Apple TV+'s Foundation books have been altered quite drastically to create the show, it's still somehow recognizably the same story. Asimov's worldbuilding and extensive lore have allowed for a great deal of flexibility during Foundation's adaptation process, and Apple TV+ has applied a huge piece of Asimov's canon to another project on its platform.

With sci-fi shows on Apple TV+, Foundation stands out for its glossy aesthetic and cerebral premise. The scope of its fictitious universe is so vast that it can incorporate events from the very distant past, which may very well be what the show is doing with an underrated Tom Hanks movie from a few years ago.

Jeff In 2021's Finch Is Strongly Suggested To Abide By Issac Asimov's Three Laws Of Robotics

Tom Hanks' character builds a robot with very familiar rules

Apple TV+'s Finch is a heartwarming tale of Tom Hanks' titular character teaching a robot how to care for his dog when he inevitably es away. Tone-wise, it's almost nothing like Foundation, but a major part of the robot's design originates in the pages of Isaac Asimov's work. The author first included his famous Three Laws of Robotics in his 1950 I, Robot book, and also went on to use them in his Foundation series. Although Finch doesn't reference the Laws by name, the first of the four "Prime Directives" he installs in Jeff is identical to Asimov's First Law.

"A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm."

Asimov's Second Law states, "A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law," and the Third is, "A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law." Hanks' character never explicitly says these two Laws, but Jeff's behavior and storyline make it pretty clear that the first three of his Prime Directives are the same as Asimov's Laws of Robotics.

Jeff's Fourth Directive is the only other one that's spoken out loud in Finch, and it states: "In Finch's absence, [a] robot must protect the welfare of [Finch's] dog.

Jeff's Fourth Directive is the only other one that's spoken out loud in Finch, and it states: "In Finch's absence, [a] robot must protect the welfare of [Finch's] dog. This directive supersedes all other directives." This is a new addition that never features in Asimov's work. However, it could be folded into the author's canon in one of two ways. The first option is that the Fourth Directive is also the Fourth Law, but because Finch's dog (Goodyear) is such a specific subject, it never interferes with the other Laws of Robotics - other than in Jeff's case.

Alternatively, Jeff may be the first robot in Asimov's universe, and although he may have been used as a blueprint, the Law concerning Goodyear was simply deleted so as not to influence later models of robots and their decision-making abilities. Either theory could be valid, and they both create interesting additions to Asimov's Laws of Robotics, whether there have always only been three of them, and if the rule about caring for Goodyear was specific to Jeff's programming.

Apple TV+'s Finch Movie Using The Three Laws Implies It's A Prequel To Foundation (& I, Robot)

Foundation is set a very long time after Finch

Robots aren't a huge part of Foundation's story, but Laura Birn's Lady Demerzel is a huge connection to Asimov's larger universe. As the last remaining Robot, Demerzel is the only Foundation character restricted by the Three Laws of Robotics. Even if there is secretly a Fourth Law about Goodyear, as implied in Finch, this doesn't remove the possibility that Hanks' character was the creator of not just Jeff, but by extension, all Robots in the Isaac Asimov shared canon. However, Finch is set nowhere near the Foundation timeline, as the two stories are separated by centuries.

A specific year isn't mentioned in Finch, but certain clues imply the story takes place in the near future. So, Finch could be a very distant prequel to Foundation, In addition, Apple TV+'s space opera implies a general version of events from Asimov's I, Robot book are also canon in Foundation. Will Smith's 2004 I, Robot movie is set in 2035, which wouldn't align with the state of the Earth in Finch.

Finch Being Part Of Foundation's Canon Would Explain Why The Show Isn't Set On Earth

Humanity left Earth long ago in Foundation (& Finch may explain why)

Foundation is set centuries into humanity's future, so although the race did still originate on Earth, humans are now essentially unaware of where they came from, and how and why they headed for a life on distant worlds. Finch's post-apocalyptic setting provides a perfect reason why humanity left its homeworld behind. As Tom Hank's character so eloquently explains in Finch, a solar flare left Earth's ozone layer looking like "Swiss cheese."

Although the Earth may not be salvageable, there could easily be enough resources for a planet-wide evacuation of the remaining population.

Finch's ending proves that it's not the entire planet being baked to death as Hanks' character assumed. Near San Francisco, Finch is able to venture outside without being burned. So, there are likely other parts of the world still habitable, plus other ingenious engineers like Finch. Although the Earth may not be salvageable, there could easily be enough resources for a planet-wide evacuation of the remaining population, and if Jeff were to go with them, that makes it even more likely he would be the bedrock of the robots in Foundation.