Dhruv Trivedi
The epic sci-fi saga of ‘Foundation‘ continues with episode 8, titled ‘The Missing Piece.’ Each of the show’s intertwined storylines goes through some momentous occasions in this pivotal chapter, and the galaxy’s fall into chaos seems to be accelerating. The vast scale of the show’s story is also referenced in a few memorable instances, once again reminding us just how remarkable the experiences of some of the characters are. There’s a lot to unpack in ‘Foundation’ episode 8, so let’s get right to it. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Foundation Episode 8 Recap
The episode opens in a flashback on the planet Anacreon, where a young Phara watches in horror as her friend is engulfed in flames during the Galactic Empire’s attack on her home planet. Back in the present, she continues to tell Salvor the story of how she subsequently came to become the vengeful Grand Huntress of Anacreon. As the powerful ship they are on continues to countdown to its intergalactic jump, Salvor and Lewis manage to barricade themselves on the ship’s bridge and desperately try to find a way to control it.
Meanwhile, Brother Day embarks on the arduous religious ritual that involves walking the Great Spiral and subsequently, if deemed worthy, having a vision. He watches others give up and die of the harsh conditions on the Great Spiral but forges ahead. Eventually, he finds himself inside the cave known as the Mother’s Womb, where pilgrims have their vision.
The Emperor then emerges from the ritual and recounts his vision, resulting in the oracles deeming his presence holy. The religious leader opposing the Emperor then bows in respect to acknowledge that he has proved his worthiness. However, Brother Day has her secretly killed anyway.
Foundation Episode 8 Ending: Where is the Invictus Taking Salvor and Phara?
Meanwhile, Gaal implores Hari to tell her the objective of his plan but to no avail. The late mathematician’s hologram remains maddeningly vague but does confirm that his plan involves setting up another Foundation (which he calls a sister colony). He refuses to divulge any more information because Gaal, with her ability to sense the future, presents an anomaly that is unaccounted for in his calculations.
Eventually, Gaal forces Hari to let her off the ship by threatening to kill herself. She gets into the cryogenic pod that brought her to the Raven and sets it to another destination. Near the end of the episode, Gaal is once again put into an induced sleep as the space pod carries her out into space.
We are then taken back to the Invictus, where Phara breaks onto the ship’s bridge and kills Lewis. During the ensuing scuffle between the Anacreon and Salvor, the ship they are in initiates its jump through space, causing them both to fall backward and become dizzy.
The fact that the Invictus has jumped with Salvor still trapped inside and with no one in control of the ship means that there is no way of telling where the ship will take her and Phara. The ship has been a ghost ship for hundreds of years for precisely this reason, as it has been jumping seemingly randomly this whole time, possibly to regions outside the galaxy as well. Thus, Salvor and Phara are going to find themselves in an as yet unknown part of space.
Their only hope for survival comes from the fact that the Warden of Terminus has some mysterious powers of her own. Just as Salvor can almost perfectly predict tossed coins, she thinks she can use those same powers to navigate the Invictus back to Terminus. Therefore, the ancient warship’s current destination remains unknown, but Salvor will likely try to jump it back to Terminus the first chance she gets.
What Vision Does Brother Day Have?
In one of the show’s most revealing moments so far, we see in the closing moments of episode 8 that Brother Day did not have any vision. When it is finally revealed what happened in the cave, we see the ruler crouching all alone in the dark pool, looking around in fear. Hence, his description of the three-petalled flower to the oracles is false, and we learn just how manipulative the Galactic Emperor (Brother Day) can be. The fact that he has his critic killed even after she acknowledges his legitimacy further goes to show the ruthless lengths he is willing to go to hold on to power.
Where is Gaal Going?
Gaal voluntarily gets into the space pod and orders it to take her back to her home planet, Synnax. Her decision is likely motivated by her constant nightmare about a giant wave wiping out her village and killing her parents. Now that Gaal knows that her intuition is actually a way through which she can sense the future, she realizes that her nightmare is a premonition and is most likely heading to Synnax to try and avert the calamity.
Perhaps what is most remarkable about her journey is that according to her pod’s calculations, it is going to take one hundred and thirty eight years. Apart from symbolizing how committed Gaal is to getting back to her home planet, it again reminds us just how vast this show’s timeline is. Keep in mind that Gaal previously spent over three decades floating through space prior to arriving on the Raven.
Read More: Where is Foundation Filmed?
