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Geek Girl Authority
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
FOUNDATION Season Premiere Recap: (S03E01) A Song for the End of Everything
Foundation Season 3 Episode 1, 'A Song for the End of Everything,' brings the Mule into the equation and sets the stage for what'll undoubtedly be a propulsive, high-octane season. The visuals are as stunning as ever. The stakes are as high as can be. I mean, the end of everything is pretty damn serious. RELATED: Read our recap of the Foundation Season 2 finale, 'Creation Myths' Foundation, 'A Song for the End of Everything' We open with narration from Gaal (Lou Llobell), explaining that, if one lives long enough, 'time can be a weapon.' In her three centuries of life, Gaal has seen the Foundation grow and Empire decline. We're now 152 years out from the Second Crisis. The Foundation has the Outer Reach in their grasp, with the objective to seize the middle band. This includes the planet Kalgan. Of course, should Kalgan fall under Empire or Foundation's thumb, the rest of the middle band will follow suit. Gaal admits that someone else knows this, too — the Mule. He haunts her dreams. Meanwhile, Archduke Bellarion (Ralph Ineson) and Hopewood (Jake Fairbrother) wait for the infamous Mule to arrive. They have armed forces as backup. Sure enough, the Mule (Pilou Asbæk) emerges from the trees. Compulsion As it turns out, the Mule kidnapped Bellarion's daughter. He'll return her to Bellarion once he gets what he wants: control of Kalgan. Control Kalgan, control the galaxy. Bellarion refuses to let a warlord take the reins. So, the Mule gets messy. He compels the ships hovering above them to attack each other. Then, he compels Bellarion's soldiers to kill each other. RELATED: The Mule Wreaks Havoc in Foundation Season 3 Trailer and New Photos After this, the Mule tries to take Bellarion's signet ring. When it proves tricky to remove, the Mule compels Bellarion to bite off his own finger and hand over the ring … before shooting himself in the head. The Mule is one chaotic b. Like Euron Greyjoy but in space. FOUNDATION Season 3 Episode 1, 'A Song for the End of Everything' — Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ The Third Crisis Now, we're at Jump Gate Prospero. Gaal's voiceover returns to inform us that Empire must now use jump gates to traverse the galaxy. This puts a wrench in their takeover plans. With the Cleonic Dynasty no longer in control (of the galaxy or their council), they've drifted away from the center of power. Brother Dawn (Cassian Bilton) joins Demerzel (Laura Birn), who shares that the Third Crisis is on the horizon. She sees it in the Prime Radiant. Something new, something troubling, is also brewing. However, Demerzel insists that their impending meeting with the Galactic Council won't make a dent in psychohistory. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: Gaal Dornick Then, Dawn and Demerzel head to Clarion Station for the Galactic Council session. Before they land, they spot fire wheat farmers protesting outside the Galactic Council. The Foundation has imposed heavy tariffs on their grain stores. The Council doesn't have jurisdiction over this, but Dawn believes they can still apply pressure. Outside the Council headquarters, one woman lugs soil at Dawn. A New Alliance Next, Dawn addresses the Council, claiming that the Foundation's corruption and greed are why the soil is sterile. 'When crops die, people die,' he states. He adds that the Traders, a faction within the Foundation, are willing to lend a hand. However, they lack the funds and support necessary to break away from the Foundation. Dawn might be 10 days away from becoming Emperor, but he wants to help now. It's simple: assist the Traders and weaken the Foundation from within. Then, Empire can take back the planets that once belonged to them. Presider Kinn (Miltos Yerolemou) remarks that they could tally a formal vote if Emperor Day were present. Dawn informs the Council that Day is on Trantor (having a spa day, obv). He offers the Council a choice: he returns in 10 days, after becoming Emperor, to revisit the motion and pass a referendum on a new Presider (ouch), or they make waves now. The Council decides to vote with haste. RELATED: New TV Shows This Week (July 6 – 12) Later, Demerzel compliments Dawn on how he handled the Council. She asks Dawn if Brother Dusk advised him to supply the Traders with soil to throw at him. Dawn insists it was his idea. He just hopes it was actually sterile. FOUNDATION Season 3 Episode 1, 'A Song for the End of Everything' — Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ To Ashes Meanwhile, on Trantor, Brother Dusk (Terrence Mann) comes to terms with his inevitable death. He watches footage of past Dusks turning into ash, positioning it from different angles. Dawn joins him. He informs Dusk that the Council will fall in line, and their new alliance with the Traders will ensure the Foundation crumbles from the inside out. Dawn asks Dusk if he would run when the time comes to die. Dusk muses that he doesn't have it in him to run. The conversation shifts to the Mule and how Kalgan has fallen to piracy. After this, Gaal tells us about New Terminus, which rose like a phoenix from the ashes of Terminus. The Foundation prospered on New Terminus for 150 years. They made the leap from a religious focus to trade, more concerned with expanding their sphere of influence. RELATED: Read our Murderbot recaps The Traders threaten secession as a rift between those with power and those with influence widens. Professor Ebling Mis (Alexander Siddig) is a researcher of this rift, and he's keen on meeting Hari Seldon. Why? Because the Third Crisis — the Seldon Crisis — is on the horizon. Hari could help. You Nulled My Null Field Ebling turns into a fanboy when Hari (Jared Harris) materializes. Hari is equal parts fascinated and annoyed that Ebling nulled his null field. He transports Ebling to a replica of his Trantor office. Then, Hari states that the Foundation is beyond their religious phase and well into their trade era, with the Traders — or Merchant Princes — pitted against the majority. FOUNDATION Season 3 Episode 1, 'A Song for the End of Everything' — Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ Ebling shares that the Foundation's standards have fallen considerably. They're too comfortable now. They're not prepared for the crisis to come. Ebling believes the Traders themselves are the crisis. Hari remains tight-lipped. Ebling adds that Empire is now allied with the Traders. Hari replies that he gave Empire the Prime Radiant. This bewilders Ebling. Why would Hari do that? However, Hari gives Ebling the boot instead of providing an answer. Rude. RELATED: Apple TV+ Renews Hit Spy Drama Slow Horses for Season 7 A Chase on Haven Later, we arrive at Haven, home of the Alliance of Traders. We learn that Empire is now supplying the Traders with weaponry to continue fomenting unrest between them and the Foundation. Han Pritcher (Brandon P Bell) and Sephone (Iðunn Ösp Hlynsdóttir), who serve the Foundation, try to intercept a weapons drop from Empire. They spot Randu Mallow, Dawn's contact, retrieving said drop. What transpires next is a wild goose chase across the planet. Han gets close enough to battle it out with Randu before tossing him off his transport. Han attempts to bring Randu's transport closer to him, which carries the weapons. But the sun is about to rise over them, and it's unbearably hot. Sephone swoops in to save Han as they abandon the weapons altogether. Their ship saves them. FOUNDATION Season 3 Episode 1, 'A Song for the End of Everything' — Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ Next, Han and Sephone tend to their burns on their ship. Sephone flirts with him, leaning in for a kiss (girl, I get it), but Han pulls away. He claims his loyalties lie elsewhere. Ouch. Unfortunately, they didn't get the weapons, so they don't have evidence to present to the Foundation of Empire's meddling. Then, Han gets an alert that the Mule is nearby. RELATED: Welcome to the Chatsubo: Apple TV+'s Neuromancer Is Now in Production Would You Like a Jelly? After this, Mayor Indbur (Leo Bill) finds Han at his desk. How did Han gain access to Indbur's office? He designed the security protocols, of course. Then, Han informs Indbur that Vault is awake, but the mayor wants the lowdown on the Haven mission. Han confirms that Empire is arming the Traders; however, he and Sephone couldn't get their hands on the goods to prove it. Indbur reminds Han that they need evidence with which to confront Empire. Vault is screaming that civil war is nigh. Han claims the Traders are a distraction. The real threat is the Mule. He's taken over Kalgan. Han wants to investigate him. Indbur brushes this off, though, insisting that Kalgan is nothing. It lives in the middle band, neither part of the Foundation nor Empire. Things get heated between Han and Indbur, which the latter attempts to smooth over by offering the former jellies. Han really hates jellies. Indbur decides to revoke Han's launch privileges. If he tries to leave, Indbur will put him under house arrest. Naturally, after departing Indbur's office, Han has the mayor's key fob. Han is giving me Han Solo vibes in the best way. After this, Han leaves for Kalgan. RELATED: On Location: The Phoenicia Diner on Apple TV+'s Severance Therapy Meanwhile, Demerzel meets with Zephyr Vorellis (Rebecca Ineson) on Trantor. She is the first Zephyr on Trantor. Demerzel wishes to unburden herself to Vorellis. However, Vorellis will recall nothing of their little therapy session. Her memories will only be restored for subsequent meetings and wiped thereafter. For starters, Demerzel shares that she's a positronic robot. Then, she gives Vorellis a history lesson about robots in human spaces. She and Vorellis discuss the basic tenets of robots — how they can't harm humans but can protect themselves. The conversation veers to Hari Seldon giving Demerzel the Prime Radiant. Thanks to the Radiant, Demerzel has seen something that spells the end of Empire. Empire's demise is inevitable. FOUNDATION Season 3 Episode 1, 'A Song for the End of Everything' — Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ But what does this mean for Demerzel? She's programmed to serve the Cleons. She loves the Cleons. When they're all gone, what will be her purpose, as one who cannot die? Who is she without Empire? Ah, the age-old question. RELATED: Severance Renewed for Season 3 by the Will of Kier (and Apple TV+) Much Bigger Later, Vorellis and Demerzel join Dawn, Dusk and Ambassador Quent (Cherry Jones), who's part of the Foundation, for dinner. Quent congratulates Dawn on his upcoming ascension to Emperor Day. She tries to rattle him with talk of how Empire is supplying the rebel Traders. During dinner, Quent finally learns about the Mule seizing control of Kalgan. Dawn insists that Kalgan is nothing of import to Empire. It doesn't belong to them. Dawn reassures Quent that she's free to go about her duties without interference from him. He's focused on something much bigger. The End of It All Elsewhere, Day (Lee Pace) recites poetry to a camel. Song (Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing), his consort, watches and laughs. Day struggles to finish his made-up poem. Dusk stops by to summon Day, claiming that Demerzel wants him to see something. He clearly doesn't approve of Day's six-month sabbatical, during which he's having fun with consorts, making animals, eating fruit and lounging in the sun without a belly button. Honestly? Goals. RELATED: Read our Foundation recaps Dusk insists that, eventually, Day will have to wipe Song's memories so she won't divulge any secrets. Before he leaves for the meeting, Day throws on a robe. I love the bare minimum effort to appear 'presentable' here. When you're Lee Pace, though, you're already in top form… FOUNDATION Season 3 Episode 1, 'A Song for the End of Everything' — Photo courtesy of Apple TV+ Day reunites with Dawn and Dusk. Demerzel shows them what she's seen millions of times in the Prime Radiant. Yes, they know Empire will fall based on Hari Seldon's words, but the Prime Radiant is now claiming that this will happen in four months. Not only will Empire cease to exist in four months, but everything will cease to exist. Everything will end. On Ignis, we see Gaal in cryosleep. She dreams about the Mule. In one vision, he hoists her up by the neck, demanding to know where the Second Foundation is. Then, she wakes. Gaal declares that the Mule is already here, and they're out of time. Foundation drops new episodes every Friday on Apple TV+. On Location: The Lighterman in Apple TV+'s SLOW HORSES Contact: [email protected] What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events. Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium. Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
What Time Does ‘Foundation' Season 3 Premiere On Streaming?
"Foundation" Season 3 partial poster. Apple TV+ Foundation , starring Jared Harris, Lee Pace and star Lou Llobell, returns to streaming on Apple TV+ this week with Season 3. An Apple TV+ original, Foundation Season 1 was released in 2021 and was followed by Season 2 in 2023. The official summary for Foundation Season 3 reads, 'Set 152 years after the events of Season 2, The Foundation has become increasingly established far beyond its humble beginnings while the Cleonic Dynasty's Empire has dwindled. Forbes What Time Does 'Dexter: Resurrection' Premiere On Streaming? By Tim Lammers 'As both of these galactic powers forge an uneasy alliance, a threat to the entire galaxy appears in the fearsome form of a warlord known as 'The Mule,' whose sights are set on ruling the universe by use of physical and military force as well as mind control. It's anyone's guess who will win, who will lose, who will live and who will die as Hari Seldon (Jared Hess), Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobel), the Cleons (Lee Pace and Cassian Bilton) and Demerzel (Laura Birn) play a potentially deadly game of intergalactic chess. Returning cast members for Foundation Season 3 include Terrence Mann and Rowena King. New cast members this season include Cherry Jones, Brandon P. Bell, Synnøve Karlsen, Cody Fern, Tómas Lemarquis, Alexander Siddig, Troy Kotsur and Pilou Asbæk. Forbes What Time Does 'Murderbot' Season Finale Begin Streaming? By Tim Lammers Foundation is the creation of Josh Friedman and David S. Goyer. Foundation Season 3, which consists of 10 episodes, begins streaming on Friday, July 11, at 12:01 a.m. PT / 3:01 a.m. PT with Episode 1. The remaining nine episodes will be released weekly on Fridays through Sept. 12. Foundation Season 3 has to date earned a 100% 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on eight reviews. The RT Critics Consensus and Popcornmeter score based on verified user ratings are still pending. Nick Schager of The Daily Beast is among the top critics on RT who gives Foundation Season 3 a 'fresh' rating, writing in his review summary that the series 'continues to put the rest of its small-screen genre brethren to shame with its momentous, magnificent third season.' Forbes 'Superman': Opening Projections Below Long-Range Box Office Forecast By Tim Lammers In addition, James Dyer of Empire Magazine writes in his 'fresh' RT summary that Foundation Season 3 is 'a stunning, sweeping and cerebral space odyssey.' Also, John DeVore of AV Club writes of the show in his 'fresh' review on RT , 'The stakes are high this season, but they've always been high. Foundation has no chill setting, which can be viewed as the show's weakness and also its strength.' Foundation Season 3 begins streaming on Friday at 12:01 a.m. ET / 3:01 a.m. PT with Episode 1. Forbes Horror Hit 'Until Dawn' Gets Netflix Streaming Date By Tim Lammers
Metro
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'I lead one of TV's biggest sci-fi shows, but no one recognises me'
You'd be forgiven for presuming that most actors enjoy being recognised by an adoring public. After all, surely half the fun of being famous is to have crowds yell your name as you stagger out of the lobby of a fancy hotel or dodge autograph hunters in Leicester Square. Well, that's not what Lou Llobell wants from life. Despite the fact that she plays Gaal Dornick on Apple TV Plus's sci-fi juggernaut Foundation and is about to star in André Øvredal's next unnamed horror movie, the 30-year-old enjoys her anonymity. 'I was just in Sicily this last weekend,' she tells Metro at an interview ahead of the release of Foundation season 3. 'And on my flight there, I heard someone say, 'Have you watched this show called Foundation?' I went, 'Oh yeah, that's me'.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The (presumably quite embarrassed) fan went on to tell Lou how much they adored the show, had 'binged the first two seasons' and couldn't wait for the third. It's easy to agree with that fan. Foundation is an epic sci-fi saga based on the books by Isaac Asimov and tells the story of Gaal (Lou) and Hari Seldon (Jared Harris), who use advanced mathematics to predict the future. Believing there's a huge cataclysm on the way pair set up the titular Foundation to try and avert disaster. All caught up? Let's get back to Lou and her fan encounter. Now, you might think not being immediately recognised by the fan on the plane would bother Lou, but it didn't bother her at all. In fact, she sees it as a bonus. 'I hope it never changes,' Lou said. 'I hope I get to do all the jobs I want to do, and work and everything, and then no one knows who I am.' 'It's great because a lot of the fans on Foundation are not necessarily fans of me,' she explained. 'They're fans of the show, and I love talking to fans because of how much they love it.' This modesty, for lack of a better word, is part of what makes Lou so endearing. Indeed, when I asked her how she first reacted to the news that she'd bagged a leading role in Foundation, she admitted to being in a kind of daze about the whole situation. Apparently, when Foundation co-creator David S. Goyer told her she'd won the part, she replied 'Okay.' 'I think [David] was expecting a bit more of a reaction,' she laughed. 'I was like, 'Okay, thank you'.' It took a phone call to break Lou out of her stunned stupor and for the enormity of the job she'd taken on to start to set in – although she didn't realise how much her life was going to change until she visited the set. 'I knew the scale, and I knew what everyone was anticipating,' Lou explained. 'But I don't think it really hit me until I walked on set or did my first costume fitting' 'I was like, 'Is this what being an actor is? No one told me!' But it was amazing to see how it all came together. 'That first day on set was jaw-dropping for me, and it's so funny how adaptable human beings are because it's now one of the places I'm most comfortable.' Not that her growing comfort with TV and film sets has made her in any way complacent. 'I always want to feel like I'm being kept on my toes and feel nervous because it drives me to show up and make sure I put my best foot forward,' she said. More Trending It's good that Lou managed to adapt so quickly, as she was clear with me that acting was the only career she ever considered pursuing. 'If this hadn't worked out, I don't know what I'd be doing,' she admitted. 'It was this or nothing.' Foundation season 3 will be available to stream on Apple TV Plus from July 11. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Too Much is Netflix's best ever comedy – I've already binged it twice MORE: Line of Duty's 'biggest rival' confirms season 7 plot before fifth is even out MORE: I'm a TV critic – Netflix new gripping thriller is one of my top July picks
Gizmodo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Everything to Remember About ‘Foundation' Season 2 Ahead of Season 3
The Apple TV+ Isaac Asimov adaptation returns soon for more sci-fi rulers, freaky math, and warfare both physical and psychic—are you ready? Foundation season three will pick up 152 years after the end of season two, which means a new set of supporting characters is on the way. However, given Foundation's fondness for clones (be they organic or digital) and robots—as well as people who endure extended cryosleep—all the main faces will also be back. That time jump will advance the action to a time of great unrest, as predicted in season two by Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) using a combination of mathematics, the 'prime radiant' quantum device created by Hari Seldon (Jared Harris), and her own powerful abilities. Throughout season two, she had glimpses of 'the Mule' (to be played in season three by Pilou Asbæk), an equally powerful psychic hellbent on bringing the entire galaxy to heel. This won't sit well with Empire—the collective name given to the Cleons (played by Cassian Bilton, Lee Pace, and Terrence Mann at different ages), the trio of cloned galactic rulers who've held control for generations, though we saw cracks in the regime beginning to appear even back in season one. As we learned in season two, Lady Demerzel (Laura Birn)—the last remaining intelligent android, she's the only survivor of the Robot Wars—was programmed to ensure Empire's reign by Cleon I, and there's nothing she won't do to follow that directive. That includes killing Cleons that get out of line, as well as altering their memories to virtually shape the version of reality that best serves the cause. Elsewhere in the Galaxy, the Foundation—a breakaway civilization established by Seldon in season one, meant to ensure humanity's survival after Seldon's studies of 'psychohistory' predicted a coming period of darkness—became a thriving alliance in season two, adding millions to its cause and reverse-engineering technology previously hoarded by Empire, including jump ships that revolutionized space travel. What is Foundation about? The Apple TV+ series is based on the Foundation short stories, novellas, and novels by Isaac Asimov; he penned the first works in the 1940s and '50s and then returned to its world at the end of his career in the 1980s. It's set in the very far future, when the galaxy has long been ruled by the Cleonic dynasty, a trio of clones of Emperor Cleon I at different ages: the young Dawn, the middle-aged Day, and the elderly Dusk. When Dusk gets too old, a new Dawn is decanted and Day becomes Dusk. (Empire also keeps replacement spares, in case a clone perishes before he's aged out.) Though Empire is ostensibly in charge, the real architect of the regime is Demerzel, working off programming implanted by Cleon I. She manipulates expertly and with the ability to stay several steps of most human minds, but she's not infallible. And despite Demerzel's cunning, Empire's stranglehold on the galaxy has begun to crumble. The clones have been slightly corrupted, meaning they're no longer perfect copies of Cleon I; in Foundation season two, the reigning Brother Day toys with the notion of taking a wife and producing an heir the old-fashioned way, thereby ending the cloning tradition. Empire's fall is just one element in Hari Seldon's dire prediction for the future. In season one, the Cleons agreed to let Seldon and his followers decamp to Terminus, a far-flung planet, to set up the Foundation as a way to preserve all knowledge and hopefully lessen the length of the dark age. One of the key minds on his mission is Gaal Dornick, a math prodigy who has disturbing visions of a war-torn future. Hari dies before reaching Terminus, though he soon resurrects as two digital copies, one of which mysteriously gains a human body in season two. He eventually reveals the true intention of the Foundation is to build up an entirely new civilization. A Second Foundation, built apart from Terminus, is also secretly part of his plan. It sounds like a lot of moving parts—as Gaal says, 'It's all a bit sticky'—especially once you add in the story's leaps in time. But at its core it's a pretty classic story: two sides, Empire and the Foundation, plus a bunch of characters caught between those sides. Season three will add in a third side with the diabolical Mule. Who are the main returning characters in Foundation? Gaal Dornick leaves her water-covered homeworld after winning a math contest and is immediately made a part of Hari Seldon's chaotic plan. They've had a prickly relationship over the years (and it's been a lot of years; Gaal's been in multiple cryosleep stints, and Hari enters a digital afterlife soon after we meet him), but at the end of season two they're fully aligned. Hari Seldon developed the theory of psychohistory, using data to predict the future of civilizations. He engineered his own death on the way to Terminus, but revived himself digitally twice. As we learned in season one, one hologram of Hari exists in the Vault, a mysterious structure located on Terminus; the other accompanies Gaal on her journey away from the original Foundation, towards the creation of the second Foundation. That latter version of Hari gains an organic body in season two with the help of an ancient mathematician, Kalle (Rowena King). Even Hari, the smartest man in the universe, can't explain how that happened… so don't think about it too much. Empire consists of the three Cleons: Brothers Dawn, Day, and Dusk. They rule the galaxy and have for centuries. Some versions of them are more odious or more sympathetic than others; the Brother Day we followed in season two is the 17th Cleon. Season three will be a different (identical) trio that's sitting the throne 152 years later—all played by the same actors, of course. As mentioned above, Empire's majordomo Demerzel is an android. The Cleons know what she is, but most other people assume she's an ever-revolving clone like their rulers are. Her duty is to serve Empire, specifically the desires of Cleon I, and she's not beholden to the Three Laws of Robotics beyond that. (Which means: she can and will kill ) But she's not really a villain, despite her ruthlessness; it's made very clear that when it comes to Empire, Demerzel holds all the power—except the power to act as she truly wishes she could. Played by Rowena King, Kalle will seemingly be a more prominent character in season three. Her writings helped Gaal win that math contest in season one; in season two, she makes a couple of enigmatic appearances, including when she helps transform Hari from digital being into a flesh-and-blood human. What happened at the end of Foundation season two? After defeating powerful psychic leader Tellum Bond (Rachel House)—who was dead-set against the Second Foundation being built on Ignis, the planet she'd claimed—Gaal and Hari freed the 'Mentalics' she'd kept under tight mind control. Gaal's daughter, Salvor (Leah Harvey), gave her life to save Gaal; she was a key character in seasons one and two, but she seemingly won't be back for season three, though flashbacks are always a possibility. Gaal's vision of the future suggested the Mentalics will be a key part of the fight against the Mule. After some back-and-forth, Hari and Gaal decided they'd go into cryosleep for 150 years on Ignis, waking up periodically to help prepare the Second Foundation. Two other season two characters who perished at the end: heroic con man Hober Mallow (Dimitri Leonidas), loyal to the Foundation, and Galactic Empire general Bel Riose (Ben Daniels). Though they were on opposite sides of the battle, they made amends in the end as they faced certain death, and even shared some really bad wine in a poignant but funny send-off. Empire destroyed Terminus—but after gloating over his victory, Brother Day picked a fight (with Hober and Bel) on an orbiting ship and was tossed out of the airlock. We later see the people of the Foundation all survived the destruction of their planet by using Hari's vault as an escape vessel. Back on Empire's home planet of Trantor, Brother Dusk is killed by Demerzel after figuring out she's only serving the wishes of Cleon I, not any of the other Cleons since. Brother Dawn escapes with Brother Day's intended bride; she's pregnant with Dawn's child. Since the occasion calls for it, three new Cleons are decanted and put into use. At the very end of season two's finale, we flash-forward '152 years later.' The Mule, seemingly very rattled, speaks out in a shadowy room: 'I have to find Gaal Dornick before she finds me. I have to destroy her… even if I have to burn everything to do it.' What do we know about Foundation season three? We know what Asimov wrote, but we can't know for sure how Foundation will recalibrate the plot or the specific characters it might re-shape for dramatic purposes—both things it has done in previous seasons. However, here's the official synopsis: 'Set 152 years after the events of season two, the Foundation has become increasingly established far beyond its humble beginnings while the Cleonic Dynasty's Empire has dwindled. As both of these galactic powers forge an uneasy alliance, a threat to the entire galaxy appears in the fearsome form of a warlord known as 'The Mule' whose sights are set on ruling the universe by use of physical and military force, as well as mind control. It's anyone's guess who will win, who will lose, who will live, and who will die as Hari Seldon, Gaal Dornick, the Cleons, and Demerzel play a potentially deadly game of intergalactic chess.' Besides Asbæk as the Mule, we'll meet new characters played by Cherry Jones, Brandon P. Bell, Synnøve Karlsen, Cody Fern, Tómas Lemarquis, Alexander Siddig, and Troy Kotsur. There's been no official word from Apple TV+ on who they're playing, but the new season's first-look images and trailer have offered some visual clues. Why should you watch Foundation? The worldbuilding can be dense—psychic warriors! Cloned rulers! Superpowered mathematicians! A vision of all possible futures on an unimaginably vast timeline! One robot to rule them all?—but there's a logic and symmetry that fits together, especially thematically. Foundation isn't a show you can casually have on in the background and hope to catch all the nuances; paying close attention will yield far more rewards, both in being able to follow the story and in appreciating the show's occasional but well-placed lighter moments. The writing and directing are fantastic, and the cast is a cut above, too, especially Harris as all the different iterations of Seldon—and Pace as all the different iterations of Brother Day. Foundation seasons 1-2 are streaming now; season three premieres July 11 on Apple TV+.
The Verge
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
A dark power is rising in Foundation's new season 3 trailer
The first teaser for season 3 of Apple TV Plus' Foundation hinted at some of the changes coming with the series' massive timeskip. But the show's latest trailer really hammers how much wilder this story is about to get. Though Foundation 's third season jumps 152 years into the future and picks up at a time when the Cleonic Dynasty's Empire has lost much of its power, those allied with The Foundation know that peace isn't guaranteed. Gaal (Lou Llobell) has every reason to stay vigilant about whatever treachery Brother Day (Lee Pace) might be plotting in the shadows. But as tense as relationships between The Foundation and what's left of the Empire are, both sides can recognize how much more danger is coming their way as a telepath known as the Mule (Pilou Asbæk) appears with a plan to conquer the galaxy. In addition to showing off some of the psychic battle that will unfold as Gaal and the Mule eventually meet face-to-face, the trailer highlights how much bigger and more explosive Foundation 's action will be. We're a little over a month of from the new season's premiere on July 11th, so if you've been meaning to catch up, now's the time.
