Warning: Spoilers ahead forFoundationseason 3, episode 2, “Shadows in the Math.“Foundationseason 1 introduced a massive twist that has gradually changed the course of the story, but the fallout has become especially prominent by the time of season 3.Foundation’s timeline is already centuries long, so events that once seemed like they could be important have grown into arcs that are now impossible to ignore.
A trio ofFoundationseason 3’s new charactersis especially fascinating because of the season 1 twist in question. While the actors have appeared in the show before, the returning members of theFoundationseason 3 casthave been thrust into new roles as Apple TV+’s space opera surges onward.
The Cleonic Dynasty’s Genetic Drift Is More Obvious Than Ever In Foundation Season 3
Brothers Dawn, Dusk, & Day each have distinct personalities
Foundationseason 1’s finale revealed that the genetic material of Cleon I had been tampered with, so that each successive clone emperor would be different from the one that preceded him. Cassian Bilton’s Cleon XIV was the first clone to realize that his behavior and other traits diverged from that of his brothers.
Cleon VIX was essentially executed by Laura Birn’s Lady Demerzel as a result of straying from what is expected of a clone emperor.
Cleon VIX was essentially executed by Laura Birn’s Lady Demerzel as a result of straying from what is expected of a clone emperor. However, it was then discovered that the genetic drift had not just affected that era’s Brother Dawn, but also Day and Dusk. Not only that, but that it would continue to impact the dynasty and worsen over time.
The Cleons that have followed have all been subtly differentrather than coming across as versions of the same man. However, it has been difficult at times to notice which behaviors are due to the genetic drift, and which are caused by external factors. InFoundationseason 3, Dawn, Day, and Dusk feel like distinct individuals.
While Dawn initially seems every inch the classic clone emperor who is devoted to his upcoming reign, the last-minute twist in episode 2, “Shadows in the Math,” that shows his clandestine communications, proves that things are not as they seem.Day’s genetic drift is obvious, as he has denounced his duties as a leader and taken to a life of pure leisure.
Brother Dusk also appears at first to be a fairly traditional cloneof Cleon I, but his intense resistance to the Ascension ceremony is a clear sign that he isn’t behaving as Dusks once did. While there are still elements of earlier clones in the respective demeanor of the three men, it’s easy to see that the genetic drift has drastically altered them.
Foundation’s Genetic Drift Storyline Wouldn’t Be Possible Without The Show’s Sprawling Timeline
Hundreds of years have passed since Foundation’s premiere
IfFoundationfocused on one particular era of the war between the show’s titular body and Empire, the genetic drift would be relegated to a concern for future generations to concern themselves with. It would also be especially difficult to spot the impact immediately, asthe tampering with Cleon I’s DNA was never going to achieve immediate results.
Foundation’s timeline has already experienced more than one time jump, and each one has been huge. So,the show has been able to skip over certain generations of Cleons, who presumably continued to act differently from their predecessors, to a point in time whereFoundation’s Cleonic Dynasty is in complete disarray.
New episodes ofFoundationseason 3 release every Friday on Apple TV+ until the finale on September 12.
