A character of season 3 of the Foundation can have a secret connection with the books

This article contains spoil For season 3 of the “Foundation”.

We are three seasons of “Foundation”, and the Apple TV+ program has finally begun to play its cards. After two gigantic configuration seasons, the mule arrived and was revealed with a turn. The importance of the first foundation has also faded in the background, since the second foundation has left the shadows. Great things are happening, and yet, we have barely scratched the surface of the arc of the history of seven Asimov books (including two prequels). As someone who has read and reread those books, I am having fun connecting the points between the source material and the creative changes of the showrunner David S. Goyer, but there is a character that remains as difficult to reach as ever: Kalle.

Played by Rowena King, Kalle was mentioned in season 1. She appeared in season 2, but she was mainly busy giving Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) another physical body to continue her work. Then, in season 3, Kalle appeared again and again, pointing the season with critical revelations and appearing in times of clutch. And yet, I still have no idea who she is. Well, that’s not the right way to say it: I really have too much Ideas about who she is.

Let’s start with the obvious: Kalle does not have a direct connection with Asimov’s books. Neither the books of the Foundation nor the novels “Robot” (which are in the same universe) have a character with this name or in this role. It was composed for the show, and technically, the character called “Kalle” is a mathematics of season 1 whose visionary work in the folding book helped influence the conjecture of Abraxas, the complex mathematical problem that brings Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) to Hari Seldon’s attention. However, since season 1, Kalle’s character has been veiled in mystery and complexity. These are my current thoughts about who Kalle is and how he could connect with the greatest Foundation story that is directed to season 4.

There is a good possibility that Kalle is a combination of some different Asimovian characters, and all my main conjectures for these are robots. The first one that comes to mind is dors, or more formally, R. Dors Venabili. (And yes, the “R” means robot).

Dors is an important character in the two prequel novels, “Prelude to Foundation” and “Forest the Foundation”. She (and I will refer to her as “she” for reasons that will become obvious in a second) has the task of helping the young Hari Seldon to develop psychohistory and create the Seldon Plan. Hari and Seldon fall in love and marry (Hari does not officially know that he is a robot for a long time, but he suspects), and adopts Raych Seldon (played by Alfred Enoch in season 1) as his son. The most deep intimacy and conversations between Hari and Kalle in the program are the raffle here, giving strong connotes of this positronic element of the prequels.

Another option is R. Giskard Reventlov. This is a robot of later “robot” novels. It is especially important in the book “Robots and Empire”, where it helps Demerzel create the Robotics Law and reveals that it has developed the ability to understand and adjust human emotions (key to the subsequent powers and skills of the second foundation).

Finally, there is R. Daneel Olivaw himself. This is the official name of the robot called Demerzel. Yes, in books, they are the same (and also have other aka). In this case, I wonder if, in the program, they have divided the role, responsibilities and history of Daneel into two parts. One could be the obvious and openly called Demerzel (Laura Birn), but Kalle could be another side of that currency.

Mi “Who is Kalle?” The thought process has also gone beyond individual characters. I am starting to wonder if she represents a bigger entity, and there are some options for what could be. The first is that she is Radiant’s physical incarnation in itself. This is what Hari Seldon thinks when he knows her for the first time, and she mentions it again when he speaks with Demerzel at the end of season 3, in episode 9, “the paths that choose us.” In that conversation, however, she also says:

“I know what you want. As you are looking for. Robots were not designed to be alone.”

Cryptic? Yes. It exceeds that she is a robot, and previously in episode 2, “Shadows in the Math”, there are multiple additional signs that it is positronics, non -human. And yet, his resistance to simply leave and say “yes, I am a robot” makes me think there are more steps here. Perhaps it is only that she is the main radiant that appears in different ways for different people. On the other hand, perhaps she really is a robot, and if that is true, I think it comes from one of the two different places.

The first is Gaia. This is a living planet that is important in the next part of the history of “Foundation”. Gaia is established by humans with robot guides and teachers. Its people have powers similar to the mule (which comes from there in the books) or the second foundation, but also develop a single collective consciousness. Kalle could be from that planet and could be connected to collective consciousness, hence his cryptic talk of being more than one thing.

My other thought is that she is a moon robot. This is revealed at the end of season 3, and is a critical part of the final part of the history of “Foundation”. I will not give much, but it is enough to say that the moon has a robot colony. Kalle could be part of that group, again feeding it with the narrative “I am more than me.” Unfortunately, despite all speculation, we will at least have to wait until Greenlit season 4 arrives for more answers.

Season 3 of “Foundation” is broadcast on Apple TV+.