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In case you missed it, the second season of Apple TV’s smash hit Foundation kicks off next Friday. The sci-fi epic made waves with its visually stunning first season on the streaming service back in September of 2021. After almost two years, the new season is ready to stun and awe audiences again. However, with so many characters, settings, and plot lines to keep track of, that two-year hiatus likely means you need a reminder of what is happening. Let’s look back at what occurred in the first season and speculate wildly on what we can expect from this new season.
Catching Up on the Foundation Story
The Apple TV+ series is based on the award-winning novels by famed sci-fi author Isaac Asimov. The stories tell the tale of a group of exiles who work to save humanity as the end of the Galactic Empire approaches. What is interesting about the narratives and Apple series is that the timeline spans thousands of years. This allows for a constant change in characters, perspectives, and locations.
The first season kept the focus on a handful of core characters. Specifically, there are three main narratives that unravel throughout the first ten-episode season. It begins with a young mathematician named Gall Dornick (Lou Llobell), who leaves her home planet behind to seek out famed mathematician Hari Seldon (Emmy-nominee Jared Harris). Seldon is renowned for his creation of a system to predict the future using probabilities. Eventually, Dornick is pulled into Seldon’s plan to save the universe from calculated destruction.
Also featured in the first season are the Galactic Empire and its Emperor Cleon. Or, rather, the three genetic clones of Cleon in three stages of life. The middle-aged Brother Day (Lee Pace) spends much of the season pondering his humanity as a clone. Meanwhile, the older Brother Dusk (Terrence Mann) is dealing with a rogue faction attempting to assassinate the younger Brother Dawn (Cassian Bilton).
Meanwhile, in the near future, a society on the planet called Terminus begins building the Foundation of Seldon’s plans. However, there are external forces that threaten its success. A local hero, Salvor Hardin (Leah Harvey), is able to keep these forces at bay. In the penultimate episode, the main artifact of this society opens to reveal a hologram of Hari Seldon, who unveils that everything is going according to plan.
Where Did Foundation Season One Leave Off?
In the season one finale, Hari Seldon’s plan for survival is revealed. Apparently, he wants to build a society that is so far out of the galaxy that even the Empire cannot see them. That means they cannot control them. This way, the Empire will never see the attack coming. However, this means partnering with those that were attempting to stop the society on Terminus.
Back to the Empire of the clones, the Cleon android Demerzel (Laura Birn) decides to protect the genetic line by killing the defective Brother Dawn. Of course, that turns out to be a pointless move. The genetic Cleon line is already tainted and has been for a while. This puts the Cleon clones right to the throne in question.
However, the biggest and wildest twist comes in the reveal that Salvor Hardin is the daughter of Gall Dornick. Yes, the same Gall Dornick working with Seldon. So, she decides to find Dornick by traveling to her home planet. The season closes with Dornick also arriving on her home planet. However, it’s been over a century for her due to space travel. Still, she finds Salvor in a weird sleep chamber, and the two reunite, ready to face whatever the future holds in Foundation Season 2.
What To Expect From Season Two
We know that Foundation Season 2 takes place a century after that finale. Based on the trailers, the Empire and its clone leaders are in a state of disarray. This leaves them vulnerable to attacks from within. Meanwhile, Dornick, Salvor, and Seldon are dealing with some more threats to their plans to save humanity. Plus, Seldon’s colony, known as the Foundation, is dealing with a sudden religious fervor spreading throughout. Seems there is no rest for those trying to save humanity from the brink of total destruction.
Foundation Season 2 premieres Friday, July 14, on Apple TV+.
