Gaal Dornick is one of the main characters of the Apple TV+ series Foundation. Gaal is a brilliant mathematical prodigy from the repressed water planet of Synnax. Recruited by Hari Seldon, Gaal becomes an integral part of his plan to preserve civilization. She is portrayed by Lou Llobell, first appearing in the episode "The Emperor's Peace".
Biography[]
Early life[]
Gaal Dornick is the daughter of Bayla and Jarko, two algae farmers living on the planet Synnax. Her true talents lie in mathematics, which was considered heretical on Synnax. As a young woman, she became an acolyte of the Seer Church under Seer Dominie, though was unhappy with her position. After seeing Instructor Arren Sorn executed for breaking into the abandoned university, Gaal recovered the man's illegal materials after he had been drowned, and began to educate herself in mathematics, in which she expressed an extensive talent.[3]
Through her intense studies and impressive mathematical talent, Gaal was able to solve the Abraxas Conjecture using Kalle's Ninth Proof of Folding, even though none across the Galaxy had been able to solve it for five hundred years. The solution led to her winning a contest held by Doctor Hari Seldon. Removing her prayer stones and abandoning her position as an acolyte and the Seer Church, Gaal left Synnax for Trantor where she would be safer than on her homeworld.[3]
A New Foundation[]
On Trantor, Gaal finds out that she will likely be arrested the following day; Hari's science of Psychohistory has predicted the fall of the Galactic Empire and Gaal is the only person who can understand the math to either confirm or debunk his claims. At the trial, after having a chance to study Hari's Prime Radiant, Gaal confirms the prediction. Following the Tribunal, Gaal senses something is wrong on . Moments after, bombers sever the station from the Star Bridge, causing it to crash into the planet leaving hundreds of millions dead. After deliberations from the Emperor, Brother Day, Gaal and Hari are exiled from Trantor to establish the Foundation on Terminus in an effort to safeguard civilization.[1]
Onboard the slow ship Deliverance to Terminus, Gaal assists Hari in preparing the colonists for settling their new home, as well as training alongside the crew. She develops a relationship with Raych Foss, which they hide from Hari since Raych fears that Hari would disapprove of relationships since they were a distraction from the work. Gaal begins to develop into a leader among the colonists, and others look to her for advice and guidance.[4]
After witnessing Raych's apparent murder of Hari, Raych ejected Gaal from the ship in a cryopod.[4] After Gaal's disappearance, it was believed that she was complicit in Hari's murder. After spending thirty-four years in stasis, Gaal reached the Raven and awoke in the year 12,102 Era Imperial.[5] Though she had hardly any permissions to access the ship's information, Gaal was able to access data that showed the Foundation had been established on Terminus for thirty years, and that Raych had been executed on the Deliverance for Hari's murder. She then used her extensive knowledge of mathematics and a spacewalk to determine that the ship was on course to Helicon, though she feared arriving at Hari's homeworld, knowing that the Galaxy believed her to be his murderer.[3]
While en route to Helicon, Gaal finds a digitized Hari Seldon aboard the ship in pain after being stabbed by Raych Foss. Gaal manages to help this Hari stabilise himself and explains to him what happened to Raych, her, and the Foundation. Hari explains to Gaal why Raych killed him, and that his consciousness was in the hilt of the knife that Raych placed with Gaal in the cryopod. Furthermore, Hari questions Gaal as to why she went to his quarters that night and it is there that Gaal has a revelation as to her ability to predict the future.[6] As their journey continues to Helicon, Gaal discusses her ability with Hari; Hari is cautious of how this may affect the Foundation and holds details back from Gaal which frustrates her. Hari does tell her more details of the Plan and his intention to establish a Second Foundation on Helicon. Gaal decides she does not want to be used any more and has to decide her next move. This is to leave the ship, and return to Synnax. Hari does not want to let her go, but she forces his hand by destroying the temperature controls aboard the Raven. She re-enters the cryopod, taking the knife containing Hari's consciousness with her.[7]
Returning Home[]
One hundred and thirty-eight years later, Gaal returns to Synnax. She finds that the water has risen as she predicted it would before she left the planet. Making a boat out of a device, she moves away from the cryopod. Moving towards the village, she finds it mostly submerged in water. While processing what she is seeing, she spots a flashing light beneath the water. Gaal dives in to investigate and finds a starship with a cryopod inside. She frees the person in it and they come to the surface. Placing the individual aboard the boat, Gaal discovers it is Salvor Hardin who had been looking for Gaal and has now found her. Salvor presents Gaal with the Prime Radiant, saying it belongs to her.[2]
In her first interaction with Salvor, Gaal finds out that Salvor is her daughter and pieces together how that could happen. She struggles to accept this and has difficulties bonding with Salvor. That night, Gaal has visions of a dark future and awakens to find Salvor missing. Upon searching for her in the water, Salvor returns, having gone to get food. As they sit in the boat, Gaal lies to Salvor about the reasons for not opening the Prime Radiant, which Salvor calls out due to her own ability to tell when someone is lying. Later, Gaal opens the Radiant and the pair can see the Second Crisis is approaching and that they need to get off-world.[8]
They develop a plan to reach the Beggar's Lament at the bottom of the ocean and reboot its systems. Salvor needs Gaal's help with this and they are successful, though Gaal goes unconscious aboard the ship when she gives Salvor the rest of her air. After Salvor hurriedly helps Gaal recover, the pair go to the bridge to find technical problems are preventing them from taking off. With a hurricane approaching, they need to move and Salvor wants Gaal to free Hari from the Radiant which Gaal is reluctant to do as they parted on bad terms. The decision is taken out of their hands as Hari escapes the Radiant and demands a conversation with Gaal.[8] Gaal and Hari argue, but Salvor interrupts them, saying they need Hari to fix the ship. Hari duly helps Salvor do this and they escape into orbit before a massive wave hits them.[9]
A Second Foundation[]
With the ship safe, Gaal and Hari fill Salvor in on what happened a century ago, how Gaal set the plan off course by walking in on Raych killing Hari and disrupting the creation of a Second Foundation. Gaal reveals to Hari the visions she's been having, of the Mule bringing destruction in the future. These are visions of Gaal’s future self, and Hari wants Gaal to recall these memories again. After an initial failed attempt, Gaal realises she can only have these visions when in distress so she gives Salvor a gas mask and removes the oxygen from the room. Within her vision, she sees a world in turmoil, and the Mule wanting the location of the Second Foundation which Gaal has in her head. In the present, Gaal tells Hari and Salvor what she saw and what planet the Second Foundation is on in her vision - Ignis - and the trio set course for there.[9]
Later, Gaal is worried they’re playing into the Mule’s hands by traveling to Ignis. She then reveals to Salvor another detail in her dream that she had been keeping secret. When attacked by the Mule, Gaal had seen Salvor's dead body lying beside her.[9]
Gaal and Salvor land on what they think is Ignis, only to find out from Hari that it is in fact Oona's World, an uninhabited planet used for mining. The pair berate Hari for this detour, and Gaal especially refuses to go along with Hari to the place he was instructed to go on the planet by the Prime Radiant. Salvor takes this out of Gaal's hands however, by throwing the Radiant - what Hari needs to project himself - into the sand, forcing Gaal to go with him.[10]
The pair make their way to do a doorway in the mountains and Gaal is able to figure out the way in. In the room, Kalle is waiting and Gaal is shocked, thinking she died centuries ago. Hari asks Gaal to wait on the Beggar's Lament and if he is not back in six hours, she should leave. She is locked out of the room. On the way back to the ship, she realises how off Kalle felt and back with Salvor, they discuss her and Hari's relationship. With more than six hours passed, Gaal and Salvor attempt to leave but the Beggar's Lament falls through the thin crust of the planet. They find they are surrounded by autonomous mining machines and they are able to escape, but spot a life form on their scanners. This life form turns out to be Hari Seldon in an corporeal body, and they rescue him just before the mining machines reach him.[10]
Ignis[]
Coming up on Ignis, Gaal asks - along with Salvor - how Hari got into a mortal body for which he says he can't remember, to Gaal's frustration. The Beggar begins its landing approach but is hit with negative ion particles during descent and the ship crashlands. As Salvor investigates a presence she felt, Gaal and Hari run diagnostics on the ship and discuss Gaal's relationship with Raych and how Salvor came to be. After this, the pair detect Gaal approaching with Hugo Crast and Hari gives the Radiant for Gaal to hide, even from him. Gaal is keen to let Salvor and Hugo in, but Hari is unconvinced and after running some tests says to Gaal that it isn't Hugo. Contacts approach the ship and "Hugo" reveals himself to be one of the assailants. The group is overwhelmed and made unconscious.[11]
The trio wake somewhere unknown and Gaal and Salvor start hearing whispers. They follow those, with Hari following, and are taken to the form of a girl surrounding by people. The girl reveals her true form soon after and she is the leader of the mentalics, Tellem Bond.[11]
Gaal, Salvor, and Hari meet with Tellem. Tellem reveals that Gaal's own thoughts have told her about the First Crisis, the Second Crisis, and the Foundation. Tellem doesn't care about the Empire, she just wants to keep her people out of the way so they are not killed. Hari tells her about the rise of the Mule in the future, and Gaal shows her the vision she had. Tellem is shaken, and says that she has to believe that their actions in the present mean something and the future should not be set. She tells Gaal that she has to learn her own power, because what she sees at the moment is filtered through Hari's perspective.[12]
Gaal is visited by Tellem aboard the Beggar's Lament, apologising for the way she treated Hari. During their conversation, Gaal finds that there are times when Tellem appears to shift position without her noticing the movement, just the aftermath. Tellem tells Gaal about their recruitment methods, how they have a few ships and the mental beacon to rescue others. Using water thrown in her face, Tellem manages to convince Gaal's mind that she is back on Synnax. Tellem worries about who will lead her people when she is gone and offers to train Gaal, give her the Second Foundation she wants and the power to save Salvor. But it comes with price: Hari cannot be involved. Gaal and Tellem go to see Hari and Salvor to reveal their arrangement; Hari wants to know what Tellem offered her and points out that Tellem can put anything into her mind. When Tellem refers to an incident on Macoda Mesa in Hari's youth, Hari angrily tells them if they can't trust their own minds, then what else do they have?[12]
Gaal is approached by Salvor; Gaal gives Salvor a present - a piece of fruit - after learning from Tellem that it was her birthday. Gaal is glad that Salvor had Mari and Abbas on Terminus. As they hug, they hear the Beggar taking off; going outside to see, they watch as it flies away with Hari at the controls.[12]
Gaal is counting primes and is interrupted by Salvor approaching. She pushes her back telekinetically. Rushing to see if Salvor is alright, she hears that Salvor feels the situation is not right - she cannot read anyone. Josiah interrupts the pair and takes them to the feast where Tellem apologises for the business with Hari. Later, at another meal, ghost mollusks are poured into boiling water alive. Their screams greatly affect Gaal and Salvor. Tellem says they have to take the rough with the smooth with regards to seeing everything. As they eat, a Mentalic asks Gaal why she keeps thinking of the Mule. She explains to the group who the Mule is and why she fears him, with Tellem noting that Gaal sees the future. Gaal says she wants to use the mentalics to help ensure a better future.[13]
That evening, Gaal interrupts Salvor as she is investigating a boat. Frustrated at Salvor’s suspicion of Tellem, she tells Salvor to trust her and to stop pulling threads.[13]
On the beach, Gaal finds Tellem and wants to know where Salvor is. Tellem reveals that Salvor is tucked away somewhere and that she killed Hari. Tellem reads Gaal though, and knows she knew Hari had been dead ever since it happened. Gaal confirms this, saying she felt the water fill her lungs as Hari drowned. As Gaal realises what is happening, Tellem opens Gaal’s eyes and Gaal realises she is trapped in a hole and not on the beach. There are dishes above her that are cancelling out her psychic pitch. Tellem will keep Gaal trapped down there as long as it takes to breach Gaal’s defenses so she can find out what she is hiding.[14]
Gaal is taken to a table, surrounded by Mentalics, where Tellem will take over her body - the key to her everlasting life. Gaal struggles to try to get away and is unsuccessful as the bonding ceremony begins.[14]
On the table, Gaal is synchronizing with Tellem but the ceremony is interrupted by Salvor who uses the psychic damper discs to disrupt their connection. Gaal initially fights Salvor off but eventually comes round and the pair escape. They find their way to the ‘’Beggar’’ which was never moved. Gaal takes the Radiant and runs for the ship while Salvor covers her. On the ship, Gaal finds Tellem is already on there and the pair fight. Tellem creates an illusion of Gaal’s father to try to get into her head, with Gaal taken back in time. Tellem then transports Gaal to her vision with the Mule and Salvor being killed. Tellem is shocked that the Mule could see her and Gaal forces her to confront him. With both being sucked out of the vision, Gaal is slammed against the wall by Tellem. The fight continues and Salvor comes to help but is injured by Tellem. Hari - who is alive - comes in and finally kills Tellem.[15]
With Salvor uncertain how Hari came back to life, Gaal explains how Hari never died. Gaal felt like she was drowning with Hari, she couldn’t breathe. She reached out and influence the guard by giving him a need, as Tellem had taught her. Gaal controlled Hari’s body and overpowered the guard, drowning him. The best illusions are bound by reality and indeed everybody saw Hari’s body, thanks to Gaal. Gaal and Hari built a bridge of shared sensations and to hide this from the Mentallics, they counted primes together to shield their thoughts. Gaal explains to Salvor how she had to mask what they’d done from everyone, including Salvor, for fear of their plan being exposed.[16]
They are interrupted by the arrival of the Mentalics who want to speak to them. Not willing to come out straight away, they stay in the ship. After the Mentallics explain that they mean no harm and are now free, the trio exit and the Mentalics bow towards them. Later, Gaal, Hari and Salvor are among the Mentalics. After Gaal talks to Hari about Tellem, she stumbles upon Josiah who wants to tell her something but stops. As Gaal wonders off, Josiah points a gun at Gaal as Tellem took over his body once she died. Salvor jumps in front of him as he shoots and takes the shot as she throws a knife into his chest. As Hari watches over him, Gaal tends to Salvor who dies in her arms, noting that indeed the future can be changed. Gaal watches Salvor’s funeral pyre through tears. Looking at the Radiant some time later, she is looking for a sign that the plan has been nudged back on course by Salvor. Hari assures her they won’t know right now.[16]
Later, Gaal and Hari discuss next steps to which Hari says Gaal needs to go into cryosleep for 150 years when the next crisis will take place. He will watch over the Mentalics and teach them what they need to know. Gaal is unsure of this, not wanting to become a Goddess as Salvor feared. She argues for Hari to go into cryosleep with her as she does not want to watch him die and also both can teach the Mentalics twice as fast. Hari agrees and the pair sleep while counting primes.[16]
From the Foundation Books[]
Gaal Dornick was a mathematician from the planet Synnax born in the 13th Millennium GE. Shorted after gaining his doctorate, Gaal is invited to Trantor by Hari Seldon to work on his psychohistory project. However, his arrival is not without incident as he is under surveillance from the Committee of Public Safety. Gaal learns of Hari's predictions, that the Galactic Empire is fated to fall. After Hari's plan is enacted to engineer the exile of the Foundation to Terminus, Gaal carries the crisis tapes to planet and oversaw the construction of the Time Vault.
Behind the Scenes[]
In the original Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, Gaal Dornick was a male. The character's gender was changed to female for the Foundation series.
Gaal does not physically appear in the third episode of Season One, "The Mathematician's Ghost." However, she provides narration throughout the episode.
Appearances[]
- Season One
- "The Emperor's Peace" (First appearance)
- "Preparing to Live"
- "The Mathematician's Ghost"
- "Barbarians at the Gate"
- "Upon Awakening"
- "Death and the Maiden"
- "Mysteries and Martyrs"
- "The Missing Piece"
- "The First Crisis"
- "The Leap"
- Season Two
External Links[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "The Emperor's Peace"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The Leap"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Upon Awakening"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Preparing to Live"
- ↑ "Barbarians at the Gate"
- ↑ "Mysteries and Martyrs"
- ↑ "The Missing Piece"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "In Seldon's Shadow"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "A Glimpse of Darkness"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "King and Commoner"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "The Sighted and the Seen"
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Why the Gods Made Wine"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "A Necessary Death"
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "The Last Empress"
- ↑ "Long Ago, Not Far Away"
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "Creation Myths"