Foundation - Seasons 1 and 2

Foundation is based on the classic series of novels by Isaac Asimov. I read them a long time ago, for an undergrad sci-fi literature course, and from what I recall, the adaptation is a loose one.

The show depicts a powerful interplanetary Empire, and a mathematician who develops a method of calculating the course of history, extending thousands of years into the future. He predicts that the Empire will fall, and is allowed to form a Foundation to ease the process of rebuilding afterwards.

It’s a complicated premise and I think the show struggles to stick to its own rules. Characters keep saying that the math is indisputable, that the fall of the Empire is inevitable, but gradually, the Foundation becomes like an organized rebellion, actively attacking the Empire. I don’t need to root for another David against another Goliath, and I would have been more interested by a story that shows how unpredictable “black swans” can turn the tide of history.

I’ll stick more to the positives, though. I enjoyed the show in bits and pieces, even if I didn’t find the overarching plot to be compelling, and therefore, I’ll express my praise in point form:

• My MVP is Laura Birn as Demerzel, the robot who serves the Empire. Her performance captures this sense that she’s often on the edge of an emotional breakdown, caused by the pain accumulated over the millennia of her lifetime; but, she has to keep it contained because her programming forces her to.
• Lee Pace’s statuesque physique and elegance of posture and movement.
• Several big time jumps, where decades pass between one episode and the next. I like the feeling of having to reorient myself to the realities of a new society. Worldbuilding is often what I enjoy most about sci-fi, and it’s cool that they get to build a fresh world every once in a while.
• Because of the time jumps, they have to figure out a way to keep the cast around, beyond a normal human lifespan. It works best for the Emperor, who clones himself so that there are always three of him, at different ages. I ate it up whenever they interacted with each other, because it makes real the abstract and universal concept that a person’s attitudes and personality change with age.

I’m not dying to see more seasons of this, but I’ll probably dip back in when season 3 comes out. On the other hand, I have already ordered a copy of the books, and look forward to revisiting those. I think it will be an interesting compare-and-contrast exercise.