‘Foundation’ Recap: ‘A Glimpse of Darkness’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Leah Harvey, Jared Harris, and Lou Llobell as Salvor Hardin, Hari Seldon and Gaal Dornick in Episode 202 of ‘Foundation’ – ‘A Glimpse of Darkness’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 202 of ‘Foundation’. To revisit the Season Two Premiere, click here. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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For as long as mankind has existed… we’ve wondered deeply… what it will take for our species to find balance and harmony. And we’ve pondered upon this for eons, simply because we cannot figure it out. Because attempts to make peace are met with those who cry for war, and efforts to make equality a standard are met with feverous demands for favoritism and a status quo. And above all, attempts to level the playing field and give everyone a fighting chance are met with fury from those who want everything for themselves. So, we have instead, found ourselves dreaming of harmony and still asking that question… one that the Apple TV+ series, Foundation, is pondering upon as well. For that’s all the heroes are searching for so darkness doesn’t win the day and well, its next episode pondered upon what it might take to finally make that happen. 
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Which as it turned out, might involve instituting real checks and balances. The kind that would create a healthy system of sorts. One that would let demons be indulged to keep that morbid need we harbor satiated before pushing our better angels to prevail. To guide us really, so that the silliness that we saw play out in ‘A Glimpse of Darkness’ could be avoided. Since checks and balances would have prevented Brother Day from his dreams of genetic immortality and cleansing, that he continued to chase here. Since he dreamed of a future where all the clones would be nothing more than stored code for a rainy day and where Dusk would fade away and Dawn would live a life without purpose or direction because of the aloof nature of the throne. All because Day truly believed he knew best, courtesy of that irritating ego he is host to.

Not to mention, checks and balances would have also prevented the madness that was spreading through the Foundation. Since we came to learn that far in the future, Hari Seldon was less a man to admire for his brilliance and instead seen as a God. To the point where monks that wished to spread the word of his glory and his visage were moving through the outer rim of the galaxy to do just that. Which spoke volumes to how religion and our inability sometimes to look within makes us followers instead of leaders, and beings that spew interpreted opinion, and that leads to disaster. Which we saw play out here since the opening of the Vault, only brought death and destruction and a cryptic message that will undoubtedly be interpreted in an incorrect manner by those who think they know what the Seldon God meant. And had there been someone to ground these folks… perhaps the Foundation would not be a group of Zealots hungry for war in the name of a God. 

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Kulvinder Ghir and Isabella Laughland as Poly Verisof and Brother Constant in Episode 202 of ‘Foundation’ – ‘A Glimpse of Darkness’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

As to how the episode came to this conclusion as to what we need, well that was handled by Hari’s AI counterpart and Gaal and Salvor aboard their beat-up ship. For after peace was made, Hari explained that all had gone wrong because of the fact that he put a Second Foundation into his original equation. One that would indeed create checks and balances for the First Foundation and Empire. Allowing for those moments of weird and ego to ebb and flow before eventually focusing mankind on minor conflict and an age of information. And they would accomplish that by having the bigger picture period. But alas, that didn’t exist now, because of Gaal’s mistakes in rushing the process. Which meant, the time had come to look deep into the future, to the Third Crisis to see how best to inject the creation of the Second Foundation into the timeline to salvage humanity’s future. 
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But alas, what Gaal found while looking… was of great concern. For all that the future featured was war, and a mysterious individual known as the Mule. Who recognized Gaal’s abilities to travel through time in her own unique way and he tried to use them to his advantage. So, he could learn the location of the Second Foundation and destroy it. For he wanted nothing more than chaos and heartache and pain. Making this man the embodiment of what a lack of checks and balances will bring. All of which of course… spooked Gaal and Hari as well. Since it meant their choices and the lack of that anchor… were about to unleash hell upon the galaxy, from which there might not be a return and well… all of these elements made for some powerful commentary. 

For what was on display here… is happening in our world, and it has indeed brought that question to the forefront of our conversations on a daily basis once more. Making this a stunningly relevant episode, one that tasks us to ponder upon the answer and really begin to look at what needs to happen to enact change and balance. But all pondering and commentary aside, make no mistake about it, this was a still a great episode. One that once again engaged us deeply and showcased a galaxy in genuine crisis, and truly… it seems as though darkness awaits since the Mule is ready to have the future remain as it stands, and it will be interesting in the weeks to come to see if a mankind flung far in the future can finally figure out resolution to the madness, or if chaos and rebirth are truly our unfortunate and unsettling destiny. Until next time.

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