Long Ago, Not Far Away

Outstanding episode, the best so far. It must be admitted that the foundation is a very uneven series. The first season was so tiring in places that it seemed like nothing could save it. Fortunately, the second season turned out to be much better and from episode to episode it gave hope for better. For the episode 9 of season 2 I give it 10/10 (although this is probably an exaggerated rating and I refer it to other episodes in this series). At this moment, I would say that the entire series is an 8/10 and I hope that it will get better and better with each subsequent episode.

Lastly, apart from everything, as others have already written, the special effects in this series really deserve recognition.

This is what a great episode looks like. Scene to scene, line for line, had it all and then some.

Great action, space battle, drama, and intensity finally. All previous episodes have been ok and have you holding on just enough for the next to give you a gem like this. Wish the previous episodes delivered as ep. 9 does.

Well done, directed and epic. True to the spirit of sci-fi, asimov, and space adventure. Salvor and Gaal story a little boring now but hope it comes to a cool finale. Cleon dynasty and Demerzel is really what makes this fascinating and captivating. Love Jared Harris and his Seldon potrayal too.

What we and/or I have been holding out for. Hoping ep. 10 and beyond can live up to that.

Love may not conquer all, but it will never die trying.

For me, this episode was ground zero for Asimov's vision of humanity in the Foundation series. While the TV show has charted it's own path in almost every respect (compared to the books), I can only applaud the writers and showrunners for delivering so forcefully, especially in this episode, the very intent and heart of what Asimov's Foundation is all about. As a writer, Asimov always had a trick (or two or three) up his sleeves, and in this episode I find the same delicious collision of the inevitable and the unexpected.

The pacing is excellent, and the scenes and storylines are interwoven in a very satisfying way. Starting with a fairy tale about a robot, the drama unfolds, while nicely developing the show's major themes, then brings it all together in a brutally delicious climax.

And yet there is still some very unfinished business...

Hey, I gotta tell ya, I'm sittin' here, watchin' this sci-fi episode, and I'm like, "Whoa, where the heck do I even begin?" It's like, mind-blowing stuff, you know what I mean? This thing's got me on a wild rollercoaster ride!

So, all these characters, they're just poppin' off left and right in this episode, like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Demerzel, Seldon, Day, Salvo, Belriose - you name it, they're all going kaboom! It's like a sci-fi fireworks display, and I'm lovin' every second of it.

Now, I gotta be real with you, though - Gaal, that chick, she's still as boring as a cardboard box. But you know what? We've got so much other crazy stuff happenin' that you almost forget about her.

And here's the kicker - they're settin' up the whole Foundation (no pun intended) for five seasons! I mean, holy smokes, that's some serious long-term planning. It's like they're layin' down the groundwork for an epic sci-fi saga that's gonna keep us hooked for a long, long time.

So, if you haven't seen this episode yet, you better get on it, 'cause it's a wild ride from start to finish. And trust me, you won't wanna miss out on the explosion extravaganza and the epic saga that's about to unfold. It's big, bold, and unforgettable.

We get to learn a lot more about Demerzel and her relationship with the first Cleon. And this ties back to the wider story of Asimov's books, which is good.

Not so good is the decision that the Encyclopedia Galactica was never produced. In the book, it continued as a minor function. Asimov used it to give summaries that were well-informed, but not always correct.

The planned visit by Emperor to Terminus happens, of course, but with unexpected twists and turns and a cliff-hanger ending. One wonders just how many more changes the script will make to Asimov's tale.

Meantime Gael's story continues, with some emotional stress and a very unexpected helper arriving.

But I'll give nothing away: the surprise is much of the fun. I will be adding spoiler details in Trivia.