Foundation episode 3 recap: the past always comes back to haunt you

Date:
Fri, 01 Oct 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Description:
Foundation episode 3 starts to dig deeper into the shows story but suffers from the same issues as the series opener.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Major spoilers follow for Foundations first three episodes. Watch them first before reading on.

As Apple TV Plus supposedly next big hit, Foundation is taking its time to
hit its stride. Ordinarily, a great TV series wouldve hooked viewers by now and already be delivering compelling drama, humor, suspense or action each week. About this episode

- Episode 3 (of 10), 'The Mathematician's Ghost'

- Written by Olivia Purnell

- Directed by Alex Graves



But Foundation isnt done with its character and story set-ups something that its third entry, The Mathematicians Ghost, is guilty of. Theres a decent amount of progress in its Trantor-centric plot, but episode 3s Terminus storyline feels like a backwards step as it introduces us to more cast
members and settings that, while admittedly key to Foundations plot, slow its pacing down once more.

Unlike its predecessors, Foundation episode 3 takes a different approach to its branching narratives. Rather than jumping back and forth between each storyline, The Mathematicians Ghosts first half is entirely devoted to its Trantor-based plot. Terminus story thread, meanwhile, is reserved for later. Check out our spoiler-filled review of Foundation's premiere Or read our Foundation episode 2 review instead How to watch Apple TV Plus' Foundation online

Its a strategy that works well. Yes, Trantors story includes the shows now customary time jumps 400 years into the past, then 19 years after the Star Bridge bombing and, finally, another 17 years into the future. Given that Foundations story spans an entire millennia, this cycling through time is ultimately necessary.

With episode 3 devoting its first half to Trantor, too, its time hopping isnt as confusing as Foundations two previous entries: its singular storyline, unfolding in the same location, being much easier to follow. This approach also gives Foundation time to provide a clearer insight into how each of
Cleon Is clones are created, carry out their royal duties and undergo their ascension when theyre no longer fit for purpose.

And that helps Trantors main players to ingratiate themselves to us. Whats notable about Cleons clones, and their humanoid advisor Eto Demerzel, is that theyre more available from an emotional perspective than their human counterparts. You can sense the regret and dread in each clone ahead of their ascension: a pleasant name for the process where each one is incinerated at the end of their lifespan.

Seeing Brother Dusk now known briefly as Brother Darkness being terminated in mere seconds makes for harrowing viewing. Its a somewhat anticlimactic way for someones life to end, but it provides viewers with an insight into the callous and self-righteous nature of Cleon Is original clone plan. It gives
no regard to the thoughts and feelings of his clones, regardless of whether theyre considered to be truly alive or not. Its the first time where Foundation poses an ethical question to its audience and, by doing so sensitively, it challenges us to ponder whether Cleon Is plan is amoral or not. (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

The same is true of Demerzel. As a humanoid whos outlived Cleon I and every one of his clones, we witness the impact that each ones death has had on her. Its a sad and lonely existence for Demerzel, particularly after we learned that shes the last of her kind in episode 2.

Again, were able to relate with a non-human emotionally compare that to the disconnect we feel with Cleon I, or other humans weve seen in the show, and theres a stark contrast between characters we resonate with and those we
dont. Its akin to TV shows like Westworld or Humans where, as an audience, we care more for humanoids than the series real people.

If theres one aspect of episode 3s Trantor storyline thats slightly
confusing, its how it uses Lee Pace and Terrence Mann to briefly embody younger versions of their emperors.

Pace and Mann end up portraying Brother Dawn and Brother Day they played Day and Dusk respectively in Foundations first two episodes during Darkness ascension. Initially, its difficult to adapt to the pairs altered roles but, thankfully, its only for one scene before they revert back to Day and Dusk respectively. And, while its disorienting, it is pleasing that Foundation
uses the same actors to inhabit these roles. It maintains continuity between the three emperors appearances as they age and forgo the use of prosthetics
or other makeup. (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

While Trantors story is straightforward, the same cant be said for Terminus. Its plot picks up with Seldons followers eventually landing on their new
home, but it begins to rush through events with very little time for viewers to immerse themselves in these new surroundings.

Were quickly reintroduced to the Vault, watch a CGI timelapse of Terminus
City being built, and spend a very brief moment meeting a young Salvor
Hardin. Its all a bit breathless, even more so when the show fast forwards to present day where an adult Salvor (Leah Harvey) is now Warden of Terminus.

The pacing of episode 3s second half feels more imbalanced when, after we
meet adult Salvor, it slows right down. More characters are introduced, such as Daniel MacPhersons Hugo, while various plot exposition hampers the
episodes flow.

Its an issue that grates even more when The Mathematicians Ghost actually starts to go somewhere.

We get all-too-brief conversations between Salvor and her parents Abbas (Clarke Peters) and Mari (Sasha Behar), which offer a tiny but fun insight into their family dynamic. Meanwhile, a meeting between Terminus main
leaders, after Anacreon warships are spotted orbiting Terminus, and a
sequence where Salvor chases an unknown child into a wrecked spaceship, provide some much needed tension and horror to proceedings.

But its just not enough to satisfy viewers demands for greater character development or better plot pacing. Episode 3s ending, which sees Salvor ambushed by an Anacreon landing party, could kickstart the Terminus story arc into life. But, with Salvors fate unknown until episode 4 the credits roll immediately after shes surrounded we have to wait another week for
Foundation to simply get going. Our verdict (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

The Mathematicians Ghost is a disjointed Foundation entry that continues to wrestle with pacing and plot issues. The change in narrative approach certainly helped its Trantor-centric storyline, but its Terminus plot arc appears to suffer as a result. So itll be interesting if subsequent episodes stick to this new formula or return to the location-swapping blueprint that was used in episodes 1 and 2.

If Foundation wants to break away from its continual pacing problems, though, it might need to do away with its location hopping and multiple time jumps. Yes, the shows world building has been necessary, but its been to the detriment of in-depth character development, action sequences, shocking
twists and interesting subplots.

Unless theres a real need to establish any new major characters or locations, Apples live-action adaptation needs to start focusing on those latter points. Otherwise, it may struggle to maintain viewers interest before season 1 reaches its midway point. Foundational facts (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)
The Mathematician's Ghost is the first time that three of Foundation's most prominent characters Hari Seldon (Jared Harris), Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) and Raych Seldon (Alfred Enoch) don't appear in the TV adaptation. Llobell does feature in some capacity, though. As season 1's narrator, Loubell's
voice can be heard at various intervals during episode 3. This is a call back to Dornick's role in the Foundation book series, too, where Dornick ends up being Seldon's biographer. Daniel MacPherson's Hugo is another wholly
original character for Foundation's TV show. There is no similar character in any of Isaac Asimov's novels. Much like Gaal and Raych's relationship (in episode 2) is a new inclusion in the TV adaptation, so too his Salvor and Hugo's. There's a distinct lack of romance in Asimov's book series early on, so this is the TV series' way of rectifying this. The hovercraft speeder that Salvor Hardin uses to move around Terminus is eerily similar (in design, at least) to the X-34 landspeeder that Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi use in Star Wars: A New Hope. As Foundation was a major inspiration for the Star
Wars franchise, this is a nice nod to George Lucas' movie series. Foundation is the first major acting role for Cassian Bilton, who briefly portrays a teenage version of Brother Dawn in episode 3. Until the Apple TV Plus show, Bilton had only appeared in short films including Seclusion and Shoal. 2021
is certainly setting itself up to be a great year for writer Olivia Purnell. The TV scribe, who penned the script for The Mathematician's Ghost, also
wrote the screenplay for seven episodes of Y: The Last Man's TV adaptation. Expect Purnell, who cut her teeth on the American Gods TV series, to be involved in other big productions in years to come. While Purnell is a relative newcomer to the sci-fi scene, the same can't be said for episode 3's director Alex Graves. The West Wing director has helmed entries in numerous sci-fi productions including Altered Carbon, Fringe, Lost in Space and Journeyman. So The Mathematician's Ghost was in good hands!

New episodes of Foundation debut exclusively on Apple TV Plus every Friday. Here's how much it costs to buy an Apple TV Plus subscription



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