Watching Foundation: “Death and the Maiden”

Finishing up the Season 1 rewatch. Look for episode 7 in about 12 hours.

Watching Foundation – S1E06

Spoiler Alert! Joseph’s random thoughts about Season 1 Episode 6, Simultaneously published at StarsendPodcast.com.

Spacers. Weird. They look like Gollum.

“I barely consider them human,” says 13.

“The human mind can’t tolerate the discontinuity” of space folding.

Maiden, mother, and crone. There’s an interesting parallel between the Cleons and the Goddesses of Lumenism. The central themes of Luminism: are cycles, Ouroboros, and nature seeking completion.

The Luminists believe that the goddesses were once a single entity. That’s very Catholic. As is the fact that they are a trinity.

Demerzel is a Luminist, which seems odd. She bypasses the “How is it that you believe” by answering why. How is the more interesting question.

“The search for meaning is not always about the answer.”

“At every point in our lives, we have the power to choose our own path.” A Three-Laws robot does not always have the power to choose.

The goddesses guide us towards service and truth “as though towards the center of a great spiral.”

So spiritual geometry. Luminists are circles and Cleons are lines.

Zephyr Halima gained fame by spearheading the recovery after an earthquake. She has been a Zephyr for less than a year.

13 is expecting clamoring masses. Halima meets him alone. And highlights what 13’s trip means about the importance of Luminism to the empire. She’s a skilled politician.

By offering 13 a drink, she gets him to symbolically reject the faith and the opportunity to surpass his impure intentions even if Demerzel is the one to voice it.

“I’m afraid whatever impurities I may harbor will have to remain hidden.” The rejection said out loud.

“Something tells me that’s how you prefer it.” And Halima spikes the ball.

“Triple blessings to you all.” The Catholicism references are pretty loud too. Of course, they are.

“I don’t think anyone with pure intentions would wheedle their way onto my welcoming committee.” So he gets it but he should have seen it coming.

Back to Terminus.

“Empire ships are as good at preserving their peoples’ lives as they are at taking others’.”

Lord Dorwin is still alive. Where’s everybody else? Dead.

The Anacreonians straight-up murdering people is gut-wrenching. They’re suddenly a lot less nuanced.

Talk of the Invictus and redemption from Phara. That eye is disconcerting.

Phara’s trying to crew a ship. The librarian is also skilled in Astronautics.

The jump ship was shot down to capture Dorwin.

More straight-up super villainy from Phara as she shoots Jacenta’s husband in the leg.

14 is wooing the gardener again. “A foolish attempt to control the uncontrollable.”

12 and 14 hunt for “Ghillie raptors” with powerful camouflage.

“I’d rather mold it myself.”

Invictus is a legendary powerful warship. Phara’s found it.

“Thank Seldon,”

Salvor has a plan. “This is the first Seldon crisis.” She’s convinced herself that she’s part of the plan. “Hari put me here to stop the Anacreons, and he’s helping me figure out how.”

Back to the Maiden. 13 is bitchy about being greeted by “a heretic.” He throws his weight behind Zephyr Gilat which is probably counterproductive.

Desalination plants might have worked in a popular election but the enclave is a tight group of politicians. They might see through it and water for the people Might not bolster their self-interests.

He smiles at Halima like “I got you.”

Terminus. Abbas talks about Trantor. “Miracles everywhere.” Built on a mountain of lies. Why did he join the Foundation? He believed in a girl called Mari Hardin. “I got you out of it didn’t I?” Dodging the question.

Trantor: 14 doesn’t want 12 to know how many raptors he killed. 12 takes 14 to a brothel where the girls’ memories are wiped.

Didn’t get the obvious? They have to force the resemblance between this girl and the gardener. Of course, 12 gets a report from her after her time with 14.

Salvor gets another vision. This time she’s in the body of Gaal.

Hari to Raych. “It has to become impossible for you to remain onboard.” Hari can’t fix things. He’s a lot less certain than the Hari in the book.

“This whole thing collapses because you stay with her.” Sacrifices waisted. “An entire galaxy pivoting around the actions of an individual.” The cryopod was programmed for Raych.

Abbas martyrs himself to destroy the “Corvettes.” Salvor melts down. “Daddy!”

So many ways that 14 is different. He’s reaching out to people outside the family. He’s showing concern for other people and a willingness to put himself at risk. 14 is colorblind. But “Cleons are exact copies.”

Shadowmaster Olbracht finds the raptors that 14 hid. Probably realizes the color blindness.

Meanwhile, Salvor is growing toward seeing violence as a problem.

And we’re doubling down on the part of the episode recognizing that psychohistory doesn’t work. Maybe. But Salvor’s also starting to see herself as a piece of the plan which is problematic.

The Desalination system should not be front and center at a funeral. Just saying.

And Halima walks in to interrupt Gilat and steal the show. It’s classic politics. Gilat and 13 are appealing to reason. Halima wins hearts and minds by connecting on an emotional level.

Souls used to be like candle wax burned down and snuffed out. “The mother took the straight line of life and sewed it into a circle.” Reincarnation is not about ascending to the highest planes of enlightenment. There is no end because our capacity for growth is infinite. “Even a soul that appeared holy 400 years ago would not be holy today.” “We must embrace the value of transformation, of evolution, of difference!” “We rejoice that her soul is not bound to a single immutable body.“

It’s extra odd that Demerzel would be an adherent to this religion. Is it aspirational?

Also bowing and leaving 13 to stand is a powerful statement.

Salvor and Hugo are captured. Phara & Company take Hugo’s ship and leave with the hostages who can crew a jump ship.

The episode ends with one defiant coin flip.

All Images from Foundation on Apple TV+.

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