This week on "Foundation," we embark on an expanded narrative journey, adding an extra layer of intrigue by following two missionary envoys of the Church of the Galactic Spirit as they diligently disseminate the teachings of Hari Seldon. However, before diving into this new thread, let's take a swift detour to catch up with the happenings in the Empire.
Amidst a thwarted assassination plot, a bare-knuckled brawl, and the damning revelation that Hari Seldon's Foundation thrives on, Brother Day's resolve to terminate the genetic dynasty through marital alliance has never been more steadfast. He seeks to sever ties with the conventional norms and the people that uphold them. As is now customary in this saga, Lee Pace's entrance ignites the screen with a vibrant spark, even when Day's demeanor oscillates between perpetual rage and smug satisfaction.
In this scene, Day reproaches Demerzel for proposing the recruitment of a renowned general, Bel Riose, to confront the Foundation, despite clearing the other two Cleons of involvement in the assassination plot (or rather, their lack of recollection thereof). Riose, though revered as a war hero, earns Day's disdain solely due to a past act of disobedience and demonstrated disloyalty towards the Empire. Meanwhile, we are formally introduced to Day's future empress, Queen Sareth, portrayed with a commanding presence by Ella-Rae Smith. Sareth, a young woman exuding immense confidence yet scorning the Empire's rigid constraints, harbors a profound fear for her life, which she diligently conceals.
Her reasons for donning the crown and pledging her hand to Brother Day are compelling indeed—her entire family was wiped out in a grim attack. If she ties the knot with Day, what assurances are there that assassins won't terminate their offspring, completing the family's annihilation? Day, however, brushes aside such qualms with imperious disregard; he is the Empire, unstoppable and invincible. Yet, if this series underscores anything, it is the significance of history and the fragility of dynasties anchored in marital alliances—a lesson Day might do well to heed from the past.
Regarding the Foundation, they are ensnared in dire straits. As we catch up with Gaal, Salvor, and Hari, the once-living mathematician lets loose a torrent of screams at Gaal, accusing him of confining him within the Prime Radiant. Should David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman intend to recur Jared Harris each season solely to witness him descend into fits of rage and scream at others, then they had better stick to their eight-season blueprint, for Harris possesses an extraordinary talent for screaming. His ability to evoke both empathy and mirth while exuding intimidation within a single scene is nothing short of remarkable. Despite Seldon's jerkish demeanor, it's challenging not to feel sorry for him as he wails about being conscious for an entire 138 years, solitary and trapped in a cube devoid of activities, all due to Gaal's desperation to vent his frustration.
However, the hourglass is flipping, and it's time to gear up, for the Second Crisis looms on the horizon, potentially heralding the Foundation's demise. We are finally granted a comprehensive elucidation of the twin Foundations. As Hari elucidates, the primary Foundation's mission is to forge a civilization resilient enough to endure the Empire's collapse without awareness of Seldon's blueprint, lest they tinker with the mathematics, derailing psychohistory's precise future projections. This is where the Second Foundation steps in – a cadre of psychohistorians privy to the grand scheme, tasked with intervening and making corrections when necessary, or even confronting the Foundation should it venture too close to birthing a new Empire. This was the grand design until Gaal derailed it all. You see, the Second Foundation was meant to coexist with the first, meaning Gaal's actions were over a century out of sync, thereby skewing the calculations.
Mindful of the ticking clock, Gaal endeavors to glimpse the future and pinpoint the pivotal moment far ahead that could spell the Foundation's doom. Through a vision, she peers 150 years into the future, where an enigmatic figure not only beholds her but acknowledges her as a time traveler and somehow interacts with her past self. The mechanics of this phenomenon remain shrouded in mystery, but it introduces what seems destined to be Foundation's ultimate antagonist – the Mule. Though integral to the books, the series is portraying him as an archetypal, mustache-twirling villain, a formidable and enigmatic psychic in quest of Gaal's army of Mentallics (psychics) and the Second Foundation. This season is veering towards epic blockbuster territory, with the prospect of a future psychic warlord infusing the narrative with a profound sense of gravity and urgency (whatever urgency one can muster concerning a 150-year timespan, that is). Oh, and this mysterious figure also dispatched Salvor, who inexplicably remained alive 150 years hence, appearing ageless, no older than 119.
Lastly, we encounter two fresh faces who instantaneously breathe life into the episode's somewhat sour ambiance: Isabella Laughland portrays Brother Constant, while Kulvinder Ghir embodies Poly Verisof, the intoxicated High Cleric of the Church of the Galactic Spirit. Their arrival serves as a catalyst, rejuvenating the narrative with parlor tricks (alongside the season one's high-tech warship) akin to levitating individuals, enticing Outer Reach worlds to ally with the Foundation through the allure of technology denied them by the Empire. Recall from last week how the Empire is dwindling, having seemingly forsaken numerous planets in the galaxy's outer rim, granting them liberty but consigning them to poverty—the ideal terrain for religious brainwashing.
Constant and Poly find themselves summoned back to Terminus, where the transformation is undeniable. As mentioned previously, this temporary haven has blossomed into a thriving society. However, not all is rosy; the Foundation's burgeoning power is accompanied by a hint of corruption. A formidable council of politicians now steers the Foundation's affairs, and as Poly uncovers, they exploit their newly acquired allied planets as manufacturing hubs and arsenals for weaponry. They are not constructing a spiritual community but an armed force, a reality that sickens Poly. He dreads Seldon's revelation when the Vault reopens, but before he can confer with Hari, the new Warden—far more military-minded than Salvor—decides to confront the prophet solo. Withholding the truth from the populace to assert his divergence from the Empire is hardly a commendable act.
Tragically for the new Warden, his approach to the vault is met with a fate akin to that of the Raiders of the Lord Ark. The vault lifts him aloft and reduces him to dust. Subsequently, the vault plunges into an impenetrable darkness, save for two words glowing eerily: Hober Mallow. Who precisely is this individual, and why does he wield such significance? Only Hari Seldon holds the answers, but it is patently evident that dire straits loom on the horizon.
