Foundation (Season 2)

What It’s About:

This sci-fi- drama (based on the award-winning novels by Isaac Asimov) chronicles a band of exiled warrior-scientist-mathematicians on their multi-generational journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the impending fall of the Galactic Empire. 

Why You Should Watch:

I’m a sucker for high-production value sci-fi, and Foundation delivers in spades, thanks to all that sweet, sweet iPhone money (Apple has under-the-radar become the destination for sci-fi on TV). Season one was a little wonky (all kinds of narrative eh hem, foundation needed to be laid), but Season Two has fallen into the sci-fi sweet spot. There are enough cerebral Star Trek-esque plotlines that hinge on things like quantum superposition to keep you thinking, but also enough Star Wars-esque action set pieces in each episode to break up the thought exercises and keep you on your toes. Lee Pace is having too much fun as the evil Emporer, and the primarily British supporting cast is almost too good for the material. If you’re a sci-fi fan ready for something more adult than what’s going on in the Star Wars TV universe (which has essentially devolved into Power Rangers), check this one out.

Who’s In It, and Where You Probably Know Them From

Jared Harris - Probably from breaking your heart as a sad intellectual in Mad Men. And Chernobyl. And The Crown.

Lee Pace - You might not recognize him without the makeup, but Pace was the villain in the first Guardians of the Galaxy and an Elf king in The Hobbit Trilogy. He also was one of those uber-racist congressional orators in Lincoln and the star of the criminally-under-watched Halt and Catch Fire.

Who Made It, and What Else Have They Done:

The show was created by fanboy/blockbuster royalty Josh Friedman and David S. Goyer. Friedman wrote Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds, and Goyer is best known as Christopher Noaln’s longtime collaborator and writer of a little movie called The Dark Knight.

Where You Can Watch:

AppleTV+

Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here.