The Mathematician’s Ghost
In the beginning of Foundation, 400 years before our events, a group of scientists working on a new technology come up with a plan to save the world from an impending doom. However, things quickly go wrong and the scientists are forced to fight for their lives against an unknown enemy.
Cleon the First, the Genetic Dynasty’s first king, looks out at the construction work taking place on the incomplete star platform. He doubts his legacy as he looks out at it, but prepares to pass his legacy on.
We flashback to Cleon the First, who is discussing the star-bridge bombing with Brother Dusk. Cleon admits that every version of him has been different since 400 years ago. We then jump forward to 19 years after the star-bridge bombing, and Demerzel reflects on Cleon the First while talking to Brother Dusk. Demerzel admits that every version of him has been different since 400 years ago, and he regrets not being able to prevent the bombing.
Dusk looks back on all the different versions of Cleon, from dreamers to visionaries. He tries to make the most of what he has left and wonders what sort of legacy he will leave behind. ..
For now, he’s boarded a ship with the other Brothers (and Demerzel of course) to see the ship. It’s an unwritten rule not to be here, especially since his own youngest version of himself being grown in a large test tube. ..
Brother Dusk steps into the flickering light, fading to dust.
Demerzel is no stranger to the torch relay, and she casually touches the dust with two fingers, placing it over the babe’s forehead as a sign of the torch passing. ..
Cleon the 14th decides to get rid of the art that his previous iteration loved so, razing it to the ground and starting anew. Demerzel is understandably concerned but remains quiet for now.
The Foundation has begun colonizing Terminus, and over the years, numerous myths have arisen about the Vault, a triangular shape that was first seen at the beginning of the first episode. Regardless, the settlers simply decide not to approach it. ..
The settlers in the area are trying to figure out what’s going on and why the field around The Vault is expanding. There’s no explanation for what happened after Hari Seldon’s death, so it seems like the story is just continuing as before. Anyway, the settlers are seeing an increase in growth in the area around The Vault, which is likely due to some unknown factor.
Salvor Hardin is the one who knows what’s going on and is determined to find out what happened to the others. She’s convinced that the cataclysmic event could be this Vault, and that it’s waking up.
Hugo returns to the planet after a long journey in space. He tells stories of his adventures to Salvor, who reminds him that she has responsibilities at the Foundation. ..
Salvor is startled when she sees the native creature running towards her shuttle. She’s not sure what it is, but she’s certain that it isn’t safe. The creature seems to be familiar, too - it’s the same one from the simulations. Salvor can’t shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen.
Salvor scares away the empire’s forces, heading back over to see Hugo, who happens to be awake and teleported atop a cliff edge now. With communications failing and the empire out of range, the gang have three days until the Anacreons arrive, ready to fight.
Salvor is taken aback by the equations shown to her in the wake of all this. With Gaal gone and Hari dead, she needs to figure out what this Vault is in order to protect the settlement. In order to do that, she needs to try and understand what it is.
That evening, Salvor follows that same young boy into the ruined ship again, but this time she’s outsmarted by the Anacreons, who have already touched down and have… bow and arrows?
The Episode Review
The story is the most important thing in any production. The dialogue and story are what make 12 Angry Men stand out today. The room where it was filmed was only big enough to fit a single camera and the film was shot on a shoestring budget. That’s why it’s so captivating.
Game of Thrones Season 8 is a beautiful and utterly breathtaking mess. And this recent episode suggests that Foundation is following the same trajectory. ..
Apple has spent a lot of money on its foundation but it seems like very little of it was actually put into the development and editing process. This is a problem because the foundation could have been used to help improve the quality of Apple’s products.
The story so far has been disjointed and without a clear focus. The first two chapters were all about the Gaal and Hari, but they seem to have disappeared from the story. This episode focuses on Salvor, but we don’t learn much about him. ..
The Anacreons are a mysterious and powerful dynasty that use bow and arrows. They may have motives that are yet to be revealed, but Demerzel is likely involved in some way. As for Gaal, he’s still missing and no one knows where he is. ..
In the end scenes with Hugo and Salvor, the action takes place in a space of just 8 minutes or so. There are no bridging scenes between any of the scenes.
I’m a huge fan of sci-fi, and the production design and visuals of Foundation are absolutely breathtaking. I can’t wait to dive back into Babylon 5 or Star Trek: The Next Generation, but I’m also hopeful that next week’s episode improves. ..
