This text accommodates spoilers for “Basis” season 3.
We’re three seasons into “Basis,” and the Apple TV+ present has lastly began to play its playing cards. After two gigantic seasons of setup, the Mule arrived and was revealed with a twist. The significance of the First Basis has additionally light into the background because the Second Basis has stepped out of the shadows. Large issues are occurring — and but, we have barely scratched the floor of Asimov’s seven-book story arc (together with two prequels). As somebody who has learn and reread these books, I am having enjoyable connecting the dots between the supply materials and showrunner David S. Goyer’s inventive adjustments, however there’s one character who stays as elusive as ever: Kalle.
Performed by Rowena King, Kalle was talked about in season 1. She popped into season 2, however was primarily busy with giving Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) one other bodily physique to hold on his work. Then, in season 3, Kalle appeared again and again, bookending the season with crucial revelations and displaying up in clutch moments. And but, I nonetheless don’t know who she is. Nicely, that is not fairly the precise solution to put it: I even have too many concepts about who she is.
Let’s begin with the apparent: Kalle would not have a direct connection to Asimov’s books. Neither the Basis books nor the “Robotic” novels (that are in the identical universe) have a personality with this title or on this function. She was made up for the present, and technically, the character named “Kalle” is a mathematician from season 1 whose visionary work on the E-book of Folding helped affect the Abraxas Conjecture — the advanced math downside that brings Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) to Hari Seldon’s consideration. Since season 1, although, Kalle’s character has develop into veiled in thriller and complexity. Listed here are my present ideas on who Kalle is and the way she may connect with the bigger Basis story heading into season 4.
Is Kalle a mashup of various characters from Asimov’s books?
There is a good probability that Kalle is a mashup of some totally different Asimovian characters — and all of my prime guesses for these are robots. The primary one which involves thoughts is Dors, or extra formally, R. Dors Venabili. (And sure, the “R” stands for Robotic.)
Dors is a serious character within the two prequel novels, “Prelude to Basis” and “Ahead the Basis.” She (and I am going to check with her as “she” for causes that may develop into apparent in a second) is tasked with serving to the younger Hari Seldon develop psychohistory and create the Seldon Plan. Hari and Seldon fall in love and get married (Hari would not formally know she’s a robotic for a very long time, however he suspects), they usually undertake Raych Seldon (performed by Alfred Enoch in season 1) as their son. The intimacy and deeper conversations between Hari and Kalle on the present are the giveaway right here, giving sturdy overtones of this positronic aspect from the prequels.
An alternative choice is R. Giskard Reventlov. It is a robotic from the later “Robotic” novels. He’s particularly essential within the e book “Robots and Empire,” the place he helps Demerzel create the Zeroth Legislation of Robotics and divulges that he is developed the power to telepathically perceive and modify human feelings (key to the Second Basis’s later powers and skills).
Lastly, there’s R. Daneel Olivaw himself. That is the official title for the robotic known as Demerzel. Sure, within the books, they’re one and the identical (they usually produce other aliases, too). On this case, I am questioning if, within the present, they’ve cut up the function, duties, and story of Daneel into two components. One might be the apparent and brazenly named Demerzel (Laura Birn), however Kalle might be one other aspect to that coin.
Is Kalle from Gaia?
My “who’s Kalle?” thought course of has gone additional than particular person characters, too. I am beginning to surprise if she represents a bigger entity — and there are a number of choices for what that might be. The primary is that she’s the bodily, on-screen embodiment of the Prime Radiant itself. That is what Hari Seldon thinks when he first meets her, and she or he brings it up once more when speaking to Demerzel on the finish of season 3, in episode 9, “The Paths That Select Us.” In that dialog, although, she additionally says:
“I do know what you want me to be. Like seeks like. Robots weren’t designed to face alone.”
Cryptic? Sure. It hints that she’s a robotic, and earlier in episode 2, “Shadows within the Math,” there are a number of further indicators that she’s positronic, not human. And but, her resistance to easily come out and say “yeah, I am a robotic” makes me suppose there’s extra occurring right here. Perhaps it is simply that she’s the Prime Radiant showing in numerous kinds to totally different individuals. Then once more, perhaps she actually is a robotic — and if that is true, I feel she comes from one in every of two totally different locations.
The primary is Gaia. It is a residing planet that’s essential within the upcoming a part of the “Basis” story. Gaia is settled by people with robotic guides and lecturers. Its individuals have related powers to the Mule (who comes from there within the books) or the Second Basis, however additionally they develop a single, collective consciousness. Kalle might be from that planet and might be hardwired to the collective consciousness, therefore her cryptic speak about being greater than a single factor.
My different thought is that she’s a robotic from the Moon. That is revealed on the finish of season 3, and it’s a crucial a part of the ultimate a part of the “Basis” story. I will not give a lot away, however suffice it to say that the Moon has a robotic colony on it. Kalle might be a part of that group, once more feeding her “I am greater than me” narrative. Sadly, for all of the hypothesis, we will need to at the least wait till the greenlit season 4 arrives to get extra solutions.
“Basis” season 3 is streaming on Apple TV+.
