Foundation S01E04 is the fourth instalment of the first season of an American science fiction epic streaming drama based on the classic novel series written by Isaac Asimov. Asimov developed high concepts regarding the decline and fall of empires and civilisations in his Foundation series of novels (number seven in total).
Entitled “Barbarians at the Gate”, Foundation S01E04 continues to focus its twofold series narrative on the Empire (i.e. Cleon clones) on Trantor and Salvor Hardin (Leah Harvey), the warden of Terminus. The absence of Gael Dornick (Lou Llobel) from the story continues to be a mystery, to the detriment of the series.
On Trantor, the series seeks to build on the character development of the Cleon clones as they begin to differ in opinion on imperial matters and as highlighted in Foundation S01E04, the increasing deviant behaviour from Brother Dawn (i.e. the youngest Cleon clone, played by Cassian Bilton). What this has to do with the overall story arc – whatever that may mean – remains to be seen. This entire plot line seems pointless and hard to follow. Where is all this going?
READ OUR REVIEW OF FOUNDATION SEASON ONE.
On Terminus, Hardin has to figure out how to defeat the Anacreon force the threaten the very existence of the Foundation settlement even as Imperial forces make their way to assist them. Nothing much happens here despite the promise of action and violence. Instead there’s a whole load of dialogue that once again either simply goes nowhere or hard to follow.
After a bright start, Foundation S01E04 confirms the series’ decline into a mediocre incomprehensible mess. The interesting characters of the first two episodes i.e. Hari Seldon, Dornick and Raych have disappeared from the story. While the Cleon clones are an intriguing concept, they are not being handled in an interesting manner while the events on Terminus are simply boring. Things need to pick up and soon!
Now streaming on AppleTV+
… still there’s more …