‘Majestic' sci-fi epic is finally back for season 3
Apple TV+'s gripping science fiction epic is finally back for its third season and it's more timely than ever before.
Based on the iconic works of Isaac Asimov, Foundation is a sprawling saga set 10s of thousands of years into the future, when the galaxy is ruled by a lineage of clones based on the original Emperor Cleon, portrayed by Lee Pace, Cassian Bilton and Terrence Mann, known as Brother Dawn, Day and Dusk.
When ingenious mathematician Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) formulates psychohistory, a scientific method of predicting the future, he foresees the Empire's downfall which will lead to a dark age lasting eons.
He subsequently recruits fellow maths genius Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell), who helps him create Foundation, an interstellar alliance working to preserve human knowledge.
This season sees their coalition face their greatest threat, a Mentalic known as the Mule (Pilou Asbæk), an unpredictable warlord with the ability to bend people to his will.
More than ever before, season three of Foundation is a poignant example of how sci-fi stories set millennia into the future can still resonate deeply with the issues we're facing today.
Take it from the cast themselves, including Brother Dusk star Mann who told Express Online and other press: 'What happens in Foundation, for all three seasons, mirrors exactly what's happening in the world in any given country, or continent, or city, or home, or family, or town.
'That part of humanity doesn't change, the dysfunctionality of families, they're there and we love them and that kind of storytelling has been here as long as the written word.'
And his co-star Bilton, who portrays Brother Dawn, added: 'I think the show this season, more than other seasons, has a very confronting relevance to the world we're living in right now.
'What we explore this season is the idea that power ultimately shouldn't be held by one individual for too long.
'There are elements of the Cleons' rule that are borderline fascistic, they are essentially autocrats. They're, for all intents and purposes, not democratically elected. They're clinging to power, even though that wouldn't be the right thing for them or anyone else.
'You see across the entire Foundation universe the implications of that, and none of it's good. It really is war.'
While Foundation has always struck a chord both with human history and contemporary life, the Mule introduces brand new themes that will feel eerily timely to today's online landscape.
'You have that on one side and also another thing that strikes me as relevant is the Mentalic element of this season,' Bilton continued.
'Of course it is a science-fiction idea but, I think with the rise of social media and its influence on the way in which we carry out our daily lives and the choices that we make being informed by the time we spend on our phones has echoes in what the Mule is able to do.
'It's not so much that he has a very strong army of people with weapons, but he can get in the minds of people. What you're seeing now, both with the rise of AI and the proliferation of social media globally, is people have a shortcut into your attention and your mind.
'Capitalism has taken over every single land mass in the world and now the thing it's coming for is the real estate of your mind.
'That's echoed in the Mule so I do think there's a striking relevance this season to the world we're living in.'
Reviews from fans have called the show 'magnificent and majestic' and a 'groundbreaking adaptation' of Asimov's original novels, so make sure you find time for this stunning sci-fi series soon.
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