Warning: minor spoilers for Foundation Season 3, Episode 1 – “A Song for the End of Everything” are in play.
By the time Foundation Season 3 wraps on the 2025 TV schedule, we’ll be three days shy of two years since Season 2’s massive finale. That’s quite a bit of time to wait for a series to return, especially with a threat such as The Mule waiting in the wings. Teased throughout the previous season as Foundation’s latest big bad that could end civilization, the Apple TV+ subscription driver introduces us to the man in the flesh – and confirms that he’s given society a four month expiration date.
this week’s streaming Season 3 premiere, in a moment of brutality that feels like it could only come from Game of Thrones.
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Even as a casual Game of Thrones fan, I can see the neat symmetry in this moment reuniting the two actors. Taking over for Mikael Persbrandt, the actor who played The Mule throughout Foundation Season 2, is something that Asbæk was reverent about.
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That mindset came from not only being an actor that can feel out a character in the ways you read above. In a larger context, Pilou Asbæk drew these parallels between this project and the experiences that George R.R. Martin’s fantasy mega hit afforded him:
I think Thrones at the time was the biggest show in the world. The props, the sets, everything. So many incredible people put a massive amount of work into every single little detail. When I stepped onto Foundation, I felt that same vibe. I felt like they knew that this is, and it probably gonna become even bigger after this season, because it really deserves a massive audience.
As someone who’s frequently dabbled in Isaac Asimov’s work, Foundation is the title that actually has me convinced I need to take a week off of work and do a deep dive. I think Pilou Asbæk would agree, as he even cites the series as a crucial influence in the sci-fi lexicon; one he feels is responsible for the formation of Star Wars, Star Trek, and Blade Runner.
If you’ve somehow avoided watching Foundation, don’t worry – I haven’t spoiled much here. Those of you who want to take the journey for the first time, or need a big refresh before diving back in, can stream the first two seasons on Apple TV+.
For everyone who’s ready to see where the story goes next, new Season 3 episodes will be dropping every Friday – until the September 12th finale. By which point, we’ll probably have plenty to talk about how The Mule’s cruel charms have affected Foundation’s ultimate eight season plan.
