Foundation

... Its name didn't need to be Foundation. Imo, it's about 50% Asimov and the rest is a combo of soap opera, sc-fi-imperial politics, CGI explosions and Webb-esque space vistas. Heck, you could claim several other writers' materials were influences. Lots of this series is purely mainstream, outer space SF.

But it's excellent SF! Captivating sub-plots, likable characters and gorgeous images are extremely entertaining! In its own right, it is a superb show. Aye, and there's the rub... A "show" isn't necessarily literature. Michael Crichton and James Patterson were/are graphic oriented writers, evoking a "screenplay" feel in their fiction, which isn't meant as a detraction. Excellent easy read authors! Asimov isn't as frugal a wordsmith, however, and there are probably as many different visual interpretations of scenes in his books, as there are readers of his books. But then again, this is series is just loosely "based" on his work, whether it is expressly acknowledged or not.

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!!!

Makes Game of Thrones feel like The Powerpuff Girls

A banquet for the senses, a feast for the synapses- this show is the real deal

If you want a show that challenges you to read deeper, ask questions, venture to learn more about what it means to be human, to be a small, but crucial part of a civilization; to seek peace, to understand beauty, to investigate faith, to dissect geopolitical constructs on a core level- there simply isnt any other show~*

The depth of wisdom that drives this show is honestly mind-boggling. It presents an ostensibly true utopia, a future paradise for humankind wherein anything is possible but just barely an inch out of reach- and its utter collapse in the face of transcendence to godhood due to ambition and hubris is by far the most fascinating spectacle I've ever seen~*

This show is an achievement comparable with the establishment of a new language: a new society, an unearthed Olympus, riddled with Gods all competing for significance~*

The writing, the performances, the world-building, the construction of an entire universe heretofore beyond comprehension, bolstered by exceptional performances by Lee Pace and the rest of the cast~*

If true drama, heft and bedazzlement are what you require, then look no further than this- the Foundation- the core of what makes us human: the (frivolous?) search for the meaning of life~*

If you will, grapple with the war between religious fervor and scientific achievement, misguided enforcement of laws by man and true liberation, absolute truth and righteousness

Love and absolution

You have been warned.

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.

To me Brother Day played by Lee Pace has become as enjoyable to watch as Daenerys played by Emilia Clarke in GOT. There's a lot of confusing, boring bits and vexing characters in the show but Brother Day keeps me coming for more.

Overall it's a quality show albeit flawed. But there's a lot of unique, and daring approach that still make this show worth a watch. Every scene and every new information that is revealed about Cleons is so engaging and interesting.

If you're into sci-fi I'd definitely recommend trying this show and giving it a shot at least till season two because it actually even improves in the second season.