Foundation

:

Season 1
  • Network: Apple TV
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 24, 2021
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 86 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 86
  3. Negative: 34 out of 86
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User Reviews

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  1. LunaticInk
    Sep 26, 2021
    2
    This show is hot garbage. It has nothing to do with the Azimov books aside from the basic premise. The main character is a Mary Sue that counts numbers when stressed, and it is heavily implied she’s autistic. They even indicate she has solved Hari’s incomplete math calculations. I cannot stress enough how annoying the character is, especially with the counting. The actress herself isThis show is hot garbage. It has nothing to do with the Azimov books aside from the basic premise. The main character is a Mary Sue that counts numbers when stressed, and it is heavily implied she’s autistic. They even indicate she has solved Hari’s incomplete math calculations. I cannot stress enough how annoying the character is, especially with the counting. The actress herself is fine.

    The second episode managed to squeeze in a lecture about diversity and inclusion, in a galaxy composed of a fascist empire that is 12,000 years old. The dialogue is immature and cartoonish and the “villains” are caricatures with no depth. The costumes look like leftovers from a crappy SYFY film.

    I only watched the second episode because I was hoping the first one was just a rough start. So far this watches like some knob’s Twitter feed and is full of hot takes. Get better writers, and stop throwing in buzzwords like “agency” all the time. It’s overplayed and lame.    … Expand
  2. VirgilReality
    Sep 29, 2021
    2
    They never read the books and it shows. If they did read the books they didn't get any of it. Several in universe violations (that will come back to haunt the show) in the first 20 mins. Empire character made sense as an addition and was well acted. Jared Harris excellent as usual and wasted. If I did not get AppleTV Free for a year for buying my latest Mac I never would have watched it.They never read the books and it shows. If they did read the books they didn't get any of it. Several in universe violations (that will come back to haunt the show) in the first 20 mins. Empire character made sense as an addition and was well acted. Jared Harris excellent as usual and wasted. If I did not get AppleTV Free for a year for buying my latest Mac I never would have watched it. Yes there may be need to extend, update or adapt something written first in 1940s, however the cliché tropes chosen, dumbed down what is excellent source material. I'm completely out after two episodes as it isn't going anywhere good.… Expand
  3. Akira_
    Sep 24, 2021
    3
    It looks amazing. The production budget must be huge. The writing budget however was not. The writing is quite bad and the story is simplistic given the premise of the books. The idea to cast a totally inexperienced girl who has barely acted before as lead backfired big time. The romance elements feel very out of place. It is preachy in the worst ways. I haven't read the novels, but thisIt looks amazing. The production budget must be huge. The writing budget however was not. The writing is quite bad and the story is simplistic given the premise of the books. The idea to cast a totally inexperienced girl who has barely acted before as lead backfired big time. The romance elements feel very out of place. It is preachy in the worst ways. I haven't read the novels, but this feel very different from the summaries and commentaries I have seen.… Expand
  4. metacritiqueur
    Sep 24, 2021
    1
    Another woke cast swap adaptation, with strong woman, good black peoples and bad whites men. Since two years, there are only politicized series produced by GAFAM. Series are intended to provide escapism and enjoyment, not lock us into the ideology of the American minorities from the 21st century. Buy the books and boycott Apple+.
  5. paketep
    Oct 31, 2021
    0
    Utter **** I have no problem with them deviating from the books, I do have a problem with the plot and most characters being incredibly stupid. A total wreck.
  6. RedPlammer
    Oct 15, 2021
    3
    God I wish they'd just get on with the story. Five episodes in and they're still using flashbacks to set the stage, I can barely tell what's happening and when
  7. YukiRuu
    Aug 27, 2022
    0
    Ужас! В первой же серии бреда хватит на весь сезон. Диалоги полностью противоположны оригиналу. Фильм - отражение книги в кривом зеркале. Над ВЕЛИКИМ произведением надругались!
  8. IgrokU
    Sep 27, 2021
    2
    Other than the name and some of the Characters...this has nothing to do with the books, I just kept going- uh what is this? Kind of thought this is the way it would turn out. Looks really good, big budget effects......but if you were looking to watch the books put on the screen....go else where. I will be generous with my score.
  9. RidingHood
    Nov 12, 2021
    1
    The novels offer a great story even though they are somewhat limited in style. This show however is a disaster in both writing quality and story. The characters come across as self-indulgent; Hari Seldon is tolerable, Gaal Dornick is unwatchable. Very disappointed as an Asimov fan.
  10. Elthor
    Sep 24, 2021
    0
    Not Asimov's Foundation. They took the title, a couple character names, and read the book jacket.
    If you are a fan of the source material, skip this or you will cry.
  11. Chaosthierry
    Sep 27, 2021
    0
    There is enough commentary about how this series isn't really Foundation but something different, I think Rob Bricken says it best.

    The greater crime is that it isn't even good drama at a basic level. Since Socrates' first observations all stories need characters to attach to; for every Luke there should be a Leia; for Leonard a Penny; for Jon Snow an Arya/Sansa/Daenerys. Arguably some    There is enough commentary about how this series isn't really Foundation but something different, I think Rob Bricken says it best.

    The greater crime is that it isn't even good drama at a basic level. Since Socrates' first observations all stories need characters to attach to; for every Luke there should be a Leia; for Leonard a Penny; for Jon Snow an Arya/Sansa/Daenerys. Arguably some series are all heroines or all heroes and are intended to be for that audience.

    It is a colossal failure that Goyer and Apple have delivered two full hours of strong women and no male lead in sight, maybe it is the intention for the audience of the series, usually that would signal a Lifetime movie. It is admittedly in a complete reversal of the original works. Likewise the original mentor figure is recast as an angry victim, and his beloved protege worse. His life's masterpiece is recast as vague and incomplete.    … Expand
  12. clemente
    Oct 17, 2021
    3
    The Politically Correct Empire is dominating the galaxy. They couldn't even keep the main characters close to the source material. Luckily we are one light click away from watching something else.
  13. blaws
    Sep 28, 2021
    1
    It's bad. If you're a fan of the series, it will be unrecognizable. A couple of major issues and one non-issue:

    First, what is it that makes Foundation sci-fi? I would argue that it is sci-fi in its purest form - taking human characters and exposing them to science fiction situations, requiring them to make decisions in a world far removed from our own, but based on our current    It's bad. If you're a fan of the series, it will be unrecognizable. A couple of major issues and one non-issue:

    First, what is it that makes Foundation sci-fi? I would argue that it is sci-fi in its purest form - taking human characters and exposing them to science fiction situations, requiring them to make decisions in a world far removed from our own, but based on our current understanding. In other words it asks the reader, "How would you solve this problem our character is facing?" Foundation is not a fast-paced thriller, it's a slow-burn chess match. It's sci-fi sociology. Instead, the first two episodes of this adaptation are filled with explosions, laser fights, attacking space creatures... Salvor Hardin (a stand in for Asimov) would role in his grave to see how these characters "... [men] of action to the end..." behave.

    Second, backstory actually detracts from the overarching narrative. We don't need to know how the empire falls or see the origin of the main character we're following - the series jumps around important vignettes as the Foundation follows a path to a new empire. As soon as you get attached to one character, their story ends and it's on to the next. This affords the writers of an awesome opportunity: no season needs to be remotely similar to any other. They are practically unrelated, apart from being within the same universe. Unfortunately, it looks like we're going to get an entire season about Cleon (a character barely mentioned in the series) being the big, bad villain.

    Finally, there are several reviews here lamenting the gender-swapping of characters in the spirit of inclusion and "wokeness." This criticism is total nonsense. Asimov's series is an overwhelmingly male and slightly misogynistic sausage fest. Strong, female characters in the books are few and far between and rarely display their own agency. Hating this series because they flipped the script by adding women is dumb and completely misses the point.

    TL;DR: Foundation should be House of Cards, not Game of Thrones. The inclusion of a diverse cast is a good thing, but isn't being properly utilized.    … Expand
  14. Saul2021
    Oct 8, 2021
    0
    This supposedly "futuristic" TV show leaves you wondering whether there's any point to the story other than advertising woke narratives of today. Has no similarity with actual Foundation.
  15. DaveAus
    Aug 29, 2023
    1
    Its clear from the casting, dialogue and story changes they weren't interesting in telling the story of Foundation.

Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Most Discussed TV Season of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Radio Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Kelly
    Dec 2, 2021
    60
    It’s an interesting approach, although some of these micro stories are stronger than others.
    Read full review
  2. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Julian Lucas
    Nov 2, 2021
    40
    The series attempts to rescue the novels from their atomic-age limitations but largely squanders its material on a clone of every other blockbuster fantasy quest. ... The larger problem is that Goyer’s “Foundation” seems bored with its source material.
    Read full review
  3. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Oct 11, 2021
    50
    You might need an antacid - or whatever would remedy the tonal whiplash as Foundation meanders from cerebral contemplation of mankind's fate to a standard-issue shoot-'em-ups involving warring planets. [11 - 24 Oct 2021, p.11]
See all critic reviews »