"Long Ago, Not Far Away" is the ninth episode of Foundation's second season on Apple TV+. It aired on September 8, 2023. The episode was written by Jane Espenson & Eric Carrasco based on the novels by Isaac Asimov. Roxann Dawson directed the episode.
Synopsis[]
Dusk and Enjoiner Rue learn Demerzel's origin and true purpose. Tellem's plans for Gaal take a dark turn. On Terminus, Day confront Dr. Seldon.
Plot[]
As a child, Cleon I and his family were the last of the Entun Dynasty. Cleon liked counting faces and wandering around the palace. One day, while doing so, he stumbled upon a face on a mural which he touched. As he did so, it opened a passageway, revealing Demerzel, who had been held prisoner for thousands of years. He kept revisiting her over the years, hearing her stories of the Robot Wars. One day, Demerzel asked him to set her free but he said no - she would be freer than him. He would become Emperor as soon as his mother died, and he would be chained to the throne. He stormed out of the room after she told a story of her past and why she should be set free, and he tells her he will never return – but he eventually comes back regardless. He frees her from her trapped state, but still keeps her imprisoned in the room. He wants to hear more stories from her and she tells more and more explicit ones to encourage him to desire in the hopes that he'll eventually free her completely.
As he grew older, he had not produced an heir to the throne and called off a wedding at the last minute, ending hopes of that heir. He did this because he wanted Demerzel by his side. He had spent years working out how to safely free Demerzel, until he finally figured it out. He brought her a gift from Earth and set her free. He placed a chip in the back of her neck, forcing her to serve Empire as part of her programming. In the short moment between being set free and having this chip placed in the back of her neck, she had the ability to kill Cleon, but she does not. She is, however, furious at being forced to serve Empire, but he tells her it is a fair compromise to give her some freedom. He outlines his plan to her, including how to implement the genetic dynasty. He then asks her if she will love him. After some hesitation, she says she will. Cleon laments the fact that he asked her just after implanting the chip in her neck, rather than before. Soon after, he dies, leaving Demerzel to serve the next Emperor.
In the present day, a Cleon I recording recounts this story to Cleon XVI. Brother Dusk is angry that they have been warming the throne for Demerzel all these years. Dusk says that the experiment is now over because of Cleon XVII and Sareth. Cleon I doesn’t think so however, and disappears, as the prison appears around Dusk and Rue.
On Ignis, Gaal Dornick and Tellem Bond are on the table performing the ritual for Tellem to take over Gaal’s body. Salvor Hardin gets a gun from one of the Mentalics and makes her way to the outskirts of the ritual room. As Gaal and Tellem are synchronising, Salvor uses the psychic damper discs to disrupt the ceremony and incapacitate the Mentallics. She rescues Gaal from the table, but she fights back, still under the bind of Tellem. Salvor slaps her out of it and the pair escape while taking fire.
The Foundation watches on as the Imperial fleet closes on Terminus. They prepare their defenses and order the crew to get to the Invictus. Meanwhile, Hober Mallow and Brother Constant on board Bel Riose’ ship, the Shining Destiny, in a prison cell. The pair are visited by Bel Riose who tells them they’re not dead as they’re not his to kill. Bel asks about the castling device they confiscated from Hober, who tells him about its capabilities. Bel and Glaywen realise the technology the Foundation possess. Bel asks them if they are stupid attacking Empire, given the odds against them. He believes that Empire will fall, but not just yet. Bel is called away as Day is aboard. Glaywen shows Day the recon data, including defenses and a heat map, which highlights a potential church. The Invictus is also in orbit above the planet. Day wants to talk and go down to the planet to accept their surrender against Demerzel’s advice. He will be the Cleon who chose peace.
Landing on the planet, he meets with Director Sef Sermak and returns Poly Verisof as a gift, ready to discuss the terms of the surrender. Instead of going to the Foundation tower as members there wanted, Day decides he wants to go to the Church, to their surprise. He wants the encyclopedia the Foundation promised decades ago but there isn’t one. He wants Poly to convert him and put on a show which he does, but Day knows this is all a trick and in fact the Foundation have been working on technology and weapons. Having seen enough, Day orders Bel Riose to send the Invictus down on to the planet and he stabs the Director. He wants the scientists kept alive, and orders the priests to be killed. Day declares that "This is not a war, but a police action."
Upon receiving orders from Day to take Terminus and the Invictus, Bel scans the ship and agrees with Glaywen to take a boarding party. However, the Invictus becomes operational and a fleet of Whisper-ships approaches. Meanwhile, on his way out of the Church, Day spots the Vault on the horizon and decides he wants to visit it. In orbit, Bel orders fighters to scramble and intercept the Whisper ships.
On Ignis, Gaal and Salvor find their way to the Beggar's Lament which was never moved. Gaal takes the Prime 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. Meanwhile outside, Salvor is fighting with Loron who switches his appearance to Hugo Crast in an effort to get into Salvor’s head.
As Day approaches the Vault, he asks Poly if an act of God will strike him down. Poly says that Hari Seldon has his defences when he needs them and it’s possible he’s not afraid of Day. Therefore, Day removes his defenses and his Aura and Hari appears behind him on the sand. Despite protests from Demerzel that he cannot win, Hari leads Day into the Vault. Inside, they talk about icons and deities and also the attempt on Day’s life. Hari denies involvement and goes on to say he knows how and when the genetic dynasty will end and the fall of Empire. Day said he is changing this which should disrupt Hari’s math. Hari retorts that he has met outliers - Day is not one of them.
Despite its intense firepower, Glaywen is able to disable the Invictus during the battle by targeting its engines. The Foundation retreat and Bel sends word to Demerzel. However, Glaywen’s ship is damaged in the explosion and is sent towards the planet, to the dismay of Bel.
Inside the Vault, Hari reveals the Prime Radiant to Day and Demerzel, in the hope of teaching the latter how to use it. Day refuses, saying humanity’s fate will be decided by humans and that he owns the Radiant anyway. Day says to Hari he will show Terminus mercy if he admits that the math is flawed, but Hari tells Demerzel in return whatever happens today is about survival for all of them. Hari says that Psychohistory is real and to the rage of Day, he orders the Invictus be brought down on the planet.
The fight continues between Salvor and Loron, who continues to switch between his face and Hugo’s. They move into the ship where Salvor is able to trap him inside the airlock. She removes oxygen there and she watches Hugo’s face gasping for air as he tells her he loves her. Salvor is upset and sees Loron die on the floor. She sees Tellem strangling Gaal and she goes to help, but is injured by Tellem. Hari - who is alive - comes in and finally kills the Mentalic.
Back on the Destiny, Day passes Hober and Constant’s cell and Hober chastises him, prompting Day to get the pair transferred to the bridge. En route, Demerzel senses something is wrong and says to Day that she needs to go to Trantor to attend to matters there. Day says this is their moment, but Demerzel retorts that it is his. She says that she is sorry she was not there for him in his formative years and the intimate relationship was intended to give her the influence over him that she needed. Day refutes these claims and says he is the Day that saw that change is needed in order to preserve Empire. Demerzel finally says to him that it is already too late for him, he should do what he will do. She prepares to leave for Trantor.
On the bridge, Hober continues to needle Day, prompting Day to exclaim that he is retaliating after Hober’s stunt on Trantor. He orders Bel to send the Invictus crashing down on Terminus but as Bel goes to action it, he receives word from Glaywen who survived the crash. Despite protests from Day, Bel tells Glaywen the situation in private. He orders Bel to carry out the order as he can still do good from the inside of Empire. After exchanging last words, Bel orders concussion missiles be fired at the Invictus. As the ship crashes down, the Director apologises for not being able to avert these events, Poly is finally able to plant his flag near the Vault, and Glaywen looks up as the ship comes crashing down.
Day watches in awe as Terminus City and a third of the planet is completely destroyed in a cataclysmic event.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Jared Harris as Hari Seldon (Raven/Vault)
- Lee Pace as Brother Day (Cleon XVII) and Cleon I
- Lou Llobell as Gaal Dornick
- Leah Harvey as Salvor Hardin
- Laura Birn as Demerzel
- Cassian Bilton as Cleon I
- Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk (Cleon XVI) and Cleon I
Guest Starring[]
- Ben Daniels as Bel Riose
- Isabella Laughland as Brother Constant
- Dimitri Leonidas as Hober Mallow
- Daniel MacPherson as Hugo Crast
- Sandra Yi Sencindiver as Enjoiner Rue Corintha
- Rachel House as Tellem Bond
- Dino Fetscher as Glawen Curr
- Oliver Chris as Sef Sermak
- Kulvinder Ghir as Poly Verisof
Co-Starring[]
- Cobhan O'Brien as Young Cleon
- Chris Jarman as Jarko
- Eva Bradley Williams as Varia
- Judi Shekoni as She-Bends-Light
- Luis Torrecilla as Pater
- Wade Briggs as Brigadier Manlio
- Anthony Barclay as Councilor Sutt
- Mikael Persbrandt as The Mule
- Orla O'Rourke as Empress Winnoset 2
- Brendan Sheehan as Emperor Stanel the 6th
- Ephraim Goldin as Air Officer Kress
- Michael Akinsulire as Loron
- Kit Rakusen as Josiah
- Mahmoud Aldachan as Ferzan
- Francis Terry as Sailor (Shining Destiny)
- Sandra Guldberg Kampp as Thalis
- Alussa Dillard as Ship's Look Out (Shining Destiny)
- Sinead Phelps as Pellis 3 Pilot
- David Bowles as Pellis 6 Pilot
- Rachel Lascar as Brother Ardent
- Doireann May White as Ensign
Appearances[]
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