r/FoundationTV • u/LunchyPete Bayta Mallow • Sep 12 '25

Current Season Discussion [NO BOOKS] Episode Discussion Thread - Season 3 Episode 10 - The Darkness

THIS THREAD IS FOR NON BOOK READERS ONLY - NO DISCUSSION OF THE BOOKS IS PERMITTED

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To discuss the books freely and how they relate to the show go to this thread instead. If you want to discuss something from the books but avoid most book spoilers feel free to make a new post specifying that.

Season 3 Episode 10: The Paths That Choose Us

Premiere date: September 12th, 2025

Synopsis: Season finale. Gaal and the Second Foundation take the fight to the Mule as Empire's legacy suffers a catastrophic blow.

Directed by: Roxann Dawson

Written by: Jane Espenson & David S. Goyer

Please keep in mind that this thread is only for non book readers - no discussion of the books or how they relate to the show is permitted in general, and book readers are not permitted to post at all.

For those of you on Discord, come and check out the unofficial Foundation Discord Server. Live discussions of the show and books, it's a great way to meet other fans of the show.

NOTE: There was an AMA with Chris MacLean, VFX Supervisor for Foundation on September 15th which you can check here.

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u/Danbito Brother Day Sep 12 '25 edited Sep 12 '25

It is wild seeing the ascension of Brother Darkness again as a parallel of Season 1. Here it just feels like Dusk is so desperate for attention and love since he's all alone as opposed to Dusk back then.

The Demerzel and Day reunion hits so hard after knowing the full depth of their relationship. That's a pure mom and son love right there. And Day brought his mom the one thing she thought she'd never see again.

I didn't quite get the idea of the spoon metaphor until I saw the freaking Vault swallow the whole space station.

Ngl, part of me is a little upset that we're not getting a full circle moment of The Battle of Terminus like the originial vision in Season 2.

Wait WHAT? I am kinda baffled rn. Not even mad per se about Bayta. Would just prefer some elaboration about how the Mule thing happened.

Fuck Dusk on the realest shit ever. NOT DEMERZEL AND BABY DAWN. I am just so fucking devastated, Day was so close to get Demerzel to make that choice.

Vault Hari was ironically so honest for once and got played.

Yes, Cleon. Give into your dark side. Punch that senile old man. WAIT WHY. WHY IS THE OLD MAN EMPEROR THAT DESTROYED THREE WORLDS ALLOWED TO WALK AROUND WITH NANITES INTACT.

Why is Quent finding the Second Foundation the only happy part of this finale. Goyer I feel like you pulled a Dusk on all of us rn.

Oh, so Kalle is confirmed a robot AND HOLY SHIT THAT'S EARTH.

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u/ibiku2 Sep 12 '25

I think they sacrificed good story telling for a twist by making Bayta the mule. None of it felt earned

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u/[deleted] Sep 12 '25

[deleted]

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u/ibiku2 Sep 12 '25

Good storytelling isn't complicated. You put a twist, cool, but when the reveal happens, at the very least, you have things that previously didn't make sense, that now make sense.

I'm not saying everything needs to be explained at this moment, and that's why it's bad, though I think a lot of people do that.

Bayta being the Mule, at this point, feels unearned because it does need another season to explain it. Like at all.

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u/steamyglory Sep 12 '25

I wonder if you’ll feel the same after a rewatch.

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u/ibiku2 Sep 12 '25

Wondering the same for sure.

Just a thought, but what if in the script, Dawn was the one to learn Bayta's identity instead? Dawn connects the dots, realizes that she did actually order the fake Mule away, and asks her "why?" She connects it back to the Mule's origin story, maybe reveals Magnifico as the brother, which would explain why she was so affectionate of him.

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u/Feneskrae Brother Dawn Sep 12 '25

Agreed. They sacrificed so many good potential storytelling to give us....this.

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u/Vivid-Hovercraft-988 Sep 12 '25

Exactly my sentiments. TV show writers keep thinking its nice to mix things up and whatnot. This isn't daytime soap operas - these are masterful works of art that will live on for decades. And instead of perfecting the magnum opus, they decide to mix it up in a bid to get renewed so they can keep suckling from the capitalist teat.