which as Poly points out in a tag scene to s2 other reviews told me wasn't filmed for budget reasons (because the background would have been the surviving Foundationists arriving at and settling on their new planet of residence) is a very Empire kind of thing to do
Odd. That wasn't a tag scene - I saw it on Apple TV - when I watched the episode. Is it one overseas and not in the States? Very odd.
Because I remember laughing at it.
thus bested the ambitious priestess Halima, still orders Demerezel to kill her, presumably because he was still angry at Demerezel for having bowed to the woman
That was an interesting and haunting episode. In it we learn that Day lies about his vision at the center of the spiral. In truth - he saw nothing at all. Demerzal confronts him on it - I think, not certain, before he orders her to kill Halima? She tells him that the flower he describes - is the same one in her personal quarters, that he saw while he was with her. And clearly - she traveled the spiral at some point and got a vision, but she seems to know that he did not. And she states, "that's an emptiness that I would not wish on anyone." He gets angry at her, and in flashback - we see him remember not seeing anything, and feeling empty and alone, curling in on himself in the lake at the center. After that - I think he orders her to kill Halima? Or was it before? It's almost as if they are playing a chess match or power game, who has power over whom. He gets back at her for bowing to Halima, by ordering her to kill Halima for him - knowing she can't disobey. And she gets back at him by telling him she knows he's empty inside?
It's a recurring power-play. She does it in Episode 9 (?) when she apologizes to him for not raising him right - and as a result he's a complete failure as a ruler and man - to such a degree, that he's clearly devastated by what she's said. And she does it before taking off, and right before he destroys Terminus against her advice. She knows he's going to - which is most likely why she says it.
Their dynamic is fascinating. It's like watching two caged tigers circle each other, stuck in a cage, knowing they can't destroy each other, that they both love and hate each other, and are kind of trapped in this weird co-dependent hell for eternity? I can see Friedman's hand in that. Along with Espenson's. Both handle AI/human interactions very well.
***
Hari Seldon is equally interesting - because we have the rational, mathematical AI Hari - who is a data stream. Who's all logic. And the human Hari. [At least I think he's human - still haven't figured out how he survived the drowning - but I haven't seen the finale episode yet. (No worries you didn't spoil me - I knew what happened to Hari and Gaal already, just nothing else - or not really.) That will be remedied either tonight or tomorrow.] I agree human Hari is interesting in how he changes, and is almost kinder and more genuine than AI Hari. AI Hari could become problematic later, particularly after Empire destroyed Terminus.
I am curious to see if the series goes in the same direction as the books regarding the Mule. (I've not read the books as such - but I read the Wiki synopsis of them - and it appears in Second Foundation the Mule pops up as kind of a new leader, who is a powerful telepath, but not entirely evil. ) What fascinates me about this series - is no one is entirely good or evil, and all the characters are equally capable of both. (Very Babylon 5, the Wire,and BSG in that respect). Television series, novels or films that pull off that difficult feat - I fall in love with. Because in reality that's how we are - capable of wonderful and horrible things often at the same time. It's far more interesting to watch complicated protagonists and antagonists than straight up heroes and villains.
no subject
Odd. That wasn't a tag scene - I saw it on Apple TV - when I watched the episode. Is it one overseas and not in the States? Very odd.
Because I remember laughing at it.
thus bested the ambitious priestess Halima, still orders Demerezel to kill her, presumably because he was still angry at Demerezel for having bowed to the woman
That was an interesting and haunting episode. In it we learn that Day lies about his vision at the center of the spiral. In truth - he saw nothing at all. Demerzal confronts him on it - I think, not certain, before he orders her to kill Halima? She tells him that the flower he describes - is the same one in her personal quarters, that he saw while he was with her. And clearly - she traveled the spiral at some point and got a vision, but she seems to know that he did not. And she states, "that's an emptiness that I would not wish on anyone." He gets angry at her, and in flashback - we see him remember not seeing anything, and feeling empty and alone, curling in on himself in the lake at the center. After that - I think he orders her to kill Halima? Or was it before? It's almost as if they are playing a chess match or power game, who has power over whom. He gets back at her for bowing to Halima, by ordering her to kill Halima for him - knowing she can't disobey. And she gets back at him by telling him she knows he's empty inside?
It's a recurring power-play. She does it in Episode 9 (?) when she apologizes to him for not raising him right - and as a result he's a complete failure as a ruler and man - to such a degree, that he's clearly devastated by what she's said. And she does it before taking off, and right before he destroys Terminus against her advice. She knows he's going to - which is most likely why she says it.
Their dynamic is fascinating. It's like watching two caged tigers circle each other, stuck in a cage, knowing they can't destroy each other, that they both love and hate each other, and are kind of trapped in this weird co-dependent hell for eternity? I can see Friedman's hand in that. Along with Espenson's. Both handle AI/human interactions very well.
***
Hari Seldon is equally interesting - because we have the rational, mathematical AI Hari - who is a data stream. Who's all logic. And the human Hari. [At least I think he's human - still haven't figured out how he survived the drowning - but I haven't seen the finale episode yet. (No worries you didn't spoil me - I knew what happened to Hari and Gaal already, just nothing else - or not really.) That will be remedied either tonight or tomorrow.] I agree human Hari is interesting in how he changes, and is almost kinder and more genuine than AI Hari. AI Hari could become problematic later, particularly after Empire destroyed Terminus.
I am curious to see if the series goes in the same direction as the books regarding the Mule. (I've not read the books as such - but I read the Wiki synopsis of them - and it appears in Second Foundation the Mule pops up as kind of a new leader, who is a powerful telepath, but not entirely evil. ) What fascinates me about this series - is no one is entirely good or evil, and all the characters are equally capable of both. (Very Babylon 5, the Wire,and BSG in that respect). Television series, novels or films that pull off that difficult feat - I fall in love with. Because in reality that's how we are - capable of wonderful and horrible things often at the same time. It's far more interesting to watch complicated protagonists and antagonists than straight up heroes and villains.