Stars End: A Foundation Podcast

"The Whole Point of the Podcast is that the Future Isn't Set in Stone" in which we discuss Foundation, S2E05 "The Sighted and the Seen" This week media analyst, Fordham professor, and Renaissance human Paul Levinson joins the conversation! That Beatles reference below, Paul? That's for you.

Here's the usual spoiler warning. If you haven't, go watch the episode. We'll be here.

Foundation, Season 2 seems to be leaning even harder on comic relief and sexy time than it had been. Still, the plot wanders forward.

After a fairly dark opening, we get the comic relief from Gaal, Salvor, and Hari. The beggar crashes into a forest on Ignus reminiscent of Star Trek: Generations. Where's Jordi LaForge when you need him? Salvor yells "I'm flying dead stick!" Hari replies, "Is that bad?" That's pretty funny but it's not the best line. They encounter an old friend and then a crowd of mysterious mentalics. Could they be the nucleus of the Second Foundation?

Meanwhile, Sereth and Rue drive their arc forward with the sexy time while the theme of memory is writ large. We learn who was behind the murder of Sareth's Family while Day is becoming more unstable and Demerzel just keeps getting creepier. Rue manages to send Dawn and Dusk on a journey to see the Wizard, which is to say the vending machine version of Cleon the First. Imagine two Junior High School Elvis impersonators meeting the One True Elvis and you have the general idea. Later they're impressed by the size of C-1's... uh... data.

It's a lot to digest and we talk about it. You should join us! We can't promise it will help, but a splendid time is guaranteed for all!

It's the final episode of Season 2 where we wrap up our discussion of Season 1 of Foundation with the First Annual Stars End Hari Awards! Frankly, a lot of it is the three of us gushing about how good the episodes and the performances were.

But more importantly, you get to find out who won! Best Performance! Favorite Episode! Favorite Podcast Guest! All the important Stuff. Not included: unimportant things like "Least Inspirational Quote," which must be "All love is programming."

We couldn't have done it without you! Our thanks go out to everyone who supported us by voting, commenting, and listening! So, please join us!

Plus a preview of season three! What will we be doing in the long dark interregnum before season 2 of Foundation?

It's Halloween evening as I write this and the two biggest Sci-Fi franchises have new episodes out. The premiere of Star Trek Prodigy was last Thursday and the season opener for Doctor Who was this evening. But I have another venerable old franchise on my mind.

Namely Twilight Zone. "Hey, kids! You want to see something really scary?!?"

Well, "scary" probably isn't the right word for "Mysteries and Martyrs" but I think some of us found it a little unsettling.

Still, there are lots of big questions! Is Psychohistory as we know it a thing of the past? What is the Anacreoneans horrific plan for the Invictus? Has the show succumbed to the Great and Glorious Az's predilection for exposition? And in the show with the most per-capita executions might someone get put to death for erroneous thumb-clasping?

We don't know! But we're going to talk about it anyway! With extra special guest star Cathy Bloomenfeld, who has the distinction of escaping that Asimovian indoctrination so many of us suffered as teens.

Join us! You'll love it! It will be like losing yourself in the scar and seeing real clouds!

Haven't watched Episode 10, "The Leap" yet? We'll be here when you're done.

Astoundingly, here we are at the end of Foundation's Season 1. We're all about to experience the teevee equivalent of empty nest syndrome.

But not yet! There are two more episodes of Stars End for this season! There's this one, where we talk about Episode 10 and then there will be one more in about two weeks where we give an overview of Foundation's epic first season! Also a special guest! Also also some surprises!

And we're here for the duration! It might feel like it will be 30,000 years until there will be new content on Apple TV+ but we'll be here through this new interregnum to make sure that it feels like far less than 1000 years!

You've come with us this far! Let's keep moving forward together!

You know. Spoilers and all that.

In 1987 the Smiths released an excellent compilation album entitled "Louder than Bombs." It's the apotheosis of mope rock! In 2021 "Is it Really So Strange" that we would release a podcast episode called "Louder than Logic?" Even if none of us is named "Smith?

But here's the thing: it fits.

Gaal can feel the future in a way that might undermine psychohistory! That's Louder than Mathematics!

Lewis was able to wish the Invictus back to Terminus! That's Louder than Science!

And Salvor always knows how that coin will land! That's Louder than Random!

Have you ever tried to replace a colorblind, left-handed clone with a perfect replica of Cleon I? That's Louder than Reason!

You should join us as we talk about this barnburner of an episode directed by the great Roxann Dawson!

I mean it! "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want!" Join us!