I think they're really trying, but just slightly missing the mark. They're raising a lot of ideas that aren't in the book, but are actually relevant to the conc

I think they're really trying, but just slightly missing the mark. They're raising a lot of ideas that aren't in the book, but are actually relevant to the concept of psychohistory. Things like the group think exhibited in various factions, many of the characters grapple with the way society constrains their freedom of action. The identical genetics of the emperor/s raises the question of the relevance and nature of individual identity. I think they actually do quite a good job of integrating all these themes of freedom, social constraint and inertia, personhood and destiny. The first book doesn't really do any of that, so in doing so the show is diverging dramatically from the story of the first book. Nevertheless given psychohistory they're all interesting questions. Later books do explore various implications of psychohistory, but I don't think it's viable for a show to wait x-many seasons before bringing in these themes. The problem is the actual story is a bit sluggish, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt because I can see what they are trying to do.