Hober Mallow is a recurring character in the Apple TV+ series, Foundation. He used to be part of the Foundation before leaving Terminus to find his fortune. Hober is portrayed by Dimitri Leonidas, first appearing in the Season Two episode "King and Commoner," although the character had been referred to in Gaal Dornick's narration of the first episode of Season One, "The Emperor's Peace."
Biography[]
Hober Mallow was born on the planet Smyrno, where he was raised by an abusive father.[2] He trained for the Church of the Galactic Spirit but caused a lot of issues for the Church's Revered Fathers. After leaving the church, Hober started selling fake relics while following the priests from planet to planet, including thirty-eight of Hari Seldon's alleged finger bones. This resulted in Hober's trade license being revoked.[1]
When Warden Jaegger Fount attempted to enter the Vault as it prepared to open for the second time, he was levitated and disintegrated. Before he died, he repeated the words "Hober Mallow", ending with "get Hober Mallow!". Hober Mallow's name was then etched into the outer walls of the Vault.[4]
On Korell, posing as Master Trader Ponyets, Hober tries to sell a teleporting "castling device" to the planet’s leader, Kommdor Argo. It is a body swap device that switches places between two people. Hober uses the swap to steal the Eye of Korell but is captured and sentenced to be executed. Brother Constant and Poly Verisof find Hober as he is getting ready to be executed by the Titan’s prick. He is able to escape using the castling device and goes to Constant and Poly’s ship, the Spirit Rising, to steal it. He flies it away as Constant and Poly arrive on the ship and forcefully set a course to Terminus for Hober.[1]
As they arrive on Terminus, Hober and Constant discuss their relationship with the Foundation and their respective upbringings there. When they disembark, Hober is presented to the Director and is whisked away from a meeting to discuss the plan for presenting him to the Vault. Hober goes into the Vault, shortly followed by Constant, Poly and the Director. Time works differently in the Vault however and Hober felt he had been waiting a long time for the rest of the group to join him, when in fact it had just been a few minutes later. The group meet Hari Seldon, where he explains to Hober that only he could handle this specific mission. After sending Constant and Poly to Trantor to sell the Foundation to Empire, Hari keeps Hober behind to explain his separate mission. After leaving the Vault, Hober explains he will not be traveling with Poly and Constant, and is destined to travel elsewhere but he is to take their ship, the Spirit Rising.[2]
Hober Mallow piloted the Spirit Rising to the coordinates that Hari uploaded into the system. As Hober wakes, he finds nothing at the coordinates. Beki is uneasy as the ship seemingly stalls; while Hober is attempting to calm her, a massive ship approaches, dwarfing the Spirit. Hober docks the Spirit Rising with the larger ship. Walking through its corridors, he enters a large chamber where he is surrounded by Spacers. He is confronted by She-Is-Center who asks him who he is, and why he has defiled the Home-Swarm.[5]
Hober tells the She-Is-Center that he was able to find the Spacer swarm as Hari Seldon gave him the coordinates. He was looking for them and presents a vial of synthetic opalesk, an important micro-nutrient to Spacers. The Foundation can produce the substance which the Spacer thinks is impossible, and the supply is tightly controlled by Empire. Hober tries to broker a deal whereby if the Spacers work with the Foundation, they can get the substance they need and they can get back their freedom. He notes that the Empire will no longer need Spacers at some point, citing technology on his trip that means he doesn't need Spacers. The Spacer thinks this is very risky, and that Empire may take twenty percent of their offspring if they hear of this conversation as opposed to the current ten percent. She contacts Empire and the home swarm makes their way to Bel Riose's ship to turn Hober over to them.[6]
Riose, Glawen Curr, and She-Bends-Light board the Home-Swarm to take custody of Hober. Glawen tries to interrogate Hober about the technology involved in the whisper-ship. Hober uses the moment to release Beki, who knocks down Riose and Glawen and allow Hober to escape.[6]
Escaping Imperial custody, Hober makes his way to Trantor, slamming his Whisper ship into a platform where Constant and Poly are about to be executed. This causes chaos on the platform, with the Cleon delegation wounded and the execution interrupted. Hober disembarks and begins shooting soldiers who move towards him as he moves towards Constant. He gets to her but he comes under fire. Becki comes to their aid and while she distracts Imperial forces, Hober and Constant are able to escape, but they have to leave Poly behind and Beki is shot.[7]
Constant still has the Collar of Typhon around her neck and it has partially closed around her, drawing blood. Hober is able to get the collar off Constant, albeit through guessing how to. Later, the pair discuss the Spacers and Hober apologises for Beki being killed and not being able to bring Poly with them. The pair decide they should seize the moment and they have sex. Afterwards, they make a promise to attend each other’s executions. Hober goes to grab the wine he’s been saving for a special occasion. As he does so, Bel Riose arrives in his ship and says to Hober that they will dock, and that he and Constant will be made comfortable about their ship.[7]
Aboard the Destiny, Hober and Constant are visited by Bel Rios, where they wonder why they’re not dead. Hober tells Bel about the casting device that they confiscated and Hober tells them about it, helping them realise the Foundation has some advanced technology. Hober hears Bel give his assessment of how Empire is faring, including that Empire will fall - just not yet. Later, Cleon XVII passes Hober and Constant’s cell and Hober chastises him, prompting Day to get the pair transferred to the bridge. There, Hober continues to needle Day, prompting Day to exclaim that he is retaliating after Hober’s stunt on Trantor. Hober and Constant watch in horror as Terminus is completely destroyed as the Invictus is sent plummeting down to the planet.[8]
With the destruction of Terminus complete, Hober watches Day as he orders Bel to prepare for the fleet to jump. Not to Trantor, but to seven planets the Foundation has a foothold on. He wants to start with Thespis, but throws Siwenna on the list for good measure. As Bel disobeys Day’s order, the Spacer navigator agrees to carry out the order, but notices an anomaly with the jump sequence as ships start jumping into each other. They cannot be stopped, and Hober tells Day that being captured by the Spacers was a ruse - they made a deal with Hari. They baited Day to Terminus with his entire fleet due to how predictable Day is. Day approaches Hober and beats him, but Hober returns the favour as well. Hober is nearly beaten though and is saved by Bel, who tackles Day to the ground and starts beating him. The pair continue to fight as Day insists he wants no help from his guards. As the fight continues, Day thinks he has Riose beaten and in the airlock, but Bel uses the castling device to switch bodies. It is Day who is launched into space.[3]
With the command lockdown preventing their escape, the ship is stranded. Hober, however, is able to find a cleaning module with enough air for one person for a day. He says it is for Constant as she has a way to bringing hope to people. Hober always wanted to shorten the darkness in the galaxy, but couldn’t bear the religious aspects. Constant reluctantly gets in the module and is launched. Later, the fleet continues to be destroyed as Hober and Bel finally share the Locris wine Hober has wanted to try for so long. The pair discuss endings and how there is honor in death. With the wine tasting terrible, the pair laugh as the ship explodes.[3]
One hundred and fifty years in the future, the Mule would know Hober Mallow as the man who pierced the Empire's hide.[4] Gaal Dornick would refer to him as one of the heroes and villains fighting for the salvation of mankind.[9]
Behind the Scenes[]
Hober Mallow was mentioned in the first episode of Foundation, "The Emperor's Peace". He would not appear until the third episode of the second season, "King and Commoner".
Appearances[]
- Season One
- "The Emperor's Peace" (First mentioned)
- Season Two
- "A Glimpse of Darkness" (Mentioned only)
- "King and Commoner" (First appearance)
- "Where the Stars Are Scattered Thinly"
- "Why the Gods Made Wine"
- "A Necessary Death"
- "The Last Empress"
- "Long Ago, Not Far Away"
- "Creation Myths"
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "King and Commoner"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Where the Stars Are Scattered Thinly"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Creation Myths"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "A Glimpse of Darkness"
- ↑ "Why the Gods Made Wine"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "A Necessary Death"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "The Last Empress"
- ↑ "Long Ago, Not Far Away"
- ↑ "The Emperor's Peace"