Robot, Empire, Frustration For fans of the Robot, Empire and Foundation book series, be aware there is next to no similarity between the book series and this tv show. This show can only be described as a stand alone story that coincidentally uses some character names and location names that are also used in the book series.
It is a complete re-imagining, to the point that if the show had a different title and different character names, you would be hard pressed to compare it to Asimov's work.
Yes, the graphics are fantastic. Unfortunately, it is just another one of those cookie cutter scifi shows. Lots of drop of a hat romance and sex scenes that add nothing to the story, lots of angry people, lots of arguing, lots of violence, and lots of scenes leaving you scratching your head wondering what is going on.
As has now become the staple of Hollywood, there is also lots of race and gender reversals. Strange the producers did not throw in some binaries and gay characters also, but I imagine that is yet to come.
Asimov's 3 laws are thrown out the window. The scientists are not mature and intelligent, rather angry, selfish and violent people.
I can see why so many reviewers have compared the gender and race reversed leads (Salvor Hardin and Gaal Dornick) as the Michael Burnham of Foundation. Both of them are extremely annoying, over-acted and over-emotional.
There is no sign of Dors. Demerzel is just a servant/nurse maid. We have 3 Cleon Emperors, and they are all clones. And for some unknown reason they have multiple names - Cleon xx, Empire and the Brother something. Are they Mycogenians?
For this reviewer, it was not a pleasant experience to watch. Why announce Foundation is coming to TV, then completely redesign the Asimov Universe? Why not change the character names, replace Psychohistory with, say, Time-Travel and whamo, you have your new AppleTV+ tv show. No need to insult the lifelong fans.