
When all is said and done, the thing Foundation will be most remembered for is what it’s done with the Genetic Dynasty. It bears repeating that this is the greatest idea David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman came up with, and this is a very good example of why. This week’s episode makes it very clear this is the end of the Cleons as we know them. As their Empire crumbles around them, the three brothers act like proper humans, and it’s easy to see the desperation and fear in them, with the knowledge that they’ll likely be the last ones sinking in and pushing them to desperately cling on to the life they actually want.
In the case of Brother Dawn, he is still the same idealistic and emotional young emperor we’ve seen since season 1, so he refuses to bow down. Dawn always fights for himself and sees a life beyond his duty. In the case of Cleon XXV, he seems genuinely interested in learning about psychohistory and what started all this in the first place, which he learned a bit about by seeing Demerzel show them the Prime Radiant, the math behind which he calls “like the language of angels” (which sounds very Carl Sagan-like). As he later tells Gaal, he seems concerned that Demerzel is using the Prime Radiant for the sake of the dynasty rather than Empire or even humanity. Three years ago, Dawn went into the forbidden section of the Imperial library and ended up meeting Gaal, who convinced Dawn of the threat of The Mule. Well, the time to act is now, and Gaal tasks Dawn with calling an official enclosure on Kalgan to stop the new Warlord.
Though Dawn initially refuses to call for an emergency Galactic Council meeting, he reconsiders when he finds out The Mule himself is calling for open communications with the Cleons. Immediately, the Warlord of Kalgan refuses any attempts at diplomacy and negotiations, calling out for war because he knows Empire is comfortable, used to not having to fight for things. Dawn is the only one who knows The Mule’s seemingly erratic and chaotic behavior is a ruse for a calculated plan which sets him on a direct path to Trantor. Demerzel, focused entirely on the dynasty, knows that to go against the Council and call for action will harm them more than conjecture on The Mule’s plans will, so they do nothing but send a few probes to see what is going on in Kalgan — too little, too late.
While one Cleon is using the time he has left to try and prevent as much tragedy as he can, Brother Day is trying his best to get away from it all. That’s right. The Lebowski Cleon is set on spending the rest of his days far and away from here, taking a page out of a previous Dawn’s book, and running away with his paramour. He legitimately seems to care about his consort Song, and she at least seems not to be faking it out of fear. He even tells Song the Empire’s biggest secret — Demerzel’s true nature as a robot.
Oh, Day, you’re the sweetest Cleon yet, but you are also the dumbest. Granted, there was no way for him to do as extensive a background check on his concubine to find out she is part of a super-secret, millennia-old cult that worships robots and was believed to be extinct, but still! Not only is Song unconvinced about the whole leaving-the-safety-of-the-palace-right-before-doomsday thing, but the moment she sees Demerzel, she makes a reverential gesture that immediately outs her as a cultist — which forces Demerzel to erase her memory due to her programming. We have seen Cleons do unspeakable acts of horror out of anger before. What will this Cleon do for love and grief?
Speaking of unspeakable acts of horror, it’s party night on Kalgan and Han Pritcher takes the two Mallow’s with him to meet The Mule. Or, more specifically, to meet Magnifico Giganticus (Tómas Lemarquis), who already has the coolest name in the whole show. He plays the “visi-sonor,” an instrument that seems to emit both visuals and music, and has a cooler design than the baliset does in Villeneuve’s Dune. It seems The Mule brings Magnifico with him everywhere, even into battle, and it also looks like the people dancing to his music are under some sort of trance. Very weird, very interesting.
When Han tries to approach the Mule, he immediately realizes he’s a mentallic and learns of Gaal Dornick. This is how it all begins, how he learns of her existence and her threat to him. This makes Han freak out so hard that he leaves the planet immediately, leaving the Mallows alone to continue the plan. Realizing they can’t really do anything against The Mule, they decide to get intel on him from Magnifico. Of course, this goes horribly wrong, as The Mule starts mocking Toran, toying with him and even peeling off the skin of Toran’s hand like Pilou Asbæk is back in Euron Greyjoy mode. After a neat distraction with some influencer bots, Toran and Bayta manage to get the hell out of the planet and simply kidnap Magnifico. But The Mule isn’t worried, as he believes some things are preordained. Nothing worrisome or ominous about it.
The Prime Radiant
• Watching the three Cleons briefly bond while drinking is kind of cute, a rare moment where they act as genuine family and not just an emperor. That this is the first episode of the season where we see them move simultaneously, doing the same hand-on-chin gesture, is quite sad. This show would not be the same without them.
• Having Kalgan, the pleasure planet, be part Blade Runner cyberpunk metropolis but part beach resort is an inspired choice.
It’s the end of Empire as we know it (and I feel fine).