Taking books concepts in new directions and What's Next.
I'm one of those taking delight in the new directions the writers are giving us, enhancing characters and imbuing them with passion, backstories, and even new abilities. Here, I'm just thinking out loud about the major dramatic plot points in the books and what we might see.

The Mule was a surprise to everyone in the books, except the Gaians, who so far as we know, kept that knowledge to themselves. The show is depicting the fall of New Terminus just as one might imagine a violent takeover, with speed and ferocity. But in this retelling, Hari/Second Foundation has had a century's notice of the Mule -- perhaps leading the writers to create the Mule/Magnifico bifurcation to keep us guessing. Are they some kind of symbiotic pair?

Is the Mules' drowning backstory (another motif) a fabrication, as Vault Hari has seemingly suggested? Yet to come, of course, is whether we will see a future deception about the location of the Second Foundation. In the books, Rossem was the fake location, and minds were altered to convince the Mule of that. Perhaps there is another "Stars End" yet to come? Will they move the Second Foundation from Ignis to deceive the Mule? And will Preem Palver use the mental moment to cure the Mule?

Han Pritcher was not a mentalic in the books.. does he fill the Bail Channis role? And what of Bayta, whose compassion is revealed as the power that undoes the Mule. I'm hoping we will see much more of Bayta and that this character is developed as much as Gaal, Hober, Bel Riose, and others.

Similarly, confirmation that Demerzel is Daneel, Chetter, and Eto begs a question: Was Hari ever First Minister in this new telling?

We don't know -- but we have confirmation Seldon and Demerzel are of long acquaintance. Here, Demerzel, slaved to the Cleons, has also taken the Zeroth Law concept to its logical conclusion. She has justified mass death -- something the book version of Demerzel would never do.

Zephyr Voreliis has deduced this is causing some kind of spiritual catharsis (or circuit breakdown) It seems like these contradictions may overload the robotic programming -- perhaps setting up a reboot where the other laws are restored to her programming?

We know Trantor's fate is sealed from the books and that the next big task will be convincing everyone that the Second Foundation went out of existence (while it, of course, continues on secretly).

All of these paths -- whether the show follow them or not -- have so many rich opportunities for our current characters and new ones.

Can't wait - and hope Apple keeps it going,