foundation (may contain traces of isaac asimov)

[krang]

just finished hate-watching this series "based on" the eponymous novel by over the last few days. anyone else? lots to unpack and not even gonna mention the word "woke". (well not anymore anyway!)



i read the novel recently for the first time and i really enjoyed it. i don't like that they've made the series into a coming-of-age story at all. let alone two!

there were some things i loved like the production value: costumes, special effects, sets - all great, i really liked the three emperors and a robot™ storyline and the casting of laura birn and lee pace and t'nia miller.

on the flip side, i wouldn't recommend the characterization of salvor and gaal to a friend. i didn't like a lot of the acting (directing?) and a lot of very dramatic set-ups just didn't have a punch. oh, they look a bit silly standing/talking like that. oh, they shot an important character through the neck with an arrow? yeah, i saw that.

essentially, i wish they'd just developed a whole new story instead of taking so little of the source material (has anyone read the prequels/sequels - is any of this to be found there?).

for the source material i would've loved a minimalist take with a handful of really good actors being meaty and delivering their dialogue like they're playing chess. you know, like in the source material! guess there's no money to be made there.

 

[Madíson]

I hate-watched it too.

Some interesting elements (the ones you highlighted) but by and large I wish they’d stuck much more closely to the book and its timescales.

The second and third books - Foundation and Empire and Second Foundation - are worth a read. Not as good as the first one though and more like normal sci fi books. Only one or two timeframes. I think Asimov really struggled how to complete the remainder of the 1,000 years. Foundation and Earth is trash if I recall correctly and ends unsatisfactorily.

I’ve read two of the prequels - they were harmless enough, but lots of robot stuff and mainly set on Trantor. Nothing like the first Foundation book.

 

[supermassive]

I've binge watched everything up to the latest episode in the last week.

The parts I like about the show I really like and the stuff I don't — I loathe mostly anything with Gaal who might as well be SPACE JESUS.

This episodes and these scenes really show the potential of the other half of the show