S01.E08: The Missing Piece

[AnimeMania]

Brother Day embarks on a journey that no other Cleon has ever attempted. Salvor prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice to return home.
Premiere Date: November 5, 2021

[Zonk]

My girl Demerzel, mistress of throwing shade. That was the most passive agressive speach I ever heard in my life.

Of course I think the concept of a soul is silly superstition and I don't see how a robot would have a vision, let alone every pilgrim, but whatever.

 

That flower remained pristine in something where it can be hit by light and UV radiation for 11.000 years? Yeah, sure show, sure.

 

So Gaal smashing a screen kills the heat exchange system? Man these ships are shoddily designed. And where are the nanobots that usually fix the ship when it has sustained damage?

I assume these writers also think that when you smash your computer screen, you've destroyed the computer...

 

That cryo pod is impressive. To get to another star system with an inhabitable planet, in only 138 years, it has to fly at least near light speed. Maybe even faster than light. That with basically no engines and fuel. Almost like it was magic.

It also seems that it has no problems flying through a debris field a massive ship had problems with. The wizard who contructed it must be grand, indeed.

[AnimeMania]

Lee Pace Shares Exclusive Photos of His Desert Pilgrimage for Sci-Fi Series ‘Foundation’

[Melina22]

Great article. I'm so used to people doing everything on a set or in front of a green screen. It never occurred to me that they shot the spiral walk in an actual desert. One with pizza. 😁

I mostly enjoyed this episode, but half of the time I couldn't really figure out what was going on. I probably should have used CC, but that wouldn't have answered a lot of my questions 

I agree that huge swaths of the plot don't make sense even from a sci-fi point of view. I was going to give examples but there are so many I get tired thinking about it. Some are very simple, like how there could be an automatic gun on a ship that if you jumped fast it would miss you. Or how Gaal smashing a window made everything work out. Or how it took Demerzel 11,000 years to get really annoyed with Empire. 

Oh yeah, and what about that thing the man was about to stick straight into Salvor's spine like a DIY epidural that would enable her to set the location of the jump ship? Only now they're jumping anyway which we know won't kill her even though it's supposed to kill her? (I can only hope the jump kills the Crankiest Archer in History. I'm so tired of her and her unrelenting evil vengeance moods.) 

What happened to Hologram Harry exactly? 

Anyway, don't get me started. This isn't the show I was hoping for, but I'm definitely going to keep watching for now, particularly since we're expecting a long winter. 

[Zonk]

8 minutes ago, Melina22 said:

Or how it took Demerzel 11,000 years to get really annoyed with Empire. 

In episode three we learned that Cleon I only lived 400 years ago (which seems really short for the timescales of this story). So it only took her 4 centuries to become really annoyed with Empire. :D For somebody who has lived at least 11.000 years, actually not that long.

14 minutes ago, Melina22 said:

Oh yeah, and what about that thing the man was about to stick straight into Salvor's spine like a DIY epidural that would enable her to set the location of the jump ship? Only now they're jumping anyway which we know won't kill her even though it's supposed to kill her? (I can only hope the jump kills the Crankiest Archer in History. I'm so tired of her and her unrelenting evil vengeance moods.) 

Considering she is probably Gaal's daughter, with them having their future-sight in common, and Gaal being able to survive a jump while being awake, I'm willing to accept her surviving it. However, if anybody else survives, I'm going to call bullshit.

17 minutes ago, Melina22 said:

What happened to Hologram Harry exactly? 

I think the ship will get fried a bit, but Gaal alluded to the fact that Hari is probably going to survive.

17 minutes ago, Melina22 said:

Anyway, don't get me started. This isn't the show I was hoping for, but I'm definitely going to keep watching for now, particularly since we're expecting a long winter. 

I know you had hoped for another BSG, I really had hoped for another Expanse (since as far as I understand Asimov's books are pretty hard scifi). Looks like none of us are getting what we hoped for. :(

But this is a pretty fun show to hate-watch. While the plot is just stupid all around, there are a few great performances, that keep the whole thing interesting. So I'll stick with this, as well.

 

[Melina22]

15 minutes ago, Zonk said:

I know you had hoped for another BSG, I really had hoped for another Expanse (since as far as I understand Asimov's books are pretty hard scifi). Looks like none of us are getting what we hoped for. :(

I did read some of the Foundation series and I can attest to how dry it was, in terms of character development, so I knew it would be different in many ways from BSG, but I was hoping for the same immersive feeling, which I only got in the first episode of this series.

I've been disappointed in pretty much everything that's taken place on Terminus. Too much running, shooting and bad acting for me. Not enough engrossing story. 

I've heard The Expanse mentioned a lot. Now I'm wondering if I should give it a try. Thoughts? 

[AnimeMania]

The most "logical" explanation of what happened in the Gaal/Hari situation is that when you swing an iron crowbar at a ghost they don't like that (learned from the watching Supernatual TV Series). It would have been funny if after destroying the ships controls, Hari was no longer able to open the doors and Gaal had to sweat herself to death. Well, she does like to swim.

Salvor was going to shove that cable into her neck, click her heels three times and say "There's no place like home." The next thing that you know there is a gigantic spaceship exploding through the core of the planet Terminus. Hari Seldon's hologram starts crying.

[AnimeMania]

This episode is called "The Staring Contest". Tell us who won!

[marinw]

I finally saw Dune. This episode.....was not that. But I didn't mind seeing a  Lee Pace in a loincloth. I was harsh about his performance earlier but he's growing on me. 

Farah is one of the dumbest terrorists ever. How did she live this long?

What is Gaal hoping to find on her home planet after being gone for so mant years? Everything will literally be underwater.

Edited November 6, 2021 by marinw

[Zonk]

37 minutes ago, Melina22 said:

I've heard The Expanse mentioned a lot. Now I'm wondering if I should give it a try. Thoughts? 

I'd very much recommend it. For the first two seasons it's very hard scifi except for the fact that the ships have extremely efficient drives. Afterwards it gets a little softer, but still not that much. Communications delays, G-Forces and all the other things you'd have to contend with during space exploration aren't ignored, but rather play an integral part in the story.

But at the same time it's not dry when it comes to the characters at all. In fact it's very much a character driven show. In that aspect it's a lot closer to nBSG than most other shows out there.

I'm saddened that the next season will be the last, despite there still being a lot of books left, but I'm told (I've so far held off on reading the books to not get spoiled for show) that it's a natural stoping point before a big time jump, so there should be a satisfying finale. I guess once the final season has aired there is nothing stoping me form reading the books, so that's one positive side to this.

[marinw]

I second @Zonk. The Expanse is fantastic.

[Melina22]

Okay, now I'm sort of excited. I'll start The Expanse soon. Thanks 😊

ETA Just finished episode 1. Wow!!! Loved it. 

Edited November 6, 2021 by Melina22

[marinw]

On 11/5/2021 at 7:37 PM, Melina22 said:

I'll start The Expanse soon. Thanks 😊

That show also has Jared Harris.

[Melina22]

1 hour ago, marinw said:

That show also has Jared Harris.

Last night I finished episode 6 of The Expanse after promising myself I'd only watch one per day. Guess I'm full-on binging it. 😁 Anyway, Jared is fantastic in the show, and what a wonderful accent. I like him almost as much in Foundation. Excellent actor. 

My only issue with The Expanse was the horrible sound so after 30 minutes of episode one, I restarted with CC, and that made all the difference. I also wish the Season 1 thread wasn't several years old. No point in adding to it really.

I wish Foundation was giving me the feeling I'm getting from The Expanse, but maybe as the series moves on things will improve. I'm actually quite interested in the Empire/Demerzel storyline, but as noted, I can't seem to get invested in anything involving Terminus or Salvor, for multiple reasons. I'll keep watching though and hope things improve. (I remember HATING season 1 of Babylon 5, but in season 2 it became dramatically better.) 

I also love the way the tech in The Expanse, right down to their phones and space travel, feel so real and make sense. I guess we shouldn't compare shows but I would love to see more of this in Foundation. And less of people magically dodging bullets, and getting out of jams with math and crowbars and the ability to see the future. 

Final note - wow - Lee Pace's terminal sunburn and bruised feet were so painful to watch in this episode. I could hardly look. Unlike people who were excited to see him in a loincloth, I wanted to tell him through the screen to put his linen wrap back on, although SPF 100 cream would have been better. What a relief when he finally hit the water. Hopefully once he got the nanobots back in his system, they would repair all the damage. Yuck. (I question how anyone survived the spiral if he in his obviously superior physical state barely did.) 

[marinw]

2 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Hopefully once he got the nanobots back in his system, they would repair all the damage. Yuck. (I question how anyone survived the spiral if he in his obviously superior physical state barely did.) 

I was a little impressed. It would have been easy for him to cheat. 

This morning I ran in a 10K race in November, and THAT was a lot!!!

[marinw]

3 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Excellent actor. 

Have you seen Chernobyl? Excellent. I tried The Terror (Which Harris was also in) but I couldn't get into it.

Edited November 7, 2021 by marinw

[Melina22]

You're right, he was great in Chernobyl too. That was a difficult watch. 

[marinw]

1 hour ago, Melina22 said:

That was a difficult watch. 

More difficult than sunburnt Lee Pace in a lioncloth?😄

Edited November 7, 2021 by marinw

[gibasi]

I read the books but decades ago so I don’t remember a whole lot. I do know that Empire was not in the books and really that is about all that interests me in the show. However I am not interested in Brother Dawn and his stupid teen angst. I just wish this was better than it is. 

Edited November 7, 2021 by gibasi
Typos

[marinw]

Roxanne Dawson directed this episode. The same RD from Star Trek: Voyager!

[edhopper]

I am trying to decide if I  should even finish this season. Are there 2 episodes left?

 

The smartest people in the Universe are all idiots.

Edited November 8, 2021 by edhopper

[showme]

Lee Pace is in such good shape, his body is amazing... Still remember him from Pushing Daisy...

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, edhopper said:

I am trying to decide if I  should even finish this season. Are there 2 episodes left?

Yes, 2 left.

[vteal]

So does Demerzel not have the three laws?  And if she does how did she poison almost-high-priestess lady?  I suppose Foundation was written before the I Robot series but still.  If you're going to just pull stuff willy nilly from various Asimov works should be consistent.  That needed explanation.  

Glad there are only 2 episodes left. Hope it gets better next season.  

[marinw]

2 hours ago, vteal said:

So does Demerzel not have the three laws? 

Great point. If you are going to use Asimov, at least use an Asimovian Andriod! Data was much better at the three laws. 

A "loose" adaptation of a novel or novels CAN be done well. Case in point: The Leftovers. Starship Troopers wasn't 100% faithful to the Robert Heinlein novel, but that film was awesome.

Edited November 9, 2021 by marinw

[KarenX]

7 hours ago, vteal said:

So does Demerzel not have the three laws?  And if she does how did she poison almost-high-priestess lady?

Can we invoke the Zeroth law? Which is a real thing I definitely remember from Asimov. And then assume this will come back in some future plot point?

[marinw]

2 hours ago, KarenX said:

Can we invoke the Zeroth law?

 “A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.”

That law in so broad a robot may not be able to do anything.

[Hanahope]

So do we know for sure other people with souls actually had visions?  Maybe others did not, but like Day, did not want to admit it so made up something.  Good observation skills by Day if nothing else.  And he did “grow” some by his interaction with the old man.  
 

What does Gaal think she is going to do in 138 years?  Why not start a new second foundation?  Even if she has this near future forecasting ability (which I guess proves Salvor is her daughter), the math still proves Hari is right.  
 

I presume Salvor lives through the jump, and others not.  Wonder where the ship goes next and what happened exactly on the ship.  
 

snd will Dawn escape?  Interesting the differences he has.  Is he really the first with such differences or the first to try and do something?  Explains why he had the painting removed when he could not truly see it.
 

Edited November 13, 2021 by Hanahope