We are hitting the final few episodes of Apple TV+’s second season of Foundation. Like Isaac Asimov‘s books, this series has taken us on quite a wild ride. However, all of our key figures seem to be in place, and the real crisis of season two is about to begin. What will Empire do when they feel threatened and up against a wall? What is really happening on Ignis? And will new allegiances form? Let’s dive into A Necessary Death and find out!

DISCLAIMER: This is a recap and, by definition, will contain spoilers. If you haven’t had a chance to watch the latest episode, do so first and then come back.

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A Necessary Death opens with Poly (Kulvinder Ghir) and Constant (Isabella Laughland) being held in an imperial prison. Poor Poly only just got his orders, but it seems like he has already messed up. While they await what is to come, Brother Day (Lee Pace) and Demerzel (Laura Birn) are informed of them. It’s odd that just as they push out towards the Outer Reach, the Outer Reach comes calling.

Demerzel tries to use this to stall Day’s marriage to Queen Sareth (Ella-Rae Smith), but he isn’t interested in putting on the brakes so fast. However, he does seem to think it’s time for their relationship to change. He looks highly uncertain, but it’s more of Demerzel’s reaction that has us wondering if her relationship with him was a form of control she had over Empire.

In another corner of the Palace, Sareth is rejoicing over Day’s reaction to her little speech. Rue (Sandra Yi Sencindiver) warns her never to embarrass a man like Day. It isn’t going to go well in her favor if she ever pushes him too far. Their little conversation is cut short when Demerzel arrives to take Sareth to the imperial doctors to get checked out. Empire needs a perfect heir, of course.

On the way, Sareth tells Demerzel that she knows what she is and questions who she has served in the past. Like all robots, she was bound by three laws, but now her only law is to serve Empire. But it seems that even though Sareth will be marrying into the royal family, Demerzel doesn’t feel the same way about her as she does Day.

Glawen and Riose speaking with Brother Day.

Foundation S2E7 A Necessary Death

A Necessary Death gives us one of the most awkward doctor visits we have seen in a while. The imperial doctors want to harvest Sareth’s eggs; however, Rue argues that the Cloud Dominion has an equal interest in her offspring, which can wait until after the marriage. Sareth even makes a smart remark that Demerzel can continue her little agreement with Day after all is said and done while she produces the heir.

This prompts Demerzel to request a private chat with Sareth. It isn’t a reassuring chat about not continuing her relationship with Day out of respect or that she understands her. It’s to remind her that she knows why Sareth is there and that she thinks Day killed her family. And when she thinks about trying to get revenge to remember what happened to her family. And that she is capable of doing precisely what brought about the end of their lives to Sareth.

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Across the universe on Ignis, Salvor (Leah Harvey) and Gaal (Lou Llobell) argue about what has happened. Gaal knows she needs these people, but they wouldn’t help if Seldon (Jared Harris) were still here. Salvor is worried that something else is going on. On Terminus, she could read everyone, but here is too quiet. It makes her wonder what is going on and what everyone is hiding. She almost seems to get through to Gaal before one of the young inhabitants arrives to take them off to the feast.

 Tellum (Rachel House) and Laron (Michael Akinsulire) are there. He shares with Salvor how he feels what everyone feels around him and a bit about where he came from. He also shares that no one can hide everything if you pay enough attention. Tellum then tells them a bit about where they are and the price of truly understanding and being open. Screaming food and all. Every time she opens her mouth, we can’t help but think how much more Cult-like this whole situation is becoming.

A Necessary Death brings us to Hober Mallow (Dimitri Leonidas) and the spacer She-Is-Center (Brucella Newman-Persaud). It seems like Vault Seldon sent him to these exact coordinates to strike a deal with the Spacers. The Foundation will provide them with the nutrients they need to live, and in return, they help the Foundation “kick them in the nuts.” They know that when Day doesn’t need Spacers to navigate their ships, they will stop supplying them with what they need.

Elsewhere in the Galaxy, She-Bends-Light (Judi Shekoni) shares with Riose (Ben Daniels) and Glawen (Dino Fetscher) about the anomaly that Poly and Constant created back at the beginning of the season. Just as she is explaining this, the home swarm reaches out and informs her just how the ship is able to do it. And better yet, they will bring it directly to her along with Mallow.

On Ignis, a young girl asks Gaal why she keeps thinking about the Mule. Gaal explains who he is in the future and what her ability is. She even goes on to share that she was different and felt lonely and out of place on her home planet. She uses this to bond with the people. It’s an empowering speech about coming together and working as one against a common cause.

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We return to Riose’s ship as She-Is-Center arrives with Mallow in tow. They try to get answers about the ship and the Foundation’s ability to jump without a Spacer, but thanks to Constant’s adorable pet, Mallow escapes and manages to make the jump to safety. Riose shares the news with Day and Demerzel, who question if the Foundation is capable of having hired the assassins, among other things. Riose wants to know what he is supposed to do, but Day doesn’t seem to care and leaves him hanging.

Dawn, Demerzel, Day and Dusk meeting with Brother Constant and Poly regarding the Foundation.

Foundation S2E7 A Necessary Death

Glawn still doesn’t understand why Riose doesn’t just disobey Empire again. What is the worst they could do? And Riose shares precisely what can happen. Empire would lock him in a cage and force him to watch Glawn be killed over and over and over again. Ending Empire might seem like a great idea initially, but no one is large enough to fill the void that would be left in their fall. And what would happen after that would be worse than what they are dealing with now.

A Necessary Death returns to Trantor, where Sareth meets with Day. She shares with him about her family and lets it known that she knows the impact he has had on their lives. More importantly, the end of their lives. Day doesn’t admit to it but doesn’t deny it, either. He simply refers to it as almost a blessing that she is in the position she is in. And that she should be grateful. Hopefully, Dawn (Cassian Bilton) might be more supportive of how she feels.

The two meet in secret to discuss what Sareth has found out. But her real goal is to convince Dawn to father her children. She will still go along with marrying Day, but she can’t bring herself to father his children. Not when he killed her family and isn’t right in the head. Sareth finds Dawn to be different. Kinder and gentler. They have one shot at making this work, and she needs him on board. But is she being honest with him, or is another Dawn just a pawn in someone else’s game?

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Later on, Poly and Constant are brought to speak with Dawn, Day and Dusk (Terrance Mann). Poly tries to share that the Foundation wants to create a peace treaty and avoid a war, but Mallow’s attempt at buying the Spacer’s support goes against this idea. Of course, Poly had no idea, but Constant seems to have known something. But it isn’t Constant who knew; it was Seldon who found a way to bond with Constant back in the Vault and is here to face Empire again.

Vault Seldon shares that Poly and Constant aren’t there to ask for peace to avoid losing a war. The Foundation would win if the two came to clash and Vault Seldon sent them to give Empire a chance at survival. But Day is smart and studied Seldon in his time as Dawn and realized that maybe he was right. The genetic dynasty is failing, and now is the time to change the plan. With Sareth, they are going to strengthen Empire’s hold. He tells Demerzel to send Riose to Terminus to collect what is rightfully there before having his guards shock Constant.

After she comes to Day informs her of how terrible Vault Seldon must be to have kept Poly in the dark and her quiet about his control of her mind. What kind of leader does such a thing? He doesn’t care about them, having sent them right into the belly of the beast.

A Necessary Death returns to Ignis as Salvor investigates the ship Laron was looking at earlier in the episode. Gaal finds her and is upset that she is poking around. But Salvor knows that something is wrong and she will get to the bottom of it, while Gaal wants her to trust that she isn’t letting her newfound popularity get to her head. That night, Salvor sneaks out to steal the boat, which leads her to Seldon, still tied up in the pool. While she tries to untie him, Tellum arrives and silences her.

Tellum warns her that she tried to get her to see her ways, that this place is a sanctuary, and that sometimes, to protect it, others must suffer. As the episode comes to a close, Tellum knocks Salvor out, and we watch as her body drifts next to Seldon’s.

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All we have to say is that Salvor had better not be dead. And if she is, Gaal had better use her newfound powers to avenge her. But outside of that utterly shocking ending, Foundation’s second season continues to move along with the story. We are less in the setting up and now watching as we grow closer to the crisis. All the secrets seem to be out in the open, and our key players are moving closer to conflict. But are three episodes enough to give us the epic battle and answer we have been waiting for all season long? Or will season two fizzle out?

Foundation airs Fridays on Apple TV+.

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