(may contain spoilers)
Douban rating: 7.4
Director: Roxann Dawson, Alex Graves, Jennifer Phang, David S. Goyer
Starring: Lou Llobell, Lee Pace, Jared Harris, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn
Douban Comments: “Honestly, managing to weave the original Foundation trilogy into one coherent adaptation, and doing it like this, is no small feat. The first half felt a bit scattered, and Seldon showing up deus ex machina-style was a bit too frequent.
On the other hand, the Emperor storyline added a lot of original material, and while you can see the influence of other works, it was actually pulled off quite well. Overall, it was still an engaging watch. Demerzel and Brother Dawn really brought a lot of charm to the show.
The story starts picking up from around episode 7 or 8, and it gets more exciting from there. I hope they keep going and give it a proper conclusion.
Even though the show’s scope doesn’t quite match the grand structure of the original novels, where different forces evolve and balance under a huge sci-fi framework, this adaptation leans more toward a typical Western drama with twists and thrills, probably to appeal to a broader audience. Hopefully they can strike a better balance in future seasons.”
“As someone who hasn’t read the original books, I respect the negative reviews from fans of the original. But after watching the whole show, I don’t think there’s anything fundamentally wrong with it. The core story and side plots are pretty clear, and the characters are well-developed. The royal storyline, the Terminus storyline, and the Second Foundation storyline are all independent and logically consistent. I don’t understand why so many people are criticizing it.”
“8.5/10. Compared to Season 1, Season 2 feels like a completely different show, and yet it’s the same writers and directors. What happened?
The plot is much tighter, with no unnecessary dragging or filler, and the storytelling is clever and well-paced. The last few episodes really hit their stride, each one better than the last, even moving at times.
Episode 8, with Demerzel’s backstory, was a classic emotional dilemma: follow her feelings or follow her programming. No matter what she chooses, someone gets hurt. The suspense skyrocketed, and the truth was both heartbreaking and chilling.
Episode 9’s mother-daughter farewell had me in tears, and Day’s ending was so satisfying. The General’s fate was poetic.
After watching Season 1, I was disappointed and almost didn’t bother with Season 2. I’m glad I gave it a chance. I’ve forgotten most of the original novels anyway, so I just treated it like a brand-new show. And it turned out to be a real surprise.”
“Sequels to popular franchises often fall into the trap of long-winded storytelling, and this one is no exception.
Maybe it’s trying to move toward deeper philosophical exploration after building a grand world.
But behind that, it’s increasingly weighed down by melodramatic emotions and clichéd values, lacking the smooth and delicate sense of growth and fate that the first season had.
The soundtrack is perfect, though. I’ll still wait for Season 3.”
