6 ms·

Foundation is so awful it makes me sad. Fringe is one of my all-time favorites. Silo is pretty awesome. Jack Ryan was too Reacher (Krasinski was bad casting, an

Foundation is so awful it makes me sad. Fringe is one of my all-time favorites. Silo is pretty awesome. Jack Ryan was too Reacher (Krasinski was bad casting, and it felt like it was written by 16 yos). I hardly know what to think…

jacknews 3y ago
Haven't watched the others, Foundation put me off doing so.
theshrike79 3y ago
I hate-watched the first season just because I love Jared Harris and Lee Pace, held off on S2 but actually enjoyed it a lot more than the first one when I got around to it.
- importantbrian 3y ago
  I think I enjoyed season 2 in part because I didn't have any expectations that it would be a faithful adaptation. I just enjoyed it for what it was. I think if I rewatched season 1 with the same attitude I'd probably like it more. It's a really solid SciFi show if you can just view it as its own thing and not constantly compare it to the books.
  - zellyn 3y ago
    I watched season 1 with interest, but by the time I got an episode or two into season 2, I just couldn't muster the interest. Sounds like I should give it another try…
_Parfait_ 3y ago
Why don't you like Foundation?
- browningstreet 3y ago
  It’s antithetical to the books and it’s just painful, to me, to watch. I kind of like what they did with Empire in the first season, but only made it through two episodes of this latest season before giving up. I hate-read summaries of the rest of the season on Wikipedia and nothing I saw made me reconsider my choice. I’ll grant that Lee Pace is great but they stranded Jared Harris.
  - _Parfait_ 3y ago
    I think the number of people who read the books is quite small so they kind of had to pander to an audience that hadn't. I kind of enjoyed it but it is a bit...strange.
    - troupo 3y ago
      I read the books. But not many years ago like most people who claim to be Asimov fans or something. I went ahead and re-read the entire series before Season 1 was released. Asimov is a horrible writer. The books are just bad (with the exception of the first one https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39555390 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39555390). And if you take the series as whole, what they did in the show is really good. Imagine springing the Mule or R.Daneel Olivaw out of nowhere like the books do?
- squarefoot 3y ago
  Not the PP, however it seems Foundation is one of those series both the audience and the actors themselves must sort of adapt to. I didn't read the Asimov original books (well I started like 40 years ago but gave up after finding them boring in contrast to short and non SF stories by him) so I didn't have any expectations, and was mostly satisfied with the series that appears getting better and better with time. Definitely not a masterpiece, but quite good.
  - ethbr1 3y ago
    Foundation the books... doesn't have good characterization. At all. But, Asimov, so that goes without saying. It does have some clever plot reveals, but at some point the "Ha! Little did you know this was the plan all along" becomes rote. The failure in adaptations I see is not understanding why people liked the source and leaning into that. It's not the window dressing / surface-level stuff that's too often mimicked: it's a more core, simple... thing. To me, Foundation was about 'epicness across time' But, if I wanted a better written version of that, I'd read the first 3 Dune novels.
anotherhue 3y ago
I found silo to be about three times longer than the story warranted. Typical Streaming bloat. Remember Magnolia? People said that was bloated.
- browningstreet 3y ago
  It was a slow burn for sure, but I loved every minute of it.
bullox 3y ago
I thought Foundation was great. A direct adaptation of the books would have been terrible, which is why nobody had done it yet. In case it helps, the companion podcast gives an episode-by-episode story of the changes - I agree with most of them, but can understand why they're controversial. https://podcasts.apple.com/si/podcast/foundation-the-official-podcast/id1586219793 https://podcasts.apple.com/si/podcast/foundation-the-officia... https://open.spotify.com/show/1SIqjOZcJrJSrpcDjI9fyy https://open.spotify.com/show/1SIqjOZcJrJSrpcDjI9fyy
- zeroonetwothree 3y ago
  Agree completely. There’s no rule that adaptations have to be 1:1, indeed that’s usually a bad idea.
- zitterbewegung 3y ago
  After the last two seasons the Empire is the only interesting thing so they might have well just got rid of the parts of the story that was in the book of foundation but that would be two people talking to each other …
- nkingsy 3y ago
  They butchered the entire terminus plot line by making it a series of badly done, saved by dumb luck action scenes. I enjoyed the other stuff, though it was more “inspired by the foundation universe”. If you’re going to rewrite terminus, give us a hint as to how these people are going to wind up dominating the galaxy technologically.
  - WorldMaker 3y ago
    I enjoyed what we got in Season 2 of the "Brothers" of the pseudo-religion going out into the galaxy and sharing Terminus technology with already technologically fallen behind worlds. I wouldn't have minded more of that. I think that was at least a small hint as to how Terminus is going to wind up dominating the galaxy technologically.
- b112 3y ago
  I have a philosophy here. I read a book, and see it on another medium? Well, I pretend it's an account by another person who was there. If 5 people are in a room during a big event, and you interview them, you will get 5 different accounts. Where they were looking when the event happened, what their allegiances are, who their friends are, their background, etc etc all results in a different takeaway. So I'm OK with change. I can live with it. Yet, Foundation IMO was well beyond this degree of change. And very very important things were left out, and could have been told. For example, Asimov constantly described a broken culture of innovation. How many no longer even understood how the machines around them worked, and maintained them by rote. How scientists would merely read old books and papers, and debate that, instead of engaging in new research. This was a strong theme, and a massive reason for the Empire to fall, yet there were only hints of it in the TV series. This could easily have been in the series, but I really don't think many people on staff even read all the books, and it shows.
swsieber 3y ago
Has anybody here listened to the BBC drama version? https://archive.org/details/foundation-trilogy_bbc-radio_1973_complete/Foundation-Trilogy_1-of-8_Psychohistory-and-Encyclopedia_BBC-Radio_1973.mp3 https://archive.org/details/foundation-trilogy_bbc-radio_197... I enjoyed it, but I haven't watch the TV series or actually read the books, so I no idea how it lines up...
paulette449 3y ago
I'm a huge fan of the books since childhood and hated Season 1. One big speech after another by some god/demagogue/mathematician. It took me months to bother watching Season 2 but was happily surprised to find it as good as Season 1 was bad. Not without flaw, for sure, but certainly more watchable.
- ethbr1 3y ago
  > One big speech after another by some god/demagogue/mathematician. You were a fan of the books, but disliked this? ;)
- hackeraccount 3y ago
  That seems strange to me -- I was meh about season 1. I watched the first (maybe first 2?) of season 2 and dropped it like a hot rock.

jacknews 3y ago

Haven't watched the others, Foundation put me off doing so.

theshrike79 3y ago

I hate-watched the first season just because I love Jared Harris and Lee Pace, held off on S2 but actually enjoyed it a lot more than the first one when I got around to it.

importantbrian 3y ago
I think I enjoyed season 2 in part because I didn't have any expectations that it would be a faithful adaptation. I just enjoyed it for what it was. I think if I rewatched season 1 with the same attitude I'd probably like it more. It's a really solid SciFi show if you can just view it as its own thing and not constantly compare it to the books.
- zellyn 3y ago
  I watched season 1 with interest, but by the time I got an episode or two into season 2, I just couldn't muster the interest. Sounds like I should give it another try…

_Parfait_ 3y ago

Why don't you like Foundation?

browningstreet 3y ago
It’s antithetical to the books and it’s just painful, to me, to watch. I kind of like what they did with Empire in the first season, but only made it through two episodes of this latest season before giving up. I hate-read summaries of the rest of the season on Wikipedia and nothing I saw made me reconsider my choice. I’ll grant that Lee Pace is great but they stranded Jared Harris.
- _Parfait_ 3y ago
  I think the number of people who read the books is quite small so they kind of had to pander to an audience that hadn't. I kind of enjoyed it but it is a bit...strange.
  - troupo 3y ago
    I read the books. But not many years ago like most people who claim to be Asimov fans or something. I went ahead and re-read the entire series before Season 1 was released. Asimov is a horrible writer. The books are just bad (with the exception of the first one https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39555390 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39555390). And if you take the series as whole, what they did in the show is really good. Imagine springing the Mule or R.Daneel Olivaw out of nowhere like the books do?
squarefoot 3y ago
Not the PP, however it seems Foundation is one of those series both the audience and the actors themselves must sort of adapt to. I didn't read the Asimov original books (well I started like 40 years ago but gave up after finding them boring in contrast to short and non SF stories by him) so I didn't have any expectations, and was mostly satisfied with the series that appears getting better and better with time. Definitely not a masterpiece, but quite good.
- ethbr1 3y ago
  Foundation the books... doesn't have good characterization. At all. But, Asimov, so that goes without saying. It does have some clever plot reveals, but at some point the "Ha! Little did you know this was the plan all along" becomes rote. The failure in adaptations I see is not understanding why people liked the source and leaning into that. It's not the window dressing / surface-level stuff that's too often mimicked: it's a more core, simple... thing. To me, Foundation was about 'epicness across time' But, if I wanted a better written version of that, I'd read the first 3 Dune novels.

anotherhue 3y ago

I found silo to be about three times longer than the story warranted. Typical Streaming bloat. Remember Magnolia? People said that was bloated.

browningstreet 3y ago
It was a slow burn for sure, but I loved every minute of it.

bullox 3y ago

I thought Foundation was great. A direct adaptation of the books would have been terrible, which is why nobody had done it yet. In case it helps, the companion podcast gives an episode-by-episode story of the changes - I agree with most of them, but can understand why they're controversial. https://podcasts.apple.com/si/podcast/foundation-the-official-podcast/id1586219793 https://podcasts.apple.com/si/podcast/foundation-the-officia... https://open.spotify.com/show/1SIqjOZcJrJSrpcDjI9fyy https://open.spotify.com/show/1SIqjOZcJrJSrpcDjI9fyy

zeroonetwothree 3y ago
Agree completely. There’s no rule that adaptations have to be 1:1, indeed that’s usually a bad idea.
zitterbewegung 3y ago
After the last two seasons the Empire is the only interesting thing so they might have well just got rid of the parts of the story that was in the book of foundation but that would be two people talking to each other …
nkingsy 3y ago
They butchered the entire terminus plot line by making it a series of badly done, saved by dumb luck action scenes. I enjoyed the other stuff, though it was more “inspired by the foundation universe”. If you’re going to rewrite terminus, give us a hint as to how these people are going to wind up dominating the galaxy technologically.
- WorldMaker 3y ago
  I enjoyed what we got in Season 2 of the "Brothers" of the pseudo-religion going out into the galaxy and sharing Terminus technology with already technologically fallen behind worlds. I wouldn't have minded more of that. I think that was at least a small hint as to how Terminus is going to wind up dominating the galaxy technologically.
b112 3y ago
I have a philosophy here. I read a book, and see it on another medium? Well, I pretend it's an account by another person who was there. If 5 people are in a room during a big event, and you interview them, you will get 5 different accounts. Where they were looking when the event happened, what their allegiances are, who their friends are, their background, etc etc all results in a different takeaway. So I'm OK with change. I can live with it. Yet, Foundation IMO was well beyond this degree of change. And very very important things were left out, and could have been told. For example, Asimov constantly described a broken culture of innovation. How many no longer even understood how the machines around them worked, and maintained them by rote. How scientists would merely read old books and papers, and debate that, instead of engaging in new research. This was a strong theme, and a massive reason for the Empire to fall, yet there were only hints of it in the TV series. This could easily have been in the series, but I really don't think many people on staff even read all the books, and it shows.

swsieber 3y ago

Has anybody here listened to the BBC drama version? https://archive.org/details/foundation-trilogy_bbc-radio_1973_complete/Foundation-Trilogy_1-of-8_Psychohistory-and-Encyclopedia_BBC-Radio_1973.mp3 https://archive.org/details/foundation-trilogy_bbc-radio_197... I enjoyed it, but I haven't watch the TV series or actually read the books, so I no idea how it lines up...

paulette449 3y ago

I'm a huge fan of the books since childhood and hated Season 1. One big speech after another by some god/demagogue/mathematician. It took me months to bother watching Season 2 but was happily surprised to find it as good as Season 1 was bad. Not without flaw, for sure, but certainly more watchable.

ethbr1 3y ago
> One big speech after another by some god/demagogue/mathematician. You were a fan of the books, but disliked this? ;)
hackeraccount 3y ago
That seems strange to me -- I was meh about season 1. I watched the first (maybe first 2?) of season 2 and dropped it like a hot rock.