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The second season of the AppleTV+ series is more epic than the first yet still struggles to earn an emotional investment.

Plot: More than a century after the season one finale, tension mounts throughout the galaxy in “Foundation” season two. As the Cleons unravel a vengeful Queen plots to destroy the Empire from within. Hari, Gaal and Salvor discover Mentalics who possess psionic powers that threaten to change psychohistory. The Foundation has entered a religious phase. It has spread the Church of Seldon in the Outer Reach, and sparked the Second Crisis – war with Empire. The monumental adaptation of “Foundation” chronicles the stories of four crucial individuals transcending space and time as they overcome deadly crises, shifting loyalties and complicated relationships that will ultimately determine the fate of humanity.

Review: Isaac Asimov’s iconic Foundation novels are not Game of Thrones. Foundation is a blend of science fiction, philosophical drama and a blend of intelligent dialogue. It has been considered unfilmable for a long time. The first season adaptation by David S. Goyer & Josh Friedman bridged the gap between the written page and the screen, adding a large dose of sex & violence to offset the dialogue – heavy exercises in math & politics. The series had solid production values, top-notch effects, but lacked the energy of a story that would have made it worth investing for multiple seasons. The second season of Foundation- is a solid sophomore season that will keep fans happy but may not be enough to win over new ones. The new season of

Foundation- begins 138 years after the main time period of the previous season. Gaal Dornick, played by Lou Llobell, learns that Salvor Hardin, played by Leah Harvey, is her daughter. They work to get out of their exile. The radiant of Hari Seldon, played by Jared Harris, is also put through trials as an alien intelligence tests his resolve. The bulk of the season featuring these characters feels like a side quest rather than the season’s main arc and feels like a secondary plot in the overall narrative of Foundation. Goyer and Friedman have a very different take on Hari Seldon than Asimov. In the books, Seldon is a major character who appears throughout the series. He exists mostly in the form recordings and memories. On-screen, that would not work and has been changed in a way that gives Seldon a legitimate reason to appear on screen but still is bogged down by countless monologues weighed down by unwieldy technobabble.What works the best this season is the enhanced palace intrigue centered on Empire, played again by Lee Pace as Brother Day, Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk, and Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn. Pace, who portrayed Brother Day in multiple iterations in the first season, portrays Cleon XVII. This is five generations beyond his role as Cleon XII. Pace was a formidable villain in the first series, but this second run begins with an action-packed scene that sets the tone for the entire Trantor-set season. In a nod to the

early seasons of Game of Thrones and the diabolical game played between the warring family, we get an assassination, a marriage that could combine the Empire with an ally that is powerful, and many secret alliances which form the best part of the season’s arc. Cassian Bilton, who plays Brother Dawn, is more important as the younger heir. Terrence Mann’s Brother Dusk continues to be the wiser and older leader. Pace, a stellar actor in everything he does, chews the scenery wonderfully through this entire season and commands the screen in every scene he appears.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2vT0f9MgtkThe shift between the Trantor scenes and those in the galaxy’s far reaches showcases the vast disconnect between the two elements of this series. Like

and Yellowstone, we love to watch those in power implode, and seeing how the Empire begins to show cracks after twelve thousand years in power is deliciously entertaining. But, unlike Star Wars and other similar science fiction series, the rebellious faction we are meant to root for in Foundation is not nearly as rousing as it should be. I enjoyed the screen time shared by Jared Harris, Lou Llobell and Leah Harvey. However, their plotlines seem to drag in order to fill out the ten episode season order. Laura Birn, who plays the android Eto demerzel, is the best in the cast. This season’s additions to the cast, including Ella-Rae Smith, Ben Daniels, and Isabella Laughland, accentuate the ensemble.Director Alex Graves, who helmed three episodes of the first season, returns to maintain the visual tone and style this year. The direction is solid throughout, but the writing does show some improvement thanks to the addition of Jane Espenson (Game of Thrones

) and Liz Phang (Yellowjackets, The Haunting of Hill House). Espenson and Phang, who have worked with David S. Goyer on five episodes of this season, are credited for eight of the ten chapter. Both writers give a stronger voice in the complex narratives of Asimov’s books, updating characters and plots while staying true to Foundation’s overall plot. This season of Foundation is better than the first, but it still packs so much content into these ten chapters that each chapter feels like twice as long as their hour-long running times. The finale works as a satisfying conclusion should Apple elect not to continue this series for a third season, but it also keeps the door open with yet another massive time jump.Foundation continues to feel like a series that wants to be epic yet cannot quite grasp how to do it. The second season is worth watching for Lee Pace alone, but the season finale left me feeling hollow. Foundation

is inspired by a book series that was loved alongside Dune and The Lord of the Rings, but it’s not enough to make me watch this show outside of my reviewer role. I feel like I should love Foundation, and giving it a bad review is hard. There is nothing inherently wrong with the series; it just doesn’t come close to being as good as it should be.Season 2 of Foundation premieres on

July 14th on AppleTV+.7

Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch