"Where the Stars Are Scattered Thinly" is the fourth episode of Foundation's second season on Apple TV+. It aired on August 4, 2023. The episode was written by Leigh Dana Jackson and David S. Goyer based on the novels by Isaac Asimov. Mark Tonderai directed the episode.
Synopsis[]
Queen Sareth and Dawn share a moment as she tries to learn more about Day. Brothers Constant and Poly bring Hober Mallow to Terminus.
Plot[]
Poly Verisof, Brother Constant, and Hober Mallow arrive at Terminus aboard the Spirit Rising. As they prepare for planetfall, Constant and Hober get to know one another. Despite Hober's protestations, Constant believes that he is an optimist rather than a pessimist. On the surface, they meet with Director Sef Sermak, Brigadier Manlio and Councilor Sutt. The Vault has been inactive but a watch is being maintained on it. The Director takes the three for them for a private meeting.
On Trantor, in the Imperial Palace, Queen Sareth I and Enjoiner Rue Corintha talk about Empire. Sareth wants to find out if Cleon XVII was behind the accident that killed her family. To that end, she meets with Brother Dawn for a private walk, accompanied by her Handman, Hahn. Dawn learns that Brother Dusk once had a tryst with Rue when she was a concubine in the Gossamer Court, which left her rich and celebrated. Dawn takes Sareth to a secluded grove in the Imperial Gardens. As they talk, Sareth realises that Dawn wants to ask if she was behind the assassination attempt on Brother Day. She denies it, admitting that it is suspicious but also that she is not the kind of person to intentionally throw suspicion on herself. In return, Sareth asks Dawn if Day could have had her family killed. Dawn believes that Day was not behind, but his responses satisfy Sareth that Dawn himself was not involved. Sareth asks Dawn if he would be capable of such an act, since he is essentially the same man as Day. Dawn says he doesn't think he would be, but admits that he could see himself being capable of it as he grew into the role of Brother Day. Sareth and Dawn admit they like each other, and promise to continue being honest with one another. As she leaves, Sareth asks Dawn if he ever thought about marrying Sareth himself, since, as they established, he is the same man as Day.
Rue looks over the Mural of Souls as Dusk arrives. She compliments his work and how his use of the chroma pigments gifted to the Genetic Dynasty has helped to bring the work of the previous five generations into harmony with the rest of the mural. They head to the Gossamer Court, talking about their previous meeting thirty years previously and Dusk admitting he's never talked to someone after Erasure. Their talk turns to the proposed marriage between Sareth and Day, which Rue notes that only she and Day seem to be wholly in favour of. Again discussing their liaison, Rue is sad she has no memories of the event but Dusk reveals they record everything and offers to show her privately.
The Shining Destiny arrives at Siwenna, undetected by the local population. Bel Riose and Glawen Curr initiate a stealth insertion onto the planet to meet with a local informant. However, their extraction packet is compromised by the locals and they go looking for it. Confront the band of armed scavengers, Riose and Glawen attempt to negotiate for its return, but the situation quickly turns violent when Riose strikes their leader. Riose and Glawen win the fight, but one of the scavengers, Jori, escapes. Riose says they have to get to their informant quickly before he returns with reinforcements. In the aftermath, Glawen chastises Riose for his actions, noteing that he struck their leader without even consulting him or thinking about the way they used to work together. Glawen is worried that time in prison has changed Riose, and warns him that by the time he recognises an atrocity has been committed, he might already be party to it.
On Terminus, Hober Mallow is taken to the Vault and is shocked to see his name etched on it. Constant tells him the Vault asked for him, although Director Sermak is unsure of that given what happened to Warden Jaegger Fount. When Hober sees the remains of Fount at the foot of the Vault, he refuses to go in, but is forcibly levitated and taken into the Vault anyway. Constant and Poly follow him, and find themselves in a large, empty space bigger on the inside than the Vault is on the outside. They find Hober, who has been in the Vault for two days by his reckoning, and they realise that time moves differently. Director Sermak joins them in the Vault, having left Councilor Sutt in charge. They all wander the impossibly large space until they hear music. Following the sound, they find a recreation of Hari Seldon's office on Trantor, as well as The Prophet himself. He greets them all in turn and says he needs all of them to help him prevent a war.
Riose and Glawen arrive at the home of Ducem Barr, their informant on Siwenna. After exchanging countersigns, Barr takes them in and serves needle tea. As they wait, Glawen finds Barr's collection of books. Barr fills them in on the visits of the so-called "magicians" and shows recorded footage of them using personal auras and potentially Evolutionary AI and jumpdrive technology that can be used without Spacers. Alarms sound as the local constabulary arrive at Barr's home, demanding the two Imperial officers. Barr shows the two to a secret exit from his home, then requests Riose to kill him to avoid torture at the hands of the locals. Barr had already poisoned himself, but believes a particle beam would be more dignified. Riose does as he asks, and then escapes with Glawen. They trigger the extraction packet and launch into orbit.
Inside the Vault, Poly is surprised to see the Prime Radiant on Dr. Seldon's desk. Seldon explains that the Radiant is a supercomputer existing in a state of superposition, essentially being an object that can exist in two places at once. Seldon explains that he wants Poly and Constant to travel to Trantor to open diplomatic relations with Empire. He wants them to sell Foundation and make them love them as a way to delay the war for as long as possible. Poly, Constant, and Sermak are asked to leave, but Seldon wants to speak with Hober privately. As he leaves, Poly asks about Jaegger Fount's death. At first, Seldon says that for a god to be effective, they have to be intermittently wrathful, but clarifies that he heard Jaegger outside the Vault and worried that he would soon be declaring himself the only person worthy of carrying Seldon's holy message. Hober and Seldon talk, and Seldon reveals his name was given to him by a "passing ghost". Seldon intends a different mission for Hober, one that is potentially counter to the mission he gave Poly and Constant. Hober is not to sell peace, but to be the blade held in the fist behind the back.
In the secluded grove in the Imperial Gardens, Handman Hahn brings an Imperial soldier, Markley, before Sareth I and Rue Corintha. He is reluctant to speak or remove his helmet due to the weekly memory audits he undergoes, but is assured by Sareth that Cloud Dominion has technology that block and fool memory audits and reverse memory erasure. Satisfied, Markley asks what they want, and how much they are willing to pay. Sareth tells him his price will be met but she wants proof of Cleon XVII's involvement in the death of her family, as well as the visual records of the assassination attempt on him.
Hober emerges from the Vault, and Constant says they have been waiting three years for him. Poly clarifies that its actually been three hours and Constant admonishes him for not playing along. Hober tells them that his mission is separate from theirs, and Seldon told him to take their ship, having already downloaded the coordinates into the vessel. As Poly retrieves their belongings from the ship, Constant is sad at their parting, admitting that she is interested and attracted to him. As Hober takes off in the Spirit, they share a lingering look.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Jared Harris as Hari Seldon (Vault)
- Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn (Cleon XVIII)
- Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk (Cleon XVI)
Guest Starring[]
- Ben Daniels as Bel Riose
- Isabella Laughland as Brother Constant
- Dimitri Leonidas as Hober Mallow
- Ella-Rae Smith as Queen Sareth I
- Sandra Yi Senchindiver as Enjoiner Rue Corintha
- Dino Fetscher as Glawen Curr
- Oliver Chris as Director Sef Sermak
- Kulvinder Ghir as Poly Verisof
Co-Starring[]
- Eva Bradley-Williams as Varia
- Judi Shekoni as She-Bends-Light
- Luis Torrecilla as Pater
- Jordan Stephens as Jori
- Wade Briggs as Brigadier Manlio
- Anthony Barclay as Councilor Sutt
- Jesper Christensen as Ducem Barr
- Haqi Ali as Handman Hahn
- Noah Taylor as Hetman
- Afolabi Alli as Claviger Markley
- Susan Aderin as Vrank
- Ephraim Goldin as Air Officer Kress
- Jairaj Varsani as Young Poly Verisof
Appearances[]
| Characters | Creatures | Events |
| Locations | Organizations and titles | Sentient species |
| Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
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Creatures
Events
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Locations
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Organizations and titles
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Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
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Weapons and technology
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Miscellanea
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Behind the scenes[]
- Despite giving some narration as Gaal Dornick in this episode, Lou Llobell is not credited.
- Hober Mallow tries to guess Brother Constant's true name. The list of guesses include: Jormette, Auran, Cavalcade, Borma, Ketrin, Agatish, Calliope, Brucilla, Drucilla, Myrna, Fifi, Desdarrhea, and Wenus.
- The book in Ducem Barr's home that Glawen Curr reads is a version of the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita.[1]