Apple TV+’s Foundation is a visually stunning, narratively ambitious adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s seminal sci-fi series. Spanning centuries and galaxies, the series explores humanity’s fight to preserve knowledge and order amid the decline of a powerful galactic empire. Blending philosophical depth, intricate storytelling, and jaw-dropping visuals, Foundation brings one of the most influential science fiction works to life.
In the far future, the Galactic Empire rules over a vast and seemingly unshakable universe. However, mathematician Dr. Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) develops “psychohistory,” a groundbreaking mathematical model that predicts the empire’s inevitable collapse, followed by 30,000 years of chaos.
Seldon proposes a bold solution: creating the “Foundation,” a repository of human knowledge meant to safeguard civilization and reduce the dark age to a mere millennium.
His predictions and plan are seen as a threat to imperial authority, especially to the ruling clone dynasty of emperors—Brother Dawn, Brother Day, and Brother Dusk (all versions of the same man at different ages, played by Cassian Bilton, Lee Pace, and Terrence Mann, respectively). Despite opposition, Seldon and his followers are exiled to the remote planet Terminus, where they begin building the Foundation.
The series intertwines multiple timelines and perspectives. It follows Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell), a gifted mathematician drawn to Seldon’s cause; Salvor Hardin (Leah Harvey), a courageous warden defending the fledgling Foundation from existential threats; and the empire’s rulers, whose struggles with power, legacy, and the weight of their decisions reflect the fragility of their rule.
As the Foundation grows and adapts, the story explores themes of fate, free will, and resistance against inevitability, creating a gripping interplay between personal stakes and galactic-scale events
