Hari Sheldon is back, and he’s not happy with Gaal.

You can spend a lot of time trying to get your head round who is or isn’t dead on Foundation, or how many decades have passed since you last saw a character, but my advice is to just roll with it. Death can’t keep Hari Seldon down, and he appears in this episode to be a thorn in Gaal’s side. Rather, he spurs her into action – they need to get their ship off-planet or the Second Foundation has no chance of success.

Cleon’s fiancée Queen Sareth is asking questions about the various clones of the Empire’s leader that are kept in the city’s vaults, and we know that the seed planted last season about the impurity within the lineage is going to bear fruit. She’s a sassy character and a fine foil for the omnipotent Cleon.

We also get to meet new characters on Terminus, which is 138 years further on then when we last visited. Novice Cleric Brother Constant of the Foundation is using parlour tricks to engage the locals, while Poly Verisof, High Cleric of the Church of the Galactic Spirit is excited to hear that the vault is opening again. Who gets to be there when it opens, and will it be Hari who emerges? But most thrilling is a time jump that Gaal experiences where she is in conflict with a fan favourite from the books, discovers a new destination, and witnesses a tragedy. Exciting stuff.

Verdict: While episode 1 could hardly be described a low-key, this second hour assumes we’re now up-to-speed, strapped in, and we’re off. 9/10

Nick Joy