Foundation

Magnificent bouts of rich storytelling often feel diluted by cheap and pointless moments of juvenile entertainment. While the core of this series held the potential to become an ode to the greatest science-fiction writer of all times, it would appear that Apple couldn't keep itself from interfering in their typical (biased) politically correct, family friendly fashion. You stand on the shoulders of a giant, and behind that giant stand millions of minds inspired by a vision of the future the whole of humanity can rally behind. The implications of the existential questions raised by Asimov are not PG-rated, this shouldn't be either.

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.

Good story, lots of action. If you like good sci-fi shows/stories, then you'll like this one. The characters are engaging and the good ones draw you in and make you care what happens to them. It starts out at medium speed, it's not slow at the start, it's just laying out the story for you. Mid season 1, starts to really pick up and season 2 is amazing, non stop drama and action. The Empire is run by 3 clones, all of their loved leader Cleon. Brother Dusk is the oldest, Brother Day (who is the ruler at the time), and Brother Dawn, the young adult ruler who will become Brother Day when he is of age. They keep moving up the ladder as they age. Hari is a brilliant mathematician, whose talent is psycho-history and that future events can be predicted mathematically. Hari gets people together, slowly to attempt to end the rule of the clones & their empire with his predictions. Couple of storylines that come together all for the same cause.

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.