. Likewise turning the whole isolation in the dorms into the Stanford prison experiment - this was viewed as something completely new to the process. My point? Cheating actually seems to be a really new thing in that other dropouts from the process have not been warning people. 

Also, when we get to the money scene, the boxes of coins that drop outs can walk away with - everyone seems as shocked as the first season's contestants on a Gordan Ramsay cooking show that loved ones are there and that they are being offered a ton of money to quit. But in season two, we see Camilla, who took the pay out, publically discussing it like it was a known factor. So why was everyone so shocked at the idea that late process candidates are sometimes bribed to quit?

And the fertility thing. If candidates are allowed to quit AFTER that announcement, then how is that an unknown factor to the 97%? I allow that those candidates just might end up dead but enough reasonably bright people fail the process that its hard to believe no one ever considered this possibility. Particularly when at least one family, the Alvarez clan, takes care to produce heirs before the process.

But all this said, I adored the first season. I found the second season a little bit overly confused but I am on board for season three - I want to see if Fernando's prior girlfriend the bad seed and her buddy friend the cheater at the paper squares test who appears transgender make it thru the 105th process.

[marinw]

A new season streams today! A nice surprise, I didn't even know it was renewed!

[MisterGlass]

Finished season 3.  Spoilers to follow - will tag as such for now.

Spoiler

I'm really surprised that Fernando was killed before the opener.  I don't know if it was due to the actor's availability or some other issue, but I was disappointed.  I was looking forward seeing his contribution to the plan.

It stood out that the Shell was not prepared for sandstorms when it was built in a desert.  Also that they had only one collector.  It felt like they were reaching a bit to justify the set-up for a Selection.

The season still held my interest.  The character interactions are kind of fascinating, and so are the moral dilemmas.  Joanna is the most interesting character for me.  I have to say, the actor playing Rafael/Tiago is quite good; there is no reason I should continue to believe the character on anything.  The mains at last seem to be working together, and if they get a fourth season I will be interested to see it.

Some of the additional world building was interesting.  I had wondered at what point they decided to sterilize residents of the offshore.  As soon as they sent the children to the inland, I knew who was going to start the Cause.

[SevenStars]

I enjoyed this new season for the most part. I continue to love Joana and Rafael. This season made me like Elisa and tolerate Michele. 

But Gloria...I'm putting my thoughts about her under spoiler..

Spoiler

It was so damn unbelievable that after EVERYTHING they witness Gloria do, they still had her part of "Resistance "group at the end. I hated that scene when I saw Gloria included. That scene was so damn bad and it made me mad. 

[marinw]

I watched one episode which for some reason was dubbed instead of subtitlesd Not the same, even though I understand no Portequese. Time to change my Netflix langueage preferences...

Edited June 21, 2019 by marinw