Foundation (TV Series) The Leap (2021) User Reviews

Lee Pace is great.

[bobetjo · 8/10 · 20 November 2021]

Once again the emperors story is the best part of the show. The rest is dross. Lee Pace holds the cameras attention. He carries the show.

The rest of the non Asimov story doesn't stand on its own. Frankly were the entire Foundation to have an accident the show would improve a lot.

An ambitious project with potential

[benetone-1 · 9/10 · 19 November 2021]

I waited until the last episode to write a review, though I did read many other reviews after each episode. I wanted to find out if others felt the same as I did, that this series feels like it could be really good, but there are parts of it that either doesn't make any sense, or there's just too much going on all at once.

I have never read the book, so I can't comment as to how authentic and true it is, but as series I find the storyline intriguing. Lee Pace fits his role like a glove, as though born to play it, and holds his end up really well throughout. Without his storyline I may have given up a while ago. I'm glad I stuck it out, because the last few episodes have set up well for season 2, where it seems like things may pick up and stories come together to help make sense of all the broken parts in Season 1.

I admire the ambition of the project and I hope the producers take the audience's feedback and improve on execution, because I would hate to see this show gets cancelled.

A 9 for this episode, but I'd give it a 7 for the whole season that could have been an 8 or even a 9 if not for somew major stumbling in trying to do too much all at once.

One of the better episodes, except..

[steve-case · 8/10 · 19 November 2021]

* possibly some spoilers*

I have not read the books, so the material is new to me. I thought this particular episode had a lot of useful plot building to it. But the reason I'm writing this review is--A kayak?

Space and time folding technology in their Advanced ships. The ability to put people in cryo-suspensions for 100+ years with very little effect upon waking. Sentient robots, Nano bots that can do all kinds of amazing repairs and provide protection from harm. Obviously, a very technically advanced society.

When our heroine gets to her destination after 100+ years In cryo-suspension, her escape capsule wakes her up like she's been taking a nap. This little "ship" must be loaded with power and technology to accomplish this. So when she lands in Water, I expected her ship to have enough power to, I don't know, turn into a futuristic JetSki?

OK, it doesn't. She pulls out the advanced looking rescue kit, tosses it into the water, and NOW I am expecting either a JetSki or a submarine. Instead, it goes through this fantastic transformer like function to provide her---a plastic kayak. Even the kayak paddle does some kind of transformation into a bigger paddle. Seriously? All this technology and effort to give her a plastic boat on an ocean planet that she has to power herself. I actually laughed when I saw that whole scene. The payoff at the end of the scene is good, but the kayak is another good example of the wide technology range in the show. Lasers versus arrows, that kind of stuff. I just wish they would stay more consistent with the tech.

Oh for fraks sake,....

[pidstr · 19 November 2021]

Dermerzel, aka R. Daneel Olivaw, a Giskardian Robot with Three Laws and Zeroth Law, committing a murder?

Okie, shoot the writers, if they haven't died of embarrassment,. Or at minimum, buy them a copy of ALL the books, from I, Robot through the Caves of Steel and on to Foundations saga, so they can understand just how frakked up it is to have a robot choose to kill.

A absolute screamer, so of course....

[ShippersAreEvil · 10/10 · 19 November 2021]

...the 'not the book' and 'whaaaa they messing up the robots!!!' crowd continue in their inchoate rage, swarming the place, instead of just letting those who actually understood Asimov's corpus just enjoy the show..

The Zeroth Law of Robotics , the most important Law for Giskardian robots, was phrased multiple ways:

'A robot may not harm humanity or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.'

'Humanity as a whole is placed over the fate of a single human.'

'A robot must act in the long-range interest of humanity as a whole, and may overrule all other laws whenever it seems necessary for that ultimate good.'

That is why Demerzel can kill. Try to keep up.

The First Crisis played out as in the books, but with a lot of fleshing out that Asimov didn't bother with (not a criticism of Asimov - he realised that and worked assiduously to rectify it, something Not The Bookers seem wilfully blind to - seriously, listen to the official podcast and wipe the scales from your eyes: Not The Books is just silly).

And a thoroughly nasty Empire is being destroyed from within. By the Zeroth Law, while decent humans are being left to work out their future - so much so that even the Second Foundation found its own way, rather than Seldon's.

A fantastic, thoughtful and vibrant adaptation that deeply understood the books strengths *and* weaknesses.

More please, Apple.

Amazing science fiction show!

[freshorange · 10/10 · 4 June 2022]

The best science fiction show you can stream right now! The story is complex and intriguing, the world building is fantastic, the acting is superb, special effects are top notch! This show is massively underrated! Everybody who criticize it should watch movies from the Marvel univers. Thanks to all the people involved!

Very confusing but Makes sense in a way.

[moviesfilmsreviewsinc · 10/10 · 22 June 2023]

The Foundation in David S. Goyer and Josh Friendman's show is a stark contrast to the unimaginable scope of the galactic empire. Brother Day's punishment for Azura's corrupting role in Brother Dawn is a clinical measure to protect Cleon's bloodline. However, Day's cruelty is not security, but revenge. The idea of killing 1,551 people with a single hand is terrifying and one of the few moments in the show that visualizes the sheer scope of the galactic empire. The terrorist attack on the Star Bridge at the start of the season highlights the limitations of the universe, as it can be destroyed with no amount of bodies, but it can be reassembled with just two bodies. Gaal's voice-overs emphasize the importance of building power over burning, which is evident in the show. The story portrays immense suffering, but the galaxy's preservation is limited to a few. The story's focus on two characters' fate as the season draws to a close is disappointing, as it doesn't fully capture the unique qualities of a property like Foundation. The finale revolves around Hari Seldon's visit to Terminus, where he is transformed into a bio-mechanical Chia Pet. Hari's coffin is a bio-mechanical Chia Pet, using his body to build the Vault on Terminus. The Vault is not a collection of galactic knowledge but the server running Hari's advanced AI, which he built to inform everyone he lied to. The citizens of Terminus are not historians but are forged by the inhospitable climate to become hardened survivors capable of taking back the galaxy. Hari Seldon, a semi-interventionist deity, dispels the narrative surrounding the initial blood feud between the Anacreons and the Thespins, hoping to calm the hatred between the two peoples and form a coalition. Despite having an unknown number of their own recently murdered by the Anacreons, the Terminans are open to joining the two rogue planets. The first season is complete, and Foundation decides not to explore Hari Seldon's god. He is a semi-interventionist deity who offers cryptic words of encouragement before disappearing again. The series has never leaned overly hard into themes or subtext, but what has been dropped away quietly through the season. Ghost Hari has no idea who Salvor is or why she receives psychic images of Gaal. Salvor, who is Gaal's daughter, inherits the same psychic ability as her mother, making her antsy and decides to skip her inauguration as mayor of Terminus and bounce off the planet. In the future, Gaal wakes up from a sleep and discovers an ecological disaster that has consumed her village. She discovers a beacon under the ocean and Salvor's ship, which has turned into an ocean habitat. Gaal and Salvor meet for the first time, but the season has shuffled her around to position her with Salvor. Gaal has never fully developed as a character, and her ownership of Hari's psychohistory model raises questions about her future. The show's second season may focus on the entire galaxy, except for the two characters, but the show's focus is on the galaxy as a whole.

Great ending.

[gerardchalaux · 10/10 · 20 November 2021]

I can't believe those who purposely score this insanely low scores just because the show doesn't correspond to their own understanding or what it should be. Grow up.

I'll admit the show has many flaws, specially when it comes to explaining certain occurrences that make little to no sense and leave more questions than answers, like Seldon building the Vault out of nothing with his own body thanks to a tiny pill (come on, seriously?). But anyway, the show is great, it's exciting, it's sci-fi on its purest form and I can't wait for a second season, which sadly I don't expect for at least 18 months, which is an absolute shame.

The ending is fantastic, I kinda expected it, but not that way, and it makes a lot of sense that Salvor decided to do that.

Plot twists for the sake of plot twists. New Burnham might as well also be a Palpatine.

[isabellacheng · 6/10 · 29 December 2021]

You build up a character, Salvor Hardin, as a leader of the Foundation, and possibly a leader of Anacreon since she holds the Huntress bow. Then have her leave behind her loved ones and responsibilities, and waste a century of plot development for a "shocking" 138-years-later reveal. The Foundation has a jump ship Invictus, churning out new jump ships every 18 months, and no one bothered to look for their missing leader? Even though she crashlanded conveniently at Gaal's home? You know, the person they knew she was looking for, and would literally be the first place a search party would look?

And of course the big reveal that Gaal is Salvor's biological mother, that's how she has superpowers: immune to the null field, controls probability, and a telepath. Surely tied up all loose ends.

Another huge "plot twist": The Foundation are rebels now, actively planning to overthrow the Empire, instead of preserving humanity after the fall.

Yet another "plot twist": Robot commits another murder, killing Brother Dawn, the protagonist of the Genetic Dynasty arc. Robot also tore off her face and yell at the camera, because reasons.

While I am just stating facts from the plot without writing an actual review, surely you don't need to be able to see the future to know where this is going. Unlike the writers having to use the Robot to explicitly question if Brother Day really saw the vision walking the Spiral, or spend half an episode of flashback to rehash Gaal's backstory that the audience already know about, or flashback to Dr. Seldon's murder to show that it was part of his plan. And so on.

a satisfying end

[psihozzz · 10/10 · 19 November 2021]

A great episode that gives closure tying in several storylines. Finally, got an answer to a burning question if Salvor was Gaal's daughter. What a mind bending experience for Gaal who lost the love of her life, her planet and woke up to a grown daughter in a span of a few days. My heart aches for Cleons and Demerzels - what a heart-wrenching situation. 😢

A bit disappointing season ender from a very good show

[Hughmanity · 7/10 · 26 November 2021]

I've really enjoyed watching Foundation S1 and anyone rating this show less than a 5 likely has an alternate agenda. A lot of the 1 ratings talk about "terrible cast that can't act with the exception of Lee Pace and Jared Harris." Oh really, what do those two actors have in common that the others don't?

But I digress and in terms of the season finale, it was still good as the show in it's entirety has largely been, but it was disappointing in a couple of aspects:

1. Hari Seldon's predictive math has seemed a bit shaky all along but now he reveals everything the Foundation was supposedly about was a sham. That he WAS in fact a rebel, and that his plan was to build an alternate civilization that could rival the Empire in power. This seemed like a leap too far, along with Hari's "ghosts" or consciousness that can apparently just appear to dispense reveals and advice, broker peace treaties, then go back to his vault to slumber for another 100 years because why stick around to help the people he led on this false trail?

2. The staggering coincidence of Gaal finding and waking up her daughter on Synnax under the ocean after both were in cryo-stasis for 138 years, I mean come on. Seems like they could have written in some other elements that would have made this less than a billion to one chance reunion.

3. Demerzel the robot who is loyal to the Empire and Cleons but breaks one of the Cleon's necks in defiance of the middle throne Cleon's orders?? This coming an episode after revealing her devout religious beliefs??? Now that the Cleons have been revealed to all be genetically altered, if she's consistent shouldn't she just kill everyone? Then Demerzel has an apparent emotional breakdown ripping off her skin and screaming, because she's, you know, a robot?? They will have to explain her emotion chip to me because it's not making a lot of sense.

I still rated this episode a 7 because it was very watchable just like the entire series. No writing is perfect and this has been interesting and attention holding sci fi that's not like anything I've seen before. Hopefully Season 2 irons out some of the inconsistencies and illogical behavior and takes it to new heights.

Absolutely awesome!

[ryan-maclean · 10/10 · 20 November 2021]

Before you read this, no I haven't read the books and honestly I understand that's why there are mainly negative reviews but.. I'm shocked at the bad reviews. This show has been entertaining from episode 1 to 10. Are there a few moments here and there that are convenient? Yes of course, tell me a movie or tv show that wasn't conveniently written for the main characters.

This show has been a welcome surprise for me and I am very excited for season 2.

Book readers get over it!

[Edwin-ghysebrechts-1 · 7/10 · 21 November 2021]

I really liked a lot of this episode, especially the storyline with the cleon-clones which remains the best part of the series for me, so i was suprised with the low ratings again reading the comments. Adapting a well-known book is somewhat controversial since a faithfull adaptation almost always fails (like Frank Herbert's Dune miniseries for example), but any deviation of the source material is frowned upon by the bookfans. They did change the original storyline way more extensive than necessary i think, but i've read the first trilogy years ago when i was about 15, loved the first one, my enthousiasm cooled with the secound and found the third more of a bad soap with a lot of cliffhangers and dumb storylines . You've got to remember Asimov wrote these as a young student with little experience yet. If he would have compromised it into one book, it would indeed be a classic, the trilogy not so much. A few years later, late 80's i guess, i read the new books he wrote as a middle aged man, much more mature reading, more focussed on ideas, instead of 'action' what real SF is about for me, but even those seem dated now reading them again, i really got bored with him pushing the Gaia-idea extensively throughout the book.

While it remains to be seen if the series will be a classic in the long run, i am looking forward to season 2!

What does an Anacreon say to Hari Seldon?

[anthony-drogon · 4/10 · 20 November 2021]

This shows says: "Thanks for these 5 minutes man, we'll follow you to the grave, and our children, and our children's children, for centuries!"

The correct answer was: "Who the hell are you?"

A fantastic finale

[Penderworth · 19 November 2021]

This sets things up well for season 2. There were still a few meh lines here and there, but I love what they did with this episode, especially the Empire storyline. It's nice to see Gail's get some more solid movement as well.

great ending episode to season 1

[stuwright05 · 9/10 · 20 November 2021]

I really loved this episode, a great ending to some of the storylines, some harsh but some beautiful, I'm suprised to see some of the reviewers not liking it, but some also thought it was fantastic like myself, i suppose i wasnt so into the more violent episodes, this 10th episode really bought things together though.

It's a big web.

[arthuroliveira-65367 · 10/10 · 19 November 2021]

It's a series that you have to watch until the last episode of each season, because it works like a big movie, where all the webs of the plot connect to the end.

Like the original trilogy of books of Foundation, the first season doesn't have a fixed line of narrative and goes back in time a few times. And all the narrative points connect in the end forming a cohesive story.

It's a series that works like the adaptation of Handmaid Tale on Hulu, where both adaptations are based on famous science fiction books, but introduce many and many new concepts, plots and characters that are not in the books. And that doesn't hurt, as both series work in their own way.

Jared Harris was the Perfect Hari Seldon. But who stole the show was Lee Pace with his Cleon, Emperor of the Galaxy. Just as Rutger Hauer steals the show every time he breathes in the first Blade Runner, Lee Pace steals everything when he appears, even if it's only for a few seconds. But all the actors turned out well in the end, but I still prefer Harris and Pace as the highlights of this season.

Let the merchant Hober Marlow and Empire general Bel Riose (already confirmed) come next season and if the cosmos wants the Mule, Bayta/Toran and Han Pritcher in season three, who will potentially adapt everyone's favorite part in Foundation, the Mule .

Strong Finale

[dewberrydays · 10/10 · 20 November 2021]

Most reviews you'll read here are from disappointed book fans who seem ill-equipped to comprehend that Asimov's works cannot appear exactly as they are on a TV screen. Their perspectives are profoundly colored by their inability to see past the book series. My review will focus exclusively on Foundation as a *television show.* No comparisons to the books. If you want the books, READ THE BOOKS. Otherwise, move along.

This was a shocking episode and a strong finale. Throughout the first season there were episodes that lulled a bit. The Terminus plot in particular I found to be a bit weak. I really abhorred the Phara character, and that entire journey felt arbitrary to me. But the Trantor scenes were incredibly powerful. Brother Dawn, Brother Day, and Demerzel were all incredibly compelling in this episode (and every preceding one). I think Demerzel is my favorite character thus far. Like Day and Dawn, she's utterly complex. The scene where she tears her face off... horrifying. And all of the twists we didn't see coming - like that Day himself might be altered, and Demerzel killing Dawn... just great.

The scenes with Salvor and her mother were also compelling, as were her scenes with Gaal on Synnax. I think we all knew who she was, but the reunion made for some great TV. To think that everyone they know has long been dead by the time they meet is chilling, and I wonder where we're gonna go from here. Clearly, we'll be picking up at least 138 years after the main events of the first season.

Is the show the next Game of Thrones? Not yet. Maybe it could be. But on its own terms, I really enjoyed it.

Excellent season finale

[valerianodellalonga · 9/10 · 20 November 2021]

This episode marks the end of Season 1, and it has been done excellently.

I was left with the crave for next season.

Perhaps there are just a couple of redundant scenes which could have been left out in the episode's section of Salvor's depart from Terminus, which could have left more space to the brother Day struggle section.

Anyway... I am looking forward to next season.

Loved it.

[williamgagiano · 10/10 · 21 November 2021]

Never read the books. But this show is a masterpiece. Could have gone with two more episodes for a proper cliffhanger..... Can't wait for season 2....

Logic has been burried. R.I.P.

[athirn · 1/10 · 21 November 2021]

A killing robot, yelling in desperate with its face tore off. A cryosleep, allowing to stay young and completely functional for centuries. A supergod Seldon who descends to people as a hologram with another preachy pompous speech about unity and freedom. A mean-spirited Emperor who doesn't care about an individual in order to rule objectively, but sets up a monstrous vengeance to a silly little girl. Another silly little girl sacrifices her life and love in order to sleep for a century, until her mommsey comes to her the same idiotic way after the same helluva long sleep, because they had a mental connection through many, many light years! That was the best, I swear to God!

It's so great that Dr. Asimov doesn't see this pile of garbage. Even if consider it an original Sci-Fi story,--it completely sucks. Because there's no logic, no connection to science, and as a fiction it's far from good. It's like a medieval peasant tries to describe the nature of sun light--the creators of this stuff try to do the same thing about Asimov's world. Very poor work. I'm completely sure that the second season will be the same, but I'm not going to be onboard.

And, yes, take my advice--read the books. You'll get much, much more pleasure reading the real Asimov, than watching a fake one.

WOW.

[TheReview22century · 19 November 2021]

This is the best show in the world. I can't wait for season two. 450 million dollars well spent, the show is beautiful, in a few years, when a viewer finds himself seeing it all in one breath 4-5 entire seasons will be catapulted into a new world. The world of Foundation. Thanks Apple.

Beautiful, Confusing, Haunting, Philosophical

[jerryseeds · 10/10 · 17 December 2023]

This is NOT the books. It's based on them, keep that in mind while viewing. The show is so many things. At its core, its an epic tale of humanity.

It is at times confusing. Jumps in time with no reference to what time you are watching now. I stuck with it and I'm sure glad I did. Now I only just finished season 1 but WOW did I enjoy it. Visually it is stunning. Please apple PLEASE do not give up on the show. I'm glad to hear its renewed for a third season.

If you are a fan of space opera sci-fi, you will love it. I would say after about 5-6 episodes things will start to fall in place for you. My fiance had trouble following along but the series does not hold your hand through the material.

Bravo Apple, Bravo.

Good season end

[lahilaastravnar · 8/10 · 7 November 2023]

Strange happenings in this episode. What happened to the Invictus for keeping the Imperials out of Terminus? How could Salvor Hardin fall exactly under Gaal Dornick's boat? How can the dynasty be so careless about keeping its clones safe when they are the basis of its power?

This episode closes a season of great space opera with few other comparisons. Great visual elegance, photography, costumes, direction and good acting.

This episode closes a season of great space opera with few other comparisons. Great visual elegance, photography, costumes, direction and good acting.

This episode closes a season of great space opera with few other comparisons. Great visual elegance, photography, costumes, direction and good acting.

Great Episode for non-book readers.

[atanias · 3/10 · 19 November 2021]

I respect all the high scores given to the show from non-book readers.

The Clone Emperors story is well written. The characters are engaging. The mystery of who/what Gaal is also interesting. It explores concepts that are engaging.

However, I not only respect the low score givers, but I tend to agree with them.

The bulk are book readers. People who are very upset about how the Terminus story has been butchered. Some people are saying that the broad principles of the story are still there, that it is basically the same as the books. They do not understand that the core ideas in the books have been broken in the show.

Good example is psychohistory. It is a key concept. And Hari explains it in the first episode. It is a science that allows to see how massive groups of people will react. It does not predict what rocks, plants, stars or spaceships do. It only deals with humans.

Then, in episode 9 and 10, Hari explains how he predicted that 3 groups of people were going to be in Terminus and how the Ship was going to be there. He even gives them the plan on how to use the Ship to fool the Empire..

The only reason why all those people were in Terminus fighting was due to the ship. A ship randomly jumping around the galaxy.

But how did he know the ship was going to be discovered? The ship was a random thing that could not be predicted by psychohistory.. But he still came up with his intricate plan that completely relied on one of the factions fighting in Terminus to have discovered it? It contradicts what psychohistory is meant to be. :(

In the books the Foundation is the most advanced planet in the outer rim. When faced with the dangers of "barbarians at the door" they, to quote a great movie, "Science the s**t" out of the problem. They do not make alliances with the barbarians, the conquer them with science and religion. And it makes sense, cause Terminus has such a small population that they could not survive as an entity any other way. But in the TV show now the reason why Hari got them there was due to their "skills". That they will form an alliance? Why did the barbarians listened to Hari?.

Sad that the best parts of this show are not in the books (Clones, Gaal), but the parts that are adapted (badly) from the books are the worst parts (entire Terminus story) that bring down the show. :(

Apple should have just done an original show around the Clone Dynasty.

Final thoughts, I am worry for the non-book readers who are enjoying Empire/Gaal mysteries and stories.

We are very quickly getting to the situation we had in Lost and GoT final seasons. Because the Show runners created the Clones and Gaal stories out of thin air.. there is nothing in the original books to guide them to a good ending. Asimov's Foundation books do not have these plots in them. The Show runners have nothing more than their imagination to bring those stories to a good end.. And based on how they have butchered the Terminus story. I do not have much faith in their skills to do so. :(