Foundation

Can't rave enough about this program... from season one the show builds and weaves the multiple threads of the story through centuries of the Foundation and Empire. Traditional old school sci-fi married with 8k visual graphics and engaging story telling. Season 3 episode 5 is movie quality knock your socks off mind blowingly epic.

Please don't dilute the achievement of this production with nitpicking comparisons to the books it is based on. I truly thinks that Asimov himself would be the first to stand and applause if only he was here today.

I remember watching the first couple episodes and not being very impressed. Not necessarily hating it, but not intrigued. It felt like a very traditional sci-fi series, akin to dune or star wars. A year or two later, i tried watching again... and now i'm somehow roped in and invested and binged most of the show well into 4 in the morning.

Great visual effects, music, vfx, product and costume design, even acting. Really intriguing clone concept (and a very obvious anagram for Cleon). Fantastic world building and i appreciated the non-linear storytelling. Interested to see where this series will take us!

Lee Pace does a convincing job of portraying an Emperor. His appearance and manner of speaking conveyed a somewhat terrifying aura that real Roman emperors and dictators like Stalin had. The complex storylines and the future technology are all plausible enough with many surprises and good character development.

Let's start with this - if you're an orthodox fan and believe books should be adapted sentence by sentence, it's simple - don't watch.

For those who don't know the books, I'll start by saying I've read most of Asimov's books. The Foundation cycle began to be written in the 1950s. After a long break, more books appeared in the 1980s. In this case, modernization seems not only justified but even necessary. Unless you like a strong retro vibe where the Galactic Empire is completely based on nuclear energy, which represents humanity's greatest achievement. Similarly, contemporary viewers will relate much better to Seldon as a consciousness transferred to a computer than to films recorded on tape by Seldon and watched (or ignored) by descendants. Moreover, it's worth adding that Asimov's saga is famous for internal inconsistencies. For example, initially Trantor is located in the center of the galaxy, as befits an empire's capital, later it's on the galaxy's arms where there's no dangerous radiation from the galaxy's center - Asimov repeatedly changed details in the novels, adapting them to the progress of knowledge.

The series has been extremely modernized; we can watch fantastic technologies and absolutely stunning shots. Which I mostly rate as a plus. A certain flaw of the series is its distinctly different character. The series is much more adventure-oriented, individualistic, and brutal (especially in the Season 3 finale there's quite a bit of senseless carnage), but it's also more mature. The Foundation saga, despite its political and social scope and, for the 1950s, often considerable courage, was nevertheless quite infantile.

The acting is good, the characters are very diverse. In my opinion, the best-written character is Demerzel (Laura Birn); for those who've read the books, she once bore the name Daneel, among others. It's an excellent development of Daneel's character, more realistic and deeper (though the way she holds her hands and the robes she wears are awful). The worst-written is the Mule (Pilou Asbaek). He's been exaggerated into a sadistic brute and in a sense split into two characters because Magnifico Giganticus (Tomas Lemarquis) is a second character in the series. And actually three characters, but I won't write what the third is. I had high hopes for the Mule, which the series didn't fulfill. Though for a change, the marriage of Bayta (Synnove Karlsen) and Toran (Cody Fern) Mallow, connected in some way to the Mule, was extremely skillfully modernized. Modernization is one of the series' greatest assets. But even in this regard, there are slip-ups. The imperial weapon in the form of a black hole launcher is great, but unfortunately the creators didn't think or ignored that a black hole wouldn't stop after swallowing a planet; it would grow and fly further, perhaps in a different direction. Distance shouldn't be any problem for this weapon (so why not attack the Mule?). To put it bluntly, here the creators overdid it in a way typical of Nolan's pseudoscientific films. A shame.

It's somewhat difficult to rate this series unequivocally. It's certainly an ambitious attempt to modernize Foundation. At times it departs very strongly from the original, but usually in a good direction. It's definitely more mature but often unnecessarily brutal. Sometimes there are slip-ups, but rarely. I think 8 stars is a good rating.

Foundation is one of the most epic and underrated series of our generation. It's a true sci-fi masterpiece, effortlessly combining romance, space opera, and political intrigue into one of the most ambitious TV shows ever made. From the very first episode, it's clear that this is not just another space drama-this is a monumental achievement that rivals even Star Wars in terms of scope, ambition, and storytelling.

At the core of this show is Lee Pace, who delivers the performance of a lifetime as Emperor Brother Day. It's impossible to overstate just how incredible he is in this role. His portrayal of a ruler who is both menacing and deeply vulnerable is nothing short of brilliant. His performance elevates Foundation to a whole new level. It's easily one of the greatest Emperor portrayals in modern TV and film history, and it's a testament to Pace's immense talent that he can make such a complex and larger-than-life character so relatable and human.

But Lee Pace is far from the only standout. The casting across the board is superb, with every actor bringing their A-game. Laura Birn as Demerzel is absolutely mesmerizing. Her performance as the enigmatic and morally ambiguous android is one of the finest in the series. It's a role that demands a delicate balance of cold, calculated precision and subtle emotional depth, and Birn nails it. She's top-tier acting through and through.

Cassian Bilton, Terrence Mann, and Pilou Asbæk all bring memorable performances that breathe life into their characters. Asbæk, in particular, shines as the villain of the series, bringing a chilling intensity that makes his every scene electrifying to watch. Jared Harris is also stellar, as always, grounding the show with his trademark gravitas and emotional depth. The ensemble cast works seamlessly together, with each actor playing off the other in ways that keep you engaged from start to finish.

The visuals in Foundation are nothing short of breathtaking. The CGI and VFX are top-notch, with the massive scale of space travel, futuristic cities, and majestic landscapes all rendered with stunning detail. It's clear that the team behind this series spared no expense in making the show look as grand as the story it's telling. The production value is through the roof, and it makes the show feel as massive as the galaxy it spans.

The editing is equally impressive. Foundation has a complex narrative, jumping between different characters, timelines, and planets, but the editing keeps it cohesive and engaging. The pacing is excellent, always building tension when needed but never losing the emotional core of the story. The show manages to be both epic and intimate, and it's a delicate balance that the editing and direction pull off flawlessly.

What's truly amazing is that Foundation manages to feel both classic and groundbreaking at the same time. The blend of romance, space, political intrigue, and philosophy creates a show that appeals to fans of so many genres. It's a space opera with the heart of a Shakespearean drama, and it's undeniably one of the most compelling sci-fi shows of all time.

Simply put, Foundation is a wow experience. It's a series that combines everything great about TV-epic storytelling, brilliant acting, stunning visuals, and unforgettable characters. It's the kind of show that deserves far more recognition and far higher ratings. If you're a fan of sci-fi, or just great television in general, Foundation is an absolute must-watch.

This series truly deserves the title of a modern classic and is one of the most underrated gems of our generation. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and watch it. You won't be disappointed.