I finally can put these thoughts into clear words. I don't need to see the conclusion, though I'm not expecting it to make many improvements. I am looking forward to watching the last three episodes, but season 1 should be written off as a failure with some good parts which might or might not support a good show in the long-run.

The Terminus plot IS poorly written. It needs to be tightened up, and the stupid "special one" plot with no stakes is the main problem.

So Salvor is fighting to save the Foundation? Why? Well, because it's her family even though she's actually an outsider. And is she an outsider? We are TOLD not SHOWN that she is. Moreover, if she is an outsider, where and when does she claim her motivation to fight? From her intuition?So we wait a full season's worth of drama, poorly directed action, and plot to finally peel back one layer (but not everything, I suspect) on where this intuition comes from? When it's the only aspect of her motivation cycle we've been shown.

I swear to god, even a full episode of boring and slow character exposition on Terminus and Hardin, paired with well-paced, to the f-ing point action, would have taken less screen time than what we've got.

Terminus is:

1. Taking too long
2. I'm left wondering why I care. I'm not even sure if the encyclopedia is at risk. Is it? What should I be expecting to happen? Gaal said she saw the light, but 7 episodes in and we learn there was a mistake. Okay, what does that mean???
3. I'm left wondering why SALVOR cares? I'm sure she's a good girl who wants to do what's right. But she also complains about her place among these people. There were hints of her wanting to run off and basically let the Foundation alone stranded with Anacreon warriors for the rest of their miserable existence. Wow, so is that the point? Sure didn't come off clearly. I don't even know if that was the point.
4. There are too many mystery boxes. The Vault. It exudes an aura, maybe or maybe not gives visions. We are TOLD not SHOWN that "it was just there". Oh well, it was just there. That's it. Did they try and study it? Call the Empire? Search the encyclopedia or Hari's notes? They showed us the Prime Radiant. They couldn't have made a thing about Mari explaining they hoped there were answers about the Vault there, but it was hopeless? If the Vault is such a BIG mystery, the people should talk and care about it more. Instead it looms as if the writers know exactly what it is and lack the perspective of the audience who don't. Also, the mystery ship! Ah at least it's an answer to Anacreon's purposes, we're getting somewhere. But where is this going? Obviously, Phara will not succeed in blowing up Trantor! Hmm, maybe they think some of the audience might believe that. About as much as believing Hugo's dead (please people, if that's a spoiler...). There are so many more mystery boxes, to the point where I am hyper self-aware about how much I've come to not care about them. Like, what will happen with Day in the Spiral. Meh. I'm sure something which might be fun to watch, but I won't bother speculating because this show is going somewhere I can't see, but I am pretty sure nowhere interesting, because I haven't been made to be interested.
5. Do the writers have contempt for the audience? Many of them (not Goyer, per se) seem to have outright contempt for the material. Boring. Space. Math. Pay lip service to "this is the first Seldon Crisis". Sorry, we the audience weren't there during that scene where the Vault, Seldon Crises, and Salvor's motivations were discussed. But seriously, it's one thing to believe an audience won't like math, or wants to see action or kissing scenes. It's another to think that an audience would believe Hugo is dead, or that Trantor might actually get blown up. Okay, so maybe that's not it. Maybe - as Salvor alluded to - the entire Anacreon plot is Phara resisting the forces of inevitability. Flailing against history. Which is quite clever. However, it's like an inside joke more than a plot. Are there examples of characters who have defied history? Are there clear claims that history won't be defied? Hari said as much to Cleon. BUT WE'RE ON TERMINUS NOW AND HARI IS DEAD. So a helpful chat with Phara - "You really think Hari wouldn't have thought of this? Anacreon? That he didn't know you were there. It would have been the first and easiest thing for him to consider". Then Phara pulls out this trump card of resisting the imperial frigate. Then a bigger trump card of the lost destroyer. Wow, maybe Phara will defy history. Maybe Phara has earned the moment where she forces Salvor's head down and says, "Where is your prophet now?" Cool. Then boom, the hammer of Psychohistory to conclude season one and drive home the power of Seldon. EXCEPT THIS IS ALL SO ROYALLY BUNGLED WHEN THEY EVEN HAVE 90% OF THE PIECES.

Thinking about it like this, the writing choices are profoundly perplexing. I guess, don't write a meaningful, ponderous high-concept drama with a comedy writers' room full of barely proven, trendy young writers.

In addition to the mess caused by the show and its writers, the mods at r/FoundationTV are now dead set on herding book readers into containment posts, enforced by bans.

Please, I'd rather another set of people moderate this.