After Losing Its Perfect Score, Apple TV+'s Perfect Sci-Fi Show Debuts With Underwhelming Audience Scores

AppleTV+ has a wide variety of critically acclaimed sci-fi shows that have become major hits. One of them is Foundation.

The series, which premiered in 2021, has just returned to AppleTV+ with Season 3 and a new batch of episodes. The series is based on Isaac Asimov’s classic novels and has received positive reviews since its release. Season 3 initially debuted with a perfect score, but that has changed as more reviews came in, and Foundation just debuted with an underwhelming 68% approval score from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Foundation Stars Tease ‘Epic, Crazy, Fun’ New Character for Season 3 of the Apple TV+ Series

The third season of Foundation is set to premiere later this week on Apple TV+.

Ahead of its release on Jul. 11, Foundation Season 3 debuted with a 100% rating from the critics. The sci-fi series received stellar praise in the early reviews, with Inverse‘s Ryan Britt calling it “the true Game of Thrones in space.” CBR‘s Jamie Parker noted the Apple TV+ hit is “one of the best shows of the year and a must-watch show for all sci-fi fans,” further calling the new release “the best season that Foundation has put forward.“

However, the rating has changed as more reviews have come in. Foundation Season 3 now features an 86% approval score out of 14 reviews. New Scientist‘s Bethan Ackerly notes the new entry has “too many plotlines” explaining that “the lore and scale of Foundation should make it mentally stimulating, but too many of its plotlines have become absurd and shallow… Foundation has the rhythms of intelligence without the substance.“

Decider‘s Joel Keller notes “In the third season, there’s definitely more action than we’ve seen before, but the series isn’t any less inscrutable than it was during the first season,” highlighting that “Foundation has some of the densest jargon of any sci-fi show or movie we’ve ever seen, and we’ve seen our share. It feels like the kind of show that only ardent sci-fi fans would enjoy, and we wish it was more accessible to those who just want to watch an entertaining drama.”

As for the audience, who only got a chance to watch Episode 1 out of the full 10 episodes, they gave it a 68% approval score. This is in line with the reaction to the previous two seasons, and doesn’t mark the lowest score in the series. Season 1 featured the lowest score, 64% (with only 72% from the critics), while Season 2 had a perfect score from the critics, with 75% from the audience. While some early reviews praised the “beautiful” score, tension, acting, and dialogue, others didn’t agree. One review notes that it’s “stale. Predictable. Repetitive. Stiff dialogues. Poor acting from new side cast and recasting the same actor as a new character?”

‘She’s Ready:’ Foundation Star Teases Gaal Dornick’s High-Stakes Season 3 Mission

Lou Llobell returns as Gaal Dornick for Foundation Season 3.

Will Foundation Get A Season 4?

Immediately after its release, Foundation debuted strongly in the charts, proving an interest in the sci-fi series. However, AppleTV+ has yet to weigh in on the show’s future. Earlier this year, Deadline reported that Apple TV had secretly renewed Foundation for Season 4, but the announcement has yet to be confirmed. The announcement also included a change in showrunners, with Ian Goldberg replacing co-creator/ director David S. Goyer.

Jared Harris, who plays Hari Seldon, shared a disappointing Season 4 update recently, noting, “I probably know less than you because you’re scouring the trades every day. You know more about it than I do. I’m just an actor told everything. We’re the last people to find out what’s going on!“

His co-star Lou Llobell, who plays Gaal Dornick, replied, “If that’s true, I’m going to be so excited. I’m hopeful, but who knows? If it gets that far (Foundation having eight seasons), we would be so lucky.”

Foundation Season 3 is releasing new episodes every Friday on AppleTV+.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes