Foundation Seasons 1-2 Review

Foundation (2021-)

Season 1 - 10 episodes (2021)
Season 2 - 10 episodes (2023)
Rent Foundation on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Josh Friedman, David S. Goyer
Starring: Jared Harris, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Terrence Mann, Lee Pace, Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton
Rated: TV-14
Watch the trailer

Plot
A complex saga of humans scattered on planets throughout the galaxy all living under the rule of the Galactic Empire.

Verdict
The first season is very dense, with a massive world and many characters. The show doesn't provide much explanation or highlight how this world works. The first season might work best as setting the table for the second season. By that point we understand this world and characters better. I like the second season much more, but the strength of this show is the ideas more than the actual story. In the second season the scope of the various factions is clearer as the predicted end of the world approaches.
It depends.

Review
This is inspired by the Foundation series of stories by Isaac Asimov. It's not a direct adaptation, changing locations, characters, and plot elements. I haven't read the books, so I have nothing with which to compare. That might be a benefit as reviews indicate they are separate and distinct stories.

The first season is a lot of ideas; future world building, androids, cloning, predictive science, and space travel. It took me nearly half of the first season to find my footing with so many concurrent stories and jumping around in time. Once I got a sense of the story, this becomes a lot of fun.

The first season presents a sprawling and complicated world ruled by clones of Cleon. The empire is represented by one person in three bodies. Brother Day (Lee Pace) rules the empire with his older clone Brother Dusk (Terrence Mann) as an advisor while his younger clone Brother Dawn learns the ropes. Together they are known as Empire. Brother Day exiles Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) for proclaiming the end of empire. Seldon has created a new discipline of predictive science.

Lee Pace, Terrence Mann play Brother Day, Brother Dusk

On a new world, Terminus, Hari and Gaal (Lou Llobell) will create Foundation, a repository of human knowledge to rebuild after the fall. Hari and Gaal don't make it to Terminus, but years later Salvor Hardin (Leah Harvey) is the warden of Terminus. There's a pull between a predictive science, religion, and an ancient ship that's a mighty weapon. What was Seldon's plan? Is Terminus the manifestation of his vision? Meanwhile on the capital planet of Trantor, within the kingdom rebels have long hidden plans to usurp the Empire.

By the end of season one, stories begin to merge as Seldon's vision of the empire's collapse seems closer to fruition than ever before.

In the second season Gaal and Salvor have teamed up, trying to return to Terminus. A version of Seldon is assisting them. His plans were more massive than anyone would have guessed. On Trantor Brother Day must weather another attempt on his life.

Leah Harvey plays Salvor Hardin

Hober Mallow is named as an important person for the future of the universe. He's a cheat and scamp which makes his importance all the more questionable. This season moves quickly as Brother Day wants to wed. His potential bride is interested as she thinks he attacked her planet and killed her family. Dusk and Dawn feel that with this wedding and other initiatives Day is gaining too much power.

This season feels more focused, that or the end goal is clearer. It also helps that the world is established and this doesn't have to do so much building. It might be that this season's scope is simpler.

An interesting thread this season is memory. Empire erases other people's memories to avoid blackmail. With the removal, people  don't even know the memory is gone. Day even checks Dawn and Dusk's memories due to an assassination attempt.  All of this comes down to literal mind games and hidden memories. Dusk has his own girlfriend, and she has her memories restored. Dusk discovers he's missing memories. What could happen if Dusk's memories were restored?

Ella-Rae Smith, Lee Pace play Queen Sareth, Brother Day

This season provides more insight into Demerzel (Laura Birn), Empire's chief of staff with a long and storied history. This season has some moments. Hober Mallow does serve a purpose in the final episodes as he upends Brother's Days plan to destroy Terminus. All the story threads connect at this battle.

I like the second season more. It seem less dense, but it could be aided by the fact that we've already digested the first season and have a basis for this world. The final episode of the seconds season is a culmination of all the story threads in the season.