Plot: The Foundation has become increasingly established far beyond its humble beginnings while the Cleonic Dynasty’s Empire has dwindled. As both of these galactic powers forge an uneasy alliance, a threat to the entire galaxy appears in the fearsome form of a warlord known as “The Mule,” whose sights are set on ruling the universe by use of physical and military force as well as mind control. It’s anyone’s guess who will win, who will lose, who will live and who will die as Hari Seldon, Gaal Dornick, the Cleons and Demerzel play a potentially deadly game of intergalactic chess.
Review: It took seventy years for Isaac Asimov’s Foundation novels to make their way to screens, which is a testament to the challenge in adapting hard science fiction for mainstream audiences. Despite entering its third season, Foundation lags in popularity behind other genre offerings like The Rings of Power, Game of Thrones, and the recently cancelled The Wheel of Time. Thanks to the deep pockets at Apple sticking with Foundation, even though it has not garnered the same pop culture visibility as Severance, David Goyer’s series finally finds momentum and consistency by giving viewers a more straightforward narrative. With a central villain for all the characters to rally against, Foundation becomes the series fans have wanted while maintaining Asimov’s rich social commentary and vast universe-building.
The ten-episode third season of Foundation, nine of which were made available for this review, picks up 152 years after the second season. The premiere episode opens with a good deal of exposition voice-over from Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobel) about the shift in the balance of power between Foundation and Empire, the competing forces of government in the universe. Very quickly, we are introduced to The Mule (Pilou Asbaek), a powerful adversary seeking the downfall of the Empire and the Foundation. We also learn that the futures documented by Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) are about to come to an abrupt end, which could spell the end of all life in the universe. By setting these cataclysmic events in opposition to the main characters, Foundation has finally found a compelling reason for viewers to engage with the series that is easy to relate to.
For those who have stuck with the series over the first two seasons, there is a lot to love in Foundation‘s new season. The clones of Emperor Cleon I, known as Brother Dawn (Cassian Bilton), Brother Day (Lee Pace), and Brother Dusk (Terrence Mann), remain the most fascinating characters in science fiction. Lee Pace has long been one of the most underrated actors working today, and each season he has found a unique variation of Brother Day to play. In both the first and second seasons, Day was an egomaniacal dictator and the de facto villain of the series. Day is a more laid-back character this season and the most likable of the clones. Allowing the audience to like Brother Day is vital to the direction this season heads and allows Terrence Mann and Cassian Bilton to play against their prior incarnations as Dawn and Dusk. The clones, collectively known as Empire, are also the best addition to Asimov’s source material courtesy of series creators David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman.
While Jared Harris’ Hari Seldon continues to be the Dumbledore/Gandalf of this series, Foundation shifts the focus this season to Lou Llobel’s Gaal Dornick, who gets a more central place in the plot. As this season’s main character, Llobel finally gets to play the hero the series has needed, especially when going up against Pilou Asbaek’s The Mule. The Mule is a fascinating villain and plays to Asbaek’s penchant for antagonists, something he did exceptionally well on Game of Thrones. This season also adds Oscar winner Troy Kotsur as Preem Pavar and Alexander Siddig as Dr. Ebling Mis, key characters in the propulsive plot of the season. We also have Laura Birn reprising her role as the robot Demerzel, another fan favorite, with Cherry Jones and Rebecca Ineson as highlights in the new cast additions.
David S. Goyer continues to serve as primary showrunner alongside Jane Espenson, who joined in season two. Espenson, best known for her work on Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Game of Thrones, and Jessica Jones, brings a much-needed balance to Goyer’s deep genre knowledge. Both writers do a fantastic job of updating Isaac Asimov’s novels for modern audiences without dumbing down the material. The shift from season one to this season, regarding the structure of the episodes, the melodrama mixed with action, and ease of telling a story set over vast amounts of time, is noticeable in how much it has improved. Espenson and Goyer share credits amongst themselves and with others across six of the ten episodes this season, with Goyer sitting in the director’s chair. Other Foundation veterans, including director Roxann Dawson, return this season, which gives the series a visual consistency that looks even more cinematic, thanks to the engaging plot this season.
Foundation is the most innovative science fiction series on the air and deserves to increase its audience with this excellent third season. Apple TV+ may finally have found its Game of Thrones, and this series hits a key balance between engaging storytelling and deeply intricate plotting. Fans of the novels will find a lot to appreciate in this season, which keeps a strong quality from the acting to the production values. Lee Pace continues to make a case as one of the most versatile and talented actors working today, as the rest of the ensemble come into their own. Foundation has not been as good as it is this season, with every element clicking for me through each episode. I may revisit the first and second seasons, having enjoyed this season far more than I did with the previous two, something that rarely happens. Foundation has sold me on garnering more seasons if they can keep the quality as good as this one.
Foundation season three premieres on July 11th on Apple TV+.
