Entertainment
Apple TV’s Greatest Ever Hard Sci-Fi Masterpiece Dominates Streaming Again
The Seldon Crisis has arrived — and so has Foundation back in Apple TV’s global Top 10. The streamer’s most ambitious hard sci-fi series is surging in viewership again, thanks in part to renewed buzz from star Lee Pace, who opened up about Season 3’s explosive finale during the press tour for The Running Man. Even the man behind Brother Day didn’t see the Empire’s downfall coming.
“I was shocked that the season ended the way it did,” Pace told Collider’s Perri Nemiroff, reflecting on the moment his character appeared to meet his end and the centuries-long Cleon dynasty collapsed. “Shocked that they did that to Demerzel, shocked that the dynasty is done. It’s all me now.” His comments — equal parts teasing and tantalizing — immediately sent Foundation fans spiraling with theories. Was Brother Day truly dead? Or was this merely another layer in the show’s labyrinth of identity, continuity, and rebirth?
Pace added that he’s already deep in early talks for Season 4. “We’re just working out the next season right now… I think it’s interesting to see where the story will go. I’m very excited about what my character is going to do next season.” While he could be referring to flashbacks, clones, or something more radical, one thing is clear: his time in the universe of Hari Seldon isn’t over. At the heart of the series is Jared Harris as Hari Seldon, a mathematician who predicts the collapse of a Galactic Empire ruled by the cloned Cleon triarchy. What follows is a galaxy-spanning saga of rebellion, prophecy, science, faith, and survival — a far more philosophical counterpart to space operas like Star Wars.
How Good Is Apple TV’s Sci-Fi?
Over the last decade or so, sci-fi has become prestige television, and Apple TV is easily the best creator of it at this point. While not the biggest streamer, Apple has consistently shown it’s willing to spend big — and spend smart — on high-concept, meticulously crafted stories in the genre, and Foundation helped set that tone when it premiered on September 24, 2021, introducing a sprawling, cerebral universe inspired by Isaac Asimov’s legendary novels.
And Foundation is just one jewel in Apple’s sci-fi crown. Alongside it sit the Rebecca Ferguson-starring Silo, Dark Matter starring Jennifer Connelly, Joel Kinnaman’s For All Mankind, as well as Alexander Skarsgård’s Murderbot. The streamer’s track record — from Emmy wins to cult fandoms — has solidified Apple TV as one of the most reliable platforms for boundary-pushing genre storytelling. Foundation is a great place to start.
Foundation is on Apple TV now. Stay tuned at Collider for further updates.
- Release Date
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September 23, 2021
- Network
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Apple TV+
- Showrunner
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David S. Goyer
- Directors
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Alex Graves, Roxann Dawson, Jennifer Phang, Mark Tonderai, Andrew Bernstein
- Writers
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Jane Espenson, Leigh Dana Jackson, Liz Phang, Eric Carrasco, David Kob, Addie Manis, Marcus Gardley, Lauren Bello, Olivia Purnell
