Foundation is perhaps the best looking tv series I've ever seen, particularly in the sci-fi genre.
I really love the look of the show, from the beautifully imagined watery planet of Synnax to the desolate Terminus. Both planets have distinct looks. Synnax even has a deep religious element and history that I look forward to learning more about.
I also love that two of the main characters are women of color: Salvor Hardin immediately struck me as a capable, no-nonsense woman who is also full of compassion, particularly for the children of Terminus. Gaal Dornick is like the audience stand-in. She has a face that you can't look away from, with her large innocent and curious eyes. Jared Harris' Hari Seldon is as impressive as one would expect from such an accomplished actor. I would watchin him in anything and he was perfectly cast in this role.
The twist that the emperor of Trantor is a clone played by 3 different actors in episode 1 was quite fascinating and the most showy of the 3 actors, Lee Pace, seems to be really enjoying this role. I can't say that I like Empire but I do find the "character" to be quite interesting in his different incarnations.
I've already seen the first 7 episodes but this review only covers the events of episode 1 and the beginning of episode 2. While the series has its flaws (there is a time jump from the end of episode 1 to episode 2 that bafflingly skips over the lead up to a romance plot), the good definitely outweighs the bad, I still find it to be one of the best genre series and among the best new series of 2021. I'm excited to finish the season and am happy to know that it will be returning for a season 2.