Two series in one. Review of the 1st season of the “Foundation”

After the first few episodes, one could get the impression that the Apple TV + Foundation is like two series, but combined into a whole. One is an original idea, dealing with the meanders of power in the galactic empire and how power destroys and spits out humans – both at the top and everyone below. The second is a fairly generic space story in which some people shoot at each other because of some old conflict.

Asimov’s creativity in this production is scarce, even for a series of novels whose chapters were separated by hundreds of years of time jump. Occasionally, the heroes from the pages of the novel jump out like the devil from the box to remind that this is the Foundation , and not another series that the creators could make, but perhaps they were afraid that without hooking up to some literary classic, no one would want to give them green light and the right budget.

There were three Emperors

The first plot takes place on the planet Trantor, the capital of the Galactic Empire, ruled for generations by the Cleon dynasty. It is here that we meet for the first time Hari Seldon, the founder of the eponymous Foundation, the creator of all the commotion, and Gaal Dornick, a young girl who came to the imperial planet to work with the legendary Seldon. Trantor is the starting point for the second storyline, namely Seldon and the colonists. When they leave, we still stay on Trantor to follow the history of the rulers of the Empire.

At the outset, the fascinating thing about this thread is that all the rulers of the Empire are clones, perfect genetic copies of the first Emperor Cleon. There are also three of them always alive: Morning, Day and Twilight. One learns from the elders, the other is the actual ruler, and the third advises. One of them is played by Lee Pace and – I am writing this with full conviction – he is the greatest good this series has to offer.

In the role of Emperor, Pace had a lot to offer, especially as he played not one but two consecutive incarnations of Cleon throughout the season. He managed to skillfully show pride, ruthlessness, cruelty, and finally also the most human emotions, such as fear, despair and rage. This could be the best role in his repertoire (better than Joe McMillan from Halt and Catch Fire, fight me!). Hope it will bring him better movie proposals in the future. And some prizes. Pace dominates all scenes not only because of his acting. The creators make great use of his physical conditions – tall stature, musculature, deep voice – to show his position in the hierarchy. From the first second you can see that even among his brothers he is the most important. The viewer’s gaze flies in his direction.

The Cleon plot is not only about the political games of the rulers of the universe. It is also a fascinating story about the nature of human beings created in a laboratory and then raised locked up for one purpose only – to rule over billions of people who fear and hate them at the same time. In one episode, Brother Day goes on a journey to the headquarters of one of the largest religions in the Empire, where he meets a person who proclaims that clones – people like him and those he considers brothers or even sons – have no soul. This situation is played out masterfully on the political side, and in addition, it is an important point in the development of this particular hero.

Cleoni is a plot so good that I could watch a series that only focuses on the lights and shadows of absolute power and have a hundredth fun from start to finish. Unfortunately, there is also the latter part in the Foundation .

The other planet

The second thread, Terminus, because that is the name of the planet on the outskirts of the Empire, where the Foundation’s colonists find themselves, theoretically has the most source material. Which does not mean, however, that this is a thread that faithfully reflects what Asimov described.

The series focuses on the story of Salvor Hardin, a young guardian of the colony, who must prevent a massacre between two feuding peoples and, in addition, find an extremely powerful spacecraft that threatens not only her planet, but also many others. This ship is the biggest McGuffin in television history. At this point, the Foundation resembles the latest Star Wars or Star Trek: Discovery rather than Asimov’s novel. In addition, it is a pity that I cannot write the same as for the role of Pace about Jared Harris, who plays Hari Seldon, whose talent and presence in this series were completely wasted.

It was difficult for me to get involved in this story at all, because it is realized and played a bit like medium-quality science fiction cinema. Even computer effects are worse on Terminus. At these moments, the pace and quality of the series are soaring, which is quite frustrating to receive. Due to these jumps in the level, around the fifth episode, you no longer want to follow the activities of the colonists. It’s a pity, because that’s when the action on Terminus begins to thicken. After that, the show draws a bit from The Expanse , but not enough to consider it an improvement in the quality of the plot, and the solution to the cosmic intrigue that fueled the conflict on the planet and its orbit gives shivers of embarrassment.

Emperors, remember emperors

Despite the frustrating inequality between plots, and sometimes even episodes, the Foundation is worth a look. In addition to the Cleons, the series serves an interesting and impressive world – both visually and world-creating. Time skips and some twists can do a great job here, push the plot and draw the viewer in. However, it will be more fun for those who watch the series without trying to compare it too closely with the book. It’s best to skip it at all and focus on what turned out great in this series, and not analyze the failure of the creators trying to film Asimov’s work. You will spare yourself the frustration.

It is already known that there will be a second season, which will start right after another big time jump. What’s more, the creator of the series, David S. Goyer, has plans to make as many as eight ten-episode seasons. And that means hopefully more Cleons.