Warning: Spoilers ahead forFoundationseason 3, episode 1, “A Song For the End of Everything.“Foundationseason 3, episode 1, “A Song For the End of Everything,” includes a scene that teases the possibility of a spinoff show based on more work by Isaac Asimov, but the lack of an announcement from Apple TV+ regarding such a project makes it unclear if the platform is planning it or not.
Foundationseason 3’s new charactersopen up many narrative possibilities for one of thebest sci-fi shows on Apple TV+. That said, it’s actually a member of the original cast who would be perfect to lead the potential spinoff in question. I’m hoping there will soon be another project to add to thecollection of live-action Isaac Asimov adaptations.
Lady Demerzel’s War Stories Make Her The Perfect Character For A Foundation Spinoff
Laura Birn’s character needs a prequel show
Laura Birn’s Lady Demerzel and her stories about the Robots' war with humanity in theFoundationseason 3 premiere are incredibly compelling. The conflict in question took place thousands of years before Apple TV+’s space opera and has only ever been briefly addressed. As the last of the Robots,Demerzel’s presence inFoundationis the biggest ongoing nod to the hidden storyline.
Foundationhas already revealed that Birn’s character is somewhere in the region of 18,000 years old.
Foundationhas already revealed that Birn’s character is somewhere in the region of 18,000 years old, and her artificial nature means she has retained every memory she’s ever had. So, her mind is home to countless stories from long before the show’s first episode, so I’d love to see them adapted for aFoundationspinoff show with Demerzel and the war at its core.
The Source Material Already Exists For A Lady Demerzel Spinoff
Isaac Asimov wrote plenty of other Demerzel stories
Demerzel, although male in Asimov’sFoundationbooks, is a big part of the original story. The character is also very important to the author’s Robot series, except Demerzel is known as R. Daneel Olivaw during that era. So,Asimov’sFoundationand Robot series are both part of the same canon, despite happening so far apart in the shared timeline.
So,there are plenty of books that could be used as the basis for a Lady Demerzel spinoff, and the writers wouldn’t be starting from scratch when penning the character’s origin story. Of course, there have been several big differences so far between Asimov’sFoundationand Apple TV+’s adaptation, so I would imagine the same to be true of a spinoff.
Why A Live-Action Isaac Asimov Shared Universe Is So Risky For Apple TV+
Foundation isn’t a big enough hit yet to warrant a spinoff
Foundationhas performed well with critics since its release, with season 2 currently boasting the show’s highestRotten Tomatoesscore with a 100% rating. It has also attracted an impressive fan base. However, it’s still not an especially high-profile show and lacks the popularity of bigger Apple TV+ sci-fi hits likeSiloandSeverance.
Spinoffs are often reserved for big-hitters, because TV shows are not cheap to make and are often easier to greenlight if connected to an already-successful project.Foundationis performing more than well enough to justify its own continuation, but it’s probably a stretch to say a spinoff would also definitely perform well.
A Demerzel spinoff running alongsideFoundationwould require Laura Birn to split her time between both shows and could slow down both productions.
Furthermore, a Demerzel spinoff running alongsideFoundationwould require Laura Birn to split her time between both shows and could slow down both productions being made. For now, it’s a safer bet for all the effort to go into makingFoundationas good as it can be rather than attempting to turn it into a franchise.
New episodes of Foundation season 3 release every Friday on Apple TV+ until the finale on September 12.
