Foundation (Apple) [** SPOILERS **]

With the First World burden of so much Peak TV, I've only very recently remembered this was ever on my watchlist. Finally got around to taking a look at the thing, watching it as someone who knows of the books - but never read them.

Watched Episode 1 and as the trailers suggested, it was wonderfully baroque space opera in its trappings and setting, full of pomp and splendour ... but ye gods the plot and momentum was dense to the point of being impenetrable. Enjoyment of the world(s) was tempered by lots and lots of blather very clumsily delivered; all made worse by the fact this opening episode had to both establish a whole universe - then imply it's about to collapse. Hard enough to teach of a whole Galactic empire and its custom, without then jamming a bunch of technowaffle maths into it as well. Maybe the opening episode should have spent most of its time establishing the status quo, then only show the cracks at the very end, as a tease.

And while the visuals were sumptuous, with great use of Irish locations like the Long Library, or Powerscourt, some of the editing kept erratically jump cutting, never allowing moments or interactions to settle.

We'll see. As opening episodes go, I was intrigued by the world and some of its players, but that was despite the execution. Too much front-loading so maybe with that out of the way, the rest of the season won't be so drowned by infodumping. You could hinge a whole show on that trio of emperors alone - and I presume we'll return to that weird parallel relationship.

Was great to see Alexander Siddig in a small part though; thought the guy had aged well 'til I realised he's only 56.

Episodes 3 and 4 and this show is quite something; I am constantly left in a state of befuddlement, internally wondering "am I supposed to know what the f*ck is going on??". But not in the manner of something like Westworld, where superficial pontificating was used instead of actual story; here it feels like the pieces are all there ... but they're pieces from 3 different boardgames and somebody threw out the instructions.

I think I'm enjoying this but uhhhh, what's going on?? And there has still not been half as much Trantor scenes as there should be; watching the brothers try desperately arrest the erosion of their own empire has been the most fascinating, most magnetic part of this.

Episodes 7 and 8 and damn, that last scene. Should have left it at the dining table perhaps but that eighth episode was excellent stuff; the whole aspect with Brother Day kept me thinking maybe, maybe it was hinting at a shift in personality through hardship endured ... and then that rug-pull at the end. Day's such a díck.

And yeah yeah, there was stuff with the ship, blergh. Though things did nicely ramp up there I will admit, even though the convenient room of open acid vats was like something out of a video game.

Gail continues to charm her way into an airlock without a suit mind you. Way to go you plank, that's the backup ruined. Jesus.

For those like me who had zero preexisting knowledge of the book series, this (admittedly long) deep dive into the series has been interesting. I like the YT channel as it stands, and the video basically reflects my own thoughts on the series, albeit as a book-ignorant one: that the Empire plot was genuinely good, the rest of it middling to kinda awful - though I hadn't realised just how deviant from the books the tone of some aspects were. The Terminus stuff in particular.

How come? I just found Salvor a really tedious Chosen One YA style hero; dunno why they're always written to be so obnoxious.

New trailer has appeared; more Empire please, less warmed up Chosen One Bollix. That'd be nice, but still looking forward to season 2 all the same.