TL;DR – The calamity of capriciousness causes crisis conflagration.

Disclosure – I paid for the Apple TV+ service that viewed this episode.

Foundation Review –

As we crash into the end of the season with today’s penultimate episode, there is a building wonder as to whether this season can stick the landing. It has pulled in so many different directions. Will that work when you bring everything back together? Well, this is what we will explore today.

So to set the scene, in The Last Empress, we discovered that Demerzel (Laura Birn) might, in fact, be the actual Empire, using the cloned dynasty almost as a shield to obscure her power. Today’s episode starts with her story of discovery, imprisonment, and how Cleon I (Terrence Mann) rescued/imprisoned her. But while this is happening, Brother Day/ Cleon XVII (Lee Pace) is going to Trantor looking to bring the Foundation down. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

Before we dive into the rest of the episode, I do want to take a moment to explore the part of the series that is just not working. Gaal (Lou Llobell), Salvor (Leah Harvey), and Tellem Bond (Rachel House) on Ignis. I understand why this part is in the show. To begin with, it gives a reason for two critical characters to continue being in the show after they disappeared from the books. It also works to forward both the Second Foundation and The Mule (Mikael Persbrandt) key plot points from the later novels that appear out of nowhere. Unfortunately, the way they have added it just has not worked. Every time they cut away from the more exciting parts of the show back to this story is frustrating, even if it meant more Daniel MacPherson, because it feels untethered to the narrative. I also rolled my eyes at the conclusion.      

However, while some aspects of the show don’t work, others jump up, making it a joy to watch. Today’s episode begins with an opening prologue of Demerzel’s life. It is as informative as it is deeply sad. It sets up a situation where Demerzel is both the one legacy of Cleon I and in control of Empire, but also someone in their own jail, controlled by code, not of her own. It is a tragedy in the making but also highlights her dismissiveness of Cleon XVII at the end. The exploration of these moral ambiguities makes the show so compelling to watch.  

There is tremendous tension throughout this episode as all the different players make their way to Terminus. Every character is just swinging for the fences at every moment, making every encounter so fascinating. Watching Brother Day walk into the ‘Church’ on Terminus and demanding to be converted was a highlight. As was his great debate with Hari Seldon (Jared Harris). There was a constant shift in power throughout the conversation as all three tried to find the high ground. For a series that is more expository than action, these conversations must be compelling, and this week, they fundamentally were.    

What will make the most discussion is how the episode ended because we have either dramatically diverged from the books or Brother Day did not leave Seldon’s Office. I think either option is going to upset people. However, in the moment, I have to say that it was very compelling as we saw the ship crash down onto the surface. It was also produced spectacularly with the effects. This season’s visual effects have been incredibly strong, and I am fascinated to see what they have in reserve for next week’s final episode.

In the end, do we recommend Foundation: Long Ago, Not Far Away? Yes, we do. There is a proviso here: How they resolve the cliffhanger next week might reposition my view of the episode. The performances were solid, and seeing the philosophies at play here was great. It will be fascinating to see where they go in the season finale next week.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you seen Foundation yet ?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day.    

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Foundation
Directed by – Roxanne Dawson
Written by – Jane Espenson & Eric Carrasco
Created by – David S. Goyer & Josh Friedman
Based On – Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Production/Distribution Companies – Skydance TV & Apple+
Starring – Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton & Terrence Mann with Ben Daniels, Isabella Laughland, Dimitri Leonidas, Daniel MacPherson, Sandra Yi Sencindiver, Rachel House, Dino Fetscher, Oliver Chris & Kulvinder Ghir and Mikael Persbrandt, Cobhan O’Brien, Chris Jarman, Eva Bradley Williams, Judi Shekoni, Luis Torrecilla, Wade Briggs, Anthony Barclay, Orla O’Rourke, Brendan Sheehan, Ephraim Goldin, Mahmoud Aldachan, Sandra Guldberg Kampp & Rachel Lascar