Warning: Spoilers ahead forFoundationseason 3, episode 4, “The Stress of Her Regard.“Foundationseason 3, episode 4, “The Stress of Her Regard,” ends with one of the installment’s narrators delivering an especially poignant monologue, which quietly reveals what happened to a long-missing character from the season 2 finale. The speech in question comes from one ofFoundationseason 3’s new characters, but is arguably about someone else entirely, from an earlier point in theFoundationtimeline.
One of the biggest changes toIsaac Asimov’sFoundationbookshas resulted in a slew of new characters appearing in Apple TV+’s live-action adaptation.Foundation’s Genetic Dynastyis a clone-centric spin on the author’s original version of Cleon I. As such, various iterations of Cleon have been created for the show’s generational storyline, but some stand out far more than others.
Brother Day’s Monologue At The End Of Foundation Season 3 Episode 4 Implies Cleon XVIII Was Eventually Tracked Down (& Killed)
The Brother Dawn Who Escaped Empire Probably Didn’t Stay Free For Long
At theend ofFoundationseason 2, Cassian Bilton’s Brother Dawn, AKA Cleon VXIII, fled Trantor with Queen Sareth I (Ella-Rae Smith), with the reveal that the two were expecting a child together. Their scheme was generally deemed to be a success, as both Dawn and Sareth visibly escaped. However, “The Stress of Her Regard” may have altered that perception.
When Lee Pace’s Brother Day, Cleon XXIV, is narrating at the end ofFoundationseason 3, episode 4, he’s speaking about his own escape from his Imperial duties. While doing so, he says something that pretty much confirms thatCleon XVIII and Queen Sareth didn’t actually get the happy ending they wanted.
“No one can escape Empire, not even Empire. But I’m gonna see how far I can go.”
- Cleon XXIV,Foundationseason 3, episode 4, “The Stress of Her Regard.”
Day’s statement of “no one can escape Empire, not even Empire,” certainly sounds like bad news for his distant predecessor. If he’s right, thenDawn will likely have been tracked down after escaping Trantor. With Lady Demerzel (Laura Birn) having already proven she isn’t against killing Cleons to protect the Dynasty, Dawn probably didn’t live for long after being found.
What makes this possibility especially dark is being left to wonder what happened to Sareth and her child if and when Dawn was tracked down. The offspring of a clone emperor would surely have a legitimate claim to the throne, so Demerzel could easily have interpreted its existence as a threat to the Cleonic Dynasty.
What Else Brother Day Could Have Meant At The End Of “The Stress Of Her Regard”
A Replacement Cleon XVIII Will Have Filled In For Brother Dawn
Brother Day’s voiceover in “The Stress of Her Regard” isn’t an ironclad reveal of what happenedto the Cleon who seemingly escaped his Imperial lifestyle. There is an alternate way to read Day’s declaration about it being impossible for anyone to escape Empire. At the very least, there’s an alternate interpretation for members of the Clone Dynasty.
There are safeguards in place to prevent the loss of a Cleon before his time. Each clone has a backup version of itself on Trantor. Once decanted, it even has the same memories as the emperor it’s replacing. While this contingency is usually reserved for the unexpected death of a Cleon, it would also be useful in the case of Cleon XVIII.
So, while a version of Cleon XVIII may actually have lived out his life with Queen Sareth, a replacement would have been rapidly thrust into service in his place.Demerzel would likely also audit the new clone’s memoriesto have no recollection of ever escaping. Either way, Day was telling at least some version of the truth inFoundationseason 3, episode 4.
New episodes of Foundation season 3 release every Friday on Apple TV+ until the finale on September 12.
