Sean Parker
I have intensely anticipated this one. The book that won the one-time Hugo Award for “Best All-Time Series” over The Lord of The Rings trilogy has finally received the adaptation it deserves. While we await the arrival of Dennis Vilenvue’s Dune and the next season of The Mandalorian, I think fans will find Foundation to be the bridge in their science-fiction television gap. Apple TV+’s latest offers up a roaring epic treatment of acclaimed science fiction writer Isaac Asimov’s book series by fully actualizing the experience through immense sci-fi star power. The Expanse’s Jared Harris, Guardians of the Galaxy’s Lee Pace, Sense8’s Terrence Mann, The Haunting of Bly Manor’s T’Nia Miller, Voyagers’ Lou Llobell, and The Mandela Effect’s Clarke Peters are all ready to take us on a journey that will hopefully span several years through glorious, visually achieved worlds.
The book centers around a theory (or, as you can glean from the trailer—a truth) about the future, where ignorant, warmongering barbarians will replace the current galactic empire. Hoping to save the galaxy’s knowledge for future generations, a mathematician named Hari Seldon (Harris) brings together engineers and scientists to a planet called Terminus to create a compendium of all human knowledge in the galaxy and form the Encyclopedia Galactica to preserve for future generations. Things, of course, aren’t what they appear to be. Years later, it’s discovered Seldon assembled the colony on Terminus to create and develop new technology instrumental in reducing the upcoming dark age and lead humanity out of intergalactic war. The show may unfold between eras, starting in the dark age of war with Gaal Dornick (Llobell) seeking answers to what Seldon hoped to achieve before the fall of the galactic empire.
Foundation feels like a good fit for the times we’re in. While humans are capable of wondrous and amazing things, we seem to have lost sight of the fact that we are not invincible. Asimov wrote in Foundation that
“Scientific truth is beyond loyalty and disloyalty”
and given the politics of the moment, we seem to find ourselves in a strange place, filled with the notions and warnings within his book.
While Apple Tv+ is still a bit of an outlier in the streaming wars, you have to see them as approaching the threshold of must-see television. The streaming service has been nominated for 34 Emmy Awards at the upcoming 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards, led by marquee comedy Ted Lasso with 20 of those nominations. While they serve up to nowhere near HBOMax’s 130 nominations, you have to remember Apple Tv+ launched less than two years ago and has already found a few hits. Just considering the breathtaking scope of Foundation‘s immersive-looking saga is enough for me to see that Apple has infused Asimov’s tale with cinematic reverence and captivating imagery, giving me goosebumps and a strong desire to watch on a weekly basis. Who knows, maybe next year we will be talking about nominations for Foundation while waiting for the second season of the series.
Foundation begins September 24 on Apple Tv+.
So what do you think of the trailer for Foundation? Do you agree with Sean that it looks full of cinematic reverence and captivating imagery? Let us know in the comments! And if you’re looking for horror trailers, we’ve got you covered!
