Summary
“In Seldon’s Shadow” showcases more stunning special effects work and unbeatable world-building. As always, the series is hindered by its complex mythology, but once you get into the show’s rhythm, there is plenty to enjoy.
We recap the Apple TV+ series Foundation Season 2 Episode 1, “In Seldon’s Shadow,” which contains spoilers.
Apple TV+’s sci-fi epic Foundation is back for what looks to be an action-packed second season. In the opening episode, “In Seldon’s Shadow,” we are reunited with the cast from the first season, but over a century in time has elapsed since we saw them last.
Foundation Season 2 Episode 1 Recap
We are reintroduced to Gaal Dornick, Seldon’s protege, who has returned to her home world of Synnax after 138 years of cryosleep. Here she finds her daughter Salvor Hardin, another cast member who has survived the show’s gigantic leap forward in time thanks to her undisturbed slumber.
The mother and daughter discuss their journeys here and their otherworldly gifts. Gaal dreams of the future, and Salvor of the past. They wonder how different the world has become in their century-long absence.
Salvor returns the Prime Radiant device to Gaal, which they presume contains Hari Seldon within it.
This device contained all of Seldon’s calculations about the fall of the Galactic Empire. Gaal illustrates how there is a new crisis on the horizon, which will throw mankind off its current trajectory and, of course, lead toward mankind’s doom.
While they get better acquainted, a deadly hurricane heads their way. The duo needs to escape before this storm takes them out. They swim down to Salvor’s sunken ship and manage to reboot it, although they nearly drown in the process.
Where is Hari Seldon?
Elsewhere, mad mathematician Hari Seldon finds himself trapped inside a complex puzzle of his own making. He is visited by visions, one of which takes the form of Yanna Seldon, his life partner, and one of Kalle, a mathematician. Hari soon realizes that he is actually inside the Prime Radiant, which is currently in Gaal’s possession.
These visions are the Radiant itself communicating with Hari. The device has become self-aware over time.
READ: Will there be a Foundation Season 3?
It urges Hari to escape from his prison, and then the device promises to explain more of his mission at a later date. Hari asks what the device’s goal is. The Radiant says that it has a vested interest in humanity’s destiny.
Meanwhile, Warden Jaegger Fount (Holt McCallany) is woken by a siren on Terminus. A beam of light is shooting out of the mysterious artifact known as The Vault. Crowds gather as the null field subsides.
Is Hari Seldon about to be resurrected once again?
Which version is the latest Brother Day?
In the other subplot, viewers are reintroduced to Brother Day, who is now referred to as Empire. This reiteration of the original emperor is Cleon XVII. We find Brother Day sleeping with the android Demerzel. Day is subsequently attacked and uses Demerzel as a shield.
Poor Demerzel loses half her head in this attack. Brother Day fights back in the nude, taking on these foreign intruders. He manages to kill a few, but Demerzel is the one who saves his life in the end.
Brother Day is then fixed up after the attack but grows paranoid that no one, not even his own colleagues, can be trusted.
An investigation into the attack reveals that it was the work of the Blind Angels. But Brother Day wants all his staff interrogated anyway because he believes it was an inside job still. He doesn’t even trust Brother Dawn or Brother Dusk, his fellow clones.
Who is Brother Day’s bride-to-be?
Fearing his own mortality and the impurity of his lineage, Brother Day wishes to have a son and begins the complex process of marriage. The lucky bride-to-be, Queen Sareth, then meets with the Emperor. She is the new Queen of Cloud Dominion. Sareth is instantly antagonistic towards Brother Day, challenging his ideals. The Brothers are weary of her. This Queen is not to be trusted.
Demerzel interrupts this awkward introduction; she has news. They have found the corpse of Commander Dorwin. He has been floating in outer space for over a century now. He was believed to have died after a solar flare, but there was no official inquiry into his death.
Foundation Season 2 Episode 1 Ending Explained
Further research unveils a video linked to the corpse. Dorwin explains how the Anacreons have taken him hostage. He found a jump ship called the Invictus, which is where he was then killed by the Anacreons.
Demerzel has heard rumors that there is an alliance in the Outer Reach, and Hari Seldon is back. Brother Day is ready to prepare for another war.
The season premiere ends with Hari escaping the Prime Radiant. He pops up in front of Gaal and Salvor, who are contemplating their next move. A biblical storm is heading their way, but their ship won’t start. On top of this monumental dilemma, they now have an angry Hari Seldon to deal with too.
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