Foundation: Season 2

 

   

Based on: 1942 book series of the same name by Isaac Asimov

Created by: David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman

Starring: 

Jared Harris (Hari Seldon), Lee Pace (Brother Day), Lou Llobell (Gaal Domick), Leah Harvey (Salvor Hardin), Laura Birn (Demerzel), Terrence Mann (Brother Dusk), Cassian Bilton (Brother Dawn)

Foundation season 2 trailer:

Season 1 of this sci-fi blew me away with its epic scope, pushing the limits of world-building and my own comprehension. The show traversed galaxies and centuries of timespan to convey ideas of immortality and how an empire can grow stale with old ideas and static rulers. Read my full season 1 review here. Season 2 carried on right where the first left off, starting with the growth of Foundation, a rebel institution established to save the Galactic Empire--by taking it down. This Foundation has grown between seasons into a civilization of people who worship Hari, its founder, after his death. 

The plot remained similarly convoluted and hard to follow as the first season-- no losing focus or dividing your attention if you want to keep up! However, this may be for the better: it's the show's way of saying "We're going for a ride, so best strap in!" The series continues to be an elegant weave of politics and philosophy, reaching through the expansive concepts of sci-fi genetics, robotics, and vast interstellar travel. 

The main idea of Empire--a tyrannical lord with absolute and merciless reign--continues with its examination of the rulers themselves. This season continues our glimpse into their shared lives and how being forced to act as functional duplicates of themselves, while remaining subservient to the primary clone, Brother Day, affects their lives and mentality--and divides loyalties. Another wrench is thrown into this story when Day seeks the hand of Queen Sareth (Ella-Rae Smith), the ruler of a neighboring kingdom, a prospect which would completely change the function of their "genetic dynasty" by introducing biological heirs instead of continuing the cloning tradition. 

Empire's android servant and lover, Demerzel (Laura Birn), maintains a standout performance throughout the series and a devious hand in the politics around her

Queen Sareth is introduced as Empire's betrothed, and wages a secret and fierce war of rumors, power plays, and reputation against Demerzel

Season 2 also introduces the idea of psychics, or "mentalics," a clan of people who can hear thoughts or exhibit a vast array of other more powerful mental abilities. Hari, Gaal, and Salvor encounter their planet and seek the aid of the mentalics in forwarding the cause of Foundation and toppling the Galactic Empire. The leader of the mentalics, Tellem (Rachel House), though, has other ideas about the trio. The thing I found most fascinating about this clan, aside of how their various psychic powers interacted and blurred reality, was the frightening power Tellem possessed. The season gave us a brief glimpse into her backstory which was riddled with concepts of slavery, abuse, and psychic possession across vast distances. 

Tellem and her mantalics introduce more magical-type concepts into the series with their innate psychic abilities

Another new focus introduced this season, resourceful bounty hunter Hober Mallow (Dimitri Leonidas) follows no Empire but his own in his quest to look out for number one

While I very much enjoy the epic and fantastical technology and concepts used in the series, another thing that continues to draw me in is the idea of rebellion against tyranny. (A similar idea that brings me to love The Hunger Games and even Avatar) It's fascinating to see the empire of absolute dictatorship of the Galactic Empire, how ruthlessly he doles out "justice," and how minor rebels come together to fight back. Each victory they achieve is immensely satisfying, and I look forward to see how the writers bring the series to its conclusion.