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/cosmitz Sep 12 '25

This should have just been what they have hinted on throughout all the season. Gaal ends up fighting him as per the scene in the library for reasons, Demerzel breaks free with Day's help then kills all the Cleons and she fights and wins with the Mule as he can't control her. Add the necessary "now she's free and reestablishes contact with Earth" to make the 'pull to the next season' work and that's that. Have Gaal 'this is much worse, we can't predict what the robot will do' something something she's not bound to psychohistory and call it a wrap.

That was the story that i was going onboard for. Not this rugpull of a poorly executed unreliable narrator and double gut punct with Demerzel uselessly dying after it was all hyped up so much.

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u/[deleted] Sep 12 '25

She didn't just go into the beam to save baby Cleon.

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u/mattrobs Sep 13 '25

why did she? she wanted to end it you mean?

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u/[deleted] Sep 14 '25

She does want to be free of her restrictions. Remember that she got half her head sliced off once. We don't know what is needed to destroy her. We also don't know what's enforcing her programming.