Foundation Season 3 Episode 4, damn its one of those episodes that really makes you think about where this series is heading and I dont understand from where people might say they are bored with this series only after 3 Seasons, yes I can understand how they can feel both Gaal and the Empire plans feel over extended but with The Mule as the new factor in the equation things seem to be more interesting and exciting, the way this season focus more on Demerzel character was something else and honestly I'm still processing how a robot breaks character when it cant break the three laws and go against its program. Episode four titled "Distress of Her Regard" really puts all the cards on the table when it comes to what Demerzels been doing behind the scenes, she finally admits she was the one responsible for the Starbridge bombing that killed all those people way back in season one and the way she talks about it is so cold its almost scary. The revelation that she orchestrated this massive terrorist attack to protect Harry Seldon and let the Foundation grow is wild but also makes perfect sense when you think about her programming, shes been playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers and now we finally see how deep her manipulation goes.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804484/
- Platform: AppleTV+
What really got me was how she explains her reasoning to Zephyr in that garden scene, the way she justifies killing millions of people because she believed it would help the Empire survive longer term is both logical and both sad and negative towards the Empire because she still believe the dynasty is going to disappear she is just trying to extend it as much as she can. She basically admits that without the Foundation succeeding the Empire would have just executed Harry and fallen apart much quicker, so she sacrificed all those lives on the Starbridge to create the exact scenario that would keep both sides alive and fighting for centuries. The fact that she can talk about this massive loss of life like its just another tactical decision really shows how different she is from humans, even when she clearly struggles with some kind of emotional conflict about her actions. Zephyr tries to get her to see that maybe she could have a different purpose once the Empire falls but Demerzel literally cant think that way, her programming wont let her imagine a world where she doesnt serve the Cleons and its both tragic and frustrating to watch.
Brother Day finally making his move to escape and go after Song was something I saw coming but the execution was better than I expected, watching him kill Mavon after realizing he was being betrayed was brutal and showed us this version of Day is way more ruthless and calculative than previous ones, how he made reference he lost all those times playing cards with the guards and Mavon almost like he was trying to learn them so when the day comes he knew not who to trust but who would betray him the less basically, I think that was clever writing from the series and instead of making it predictable gives it more context to what could have always been Brother Day plan to one day escape, it shows Day has been paying attention and learning even when he seemed like he was just partying and causing trouble. The whole sequence where he steals one of Demerzels tools while she was doing maintenance on herself was intense but dumb too, how she let that slide? was it because she trust him? this is the part where the "robot" character keeps falling appart and feels like human errors, seeing her with her head detached was both cool and creepy as hell and it really brings in that she is a machine even when she acts "human ish" most of the time. Day spitting on the floor after talking to Cleon the firsts memory was such the disrespectful and balls to the wall move almost like not even a Cleon itself cant stand been a Cleon after properly analizing all the wront they have done through centuries, it shows how disgusted he is with the legacy of violence and oppression that defines his dynasty.
The political stuff with Quent and Dusk discovering each other had romantic feelings was unexpected but worked really well, I always saw them together but also shows that most Cleon cant have no love for a partner, the Empire is always above everything even live or humanity, their chemistry has been building for a while but seeing it finally come out in the open while they are looking at the Prime Radiant together was a romantic moment and Dusk showing off how to use the Radiant felt just right when a man is trying to pick up a woman based on showing of some skill. The way Dusk shows her this device that can predict the future and they both get so caught up in the moment they forget about the chaos around them its supposed to show every Clean still has a human side, even these powerful people just want connection and love when everything around them is falling apart, Dusk has not even made peace with one day turning into dust . Meanwhile Gaal and Han relationship keeps getting more complicated as she struggles between her mission to stop the mule and her feelings for him, the way he wants to just run away and get married while she knows she has to save the galaxy creates this tension that pulls them apart, after hundreds of years of planing and going into cryo she was dead set on the goal and target and not Han or any other lover would change it. The mule learning about Gaal through Hans mind is going to create even more problems and I love how the series keeps building up for that moment, that vision might start to feel force if they dont get to it or at least give it a rest and not make it the center of attention too much.
Dawn deciding to leave with Gaal at the end was the right move even though it means abandoning his chance to become Day, the way she used her mental powers to hide them from the guards and make them forget what they were looking for had Dawn amazed and terrify since he realize just how powerful she really is and at the same time that he can be another pawn on her play when he ask if she can read peoples mind and if she have been doing it with him, the answer was obvious and he still decided to go with it. The fact that all three Cleon brothers are now going in completely different directions felt right as the Empire is starting to split and probably spells the end of the dynasty as we know it, Dusk is falling in love, Day is on a revenge mission and Dawn is joining the rebellion that wants to destroy everything the Empire represents but he kinda share Demerzel vision to keep the Empire going he must do certain things that really fall into a gray area. This episode really feels like a turning point for the entire series, all the pieces that have been moving around for three seasons are finally starting to come together and feel inevitable but also surprising, like everything has been perfetcly calculated for years by Gaal's work. I have to admit the series can feel slow sometimes and I understand why some people think its getting stretched out too much, but episodes like this shows me how even with Season 3 been my only season I keep watching because when Foundation has so much quality in its storytelling, political drama, suspense and also is not bloaded with human emotional side because of how the sci fi aspects rips it apart, I dont know, its just my personal way to describe it, it really hits hard and makes all the political and character development worth it.
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