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Foundation (2021)

2021 · Drama,Sci-Fi · sci-fi-speculative, sci-fi-dystopian

Foundation poster

Foundation is an Apple TV+ prestige sci-fi epic adapting Isaac Asimov's landmark novel series about the fall of a galactic empire and a mathematician's attempt to shorten the ensuing dark age using 'psychohistory.' The show is visually lavish — praised for its cinematography, production design, and epic scope — and intellectually ambitious, foregrounding ideas about civilization, power, and prediction. Lee Pace's Emperor is a consistent standout performance. The show is uneven across its seasons and divides viewers sharply along source-material familiarity: book readers debate fidelity, while newcomers often find it among the best sci-fi on television. Its tonal register is serious, large-scale, and concept-driven.

From the reviewers

Lee Pace does a convincing job of portraying an Emperor. His appearance and manner of speaking conveyed a somewhat terrifying aura that real Roman emperors and dictators like Stalin had.
The complex storylines and the future technology are all plausible enough with many surprises and good character development.
The visuals are as good as anything you'll find on tv. You can tell they put a lot of money into it and it shows.
I have to give a special mention to Lee Pace, he's one of the most underrated actors out there and his performance in this is nothing short of incredible.
Yes, this show is very uneven. Season 1, 2 and 3 are all very different to each other. But somehow it has a human element that surpasses most modern shows, as many modern shows tend to be completely forgettable.

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