Foundation (Season 2) Episodes 1, 2 & 3: ‘Foundation,’ loosely based on the series of novels by Isaac Asimov, spent its first season laying the groundwork for its further storyline. The science fiction television series, created by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman, made us aware of the expanse of its fictional universe. The second season is now digging into the core themes without the burden of explaining itself. The wonderful three episodes of its second season create a mesmerising fusion of emotion and spectacle. The new season marries its sci-fi narrative with the politics with just the right amount of elements to keep our minds wholly invested.
*Spoilers ahead*
Foundation (Season 2) Episodes 1, 2 & 3 Recap:
Episode 1: In Seldon’s Shadow
The episode begins with Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) shouting in the void, claiming that what happened was not his fault. The gifted mathematician seems to be engulfed in an internal crisis that sucks out any semblance of sanity from his mind. After seeing this genius act like a madman, we witness an encounter between Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) and Salvor Hardin (Leah Harvey). Salvor explains their relationship and they both marvel at its absurdity. This happens because they both were in cryosleep for a long time. Nevertheless, as the first season’s finale told us, Gaal is Salvor’s mother. The two further discuss their dreams and the powers they possess. While Salvor dreams about the past, Gaal can feel the future.
By then, the foundation had been exiled to Terminus for over 173 years. Due to a city-wide shutdown after about 138 years, Warden Jaegger Fount (Holt McCallany) informs Director Sermak (Oliver Chris) and proposes a possibility of Seldon’s return. Meanwhile, Hari continues to fight an internal battle that gives us a look at his childhood. Unlike his mother, Hari’s father was abusive towards his inquisitive nature. The painful memory, nevertheless, brings him to a realisation of a four-dimensional space. It leads him to a dream-like vision with a woman that looks like his life-mate, Yanna (Nimrat Kaur). However, her manner of speech soon brings him to a realisation that the woman is Kalle (Rowena King). It makes him understand his place in the Prime Radiant.
Gaal had trapped Hari (or a second copy of his consciousness) in the Prime Radiant because she could not trust him. While Gaal elaborates on it, Salvor gets afraid as it has been 138 years since they were awake. So, Gaal clarifies her premonition of a bigger, second crisis. Since mankind veered off the path they were supposed to follow, the age of darkness may never stop until they make an attempt to stop it. Later on, the pair recovers a ship by diving into the deep ocean and bringing it back to the surface. Right after, they find a copy of Hari, present on the ship, who had managed to make it out of his terrifying dream.
Back in the Empire, Brother Day (Lee Pace) gets attacked by masked assailants, while he was having sex with Demerzel (Laura Birn). The attack leaves him with a bruise whereas Demerzel’s face gets cut in half while saving him. After getting healed up, he learns that the attackers were Blind Angels. He believes the Shadow Master is responsible for the danger to his life since the assailants arrived from the servant’s side. His doubts lead him to also conduct a neural audit on Brother Dusk (Terrence Mann) and Brother Dawn (Cassian Bilton).
While Demerzel heals herself, Day welcomes his esteemed guests – Queen Sareth of Cloud Dominion (Ella-Rae Smith) and her Enjoiner Rue (Sandra Yi Sencindiver). They offer a gift of their rarest, imperial blue pigments. In exchange, Day gifts a gold statue of Trantor. The Queen considers it his way of considering the world limited to Trantor. Demerzel interrupts the resulting argument between Day and Sareth, to show a discovered body possessing Imperial nanites, that was floating around for over a decade. Allegedly, the man’s ship was destroyed by a megaflare, leading all the life on it to die. This was over a century ago when Anacreons had commandeered the Invictus ship and took control of its surroundings. It leads Hari and others to realise that the darkness existing in the outer system was to meant to distract them.
Episode 2: A Glimpse of Darkness
After his return, Hari confronts Gaal for keeping him locked up. Gaal informs him that the plan has veered off course, which poses the threat of a war between the Terminus and Trantor. Hari points out how his Second Foundation was meant to help with this crisis. He blames himself for all the death and destruction. Hearing him burst out in anger, Salvor notes how the Second Foundation does not stand a chance until they get their ship off the planet. The three try all they can to save themselves from the grave danger. Once they manage to get the ship working, Gaal finds a semblance of hope. She had deduced a turning point in about 150 years when the world will be back on the right course.
Salvor proposes that if Gaal could look 150 years upstream, it would help her see a part of her life. She reaches the future and falls into a place that is largely destroyed. She encounters The Mule (Mikael Persbrandt), who asks her about the location of the Second Foundation and tries to know the answers with his telepathic powers. He recognises she is gazing from another age. The absolute horror brings her back to the ship with her newfound realisation. She mentions to her ship companions that The Mule asked for a man named Hober Mallow. Her terrifying detour in the future informed her that the Second Foundation came in the way of his plan of utter destruction. She recalls The Mule mentioning his plan to go to a planet named Ignis. As a result, the trio decides to go there.
In Trantor, Brother Day learns, after the neural audit, that Dusk or Dawn was not involved in the assassination attempt by the blind angels. However, there is a loophole. The brothers may not remember that they conspired against him. As a solution, she suggests General Bel Rios is best suited to lead their forces in the battle against the Foundation. But Day opposes this decision because of a past incident where he did not follow the orders and followed his own intuition. Demerzel notes how Bel Rios’s decision was right in the situation. But Day remains adamant about not appointing the man.
Later on, Day and his family have a meal with Queen Sareth. After recounting her past and how the responsibility came to her, she shares her fascination with the concept of genetic dynasties. As a result, Day takes her to the Principium Tower to witness how it operates. Sareth sees Day’s memories getting transferred to an incubated clone. This clone is supposed to take his place in case of his untimely death. Queen Sareth shares her knowledge about the adulteration of genetic material by the rebels. She considers this rumour to be the reason Brother Day plans to marry her. Their bond grows stronger during these interactions.
Meanwhile, in The Outer Reach, High Cleric Poly Verisof (Kulvinder Ghir) and Brother Constant (Isabella Laughland) are determined to share the wisdom of Hari Seldon on their planet. Poly is the kid who witnessed the vault open for the first time and is now a leader of the Church of the Galactic Spirit. However, the people are hostile toward him and call him a heretic. Poly arrives in front of the population through a magical spectacle and tries to make them eager to witness the return of prophet Hari. Eventually, Poly and Constant learn that the vault is going to get opened for a second time.
Once they reach Terminus, Warden Yager tells Poly that he will not be allowed to go near the vault because of their lack of trust in him. Since Poly is known to be drunk most of the time, the Director does not see him for the job to grasp the reality. He argues the rationality of his vision, but it fails. Finally, Warden Yager goes in front of the vault and asks for Hari Seldon. Soon after it opens, he gets turned to ashes in front of the Terminus. Before that destructive end to his life, he shouts to ‘Get Hober Mallow’. Neither Poly nor Constant understands what transpired. Since The Mule asked Gaal about the same name, it seems integral to the further chapters of The Foundation.
Episode 3: King and Commoner
While Gaal and Salvor believe that they are going to the planet named Ignis, Hari misdirects them to a planet called Oona’s world. While he was trapped in his mind, Kalle told him about this planet. Only when they reach there, he discloses that he lied before. He informs that the planet is uninhabited and asks Gaal to join for to a 500-meter distance for a crucial job. While Gaal opposes this plan due to Hari’s habit of keeping secrets, Salvor actually makes her get done with what Hari wants. After walking through the desert, they finally reach a cave to meet an old friend of his. This friend happens to be Kalle. Gaal is surprised to find this gifted mathematician alive. Before Hari can go behind a door with Kalle, he tells Gaal to wait for him in the spaceship.
In The Outer Reach, the director does not want to go look for Hober Mallow because his name appeared on the vault. However, Poly insists they should go look for the man. Turns out, Hober Mallow was an expert trader with a questionable past, difficult to trust. To find him, he decides to meet Korell from the Whasssalian Rift with Constant. That’s where they learn about Hober facing the death sentence as per the commander’s orders. With a special bracelet that he was planning to sell, he manages to switch places with the commander and steals an important artefact.
While Demerzel suggested appointing Bel Riose (Ben Daniels) for their battle, he was a prisoner in the Lepsis Penal Colony and was in a terrible state. She meets him and tries to convince him to lead the 20th Fleet to war. He is defensive about joining just for the sake of freedom after suffering for ages. So, in exchange, she agrees to offer a meeting with her husband Glawen separated, while he was punished. Still, during their eventual meeting in the Empire, Day remains hostile toward him. While they have a private word, Bel realizes that Day would accept whatever he desires him to do. After this dialogue, Bel finally manages to meet Glawen. They both start shedding tears the moment they lay eyes on one another. Since Ben realizes that he is now indispensable, he decides to not waste that privilege. He understands that Brother Day is worried about getting shadowed by his popularity.
Foundation (Season 2) Episode 3 Ending Explained:
Poly and Brother Constant see Hober Mallow getting executed and try to stop it, knowing his importance. However, soon after, they all realise that he used the bracelet once again to switch his place with the commander and rescues himself. When he suddenly leaves the place on a ship, Poly and Constant get on it just before it he could leave. They eventually drug Hober to ensure that he will not cause any further issues. On the other hand, Gaal returns to the ship and waits for Hari with Galvor. However, even after six hours, he does not return.
So, they decide to leave the place without Harry. Suddenly, their ship falls below the ground where they see a huge structure trying to destroy it. Salvor somehow manages to make a successful escape. While flying away, she notices a giant human structure near the place where Gaal went with Harry. Gaal looks closer and recognises Hari lying unconscious. So, she climbs down to find him there, alive. Gall rescues him from the place and brings him back to the ship. That is when they both accept a realisation that he now has a body i.e., he is not a copy of his consciousness anymore. How could this happen? Was Kalle the reason behind this? Let’s wait for further episodes to know the answers.
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