• 2 Posts
  • 13 Comments
Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 17th, 2023

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  • I think it’s pretty good. It had a lot more action than the first season, and a lot more intrige too.

    I’d second disregarding any comment hammering on the difference between the books and the series, for the simple reason that having any female character, or any character that persists beyond half a season, already contradicts the books. Who would watch something like that?

    I’m not too disturbed by the religious thing: that part is actually in the books. Plus a religious revival around a societal downfall is a well-known trope in science fiction (see eg. A Canticle for Leibowitz).

    Also, and it pains me to have to say this, but it’s kinda racist at points: surprisingly often, violent roles are alotted to darker-skinned actors (like when Bel and Glawen landed on Siwenna, or when the Beggar’s Lament landed on Ignis), yet I don’t see any darker-skinned actors playing good guys (why did Ducem Barr have to be white?).




  • Blatant speculation that references the books and may spoil the ending of the season

    About ending imperial cloning: I don’t think brother Day, or even any Cleonic exponent, can do so.

    As Demerzel says, she is loyal to Empire. Right now, that means being loyal to Cleon XVII. Thus she follows his wishes of arranging a marriage and letting him procreate. However, as the memory of Cleon I mentioned to XVI and XVIII back in S02E05, the temperament of XVII had already been accounted for. Therefore I think that when XVII hits 60, the age at which he becomes brother Dusk, Demerzel’s loyalty will automatically shift to XVIII; she is likely programmed to do so.

    So all this trying to end genetic cloning is going to result in is demonstrating to Empire that even he cannot end it. And that is exactly what Hari Seldon wanted when he called upon Empire to (try to) end imperial cloning.

    This fits in nicely with the overarching theme of psychohistory (and indeed with the theme of Bel Riose in the books): there’s no such thing as a Great Man, no-one is special and outcomes are for the most part fixed and can be known through some fancy math.