Foundation Season 2 Review: A Thrilling Second Crisis

Rating: 9/10 ⭐️

I have been sitting on Foundation for quite some time, never quite ready to commit, but Apple TV+ has been on a hot streak for me. After enjoying so many of their shows like Ted Lasso, The Studio, Severance, Stick, Murderbot, Monarch, Shrinking, Silo, For All Mankind, Dark Matter, Presumed Innocent, Hijack, Constellation, Sugar, and Disclaimer, with more still on my watchlist, I finally decided to dive in. I’m glad I did.

Foundation surprised me in the best way possible. Season 1 was good, if a little uneven at times, but it laid the groundwork. Lee Pace as Brother Day is a joy to watch, and the political and philosophical weight of the story pulled me in. But it was Season 2 that truly hooked me, so much so that I have to talk about it.

Season 1 ended with the Foundation surviving the first crisis, pulling the Anacreons and Thespians into their orbit, while Gaal and Salvor finally crossed paths and the genetic dynasty of the Empire started to show cracks. Season 2 picks up those threads and weaves them into something richer and more intense. Brother Day, determined to end the centuries-old cycle of cloned rulers, decides to marry Queen Sareth of Cloud Dominion. The politics here are sharp, as Day wiped out her family to make this union possible, and Sareth suspects it. She’s bold, witty, and refuses to play submissive bride, which makes their scenes together electric.

Meanwhile, Hari, Gaal, and Salvor are caught up in their own storm. They set out to establish the Second Foundation, and through a strange twist, Hari becomes fully alive again, no longer just a digital echo. Gaal continues to frustrate me, her decisions often feel rash, and her constant clashes with Hari slow things down. But she carries the heavy burden of precognition, haunted by visions of The Mule, a warlord with psychic powers powerful enough to break the Plan itself. In her visions, Salvor dies, and that dread hangs over every scene. Salvor, by contrast, is decisive, pragmatic, and sharp, often the anchor that keeps things moving. Their journey to Ignis, a planet already inhabited by a secretive group of psychics, adds more tension. These inhabitants don’t care about Empire or Foundation, and their hostility raises the stakes.

While they grapple with the future, the Empire finally turns its gaze toward Terminus. This becomes the Second Crisis, the confrontation between Empire and Foundation. The Foundation is no longer just a fledgling settlement. They now have forbidden technology, the sway of religion through the Church of Galactic Spirit, and Hari’s Vault guiding them. When the Vault opens again after 173 years, Hari asks for someone unexpected, Hober Mallow, a con man and trader who injects wit and unpredictability into the season. He’s the kind of character who shakes up the solemnity and gives us someone fun to root for.

What elevates the season further is Demerzel’s backstory. She’s the heart of the Empire’s continuity, a robot bound by loyalty yet full of inner conflict. The deeper we go into her history, the more fascinating and tragic she becomes. Her storyline ties the grand scale of empires and psychohistory to something intimate and almost heartbreaking.

And then, of course, there are the visuals. Every frame of Foundation is stunning, whether it’s the glittering spires of Trantor, the strange psychic communion on Ignis, or the cold, vast beauty of space. It’s a pleasure to look at, a show that feels as big as the ideas it’s grappling with.

In the end, Foundation Season 2 impressed me far more than I expected. It took the seeds planted in Season 1 and grew them into something bold, thrilling, and genuinely memorable. The mix of political intrigue, philosophical weight, character conflict, and jaw-dropping visuals makes this one of Apple TV+’s strongest offerings yet.