Foundation: Is It Better Than Critics Act

Apple TV+ finally released an adaption of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation to their latest programming lineup. Now that it’s midway approaching the season finale, we’ve got enough story to get a sense of where the show is headed. However, all over the internet, you read how it’s sloppy, chaotic, and hard to follow. Just know, if you’re debating starting the show, critics are being unfair.

First, go back to Game of Thrones when their first season aired. There were so many houses to keep hold of, who was related to who, and what rank each of these characters had. Going after Foundation because there’s a lot of characters and story arcs to build doesn’t exactly make sense. The first season of complex shows are always chaotic. These aren’t sitcoms. Not only do you have to build your main plot, but you’ve also got to develop the characters and how they fit in. Shows like Foundation and Game of Thrones don’t have a lot of background characters. The majority of the ones introduced will play some sort of role in main character story arcs.

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Then, you have to understand, with streaming you’re not getting 20+ episodes to build a story. Whenever you watch network television and they have carefully crafted stories, more often than not there are filler episodes. These episodes hammer home one unique point and then are filled with fluff you don’t really need to advance the story. Foundation might look sloppy because right now they’re burning through episodes without knowing why each is important. Once the season finale hits and the conflict comes to a head, we’ll see why insignificant details now matter.

Finally, Apple spent money on Foundation. Even if it’s not the most amazing sci-fi show you’ll watch, who cares. At least it doesn’t look one step up from being shot in someone’s basement. Too often sci-fi shows skimp out on their budget and sets and props look cheap. We finally have a show that looks like it’s set in a real setting and not a backlot somewhere.

Yes, with Foundation there’s a lot to take in and it seems a bit chaotic right now. There’s a lot going on that doesn’t seem like it has direction. With that being said, there’s a lot to build on right now and you ought to see a more polished product in season 2.