‘Foundation’ Season 3 Episode 3 Recap: The Mule Finally Meets His Match and Brother Day’s Desperate Plan Has Tragic Consequences

Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Foundation Season 3 Episode 3.

Between its philosophical concept, its century-hopping timeline, and an excellent yet slightly muddled first season, one can argue that Foundation experienced something of a slow start. Season 2 upped the ante by fusing its predecessor’s strongest ingredient — complex character introspection — with high-stakes plots that raced along with Formula One-level urgency. Apple TV+’s adaptation of Isaac Asimov‘s 10-book series flourished into its best identity, a series with razor-sharp clarity and ambition in spades. Season 3’s third episode — appropriately titled “When a Book Finds You,” and written by Eric Carrasco and Greg Goetz with Tim Southam directing — continues that trend and all but guarantees that the season’s remaining seven episodes will be a ruthless roller coaster.

A Crucial Alliance Forms in ‘Foundation’ Season 3 Episode 3

On the heels of last week’s revelation that Brother Dawn (Cassian Bilton) and Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) are secret allies, Episode 3’s first scene establishes how their partnership came to be. Three years earlier, Dawn visits a library in search of a rare, banned book about psychohistory. A previous Emperor issued the ban, but if you give things a couple of centuries, then a new Emperor-to-be can bend the rules. The ancient texts in question happen to be Hari Seldon’s (Jared Harris) original handwritten manuscripts. Why are these forbidden artifacts tucked away in a Trantor library, you ask? Impressed by Dawn’s curiosity and his in-depth knowledge of psychohistory, the librarian arranges a meeting with a “colleague” who can answer his questions.

Enter Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell), who doesn’t bat an eye over meeting a disguised Dawn — complete with a fake mustache and goatee combo — in a tea shop. It’s the youngest Cleon who’s awed by the presence of Hari Seldon’s prodigy, since she shouldn’t be alive after 321 years. He offers quite the compliment: “You’ve done the impossible. You’ve made a Cleon feel like a very finite person.” Gaal clocks that Dawn’s interest in psychohistory isn’t as innocuous as he claims. Almost rueful, he admits he’s been captivated by mathematics since childhood. Once Demerzel (Laura Birn) introduced him to the Prime Radiant, Cleon XXV discovered “the language of the angels.”

As the two opposing leaders barter their way into a tentative partnership, Gaal astutely refutes all of Dawn’s reservations about conspiring with his so-called enemy. For one, he’s demonstrated enough intelligence to prove he can make independent decisions, not shape his moralities around the Empire’s propaganda. For another, this particular Cleon breaks away from the norm — he wants to help humanity instead of preserving his Genetic Dynasty above all else. Lastly, Gaal offers to be Day’s “escape hatch,” should he need one.

The Mule Meets His Match in ‘Foundation’ Season 3 Episode 3

In the present, Gaal urges Dawn to summon the Galactic Council and hold an emergency vote. If the Empire issues an Enclosure order on Kalgan, then they can limit the Mule’s (Pilou Asbæk) influence before he gains the tactical upper hand. Dawn worries that overstepping his authority will trigger a war with the Foundation, since Kalgan is an independent territory outside either of their jurisdictions. But Gaal can handle her arena; it’s on Dawn to do the same. If he decides to sate that curiosity of his by meeting the Mule for himself before making a decision, then Gaal recommends Dawn avoids any face-to-face interactions. The last thing they need is an ascending Emperor who’s under the Mule’s spell.

As for Kalgan, Captain Han Pritcher (Brandon P. Bell) and the Mallow newlyweds, Toran (Cody Fern) and Bayta (Synnøve Karlsen), have infiltrated the Mule’s party as planned. Turns out, both the Mule and his balladeer, Magnifico Giganticus (Tómas Lemarquis), throw a bopping party filled with intergalactic club music, lights, and drinks. As the latter performs, the former relaxes at a table with an obliviously happy Skirlet (Isla Gie) and two of his immediate soldiers. When Pritcher tries to approach, the Mule literally stops him in his tracks by assaulting his mind. Gasping in pain, blood vessels exploding in one of his eyes, Pritcher realizes his mistake and can’t get his ship into orbit fast enough.

The Mallows are another story. They linger, still craving gossipy details about Kalgan’s new overlord. Bayta charms Magnifico at the bar while Toran coaxes the Mule into sharing a drink with him. The Mule, having decided that Toran’s boisterous greeting was an insult, orders the young man to keep demeaning him; he claims his culture loves playing “a game of insults.” It takes Toran several tries before he launches into an eviscerating tirade that leaves the Mule cackling. Unfortunately for Toran, the Mule gloats about his galaxy-wide ambitions while ever-so-slowly peeling the skin off Toran’s palm with an orange peeler. Unfortunately for the Mule, he’s admitted his goals and demonstrated his sadism in one fell swoop. Two of Toran’s small, floating drones blast the room with white light long enough for Toran to flee with Bayta and a treasonous Magnifico in tow. Clearly furious, the Mule nevertheless dismisses their escape, claiming that his ultimate triumph is “preordained.”

The Empire’s First Confrontation With the Mule Goes Poorly in ‘Foundation’ Season 3 Episode 3

Back on Trantor, Brother Day (Lee Pace), shirtless as always, and Song (Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing), patient as always, crash the soldiers’ barracks and ask Day’s gambling buddy, Commander Mavon (Ibraheem Toure), to sneak them out of the palace. Mavon turns the sitting Emperor down, not willing to risk his family’s lives, even when Day promises to cure Mavon’s sick daughter with the nanites in his cloned blood. Leaving the offer on the table, Day spots Demerzel from a distance and snaps from affected nonchalance into silent cowering. Once Demerzel has walked out of earshot, Song insists he’s grown paranoid. Still, she assures Day he can trust her with any secret, no matter how dangerous. Suffice it to say, learning that Demerzel is a robot rattles Song.

As for the other Imperial Brothers, Dusk (Terrance Mann) and Dawn hold a holo meeting with the Mule. Dawn leads the conversation, prepared to debate the Mule about the conditions he’s required to meet as Kalgan’s new steward. The Mule couldn’t be less interested. He dismisses Empire’s authority, claiming that the Cleons’ privileged upbringing makes them weak; they have no idea how to wage a war, let alone win one. When someone screams offscreen, the Mule casually dismisses the echoing cry as “housecleaning.”

They’ve caught him at an inconvenient time, you see, since the Mule and his lackeys are murdering every unlucky soul who failed to prevent the Mallows from absconding with Magnifico. The Warlord of Kalgan doesn’t share this information, however, hanging up on the Empire before plunging his dagger into the side of his next victim. “Do you ever feel like your life is not your own? Like it’s been overtaken by some holy spirit?” the Mule asks, suddenly gripped by a thousand-yard stare. The just-expired corpse can’t reply. The Mule answers for him, wiping his bloody blade on his victim’s uniform: “It’s sort of a transcendent feeling you have to kill your way out of.”

A Tragedy Ruins Brother Day’s Escape Plan in ‘Foundation’ Season 3 Episode 3

Circling back to Trantor, Song admits she’s no longer sold on escaping. Her words aren’t malicious, but she is reluctant to leave Demerzel’s protection. Day, meanwhile, is desperate to do more than peer through the bars of his cage; he craves normalcy, like meeting his significant other’s family and seeing her home. Demerzel interrupts the lovers with a summons from Dawn. As Day leaves, Song gestures to Demerzel behind his back, touching her inner forearm with two fingers.

The Cleons assemble in the throne room, where Dawn uses his failed conversation with the Mule — and the four-month ticking clock they have before the Empire falls — to push forward Gaal’s plan for an Enclosure. Day, the only one with enough authority to mobilize the Council, denies Dawn’s request, perhaps heeding Dusk and Demerzel’s joint warnings that the Council would consider the proposal a sign of Empire’s weakness. In Demerzel’s absence, Day realizes he forgot to attend Dawn’s robing ceremony and apologizes. He makes it up to his younger sibling by insisting Dawn produce the “best part” of the entire ceremony — a hidden flask. Companionably laughing for the first time in who knows how long, the three brothers take three shots apiece, toasting to “strength, wisdom, and fortitude.”

Afterward, Day finds Mavon waiting for him in a hallway. The commander accepts Day’s offer, but whether Mavon actually means to help the middle throne escape remains to be seen. Until then, Day returns to the abode he shares with Song. Demerzel awaits, standing on the balcony in the dark. Once Day walks inside, Demerzel explains Song’s absence by revealing the meaning behind Song’s discreet gesture: a religious blessing. Day didn’t know Song followed a secret creed, nor that her forbidden faith, a nearly extinct sect known as the Inheritance, reveres robots as humanity’s future saviors. Day fears the worst, but instead of executing Song as the law demands, Demerzel erased her memories — leaving Day emotionally isolated once again. “I have few choices in my life,” Demerzel explains, caressing his cheek. “For you, I did this.” Day would feel far more distraught if his ancient robot parent, servant, and captor hadn’t shown Song mercy. He remains grieved enough, however, raging in vain against Demerzel’s eerily tender implacability.

Foundation Season 3 is available to stream on Apple TV+.

Foundation

This week, Foundation all but guarantees that Season 3’s remaining seven episodes will be a ruthless roller coaster.

Release Date

September 23, 2021

Network

Apple TV+

Showrunner

David S. Goyer

Directors

Alex Graves, Roxann Dawson, Jennifer Phang, Mark Tonderai, Andrew Bernstein

Pros & Cons

• Pilou Asbæk’s Mule gets more nuanced and unsettling every week.
• Lee Pace continues to give his most interesting performance to date.
• Gaal Dornick and Brother Dawn’s alliance is an intriguing development.