Foundation

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!

When I read Asimov's 'Foundation' novels I was somewhere in my middle teenage years, more than 50 years ago. What I remembered was the central idea of psychohistory, but not much else.

When the first season of 'Foundation' screened in the Fall of 2021 I was deeply committed to the HBO series by Ridley Scott, 'Raised By Wolves' and the ambitious character driven political allegory 'The Expanse' airing on Prime. Both were challenging explorations into deeply complex ideas living up to the best that literary science fiction is known for.

Whatever my mood at the time, I found the first couple of episodes meeting most of my expectations, but then I seemed to loose the thread of the show as it left a central character behind and seemed to veer into a good guys versus bad guys realm of conventional space opera. I wrote a rather sour critique at the time that expressed my disappointment.

However, I started watching season two and decided to go back and review the first season. This time I was able to not only stay with the plot, but its choices made much more sense to me. I was newly impressed, to say the least, and could barely remember my specific criticisms on the first go-round.

Now I have a taste for what so many critics felt years after they first panned films like 'Blade Runner' and '2001:A Space Odyssey' before they recognized them as pioneering accomplishments. I wouldn't necessarily place 'Foundation' at the level of those films, but as an extended series it successfully tackles some profound questions about time and history and human behavior that are becoming ever more pertinent in today's climate of ongoing political crises.

The show runners project a run of 8 seasons to complete a narrative that even Asimov failed to finish. It'll be a remarkable achievement if all of the necessary factors, corporate, financial and otherwise hold up to make it to the end. Here's hoping.

Since immersing myself in Foundation Season 1, I've embarked on a comprehensive reading journey through Isaac Asimov's wider literary universe, including the Robot series, Empire novels, and the Prelude and Forward the Foundation prequels, all consumed in the author's recommended order. Now, having completed Season 2, I can confidently say it maintains the captivating momentum of the first, albeit after an initial one-to-three-episode warm-up. This remains one of the most entertaining series I've watched recently, and my deep engagement with the source material hasn't altered my high regard for the show's quality.

The decision to opt for a looser adaptation of Asimov's works was, in my view, a stroke of genius. This approach allows for a compelling new narrative to unfold, preserving the spirit and core themes of the books without ever threatening to dilute or ruin the original stories. I find this strategy to be remarkably thoughtful and genuinely faithful to Asimov's unique authorial vision. His novels consistently explored the intricacies of individual lives set against the grand tapestry of a galactic empire, deeply intertwined with the vast political machinations of planets and ruling powers. As long as this fundamental exploration remains central, the show consistently delivers.

While certain elements of the established lore, such as the detailed history of robots or the nuances of Hari Seldon's relationship with the Empire, have been considerably re-imagined-perhaps to lend a more "fashionable" or grand aesthetic, reminiscent of the regal spectacle in Game of Thrones-these changes are not so significant as to be problematic. Indeed, they provide the writers with the creative latitude to craft distinct, yet equally compelling, plotlines, ensuring the show's longevity without impinging upon the integrity of the original novels. The series masterfully blends the more intimate, "soapy" character dynamics often found in the prequels with the expansive, interwoven narrative scope of Foundation itself, a combination that works exceptionally well, despite a few endearing moments of cheese. Furthermore, the show is replete with dazzling spectacle and impressive special effects-a welcome change from many series that often lack in this department-making it a visually stunning and thoroughly enjoyable experience, particularly on a large screen.

I had read over 200 of Asimov's short stories novellas and novels as a kid of the 70s and early 80s and they formed the core mythos of how I perceived the distant future would become. Not exactly a dystopia and not the utopic Star Trek to be sure but at least a future where science and technology would be respected and relied upon to deliver the ... ahem.. foundations on which all society should rely.

So when this long considered unfilmable series was aired, I watched with much trepidation and bating of breath.

And ngl the first season raised my hackles somewhat... The stupid, stupid decisions of people in power and the predictable, pedestrian plot and cliche layered upon cliche actually made me quit my Apple TV+ subscription, I sh!t you not! Seriously. What were they playing at.

But when Severance S2 released I was forced to renew my Apple TV+ sub and in the days between Severance episode releases I figured I'd rewatch Foundation from S1E01

Yeah, S1 sucked as much as I remembered but having heard whispers on the grapevine that S2 was a marked improvement, I grinned and bared it.

Lee Price and Jared Harris were the frame upon which the entire show was allowed to shine... Wow. It's like they just said fk it to all the risks they DIDN'T take in S1 and pushed the whole show into deep water.

Gone were the Mary Sue interpretations of Gaal and Salvor and they were replaced with a nuanced and sympathetic roles...

Moreover the so called "comic relief" aspect turned out to be as poignant as the the rest of the show.

For me, the key was that every character was human (even the robot) and given a believable motivation and and premise that one could rally behind and feel real sympathy for.

Moreover, the IQ of the characters and plot in S2 suddenly returned to 3 digits signifying a showrunner that has gained confidence.

Let's hope Foundation outlives the original Trilogy and pushes into the whole ASIMOVERSE!!!

Finally. An adaptation that doesn't just rely on pretty graphics!

I read the books years ago and only barely remember the story. But this is complex and you need to keep up at some points! Which is a good thing.

Some of the world building is excellent and I thought it was beautifully presented. Some acting was a bit wooden, but most are very entertaining with a few exceptional performances.

It was dark, scary and sometimes funny.

If you are a regular sci-fi reader I think you'll enjoy this series.

Asimov is not light reading and you need to be able to accept the premise and suspend disbelief.