Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Foundation Season 2 Episode 8.
The Big Picture
- Brother Constant’s straightforward and refreshing approach to expressing her feelings for Hober brings a natural and organic dynamic to Foundation‘s romantic storyline.
- Constant’s boldness and honesty in pursuing Hober add a lighthearted and authentic element to the show’s relationships, contrasting with the stiff and untrustworthy characters in the series.
- Hober’s dramatic and passionate rescue of Constant solidifies their mutual feelings and sets the stage for their first sexual liaison, which is driven by Constant’s assertive and confident nature.
The science fiction genre generally doesn’t do romantic relationships very well. It’s just not in the DNA of fantasy masters like Isaac Asimov, Ridley Scott, and even the great Steven Spielberg to stray too far away from the technical aspects of their grand stories in order to flesh out a good romance. So far on the AppleTV+ show Foundation, we’ve seen several dalliances that range from the very mechanical – quite literally between Demerzel (Laura Birn) and Brother Day (Lee Pace) – to the purely transactional relationships between the new Empress Sareth (Ella-Rae Smith) and Day and Sareth and Brother Dawn (Cassian Bitton), to the outright cringy hook up between the elder Brother Dusk (Terrance Mann) and Enjoiner Rue (Sandra Yi Sencindiver). So when cleric and Foundation supporter Constant (Isabella Laughland) doubled down on her overt feelings toward Hober Mallow (Dimitri Leonidas), it was a welcome breath of fresh air as it feels like the most natural and organic tandem that Foundation has delivered so far.
Brother Constant Has Made Her Feelings For Hober Very Clear in ‘Foundation’ Season 2
Ever since the wide-eyed but highly intelligent Constant became aware of the existence of the rogue trader Hober Mallow in Episode 4 of Season 2 entitled, “Where the Stars are Scattered Thinly” she has made her feelings for him abundantly clear. Her straightforward, shoot-from-the-hip manner is one of the most fun and refreshing aspects of a mind-bending show that can sometimes feel a little overwhelming with the pure size and scope of the stories it takes on. When they take Hober aboard their jumpship and the two meet for the first time in earnest, it makes for some of the most natural dialogue of both the first season and so far in Season 2.
He is probably the most relatable young male character on the show, and Constant is easily the most engaging female player among a group that includes political schemers, robots, and academics who are either too preoccupied with power plays or hyper-focused on the importance of the Foundation and the looming war with Empire. From the moment the two begin to flirt over guessing Constant’s real Thespin name in exchange for having a drink of Hober’s very rare bottle of liquor, it brings out the most playful and organic stages of an early courtship that feels much more like something you would see now, in the 21st century on Earth. So it’s something easy and fun that the viewer can latch onto while all the cerebral craziness of Foundation swirls around us.
Constant’s Forwardness Makes For Some Lighthearted Moments in ‘Foundation’
There is no doubt as to which of these two young characters is angling the hardest to make some sparks fly between them. When Hober has to leave Constant and Poly (Jairaj Varsani) on Terminus to recruit the Spacers for the alliance, she makes it very clear to him that she is disappointed to see him leave. She doesn’t mince words and goes into some detail about how she was straight up hoping that Hober would be her choice as the first man that whom she would engage in physical relations. Hober is a little taken aback by both her brashness and honesty, but if you really examine it, in an age of swiping left and right and cyber romance, we should be embracing Constant for being so refreshingly blunt. She knows what she wants and isn’t going to beat around the bush in order to make it happen. If you can get past the initial awkwardness of her methods, it’s a fun dynamic that gives the show a much-needed authenticity in its relationships that it has been lacking with the likes of Day, Dusk, Demerzel, Sareth, and Rue – all of whom are very stiff and untrustworthy. Bel Riose (Ben Daniels) and Glawen Curr (Dino Fetscher) are a serious couple but haven’t been explored in depth outside their very serious mission for Empire. We needed at least one genuine item, and Constant and Hober fit the bill.
Hober Finally Reciprocates Constant’s Feelings in Episode 8 of ‘Foundation’
You have to give Hober Mallow credit, when he commits to doing something, he goes big and goes all in. In Episode 8 called, “The Last Empress”, after Constant and Poly find themselves just moments away from being beheaded at the hands of Brother Day while the entire galaxy watches, Hober crashes the ceremony on Trantor just in time to save the day. When he jumps his ship onto the Colosseum stage, the resulting explosion sends the gathering of people scattering. Hober’s reason for being there is clear as he immediately shouts for Constant trying to find her. After exchanging gunfire with Imperial guards, he eventually reaches her and sics Becky on Brother Day. So for all the distance that he has been trying to keep between himself and a serious relationship, when Constant is in distress, his feelings for her come roaring to the surface. It’s at this point that we know that the interest is completely mutual, and the two are meant to be together. Or as Hober says to the viewing audience, “Sorry folks. The beheading has been canceled!”
Naturally, Constant Has Sex For the First Time on Her Own Terms
As the pair goes off-world and escapes from Trantor, the time is finally upon the couple to consummate the relationship, and true to form, Constant is driving the encounter. Make no mistake, Hober is more than happy to take orders from his new love interest. It is a moment that has been coming since their paths crossed in Episode 4, and it goes down exactly the way you may have expected. When they come out of a jump and find themselves vulnerable to an Imperial patrol ship, it’s the perfect opportunity for Constant to set the mood under the guise of taking steps to take cover from their pursuers. She powers down the ship and the mood and situation are just right. After cleaning the blood from her neck and face, Constant and Hober have their most honest and open conversation, or “the talk” that every new and worthy romance must progress past before it becomes official. Finally, it’s time for the return of blunt Constant, and she tells Hober exactly how their first sexual encounter will go down to the tune of, “We should seize the moment,” and, “Take off your trousers,” and Hober eagerly obliges. The two young lovers can no longer – nor do they want to – deny their attraction, and we are rewarded with the best romantic relationship in Foundation so far.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
