Foundation season 2 episode 9 recap & review: Long Ago, Not Far Away

Open Go TV / September 9, 2023 / Reviews

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In Foundation season 2 episode 9, Demerzel’s past is unraveled while Brother Day arrives on Terminus to negotiate. The episode is now streaming on Apple TV+.

Recap

On Trantor, 610 years ago, Cleon I lived in a big and ancient palace. Out of curiosity, he searched and counted all the faces in his palace and ended up walking into a hallway no one had entered in thousands of years.

The hallway leads him to a room where he meets Demerzel, trapped in a strange mechanism. Demerzel makes Cleon stay by telling her stories, which she has collected from years of experience.

Demerzel becomes Cleon’s first secret. He visits her often to hear her stories. When Cleon’s time comes to take the throne of Trantor, he visits Demerzel to tell her that he might not be able to come to meet her anymore.

Demerzel tells him her story. Long ago, but not far away, she was a leader of soldiers. After losing a famous battle, she was captured and brought before Emperor Aburanis, who was fascinated by Demerzel.

Emperor Aburanis studied Demerzel and gained knowledge from her. In time, he realized he would die and she would remain. Afraid that Demerzel has gathered information from him too and will use it to reignite another war once he is gone, he traps Demerzel in this cage.

Demerzel likes to think she is rare and perhaps unique; she is the key to making more of her kind. That’s the reason Aburanis didn’t destroy her when he had a chance.

Cleon left believing that Demerzel is trying to please him just because she wanted to be free. However, he returned years later and freed her from Aburanis’ mechanism but still kept her in a cage.

Cleon offered her clothes, and her stories grew more explicit. Years later, Cleon called off his marriage because his partner wasn’t anything like Demerzel.

Cleon frees Demerzel completely but meddles with her mechanism to make sure that she remains loyal to Cleon. She can now hurt others, but not Cleon. Demerzel can’t leave; her programming will bring her back to Trantor.

Demerzel will have to stay loyal to Cleon her whole life and love him. She will shape the choices of Cleon’s genetic dynasty and preserve it. Through his clones, she will rule the Empire. In exchange for this lion’s share of the galaxy, Cleon asks to be loved.

Demerzel becomes a ruler, but she doesn’t have the freedom to do what she wants. Brother Dusk isn’t satisfied after hearing this story from Cleon I’s digital consciousness. They have been warming the thrones while Demerzel has been operating them from the dark.

When Brother Dusk reminds Cleon about Day and Sareth’s union, Cleon traps Day and Rue in the very same prison in which Demerzel was trapped once.

On Terminus, Day volunteers to talk to the people of the Foundation. Day sets his eyes on the Foundation’s church and discovers that it is an armory. He orders his soldiers to signal to Bel that there is imperial property on the planet and that they are taking it.

When Sermak tries to stop Day, he is stabbed by Day. A battle between the Empire and Foundation begins in space while Day meets Hari Seldon in the Vault.

Bel Riose’s fleet manages to disable the Foundation’s Invictus. With that, Day is ready to show mercy on the people of Foundation if Seldon admits that his math is flawed and Day has adapted. Day doesn’t accept that the Empire’s fall is still happening.

Since Seldon doesn’t admit that his math is flawed, Day orders the Invictus to be brought down on the planet. Day and Demerzel return to their ship.

Demerzel tells Day that she needs to tend to other matters at home. She is sometimes called off for these matters. It happened often during Day’s formative years as she was stitching up the Empire.

Day grew up with uncertainty in his mind and morals. Demerzel thought initiating intimacy would give her influence to correct his shortcomings. It turns out that she was wrong. She apologizes for what he has become.

Day is in utter disbelief. While Demerzel leaves, Day orders Bel Riose to attack Terminus. During the battle, Glawen fell onto the planet. Attacking Terminus now with Invictus means Glawen will also die.

Bel Riose is forced to make this decision and initiate the attack, as the fate of the galaxy relies on Bel. The attack ends up destroying Terminus and Foundation once and for all.

Amidst all of this, on Ignis, Salvor rescues Gaal, and they manage to reach the Beggar. However, Tellem and Loron follow them. Loron is killed by Salvor. Tellem, on the other hand, almost gets her hands on Prime Radiant before being bludgeoned to death by Hari, who returns to rescue Gaal and Salvor.

Review

Foundation season 2 episode 9 is an epic episode that absorbs the viewer into its universe. The fascinating story of Demerzel is presented in the best manner possible. It’s spooky, ancient, and fills viewers with more curiosity.
After hearing Demerzel’s story, a viewer is left questioning and wanting to know more about the history of the show’s world. Every war, rule, and ruler in Foundation becomes worth studying.
The show hits the right balance of history lesson and action drama in this episode. Motives of Day on Terminus keeps a viewer on the edge of their seat, and watching Foundation fall is heartbreaking.