03-03-2026, 10:51 AM
I found seasons 1 and 2, while pretty to look at, to be slow and meandering, leaning into boring. So epic...and simultaneously glacial. Hari Sheldon seems a super annoying know-it-all that you want to slap. I'm not fond of the cast of characters that follow him, either. Lee Pace as Day (the middle clone in Empire's 3 seats) is very wooden.
I was going to give up and didn't bother with Season 3 even tho it came out awhile ago...but I started it and binged it this week. Much better. I barely remember where Season 2 left off, but this one is much better. Still beautiful to look at, but moves much faster, lots going on, but easy to follow. There's a new baddie, "The Mule" who easily controls people with his mind and intends to take over the galaxy and crush both Empire and The Foundation. Lee Pace's Empire discovers drugs and falls in love with a lady and gets to be "The Dude" from Big Lebowski for much of the season, but his acting is way better, especially after that part. The arc of Dusk (the eldest Empire clone) to Darkness is Shakespearean (possibly trying to hard to be so, but the sets and lighting that go with it are great)
There is a plot twist about The Mule revealed at the end that I'm not sure I can accept, but I'm not going to go back and watch the season over to see if it jives. There's a bit of "I'm going to tell you a story and all points are leading there...oh, I didn't tell you this one little thing..."
Anyway, recommended if you can slog thru seasons 1&2 (and I hear it got renewed for another)
--tg
I was going to give up and didn't bother with Season 3 even tho it came out awhile ago...but I started it and binged it this week. Much better. I barely remember where Season 2 left off, but this one is much better. Still beautiful to look at, but moves much faster, lots going on, but easy to follow. There's a new baddie, "The Mule" who easily controls people with his mind and intends to take over the galaxy and crush both Empire and The Foundation. Lee Pace's Empire discovers drugs and falls in love with a lady and gets to be "The Dude" from Big Lebowski for much of the season, but his acting is way better, especially after that part. The arc of Dusk (the eldest Empire clone) to Darkness is Shakespearean (possibly trying to hard to be so, but the sets and lighting that go with it are great)
There is a plot twist about The Mule revealed at the end that I'm not sure I can accept, but I'm not going to go back and watch the season over to see if it jives. There's a bit of "I'm going to tell you a story and all points are leading there...oh, I didn't tell you this one little thing..."
Anyway, recommended if you can slog thru seasons 1&2 (and I hear it got renewed for another)
--tg
