Creation Myths

Good finale. Let's hope there is a season 3. The acting especially, Lee Pace was superb. Makes me wonder why some actors and actresses can be so good in this and awful in other films or series. Anyhoo this wasn't a shoot me up like the last episode but tried to fill in the gaps. Quite successfully in my book. I'm surprised that a lot of reviewers didn't like it but there we go. Not everybody's cup of rosy Lee. The CGI, acting, dialogue, script, cinematography was excellent as it has been through 20 episodes so far. Looking forward to season 3 next year if IMDB is to be believed. What next?????

Firstly, the bad bit. The very final scene of this episode is a bit... cringe. We know the Mule is due an appearance, but still, that bit was a little off, at least from how I remember the Mule being depicted in the books.

The rest, though? Superb. Utterly, simply, wonderful Sci-Fi.

The Three Laws of Robotics is nicely, cleverly played out through the conflict Demerzel experiences, having been tampered with by an earlier version of Cleon. A wonderful adaptation of Asimov's stories. Brilliant, in fact.

Our version of Brother Day, and the episode generally, continues a theme introduced in the previous episode. The empire's aristocracy is the empire's weakness. For Brother Day, one such member of the never-ending aristocratic dynasty, his wanton acts of desperation are one of the motivations for the Foundation. He is not the outlier who can change destiny, in Seldon's terms, he would like to think he is, A point brought home in a scene where Demerzel defrosts some spare Cleons. And here the TV adaptation again takes the spirit of the book and portrays is wonderfully.

Still no news on Brother Constant, she is around but still hasn't developed her story arc. And Seldon's second Foundation at Stars End is nowhere to be seen, unless I've missed an important detail.

So, yes, there are departures from the book. But I am becoming very impressed with the way they are adapting Asmiov's work. If they continue into Season 3 in the manner they have ended Season 2, this could become one of the great Sci-Fi shows.

Something old: one of the great works of SF, woven together and reimagined over nearly 50 years and, essentially, unfilmable.

Something new: Film it anyway. Make bold changes where needed to make the story drive on in a modern way, but never forget that the source was about, in the end, what was possible, what was inevitable and what is all-too-mutable. Merge characters when needed (Gaal and Wanda, say), reorder events for pacing (Mallow and Bel, say), but never forget that, by the time he had finished, Asimov had created two of the great characters of SF in entirely different story series and made them into a whole.

Something blew my mind: And so we have sacrifices noble and most definitely ignoble, misdirections played out to their full and - even when you were pretty sure a thing might happen - still managing to surprise. We have people still not knowing what is possible, what is inevitable and what is mutable - not sure, that is, if they are free or not. And we have a story of truly epic sweep, not just at a Galactic scale, but - at its heart - about the huge question of what it means to be free: what it means to have choices.

And then You Know Who turns up.

Come on Apple. Make a separate peace with the Writers Union and get on with this.

The only reason I persevered with season 1 is the fine visual design and the story of the Cleons. The rest seemed rather flat and poorly thought out.

Season 2 felt like it was going even further downhill, but the final 3 episodes really had some true quality in the story, script and characters. If they can keep to this last part of the season's quality, in the next season then I'll definitely be watching. There was some real emotional gravity, especially in the character of Demerzel and the true nature of her relationship with Empire. It's not quite Asimov's story but it could finally start living up to it.

Foundation season 2 offers an exciting finale with twists and deaths that surprise and leave viewers satisfied or hopeful. The story of Demerzel, a robot with emotions, is intriguing and resonates with viewers. However, the events on Ignis are disappointing, formulaic, and predictable, making it the only low point for the second season of Foundation. The finale fails to make the part of Ignis count, making it the only low point for the second season. Gaal, using Tellem's teachings and creating illusions, rescues the Beggar and his allies, Salvor, and Hari. The Mentalics surround the Beggar, reassureing them not to fear them. They reveal Tellem's voice was always in their minds, bending them to her will. Now, they are no longer under her control, grateful for Gaal, Salvor, and Hari's help. Gaal, Salvor, and Hari greet the Mentalics. On Trantor, Demerzel visits Brother Dusk and Rue, who propose that Sareth and Day's union can end Demerzel's suffering and end her obligation to protect Cleon's dynasty. Demerzel, a woman programmed to protect the dynasty, confesses to hiring the Blind Angels to prevent Day from marrying Sareth, who will be blamed for the assassination attempt. She also alters Sareth's banking records to prove her innocence. Dusk and Rue, unaware of the truth, are forced to kill Demerzel and Rue. As Brother Day aims to destroy all worlds under the Foundation's influence, Bel warns him of the moral ruin of the Empire. When Bel declines, Day relives his duties and instructs the navigator to jump to the next destination, creating a chain reaction that destroys the entire fleet. The fleet cannot escape, and it turns out that Hober Mallow's work is responsible. Seldon baits Day into coming to Terminus, and he falls into Seldon's trap. A frustrated Day beats Hober Mallow, eventually entering the fight. In the end, Day overpowers Bel and kicks him out of the ship. Bel switches places with Day using Hober Mallow's castling device, allowing him to switch places with the other person. Bel survives, while Day dies out in space. The season 2 finale revealed the Mule, 152 years in the future, feeling intimidated by Gaal Dornick approaching him. He knew he had to find Gaal before she did and destroy her at any cost. The Mule is ready to go to any extent to do so. In Foundation season 3, we will see if he can kill Gaal or if she gets the better of him, triggering an event that brings the world back on track. Hari planned to teach Gaal sighted psychohistory and hone their abilities in the cryosleep chamber while staying at Ignis. However, Gaal was hesitant, fearing that if Hari didn't enter the pod, she would be alone in the battle and Hari would cease to exist. She convinced Hari to enter the pod, as the memories of loved ones can keep people going even when they want to give up. Hari believed that using pain to propel them forward would honor the memory of those who had left them, ensuring they could stand up for themselves.