One Location From Foundation Season 3 Is More Important Than You Think

Warning! This article contains spoilers for "Foundation" season 3, episode 10, "The Darkness."

There were a lot of important locations in "Foundation" season 3 as David S. Goyer's adaptive masterpiece continued to build on its galaxy-spanning story. New Terminus was revealed as the thriving new planetary center of the Foundation. The Mule (or I should say, her red herring puppet pirate) started his conquest on the pleasure planet of Kalgan. Mycogen held the secret mysteries of Demerzel's (Laura Birn) past (and yeast — lots of yeast). And, of course, the teaser at the end of the finale revealed robots on the Moon next to Earth — a critical connection to the end of the Foundation story.

As the season wrapped up, though, there's one location that I noticed came and went not with a bang, but with a whimper. I'm talking about the Imperial Library. This important building has shown up a handful of times throughout the show. This is where Gaal first meets Hari in season 1. It's also where Brother Dawn comes in search of psychohistorical knowledge in season 3, episode 3, "When a Book Finds You." The building shows up again in both the penultimate and final episodes of that season, and in those final two appearances, we start to get a glimpse of why this seemingly innocuous and unpopular structure is so important to the larger story.

In season 3, episode 9, "The Paths That Choose Us," Demerzel discovers the Prime Radiant kept in the Library and uses the discovery to connect with fellow positronic person Kalle (Rowena King). Together, they talk about how the library was the site of the final days of the Robot War. The last survivors of the robots folded themselves into the cabinets to hide from the inevitable — their ultimate destruction. At one point, Kalle says, "If it's hidden now, it could be a safe place yet again." Demerzel agrees and reluctantly says she wants to offer it to Seldon's followers as a refuge.

We see the library again in the closing minutes of the finale, when First Foundation representative Felice Quent (Cherry Jones) arrives and discovers First Speaker Preem Palver of the Second Foundation in its silent, glowing halls. (So many "firsts" and "seconds" in this show!) By the end of the season, the Imperial Library has become a haven for the Second Foundation — in the show, at least. However, if you read the books, this hallowed location is actually much more important than a backup safety net for the Second Foundation. It's the group's main headquarters for centuries.

The Imperial Library is a late addition location for Apple TV+'s "Foundation" series. In the books, though, it is the home of the Second Foundation from day one. From before that, actually. Hari Seldon uses it as a base of operations while he's preparing the Foundation, the Prime Radiant, and his eponymous plan for decades before either the show or main book series starts. (That origin story is covered in Isaac Asimov's two prequel books, "Prelude to Foundation" and "Forward the Foundation.")

When the Seldon Plan is put in motion, the Imperial Library is already the central hub for the Second Foundation (which is established at the same time as the First Foundation in the book). This is where the group develops their mentalic abilities, works on improving Seldon's plan, and watches over the First Foundation from afar. The Imperial Library survives the sacking and destruction of Trantor (an event that hasn't happened yet in the show), and the Second Foundationers even hide its location from the Mule when he comes hunting for them unsuccessfully in the ruins of the capital planet.

In the show, the Imperial Library has barely been a factor — until now. It's also interesting that Quent, of the First Foundation, is the first person to see the Second Foundation living there, since in the books, it remains hidden from the First Foundation. These groups shouldn't be crossing paths. But hey, it's an adaptation, right? Regardless, I love that the Imperial Library is finally factoring into the story, and I'm excited to see how it factors into the now greenlit season 4 now that Preem Palver and his Second Foundation gang have moved in.

"Foundation" season 3 is now streaming, in its entirety, on Apple TV+.