This text comprises 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. Massive 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 modifications, 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 over and over, bookending the season with vital revelations and displaying up in clutch moments. And but, I nonetheless do not know who she is. Properly, that is not fairly the proper technique to put it: I even have too many concepts about who she is.
Let’s begin with the plain: Kalle does 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 identify or on this position. She was made up for the present, and technically, the character named “Kalle” is a mathematician from season 1 whose visionary work on the Guide of Folding helped affect the Abraxas Conjecture — the advanced math drawback that brings Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) to Hari Seldon’s consideration. Since season 1, although, Kalle’s character has change 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 likelihood 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 will confer with her as “she” for causes that can change 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 does not formally know she’s a robotic for a very long time, however he suspects), and so they 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 ingredient from the prequels.
Another choice is R. Giskard Reventlov. This can be a robotic from the later “Robotic” novels. He’s particularly essential within the guide “Robots and Empire,” the place he helps Demerzel create the Zeroth Legislation of Robotics and divulges that he is developed the flexibility to telepathically perceive and modify human feelings (key to the Second Basis’s later powers and talents).
Lastly, there’s R. Daneel Olivaw himself. That is the official identify for the robotic known as Demerzel. Sure, within the books, they’re one and the identical (and so they produce other aliases, too). On this case, I am questioning if, within the present, they’ve cut up the position, obligations, and story of Daneel into two components. One may very well be the plain and brazenly named Demerzel (Laura Birn), however Kalle may very well 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 marvel if she represents a bigger entity — and there are just a few choices for what that may very well 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 extra indicators that she’s positronic, not human. And but, her resistance to easily come out and say “yeah, I am a robotic” makes me assume there’s extra occurring right here. Possibly it is simply that she’s the Prime Radiant showing in several kinds to totally different folks. 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. This can be a dwelling planet that’s essential within the upcoming a part of the “Basis” story. Gaia is settled by people with robotic guides and lecturers. Its folks 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 may very well be from that planet and may very well 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 vital 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 may very well be a part of that group, once more feeding her “I am greater than me” narrative. Sadly, for all of the hypothesis, we’ll need to a minimum of wait till the greenlit season 4 arrives to get extra solutions.
“Basis” season 3 is streaming on Apple TV+.