Diksha Sundriyal
Based on the novel of the same name by Isaac Asimov, Apple TV+’s ‘Foundation’ takes place thousands of years into the future, where humans have spread throughout the galaxy. The show takes place over decades and centuries, kickstarted by a prediction about the fall of the Galactic Empire. The first season sets the stage for the story to unfold in the coming seasons, taking the audience to the outermost reaches of the galaxy.
One of the central characters is Hari Seldon, a genius mathematician whose predictions catalyze the show’s events. The person closest to him is Raych, who is dedicated to following Seldon’s plan, even if it means he might have to submit to a tragic fate. Things don’t end well for him in the first season. If you are wondering what happens to Raych, we’ve got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD
Raych Dies by Execution, Sacrificed for Seldon’s Plan
Hari Seldon adopted Raych Foss when he was still a child. Seldon brought him up and treated him like his own son. They developed a close bond, wherein Raych showed utmost loyalty to Seldon and never questioned his plans, believing that his father figure always knew what he was doing. When he predicts the fall of the Empire and the creation of the Foundation, Raych never doubts him. However, things change when Gaal enters the story.
Gaal becomes an important part of Seldon’s plan when she proves her genius by solving a mathematical problem that had been unsolved for many centuries. The Empire allows Foundation to settle in Terminus, a planet on the outer edges of the galaxy. Seldon knew that Gaal was the only one who could lead the people in his absence, which became a necessity the more Seldon thought about it.
Seldon had Lethe’s disease, inherited from his father. This meant that he would deteriorate with time, not just physically but also mentally. For Foundation to flourish, they needed to believe in their leader unequivocally. Seldon needed to become someone that the people could put their faith in unquestioningly. They needed to see him as a God rather than a decaying shell of a man. The disease’s progression meant that by the time they reached Terminus, Seldon would have lost the genius that got them there.
Seldon decided that his death was the only way he could turn into a God-like figure because then, he wouldn’t just be a man, but an idea, which couldn’t be killed or defeated by time. He had planned to kill himself and left an escape route for Raych for what happened next. However, when Raych fell in love with Gaal, Seldon realized he would never want to leave her. So, he made Raych kill himself so that he would have to use the escape plan while Gaal would go to Terminus.
Seldon’s plan was thwarted when Gaal walked in on Raych stabbing Seldon. Her presence at the crime scene would turn her into an accomplice, so Raych made Gaal leave through the escape pod made for him. Because there was no second pod, Raych couldn’t leave the ship. He was arrested, tried for murder, and executed by being thrown into space.
Alfred Enoch Exits Foundation
The truth about Raych’s death is revealed to Gaal and Seldon 34 years later. There is no way Raych could have survived being ejected from the spaceship without any gear. He would have died within seconds, so there is no doubt that he is gone. This means that for actor Alfred Enoch, this is the end of the road on ‘Foundation.’ There is, however, still a faint possibility of his return. While the show travels forward in time by taking leaps of decades and centuries, it also takes the audience into the past through flashback scenes. However, considering the massive scale of the show and how Raych’s role is minuscule compared to the part played by Seldon, Gaal, Salvor, and Cleon, it’s unlikely that the show goes back to Raych.
For Enoch, it was “a joy to play” Raych, who goes through quite a character arc in a short amount of time. “One of the really fun things about playing Raych’s arc is how much he knows how integral he is to Hari’s plans. Because it’s always fun to play scenes where there’s something unspoken. That is satisfying to play scenes like that where Raych is effectively trying to stay on top; he knows he can’t just say what he wants to say. He can’t say a proper goodbye, but he has to find a way to do that. Those challenges, those obstacles are interesting,” the ‘Harry Potter‘ actor said of the role. Meanwhile, Enoch has picked up other projects, which include everything from movies and TV shows to theatre.
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