Uncovering the Epic Saga: Foundation Season 1 Revealed - Essential Guide Before Season 2

Apple TV+'s Foundation season 2 will build upon the significant characters and locations introduced in season 1. While adapting Isaac Asimov's Foundation book series for television presented challenges, season 1 achieved success. Although there are notable differences between the show and the novels, including characters and the timeline, the foundation for season 1 was established by incorporating key elements from the first two Foundation short stories and the prequels.

Spanning ten episodes and covering hundreds of years, Foundation season 1 primarily followed Gaal Dornick's perspective, with the character playing a larger role than in the original book. The season delved into the true purpose of the Foundation created by Hari Seldon and the crisis faced by Emperor Cleon, setting the stage for the story to continue in season 2.

Hari Seldon Predicted The Fall Of The Galactic Empire

Raych Killed Hari Seldon In Foundation Season 1

Apple TV+'s Foundation, despite its divergence from the Foundation novels, retains the original book's core premise. Mathematician Hari Seldon, renowned for his groundbreaking science called Psychohistory, predicts the eventual downfall of the Galactic Empire within a span of 300 years. Subsequently, this collapse would trigger a prolonged era of chaos and lawlessness spanning across the entire galaxy for 30,000 years. Seldon maintains that while averting the Empire's fall is futile, the duration of darkness can be significantly shortened to a mere 1,000 years if an Encyclopedia Galactica is created. Seldon's Foundation seeks to curate and safeguard knowledge in anticipation of the impending dark age.

In the Foundation show, Seldon was originally meant to be an integral member of the Encyclopedists team responsible for establishing the Foundation on the distant planet of Terminus. However, in the Foundation book, Seldon's demise occurred prior to the Foundation's inception on Terminus due to natural causes. During the first season of Foundation, viewers witnessed the untimely death of Seldon at the hands of Raych Foss (Alfred Enoch), his adoptive son and the partner of Gaal. Consequently, Seldon never physically set foot on Terminus for the establishment of the Foundation, mirroring the events described in the novel. The motive behind Raych's act of killing Hari Seldon would be unveiled in the concluding episodes of Foundation season 1.

Gaal Dornick Was In Cryosleep For 30 Years (& Then Some)

Gaal Dornick was not supposed to witness Raych's act of killing Seldon. Hari Seldon, already facing a terminal illness, had orchestrated his own death. He believed that becoming a martyr would ultimately benefit his plan for the Foundation, as later events would prove. However, Seldon did not anticipate Gaal stumbling upon Raych's action. Originally, the plan was for Raych to escape the scene after assassinating Seldon, as remaining would have resulted in his own execution. Yet, with Gaal's involvement, only one of them could flee. Raych made the decision to place Gaal in the escape pod, which happened to be a cryosleep device, and sent her away.

Consequently, the decision of the Encyclopedists was to immediately sentence Raych to death. This meant that they would now need to construct the Encyclopedia Galactica without the guidance of Hari Seldon. The fate of Gaal Dornick in the first season of Foundation following Seldon's demise remained a mystery, until it was eventually revealed that she had been asleep for a span of 30 years. By the time Gaal awakened, the Foundation had already established itself on Terminus; Salvor Hardin, portrayed by Leah Harvey, had grown into adulthood, and the initial Seldon Crisis was unfolding. Gaal's prolonged period of cryosleep for 30 years deviated significantly from the book, allowing the show to continue exploring the character portrayed by Lou Llobel. Eventually, Gaal would undergo another period of cryosleep lasting over 100 years prior to the finale.

Salvor Hardin Is The Daughter Of Gaal And Raych

Salvor Hardin in the Foundation show has a distinct difference from the Salvor Hardin depicted in the first Foundation book, as there is a connection between her and Gaal Dornick. To be more specific, Salvor Hardin is actually the biological daughter of Gaal Dornick and Raych Foss. Initially, Gaal and Raych intended to raise a child once they arrived on Terminus, and one of their frozen fertilized eggs was kept on the colonization ship. However, Mari Hardin ended up carrying and giving birth to Salvor instead. Mari never revealed Salvor's true parentage until Salvor discovered the truth on her own.

This explains why Salvor Hardin had numerous visions involving Gaal and Raych. Furthermore, Salvor possesses the ability to witness events that Gaal and Raych originally experienced in the first season of Foundation. In the show, Gaal Dornick has the power to glimpse into the future, which is depicted as a variation of the mentalics' abilities described in the books. Salvor Hardin, on the other hand, has inherited a similar ability, though her visions have been limited to the past thus far. Although Salvor Hardin is a significant character in two of the five Foundation short stories, her role in the show's narrative appears to be even more significant. Interestingly enough, Seldon's calculations did not account for Salvor Hardin, as his plan involved separating Raych from Gaal.

Hari Seldon’s Consciousness Was In The Vault (& Somewhere Else)

In season 1 of Foundation, the show introduced a mysterious structure called "the Vault," which had an almost alien-like appearance. Unlike the original book, where the Vault was known to contain a pre-recorded message from Hari Seldon, the true nature of the Vault was only revealed years later in the show. In the final episodes of the season, a holographic projection of Hari Seldon emerged from the Vault, carrying a message for the people in Terminus.

However, unlike the recorded message in the book, this projection of Hari Seldon was actually Seldon himself, in a sense. Seldon had uploaded his consciousness into the device that would become the Vault. As a result, he could interact with and respond to those in front of the Vault, which was a significant departure from the Foundation book. Interestingly, Seldon's consciousness also existed elsewhere. It had been copied and uploaded into the ship at the moment of his death, allowing Gaal to interact with Hari even 30 years after his demise. Simultaneously, another projection of Hari was present in Terminus.

Hari Seldon’s True Foundation Plan Was Revealed

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Although Hari Seldon's address to the Foundation in Terminus differed from his original intentions, this crucial moment was not documented in the book. One of the major twists in the Foundation series is the revelation that Hari Seldon had concealed the true purpose of the Foundation. It was not merely meant to be an Encyclopedia Galactica, but rather an institution to select and guide individuals who would build a new government capable of outlasting the Empire. While Seldon did not explicitly disclose his intention to replace the Empire, he did foresee the tension that would arise among Terminus, Anacreon, and Thespis. This tension centered around the Invictus, an ancient imperial battle station capable of shifting power dynamics in the region. This played a significant role in Seldon's plan to create a new form of governance through the Foundation. These three distant "kingdoms" possessed the knowledge and resources needed to establish an independent source of galactic power without being under the Emperor's control. Essentially, Seldon always anticipated the Emperor exiling the Encyclopedists as part of his strategy.

Cleon’s Genetic Material Was Sabotaged

The Empire in Foundation season 2 will face more than just the birth of a new galactic power led by the Foundation. Cleon XIV, unlike other clones of the Emperor, had his genetic code tampered with by a rebel group. Azura managed to deceive Brother Dawn, leading to Cleon XIV's demise at the hands of Demerzel. Although Brother Day was willing to spare the flawed clone, it was too late. Interestingly, the season 1 finale of Foundation revealed that Cleon XIV was not the only defective clone.

Around the time Hari Seldon proposed the creation of the Foundation, rebels had already modified the genetic material of the original Emperor Cleon. Consequently, every Cleon seen on the show is essentially an imperfect replica of the original. This sabotage storyline revolutionizes the entire reign of the Cleons, as Foundation's Galactic Empire was built upon the Genetic Dynasty. There is a prevailing theory that suggests Hari Seldon, who always opposed the concept of the Genetic Dynasty, may have orchestrated this act of sabotage.

The First Seldon Crisis Was Resolved In Foundation Season 1

In the Foundation novel, the initial Seldon Crisis pertains to the manner in which the Encyclopedists of the first Foundation addressed the imminent danger posed by the four neighboring barbarian kingdoms near Terminus. Despite certain differences between the portrayal in the Foundation TV show and the book, the central idea of the Foundation being threatened by external forces remained intact. Just like in the book, Anacreon made an attempt to establish a military base on Terminus. However, the storyline involving the Invictus battle station closely resembled events from the second Seldon Crisis in the Foundation novel.

The first season of Foundation concludes with the resolution of the initial Seldon Crisis, largely attributed to the intervention of the Hari Seldon AI from the Vault. Seldon proposed an alliance between the Foundation, Thespis, and Anacreon. In exchange for maintaining peace, the Foundation would offer technological advancements to these peripheral kingdoms. Anacreon and Thespis agreed to a truce, resulting in Terminus being spared from invasion and the resolution of the first Seldon Crisis. The finale of the first season of Foundation marks a time jump of 138 years following the resolution of the initial Crisis. The consequences arising from the true purpose of the Foundation will pave the way for the second Seldon Crisis, which is expected to be covered in the second season of Foundation.