Foundation: A Glimpse of Darkness Books Included

July 21, 2023 7:57 PM - Season 2, Episode 2

Gaal has a disturbing vision. Day's bond with Queen Sareth grows stronger. The Vault opens and reveals a cryptic message.
posted by Kyol (8 comments total)

Well, that's moving things right on up - I was sort of worried we'd plod our way along through the whole Mayors and Traders and Merchant Princes stories. I mean, we got bits and pieces of accelerated versions of those last season anyway, I think, but _bang_ hello Mule, hello Hober Mallow, hello Bel Riose. On the other other hand wasn't this proposed as an 8 season epic? If we're getting hints of those characters now in the second season, does that mean they're planning on doing Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth? Or maybe someone did enough plotting and realized they can only stretch it out for like 4 seasons, tops, without getting too repetitive.

Still, I think the Empire intrigue is still sort of the more interesting side of things? That might just be Lee Pace. And I'm still sort of annoyed with the "one person can change the events of the future, and it's you, Gaal Dornick!" part of the story despite psychohistory being all about the grand movements of humanity.

I couldn't say I actually ever read Foundation and Empire and yet a lot of the plot outline is familiar. Maybe The General and The Mule were anthologized with the four original stories of Foundation at some point?
posted by Kyol at 8:16 PM on July 21, 2023

I think Goyer mentioned either in the podcast or interview that The Mule scene was originally in the final episode of the season. They moved it up so that sense of dread was hanging over Gal for most of the season.
posted by nathan_teske at 7:15 AM on July 22, 2023

Did I miss the explanation of how Poly Verisof is 148 and looks 60?
posted by staggernation at 6:42 PM on July 22, 2023

Goyer features on the latest Corridor Crew artists react, with some spoilery shots for the rest of the season.

I'm surprised how different this Brother Day is to the last season. Just a change of hairstyle and a cheeky grin, and he's an entirely distinct clone. Lee Pace is fantastic casting.
posted by WhackyparseThis at 7:38 PM on July 22, 2023 [2 favorites]

Did I miss the explanation of how Poly Verisof is 148 and looks 60?

The podcast mentioned it but just in a "it's the future and people live longer" sort of way.
posted by Gary at 10:58 PM on July 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

That occurred to me, but I wasn’t sure how to square it with the certainty that everyone Salvor knew on Terminus ought to be dead. (Also, the Outer Reach lifestyle doesn’t seem especially conducive to extreme longevity.)

For that matter, is this reflected in the timing of Cleon generations? Maybe so, but I don’t care enough to go back and calculate…
posted by staggernation at 4:35 AM on July 23, 2023

The Cleons deliberately choose *not* to maximize their lifespans. In the previous season, we saw that they opt for euthanasia while still in a sort of vigorous late middle age.
posted by Mr. Excellent at 4:04 PM on July 23, 2023

Did I miss the explanation of how Poly Verisof is 148 and looks 60?

Pickling.
posted by fairmettle at 1:14 AM on October 25, 2023