Foundation season 3 episode 9 release date and time, what’s next, and everything you need to know

Foundation season 3 episode 9, titled The Paths That Choose Us, will premiere on September 5, 2025, at 3 am ET, exclusively on Apple TV. Episode 7 finally gave fans information about The Mule's origin story, and episode 8 showcased the aftermath after he conquered New Terminus. It kicked off with the ruthless warlord confronting Holo-Hari outside the Vault on New Terminus, demanding information.

Instead, The Mule was nearly killed by Holo-Hari, who only stopped because he knew the warlord had a secret and he wanted to see what it was. Beyond that, episode 8 also brought Brother Day's trial in Mycogen to its conclusion, although the Cleon clone had a lot to say before his final sentencing.

Not only that, but Brother Dawn finally made an appearance after not being a part of the last two episodes. Meanwhile, in another part of the galaxy, Gaal Dornick made the difficult decision to go search for Han Pritcher on New Terminus, bringing her into direct contact with The Mule at last.

The episode effectively set up Foundation season 3’s final two episodes, with the two Mentalics finally on the path to battle each other.

---

When does Foundation season 3 episode 9 come out? Release time for all major time zones

Foundation season 3 episode 9, titled The Path That Choose Us, will debut at 3 am ET on September 5, 2025, on Apple TV. The story progresses after Gaal arrives on New Terminus to find Han Pritcher, likely putting her in the path of The Mule. Meanwhile, Dusk resorts to drastic measures, and Demerzel searches for clarity about the future while Brother Day’s future remains unclear.

For viewers around the world, here is the series’ release schedule across major time zones:

Region	Release date	Release time
United States (PT)	September 5, 2025	12 am
United States (MT)	September 5, 2025	1 am
United States (CT)	September 5, 2025	2 pm
United Kingdom (BST)	September 5, 2025	8 am
Central Europe (CET)	September 5, 2025	9 am
India (IST)	September 5, 2025	12:30 pm
Japan (JST)	September 5, 2025	4 pm
Australia (AEST)	September 5, 2025	5 pm

---

How many episodes are left in Foundation season 3?

Following the release of Foundation season 3 episode 8, the hit science fiction series has two episodes left to complete its current season run. The season follows the same pattern as the previous two seasons, with a 10-episode format.

The remaining episodes will be made available every week on Friday as follows:

• Episode 9: The Paths That Choose Us - September 5, 2025
• Episode 10 (season finale): The Darkness - September 12, 2025

---

A brief recap of Foundation season 3 episode 8

A still from Foundation season 3 episode 8, Skin in the Game (Image via Apple TV)

Foundation season 3 episode 8, titled Skin in the Game, picked up where episode 7 left off: the confrontation between The Mule and Digital Seldon at the Vault on New Terminus. The two proceeded to have an intense discussion broaching various subjects, with the warlord even threatening Holo-Hari, although that didn’t end well for him. Holo-Hari activated his null field and attacked The Mule, only stopping because he knew The Mule had a secret and he wanted to learn it.

The story then turned to Brother Day, who had been captured by the Sunmaster and was being put on trial. While he told the “Faith” everything he knew about robots and Demerzel, even informing them that their savior was actually Demerzel, nothing seemed to have worked.

Instead, he was sentenced to death by the Sunmaster and seemingly fell to his death at the end of the episode. Meanwhile, it was shown that Brother Dawn was alive and well. The Cleon clone hadn’t been seen since flying out of an airlock at the end of episode 5 and was now shown to be badly injured but alive, albeit imprisoned by The Mule.

The ruthless Mentalic even tortured him, but Dawn didn’t have enough information on Gaal Dornick to satisfy him. Meanwhile, Dornick arrived on New Terminus to rescue Han Pritcher as the episode reached its end after entrusting the Prime Radiant to Preem Palver and ordering him to evacuate Ignis in case she failed.

---

What to expect from Foundation season 3 episode 9? (speculative)

A still from Foundation season 3 episode 8, Skin in the Game (Image via Apple TV)

Foundation season 3 episode 8 ended with Brother Day being sentenced to death by remediation, a brutal death where a person was dropped into a pit filled with microorganisms that would slowly consume them alive. The Cleon clone was seen falling to his death, and episode 9 will likely let everyone know whether Day survived his ordeal or not.

Brother Dawn was also shown to be alive but badly injured and in The Mule’s captivity in episode 8 alongside Bayta Mallow, a fellow prisoner of the ruthless warlord. However, with The Mule keen on extracting all the information he can, episode 9 will likely showcase either a rescue mission for both prisoners or whether there’s more torture in store for the two of them.

However, the ruthless warlord’s attention has likely been diverted for the moment as Gaal Dornick has arrived on New Terminus. She’s here to rescue Han Pritcher, and with only two episodes left in Foundation season 3, the final two episodes will likely focus on her battle with The Mule.

That and with Brother Dusk’s ascension ceremony getting closer, he has some big plans for The Empire’s future, and having told Demerzel about his weapon, the chances are the Cleon clone will play a large part in the final two episodes.

---

Foundation is currently streaming on Apple TV.