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Foundation – Season 3 Episode 2 Recap & Review

Shadows in the Math Episode 2 of Foundation season 3 starts with Gaal and Hari Seldon awakening 151 years ago. The Second Foundation are here, with Thalis leading the effort. We're still on Ignis, but the Foundation are clearly desperate to get the plan back on track. These two have been kept in cryosleep all this time, save for a few weeks each year. While awake, Hari teaches psychohistory to the Mentalists, while Gaal uses her powers to help prepare for the fight against the Mule. This knowledge eventually helps the Second Foundation to expand out across the galaxy, with eyes and ears in every area. However, despite controlling the Empire's loosening grip, not everything can so easily be controlled. Gaal and Hari come to the realization that they need everything to be perfect here, and for that to happen, one of them needs to stay awake for the foreseeable future. Hari Seldon decides to sacrifice his life for this, staying awake and teaching everything he can to the Mentalists. Fast forward to 4 years back and Thalis is dead. There's a new First Speaker now on Ignis which happens to be a guy by the name of Preem Palver. As for Hari Seldon, he's now an old man, realizing that he's needed to teach the Mentalists whatever he can, with Gaal the 'girl who's the key to everything'. He explains that the Third Crisis is almost upon them and they need to be ready. Hari shows her the Prime Radiant, which includes everything he knows about the Eight Crises. All the raw data is here, including his thoughts, secrets and, most importantly, the Invictus. If the Mule is defeated, everything is headed for this. Hari is an old man now though and it's unclear exactly how long he has left. A physical manifestation of the Prime Radiant speaks to him and opens up some sort of portal that takes him to his final resting place. When Gaal realizes Hari has gone, she speaks to Preem and learns his language, helping to get the plan back on track. This long prologue catches us up to the moments at the end of episode 1. Gaal awakens in present time from Cryosleep and learns that the Mule's actions have thrown their plan completely out of whack. On Trantor, the Cleons try to remain hopeful over the future. Dusk and Dawn question the psychohistory and whether it can be changed, while Day wipes his hands of all of this, declaring they're 'fucked'. Instead, he heads on over to the Claviger Barracks and indulges in his gambling. As for Dusk, he pleads with Demerzel, trying to escape his fate of turning to dust. It doesn't go to plan and getting nowhere, instead tries to bargain with Day to show up for the robing. Day believes they're ragdolls dressed up at Kings and demonstrates the futility of everything, slicing his hand and showing the nanites healing his skin. That's a no, then. Dusk speaks to Dawn next and is sorry for Day not doing his duty. However, he wants to help do whatever he can to set things right with Dawn. He and Ambassador Quent will be having drinks that night and he wants Dawn to come join them. Dusk promises that he has a gift for him that he's not told anyone about, but right now he needs to wait for the right time to hand it over. With Dawn becoming Day and ascending, Dusk checks out his 'gift'. This is a Novacula, which happens to be a black hole bomb. It has a lot of power and obviously nothing can escape a black hole so it can't be stopped. It's essentially a planet-killer akin to the Death Star in its final form, allowing them to puncture across the universe and hit any planet. This is for Dawn to use, but only when things are dire enough that there is no other choice. On Kalgan, the Mule shows up at the Archduke's palace and finds his daughter, Skirlet, there. With all the soldiers watching on silently, the Mule talks about conversion and his methods of coercion. He offers the girl a gun, who points it at her own head and fires. Thankfully, there's no bullet inside but it's a demonstration to show that he's in control, and the Mule's ominous promise to force the rest of the galaxy to bow to his will, isn't a great sign of things to come. Over at the Alliance of Traders, we catch up with Toran Mallow. He wants nothing to do with any of this, especially his father's part to play in the weapons and gear last episode, but Toran is forced to pay attention with the Mule right on his doorstep. He's not the only one here though, as Captain Pritcher also shows to see Mallow. Pritcher explains that they're docked in a warzone right now and he wants Toran's help. It makes sense, given this would allow cover to Indbur and the rest of the Foundation leadership in the process. As the episode closes out, Dawn excuses himself from the dinner with Quent and Dusk, where they simply talk politics and don't take the Mule's threat seriously. Instead, we winds up on a call with Gaal. The Episode Review So the Mule is upon us and this threat is not going to be easy to contain. His demonstration at the dinner table is evidence enough that this man demands respect and is absolutely unhinged in his desire to get it. The opening scenes with Gaal and Hari Seldon help to flesh out more of the 151 year history, and it's presented well, especially with the Third Crisis upon us and Seldon sacrificing himself for the sake of getting the Plan back on track. There's also the drama involving the Cleons and seeing Dusk harnessing a new Death Star and potentially handing this over to Dawn, could be the start of a brand new power dynamic springing forth in the Galaxy. Visually, the show still looks great and the understated soundtrack adds a lot of atmosphere to this one. Either way, everything is left wide open for what should be a dramatic set of episodes to follow. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!