Stars End: A Foundation Podcast - Stars End S4E06 - The Whole Point of the Podcast is that the Future Isn't Set in Stone

Stars End S4E06 - The Whole Point of the Podcast is that the Future Isn't Set in Stone

Explicit content warning

08/14/23 • 76 min

1 Listener

Stars End: A Foundation Podcast

"The Whole Point of the Podcast is that the Future Isn't Set in Stone" in which we discuss Foundation, S2E05 "The Sighted and the Seen" This week media analyst, Fordham professor, and Renaissance human Paul Levinson joins the conversation! That Beatles reference below, Paul? That's for you.

Here's the usual spoiler warning. If you haven't, go watch the episode. We'll be here.

Foundation, Season 2 seems to be leaning even harder on comic relief and sexy time than it had been. Still, the plot wanders forward.

After a fairly dark opening, we get the comic relief from Gaal, Salvor, and Hari. The beggar crashes into a forest on Ignus reminiscent of Star Trek: Generations. Where's Jordi LaForge when you need him? Salvor yells "I'm flying dead stick!" Hari replies, "Is that bad?" That's pretty funny but it's not the best line. They encounter an old friend and then a crowd of mysterious mentalics. Could they be the nucleus of the Second Foundation?

Meanwhile, Sereth and Rue drive their arc forward with the sexy time while the theme of memory is writ large. We learn who was behind the murder of Sareth's Family while Day is becoming more unstable and Demerzel just keeps getting creepier. Rue manages to send Dawn and Dusk on a journey to see the Wizard, which is to say the vending machine version of Cleon the First. Imagine two Junior High School Elvis impersonators meeting the One True Elvis and you have the general idea. Later they're impressed by the size of C-1's... uh... data.

It's a lot to digest and we talk about it. You should join us! We can't promise it will help, but a splendid time is guaranteed for all!

Here's the usual spoiler warning. If you haven't, go watch the episode. We'll be here.

Foundation, Season 2 seems to be leaning even harder on comic relief and sexy time than it had been. Still, the plot wanders forward.

It's a lot to digest and we talk about it. You should join us! We can't promise it will help, but a splendid time is guaranteed for all!

Previous Episode

Stars End S4E05 -The Podcast Itself is Inconsequential When Measured Against the Scale of the Galaxy

In which we talk about Foundation, S2E04 "Where the Stars are Scattered Thinly." We're joined this week by Joel McKinnon, host of Seldon Crisis, another excellent Foundation Podcast!

As the season slows down a bit to focus on some of the significant plotlines we get the closest thing to a special Valentine's Day episode that this show could possibly do.

Meanwhile, Gaal, as the narrator, tells us repeatedly that "Psychohistory does not give a damn about how you monkeys hook up." I'm paraphrasing.

The narration notwithstanding the situation on Terminus is framed by Hober and Constant's sexual tension. Will they or won't they? Watch the episode!

We learn a lot about the situation with Queen Sereth. Sereth flirts with Brother Dawn! Rue flirts with Brother Dusk! It's all about what Brother Day may or may not have done. Will anybody flirt with Markley? Only time will tell!

And we see Bel Riose's story unfolding through the lens of his relationship with Glawin. "By the time you recognize an atrocity," says Glawin "you may have already been complicit in one!" What does that mean? I don't know, but it seems ominous!

At least we don't see Day and Demerzel in this context; I don't need to hear my skin crawl this week.

It all seems important! I'm pretty sure Gaal is an unreliable narrator here.

Also, enough is going on about wine to make for a reasonable freshman comp essay or at least a session or two with a good therapist.

We've got a lot to talk about! Join us!

Next Episode

Stars End S4E07 - It Takes a While Yet for the Decay to Reach the Podcast

We discuss Foundation, S2E06 "Why The Gods Made Wine.”

We hope that we haven’t spoiled you with all the great guests lately, but this week it’s back to just the three of us muddling along.

And speaking of spoiling, as always, we’re working on the assumption that if you’re listening you’ve watched the episode. It’s up to you, but if you don’t want the latest episode of Foundation to be as spoiled as a swig of sour milk you know what to do!

If you were hoping for a Hari-centric episode you should be careful what you wish for. It isn’t all Hari all the time though. Two moments with Hober flash by. Queen Sereth expediently and efficiently drops an audacious power play in front of a stunned and scowling Brother Day. Constant and Poly have barely started trying to see Trantor on 30 Altarian dollars a day when the Secret Police all crowd into their room.

The big chunks of the episode are dealing with the Mentalics on Ignus and a flashback to Hari and Dor... uh... Yanna’s brief time together.

But there’s not much humor in this one. It’s dark. Want a theme for the episode? Let’s get the full quote from the title drop. “The gods, made wine to compensate those who can’t afford revenge.” And I’m pretty sure we’re all out of wine.

Join us!