One of the most complex and compelling sci-fi series of recent years has returned for more mind-bending cosmic action. The third season of Foundation dropped on Apple TV+ earlier this month, expanding on the dense and epic seasons that came before it.
Foundation is set in a grand galactic empire ruled over by three clone emperors. The series starts with terrorist attacks from other worlds, but the real threat to the empire is a mathematician who's worked out an algorithm that predicts the future.
His biggest prediction? The empire will fall. Spanning centuries as well as galaxies, Season 3 continues the story, with the arrival of a Game of Thrones star as a major new villain teased in season 2.
And it's another hit, with Empire calling this latest season "a stunning cerebral odyssey", while The Telegraph says it's "as ludicrous and lavish as ever". The show carries a current Tomatometer score of 86 per cent, too.
From the very first Foundation episode, the show is visually stunning. It's a gorgeous series full of striking designs, eye-catching cinematography and intriguing effects that make the Foundation universe feel unique.
Presented in glorious 4K HDR with Dolby Vision, the sweeping vistas of alien planets, glowing control rooms of far-future starships and colourful majesty of the imperial palace are perfect for showing off the dynamic range and colour fidelity of any high-end home cinema setup.
The Dolby Atmos sound is also layered and detailed, from crisp dialogue to spaceships rumbling overhead.
But as you can probably tell from the description, this sci-fi series isn't just lasers and spaceships. Foundation wrestles with big themes like fate and free will, the rise and fall of empires, and what it means to try and shape the future.
Based on a series of weighty novels by science fiction pioneer Isaac Asimov, the themes explored in Foundation are as epic as the effects.
If that sounds complicated, well, it is. You have to pay attention to the many characters and timelines – but it's worth the effort. If you loved the intrigue of Game of Thrones, the dense worldbuilding of Dune, or Andor adding shades of grey to the Star Wars universe, then you should enjoy immersing yourself in Foundation.
The series takes a lot of big swings, some bold, some bonkers, but rarely boring. And if that’s not enough, there's always Lee Pace, stealing the show as an increasingly unhinged intergalactic emperor.
Foundation is smart, beautiful and ambitious. If you enjoy sci-fi with scale and substance, you've found your next watch.
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