Thoughts on Adapting the Trilogy

The biggest problem adapting the trilogy is time. Decades if not centuries can pass between chapters and books. So the main character in the books, change often. For TV you need to keep the same characters. So I was curious

Also, some of the main characters are actually immortal robots guiding humanity. Will they include this in the series? Well let's dive in.

Episode 1

Basic story, outworlder Gaal travels to Trantor. She is there to work for the greatest math guy ever, Hari Seldon. We see lots of cool amazing tech. Gaal gets sucked into imperial intrigue as the Emperor is trying to figure out if Seldon is for real and what to do with him. Terrorists attack the space elevator on Trantor destroying it and killing millions of people. Seldon and his followers get sent to exile on Terminus.

Pretty cool. The way they brought in Gaal to Trantor was neat. Special effects were really good. Trantor looked real. The tech and the look is great. The pyschohistory prime math thingy was really cool too.

The space elevator was super cool too. And the way it was destroyed and crashed were great special effects. However, the tech of the galactic empire was so advanced two bombs would not have taken it down. Damaged it badly yes, but destruction seems unlikely.

The basic theme is pretty close to the book. Once the Emperor figures out Seldon's math actually works, he tries to use it for his advantage. There was a trial and Seldon did think he might die (though the odds were slim) if I remember correctly. Really sets up the basic story. Introduces Terminus and the Encyclopedia Galactic.

Really like Jared Harris as Hari Seldon. Maybe a bit serious, but I buy him as a wise old mathematician. Lou Liobell is a look s a bit young for Gaal methinks (she's 26 but she looks 14!). In the book, Gaal was more college age. Probably a young PHD. Also, Laura Bin seems too young for Demerzel. I would expect that character to feel more 40ish or 50ish. Lee Pace is cool as Brother Day. Perfect for this role.

Differences from the Book

Character changes

• Gaal was a dude.
  • Not a big deal, the characters sex didn't really matter.
  • What's up with her home planet religion? I have never even heard of anything like that. They execute anyone who embraces science?!?! None of the major religions Islam, Christianity, Buddism, have ever done anything like that.
  • Gaal's home planet is under water. So if they deny science, how did their climate change so the planet is under water???? They should have just dropped all that and saved 30 minutes for more interesting stuff.
• Emperor was just a Dude.
  • This change is super smart! If you make the emperor a clone, then the same actor can play the part for the whole show. Awesome! As I said, Lee Pace is perfect for this role. His costume looks great.
  • In the books, the emperor was a LOT more incompetant.
• Demerzel was a dude.
  • This is more problematic. The character is a very important robot include in a number of Asimov books. He clearly is a HE and you break all sorts of stuff with the sex change.
• Salvor Hardin was a dude and older.
  • Hardin was a scientist (probably) and a politician. The tv series character is nothing like him.
  • Also, Hardin saves the Foundation several times with his wits. So far the story just points at Hardin as a "different" policeman? Sheriff? Something like that.

Race/Sex Changes: That far in the future, my guess is, the idea of race will not exist. Everyone will be sort of beige. But if you go for diversity, then stick with it. Everyone is black or white. No latins. One Indian kid, no other asians. Some of these choices are weird.

Story Changes

• The math folks (pyschohistorians) never left Trantor.
  • In fact, Seldon purposely kept any pyschohistory nerds from going to Terminus.
  • There were a lot of scientists and engineers on Terminus. But none of the Seldon bunch.
• The math folks were only sort of exiled. The emperor just funded the project at the edge of known space. With the goal of making the world forget about Seldon. In the end, everyone got what they wanted.
  • The math folks on Trantor were never messed with again after the initial "trial".
• Terminus did not have any sort of extreme climate. That's new.
  • Terminus has no natural resources very lacking in the metal ores and such.
• You don't have to go into a cocoon to do space jumps, not in the books. They just jump. Nothing special about it.

Episode 2

So the Seldon crew get on a slow ship to Terminus. Gaal does a lot of swimming. The Emperors do a lot of investigating. Eventually they hang a bunch of folks and attack 2 planets badly damaging them. Raych stages a fight with Seldon and them murders him and sends Gaal out in an escape shuttle. The settlers prepare for the "dangerous" Terminus.

Story Changes and Comments

• Nothing in here is in the book. Nothing.
• The episode ending of sending Gaal into space in a life pod made ZERO sense. Terrible writing. I'm guessing, the idea is Gaal will found the Second Foundation? No idea what was going on really.
• Seldon dies of old age safe and sound in his house on Trantor.
  • His robot wife actually visits and stays with him until the end.
• Raych got married and had 2 kids. One of the kids, Wanda Seldon, has telepathic powers and helps found the Second Foundation.
  • We will have to see if Raych and Gaal return to the story and create Wanda.
• There was no single "colony" ship. The Foundation was setup over many years. So this is new for the tv show.
• There is a bunch of talk about radiation and babies. Ridiculous, the galactic empires tech is so advanced this sort of idea is just dumb. Writers should have read the books.

Summary

Episode 1 was really good. But episode 2, was a waste of time really. I really felt like they had the heart of the story in 1. Same old crap. Instead of just using what is there in a masterpiece of science fiction, you make up your own stupid crap that just doesn't measure up to the original. Maybe things will get better on Terminus. We'll see.