Dhruv Trivedi
‘Foundation’ follows the epic saga about the fall of civilization and a mathematician’s plan to preserve all human knowledge. Episode 9, titled ‘The First Crisis,’ lives up to its name and is a roller coaster ride of tumultuous events. Instability arises from all sides, and the galaxy teeters on the brink of chaos as one of the three galactic rulers disappears from the palace. The legendary warship known as the Invictus also jumps to an unexpected location, taking Salvor with it. There is a lot to unpack so that we’re all caught up for the season finale. Let’s dive into ‘Foundation’ episode 9. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Foundation Episode 9 Recap
The episode opens on board the Invictus, which has just jumped through space. Salvor is the first to recover from the strenuous journey and realizes that the ship has inexplicably jumped back to Terminus, bringing her exactly where she wanted to go. She soon discovers that it is thanks to Lewis — who is now lying dead, entangled in the ship’s neural navigation wires — that the ship jumps to Terminus. However, all attempts to contact the planet’s surface remain unsuccessful, and Salvor is forced to jump onto a neighboring ship, where she is reunited with Hugo.
Upon finally reaching the planet’s surface, Salvor finds all its inhabitants unconscious. She realizes that it is because of the “null field” being emitted by the Vault and finds her mother lying unconscious near the mysterious artifact. She finds Hari’s psychohistory module nearby and, upon picking it up, begins to have visions of herself as Gaal. Through them, she learns how to activate the module and does so, unlocking the massive Vault.
Meanwhile, Brother Dawn makes plans to escape from the palace and start a new life with a royal gardener named Azura. Before he can leave, however, Brother Dusk summons him and hints that he knows about Brother Dawn’s genetic flaws, causing the latter to panic and leave immediately. However, when he gets to Azura’s modest apartment, she tries to kill him.
Foundation Episode 9 Ending: Is Hari Seldon Alive on Terminus?
Brother Dawn escapes Azura but is soon captured by her allies, who begin to transfer his blood into the body of a clone. It is then revealed that Azura is part of a decades-long conspiracy by a local rebel group to replace one of the “Cleons” with a sympathizer. Just as Brother Dawn is about to be killed, the rebel group is attacked and killed by the palace forces. However, Brother Dusk berates his younger clone for being a reminder of the genetic dynasty’s failures and leaves his fate up to Brother Day.
Back on Terminus, Hugo arrives with his Thespian allies just in time to see Salvor open the Vault, and all the planet’s residents wake up from their coma. However, a standoff then ensues between the Anacreons and the Thespians. Salvor begs for them to come to an agreement, but Phara continues to fire at the Vault until the Grand Huntress is shot in the neck with an arrow. The episode then closes with Hari Seldon seen walking out of the Vault, which now lies open.
So, it seems like Hari Seldon has finally arrived on Terminus many decades after the Foundation team landed. However, from his demeanor, it seems like he has arrived right on time, as he congratulates all those present there for sticking to his plan. Hence, the episode’s closing scenes prove that Hari had planned on getting the Anacreons, Thespians, and Foundation members to collaborate from the start. However, the mathematician is not alive, and the version of him that emerges from the Vault is likely a hologram similar to the one that talks to Gaal on the Raven.
Is The Grand Huntress of Anacreon (Phara) Dead? Who Kills Her?
The Grand Huntress of Anacreon, who leads her people in a bid to avenge the widespread destruction on their planet, is finally killed in this episode. When Salvor offers that the colonies of the galaxy’s outer rim — namely the Anacreons, Thespians, and the Foundation — unite to achieve a common goal, Phara remains the only dissident.
Even the rest of her team seems to agree with Salvor, but the Grand Huntress continues to fire indiscriminately. This also proves what Salvor has said from the start— that Phara is on a path of destruction and doesn’t have her people’s best interests at heart. Eventually, to get her to stop firing at the Vault, the Warden of Terminus (Salvor) shoots Phara with her own bow. The fact that the rest of her army gives up without second thought shows that they, too, are likely relieved by the death of their manic leader.
Read More: Where is Foundation Filmed?
