Foundation
Overview
Foundation is a 2021 science fiction television series created by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman for Apple TV+, based on the Foundation series of novels by Isaac Asimov. The series is set tens of thousands of years in the future, in a Galactic Empire that has ruled the galaxy for 12,000 years. The Empire is led by a clone dynasty: three clones of the original Emperor, Cleon I, known as Brother Dawn (the young clone), Brother Day (the prime clone), and Brother Dusk (the old clone). The series follows Hari Seldon (Jared Harris), a mathematician who has developed a new science called "psychohistory," which uses mathematics to predict the future of large populations. He predicts that the Galactic Empire will collapse in 500 years, leading to a 30,000-year dark age. He proposes a plan to shorten the dark age to 1,000 years by creating a "Foundation," a encyclopedia of all human knowledge, on a remote planet called Terminus. The Empire exiles Seldon and his followers to Terminus. The series follows two main storylines: the Foundation on Terminus, and the Empire on the capital planet, Trantor. The Foundation storyline follows the colonists as they try to survive on a barren planet, facing threats from neighboring kingdoms. The Empire storyline follows the clones as they deal with the decline of their dynasty and the rise of a mysterious, powerful being called the Mule. The series is a sprawling, ambitious, and visually stunning epic. It explores themes of determinism, free will, and the cyclical nature of history. The series has been praised for its visuals, its performances (especially Lee Pace as Brother Day), and its ambitious scope. A third season is in development. Foundation is a grand, complex, and rewarding science fiction epic.
